Friday, March 5, Run For Congo Women is sponsoring a concert fundraiser featuring singer/songwriter Jess King at Ella Lounge, 9 Avenue A (between 1st & 2nd st) in New York. All proceeds from the event will go to Women For Women International, an organization whose work on behalf of the women of the Congo I've supported heavily. Tickets for the concert, which starts at 7 PM, are $15 at the door or $12 in advance. You can make a reservation (or donation) at Paypal and then give your name at the door. Remember ALL proceeds will go to Women for Women International.At noon on Monday, March 8, the place to be in New York will be the Brooklyn Bridge, where Women for Women International is holding a walk across the bridge and a rally to mirror those held that day on bridges all around the world, including one on a literal bridge between Rwanda and the DRC. The event will be filmed and featured in a viral video to be released following the campaign.
Another event of note is inspired by Half the Sky, the NY Times bestseller by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. The event features musical performances, celebrity commentary, and the world premiere of “Woineshet,” a short film by Academy Award winner Marisa Tomei and Lisa Leone. It was captured live on February 11, 2010 in New York and is being rebroadcast to select theaters nationwide on March 4, 2010 at 7:30 PM (local time). While not specifically dedicated to women of the DRC, Kristof's long-running coverage of the war in Congo heavily informs the work. This event will benefit CARE International.
Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo.