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SOCENT BLOG 

Iconic Cleveland Ohio Tower Lighting For Congolese Liberation Day

5/10/2018

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#CLE4DRC
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​CLEVELAND, OHIO
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On May 16 2018, and in solidarity with LUCHA RD Congo and Advocates For Peace and Change, Socent Studios is again lighting Cleveland, Ohio's iconic Terminal Tower and three other K&D buildings in Downtown Cleveland the colors of the Democratic Republic of the Congo's (DRC/Congo) flag to acknowledge National Liberation Day in the DRC. From twilight to dawn, Cleveland, OH will shine as a beacon of hope in a global show of support and solidarity with Congo and  all nonviolent Congolese risking their safety for peace, progress and prosperity in a new Congo.
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​WHY CONGO?


America’s Conflict Electronics economy has quietly produced the deadliest struggle for peace and human dignity since WWII. Due to international exploitation of Congo's mineral wealth valued today at $24 trillion, Congo's struggle is directly fueled by Conflict Electronics such as our game consoles, cellphones, tablets, laptops, PCs, cameras and electric cars. Millions upon millions of innocent Congolese have been slaughtered and 13 million more face critical peril today. Due to 22 years of unfettered geopolitical corruption and transnational exploitation of Congolese wealth. In 2017, DRC's struggle was classified a Level 3 Humanitarian Crisis. This was later deactivated in April 2018 due to Dictator Kabila's refusal to accept international aid to support the 13 million Congolese in critical need today.
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ENDEMIC WILDLIFE EXTINCTION

Unfettered plundering of Congo has also placed the Congo’s wildlife at grave risk. As a result, earth’s largest primates, Congo's endemic Eastern Lowland Gorillas (inspired King Kong), are Critically Endangered and on the precipice of extinction.
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HISTORIC BACKDROP

In 1960, the former Belgian Congo achieved its independence and was then known as the Republic of Congo. Congo's first democratically elected leader Patrice Lumumba played a significant role in the transformation of the Congo from a colony of Belgium into an independent republic. Ideologically an African nationalist and Pan-Africanist, Patrice led the Movement National Congolese (MNC) party from 1958 until his death. A gifted intellectual, leader and orator revered by the people, Patrice also famously delivered Congo's Independence Day Speech in 1960.
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​CONGO CRISIS


Shortly after Congolese independence in 1960 and encouraged by a Belgian government intent on maintaining its access to rich Congolese mines, a mutiny broke out in the army and violence erupted in the south, marking the beginning of the Congo Crisis. After receiving no support from the West/United Nations, Lumumba turned to the Soviet Union for assistance against rising secessionists. The US government saw Lumumba's relationship with the Soviet Union as a threat (Cold War).

​Kasa-Vubu was encouraged by the US and Belgium to dismiss Lumumba, which he proceeded to do on 5 September. An outraged Lumumba declared Kasa-Vubu deposed. Parliament refused to recognize the dismissals and urged reconciliation, but no agreement was reached. Both Lumumba and Kasa-Vubu each ordere
d Joseph-Désiré Mobutu (Mobutu) to arrest the other. As Army Chief of Staff, Mobutu came under great pressure from multiple sources. The embassies of Western nations, which helped pay the soldiers' salaries, as well as Kasa-Vubu and Mobutu's subordinates, all favored getting rid of the Soviet presence.

MOBUTU KLEPTOCRACY

​On 14 September Mobutu launched a bloodless coup, declaring both Kasa-Vubu and Lumumba to be "neutralized" and establishing a new government of university graduates. Lumumba rejected this action but was forced to retire to his residence where UN peacekeepers prevented Mobutu's soldiers from arresting him.
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ASSASSINATION OF PATRICE LUMUMBA

Losing confidence that the international community would support his reinstatement, Lumumba fled in late November to join his supporters in Stanleyville to establish a new government. In early December he was captured by Mobutu's troops and incarcerated at his headquarters in Thysville Prison. However, Mobutu still considered him a threat and on 17 January 1961 transferred him to the rebelling State of Katanga.

​Lumumba then disappeared from the public view. It was later discovered that he was murdered the same day by the secessionist forces
after Mobutu's government turned him over. Patrice Lumumba was executed by a firing squad under the command of Katangan authorities. His body was then buried, exhumed, cut into pieces and dissolved in acid. Patrice Lumumba was and remains widely seen as a martyr for the greater Pan-African movement.
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​OVERTHROW OF MOBUTU, RISE OF LAURENT KABILA

Following his 32-year dictatorship Mobutu was eventually overthrown in the First Congo War by Laurent-Désiré Kabila. Mobutu began renaming the cities of Congo starting on 1 June 1966; Leopoldville became Kinshasa, Elisabethville became Lubumbashi, and Stanleyville became Kisangani. In October 1971, he renamed the country the Republic of Zaire. Mobutu was eventually overthrown in the First Congo War by Laurent-Désiré Kabila (Kabila) who was supported by the governments of Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda. 

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When Mobutu's government issued an order in November 1996 forcing Tutsis to leave Zaire (Congo) on penalty of death, the ethnic Tutsis in Zaire, known as Banyamulenge, were the focal point of a rebellion. From eastern Zaire, the rebels and foreign government forces launched an offensive to overthrow Mobutu, joining forces with locals opposed to him as they marched west toward Kinshasa.
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​Kabila would lead ethnic Tutsis from South Kivu against Hutu forces, marking the beginning of the First Congo War. With support from Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi, Kabila pushed his forces into a full-scale rebellion against Mobutu as the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo-Zaire (ADFL). Kabila also commanded child soldiers in the conflict. It was estimated that up to 10,000 children served under him.

NATIONAL LIBERATION DAY

By mid-1997, the ADFL had almost completely overrun the country and the remains of Mobutu's army. Only the country's decrepit infrastructure slowed Kabila's forces down; in many areas, the only means of transit were irregularly used dirt paths. Following failed peace talks held on board of the South African ship SAS Outeniqua, Mobutu fled into exile on 16 May. Due to the overthrow of Mobutu's brutal dictatorship and the people's hope for a new Congo, May 16th marks National Liberation Day in DR Congo.

ZAIRE BACK TO CONGO

The next day, from his base in Lubumbashi, Kabila proclaimed himself president. Kabila suspended the Constitution, and changed the name of the country from Zaire back to the Democratic Republic of Congo—the country's official name from 1964 to 1971. He made his grand entrance into Kinshasa on 20 May and was sworn in on 31 May, officially commencing his term as President.

ASSASSINATION OF LAURENT KABILA

Laurent-Desire Kabila served as the third President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from May 17, 1997 until his assassination by one of his bodyguards on January 16, 2001. He was succeeded eight days later by his son Joseph Kabila.
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CURRENT KABILA KLEPTOCRACY

Joseph Kabila Kabange has been President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo since January 2001. He took office ten days after the assassination of his father. Though widely contested, Joseph Kabila was elected as President in 2006 and again in 2011. Kabila's term was due to expire on 20 December 2016 per the constitution, adopted in 2006. Officials suggested that elections would be held in November 2016. However, on 29 September 2016, Kabila's electoral authority announced that the election would not be held until early 2018. 

​Since coming to power, Joseph Kabila has exploited Congo's immense mineral wealth for self-enrichment and faced continuous wars in eastern Congo and internal rebel forces supported by neighboring governments of Uganda and Rwanda.
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​CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS

​According to the Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Congo and just like America's constitution, Joseph Kabila is prohibited from serving more than two terms. On 19 September 2016, massive protests including our nonviolent brothers and sisters risking together with LUCHA RD Congo, called for him to step down as legally mandated and rocked Kinshasa, Congo's capital.

Seventeen people were killed by Kabila's state-led forces while peaceably demonstrating for their constitution. On 29 September 2016, Kabila's electoral authority announced that the election would not be held until early 2018. 
Many more nonviolent Congolese have been arrested, intimidated, tortured and killed since. Kabila-led forces have recently taken to live firing on Priests, women and children during peaceful demonstrations.
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​DEADLIEST STRUGGLE FOR PEACE SINCE WWII

According to Joseph Kabila's electoral commission's vice president, the government "hasn't called elections in 2016 because the number of voters isn't known." However, the people and international community have alleged that Kabila intentionally delayed elections to remain in power. Partially in response to this delayed election, the United States has twice issued sanctions against members of Kabila's inner circle, most recently freezing the assets of several within Joseph Kabila's Kleptocracy .

​These actions are seen as a warning to President Kabila to respect his country's constitution. In 2017, DRC's struggle was classified a Level 3 Humanitarian Crisis. This was deactivated in April 2018 due to Dictator Kabila's refusal to accept international aid to support the 13 million Congolese in critical need today.
KABILA MUST GO!

Opposition groups claim that the outcome of late elections would be civil war. Maman Sidikou, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Congo and head of MONUSCO, said that a tipping point into uncontrollable violence could come about very quickly if the political situation is not normalized.

​In late February 2018 the ministry of international affairs of Botswana told Kabila that it was time to go and said the "worsening humanitarian situation" in DRC is compounded by the fact that "its leader has persistently delayed holding elections, and has lost control over the security of his country".
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Socent Studios Releases Augmented Reality App To Expand Illustrated DR Congo Peace Narrative

5/4/2018

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DOWNLOAD SOCENT APP

Release Notes:  To use our Augmented Reality (AR) Android beta app and reveal the supporting LUCHA RD Congo media narrative, click the button above or search Google Play for "Socent Studios," download, and open app. Then scan each page in our Digital Graphic Novel for Peace Episode 2: Lumumba’s Light. To scan each page after the first, press the circular refresh icon top right of our app. iTunes version in development for future release. Stay tuned!
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​​CLEVELAND, OH — ​Roughly a year a go I was invited to attend a CLEVR Virtual Reality (VR) event produced by Reynaldo Zabala which showcased several Northeast Ohio VR projects including Enyx Studios badass VR STEAM game, 'A Haunting: Witching Hour' (Congrats Don!). News cameras were also in attendance to capture the showcase. Everybody loves VR.

During this event I was introduced to Cleveland, OH's humble tech legend, Marty Tarr (thank you Bob!). An MIT graduate, Marty famously led his startup team and shareholders to a major exit and acquired 3 companies as a Northeast OH CEO-founder. Today, he is one of Cleveland's most beloved entrepreneur mentors and tech investors.
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​I would spend the next year texting with Marty episodically, occasionally updating him on Socent's developments and trying to stay on his radar.

​Following our Plain Dealer feature as a 2018 Top Five Northeast OH Disruptor, selection to the 
42nd Cleveland International Film Festival, first of a kind Digital Graphic Novel For Peace IP release and historical Terminal Tower Lighting For Peace in Congo, Marty and I would finally meet for coffee to discuss Socent Studios. In addition to his proud Cleveland spirit, battle-tested founder stripes and legacy example, one of the things I appreciate most about Marty is his genuine candor.

After leading me through a number of really smart questions about Socent and our 
Seed round Marty said, "I really do love what you are doing and want to invest; but not today. And let me explain why - I just invested $1 million in to my new tech startup and need to develop key performance first." Marty then proceeded to present his narrative-driven Augmented Reality (AR) technology and products, which amazingly included children's books. Incredible stuff. As it turned out, the table next to us took notice of our meeting and joined the conversation. Cleveland is filled with great people. 
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​While interacting with Marty's tech my mind raced with how visceral the educational impact of his AR products is and all the human development possibilities both in general and with respect to Socent and DRC. I thought about all the Congolese youth I spent time with in eastern Congo (the Kivus) and all the at-risk youth attending Cleveland's Positive Education Program.

As I digested my excitement Marty looked at me and said, "So, what I'd like to do if you are open to it is work with you and your team to develop an AR app for Socent Studios to support your cause, graphic novels and website and get it up on Google Play. And I'll take care of everything; including the costs." Marty then rolled into the logistic breakdown of integrating his technology with our IP and the additional potential he saw for us moving forward.

Once we established our path forward I asked Marty if he would be willing to accept our invitation to join Socent Studios Advisory Board. He accepted our offer with a smile.  


Working with Marty since this meeting to integrate LUCHA's AR media narrative into Lumumba's Light and publish our app to Google Play has been both a blast and deeply meaningful. Two more things I really appreciate about Marty as a CEO-founder; his production cadence and the fact that I can find him happily developing value at 1 am (founder jamz).

From all of us at Socent Studios thank you, Marty. We are grateful for your willingness to support our creative solidarity with Congolese leaders and mission to educate, inspire and mobilize the West towards helping Congo end the deadliest struggle for peace and human dignity since WWII.

​Umoja!
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​Socent Studios AR App
To use our Augmented Reality (AR) beta app and reveal the supporting LUCHA RD Congo narrative click here or search Google Play for "Socent Studios," download, and open app. Then scan each page in our Digital Graphic Novel for Peace, Episode 2, Lumumba’s Light. To scan each page after the first, press the circular refresh icon top right of our app.

Studio Description
Socent Studios is the Cleveland based social enterprise creative producing interactive transmedia to educate, inspire and mobilize millions toward durable impact in the world. Our journey begins in working solidarity with our brothers and sisters in DR Congo.

Global Crisis
Due to predatory exploitation of Congolese and their world supply of mineral wealth, profitable demand for pop culture tech such as our game consoles, cell phones, tablets, laptops, PCs, cameras, and electric cars (Conflict Electronics) are directly fueling the deadliest struggle for peace and human dignity since WWII. Congo’s crisis led to the April 2018 UN Geneva summit classifying DR Congo as a Level 3 humanitarian crisis, the body’s highest level of emergency. Due to 20+ years of predatory exploitation of Congo and Congolese, planet earth's largest primates, eastern Congo's endemic lowland gorillas are also on the precipice of extinction. 

Creative Solution 
In working solidarity with prominent leaders of Congo's peace movement, Civil Society, wildlife conservation and foremost Western advocacy and Policy groups, we are creating short film, a Digital Graphic Novel For Peace, and a narrative-driven "World Game"​ (video game) franchise designed to share Congo's story, beauty, and hope with millions of online gamers and Conflict Electronics consumers around the world.

To accomplish this we have united an improbable team of top tier game Developers and legendary comic illustrators, famous storytellers and award-winning filmmakers, leading policy experts and international peace Activists, Ph.D.'s and scientifically recognized online community leaders dedicated to creating interactive post-tech products for peace, progress, and prosperity.

Learn more and follow our IP releases at www.socentstudios.com
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