Shedding Light on the Heart of Darkness

The Congo has improved little since Joseph Conrad portrayed colonial barbarism there in the Heart of Darkness at the turn of the last century. What is now called the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) underwent a Belgian-sponsored coup in 1960 that replaced a democrat with a despot and spelled doom...

By Penn Bullock

December 9, 2010

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The Congo has improved little since Joseph Conrad portrayed colonial barbarism there in the Heart of Darkness at the turn of the last century. What is now called the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) underwent a Belgian-sponsored coup in 1960 that replaced a democrat with a despot and spelled doom for the land. Since 1996, a civil war has left 6 million people dead and countless more orphaned, homeless, and traumatized. It’s one of history’s deadliest and most ignored battlefields. But a group of peace activists, called Falling Whistles, is stopping at Radio-Active Records on a national tour to pique the public’s awareness.

Activist Sean Carasso founded the organization after stumbling into a military camp in the Congo two years ago, where he found that child soldiers were being sent into battle armed with whistles. Carasso will be at the fundraiser, which features a screening of Peace Is the New Frontier, at Radio-Active Records (1930 E. Sunrise Blvd., Ste. B, Fort Lauderdale) on Friday at 8 p.m. Admission is free. Call 954-762-9488, or visit fallingwhistles.com/tour/.
Fri., Dec. 10, 8 p.m., 2010

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