More than minerals

This Wednesday, the Duke Advisory Committee on Investment Responsibility will hold a public forum before it votes on whether to pass a proxy voter resolution around conflict minerals—the first committee action on investment responsibility in five years. This vote is the culmination of months of advocacy that have put Duke in an “activism spotlight,” appearing in publications from The Huffington Post to Taiwanese news site Uonline. Because of this spotlight, the implications of Duke approving this resolution stretch far beyond our campus.

However, this impact is largely symbolic; changing one university’s investment policy is not an end solution. The conflict in the Congo is far more complex and dynamic than a single catchphrase, and so this is—and must be—a humble first step.

Frankly no one knows with 100 percent certainty what the effects of tracing conflict mineral supply chains will be. But by sitting and watching the Congo struggle, we allow violence to become background noise. We eliminate the possibility for growth because as we wait, the Congolese youth—potential engineers, doctors, policymakers, activists—grow up in a situation in which war is an everyday evil.

Stopping the rampant human rights violations in the DRC is worth more than a “like” on Facebook. Help us think critically about how we students can, and must, address the challenging problems still awaiting.

The ACIR public forum on Investment Responsibility will take place Wednesday at 6 p.m. in Von Canon A. All are encouraged to attend to share why they care about this issue or simply to learn more.

Ellen Paddock, Trinity ’14