Over 7000 people have been killed since January this year in the conflict that's ongoing in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Kadambari Raghukumar talks about the impact of the war with Congolese with family members in the east of the country.

Congoloese diaspora in Auckland gathered at a rally last month to bring attention to ongoing conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo where since January this year alone, nearly 7000 people have been killed.

About the size of Western Europe, Democratic Republic of Congo – the DRC - has almost 72 % of the world’s coltan resources and a wealth of other mineral resources from gold to zinc.

Vying for control over the east’s vast mineral reserves are more than 100 armed groups.

Precious untapped minerals in Congolese soil have globalized impact of the conflict. Several multinational corporations are vested in the resources while Congolese minerals are an inextricable part of our own everyday lives from phones, batteries, electric cars.

For the past 30 years, DRC has been racked by multiple conflicts that have been called the First and Second Congo Wars that took seed in 1996 contested between ethnic and militant groups on the frontiers with Rwanda and Uganda, and the protracted Kivu conflict in the east, that’s now intensified.

Amongst all the armed groups fighting in the region, the most prominent is the M23 – whom the UN as well as the US and several other countries allege are backed by Rwanda – is violently taking control of the resource-rich territory, Kivu. It's a region nearly five times the size of Rwanda.

M23 are mostly led by ethnic Tutsis, who say they needed to take up arms to protect the rights of the minority group in the east of DRC.

Rwanda rejects allegations that it supports the group with arms and funding.

In this episode of Here Now, Kadambari Raghukumar talks to Congolese in Auckland on how the ongoing conflict in their homeland is affecting them.

The conversation features Redoland Tsounga, Eddy Mokonzi and Nyota.

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Artist Nadia Freeman's performance, The Girmit, explores a slightly unconventional approach to telling the story of how Indians came to be taken to Fiji in the 1800s.

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What does culture-centred communication look like in a suburb of Palmerston North trying to shift narratives around it's reputation? Professor Mohan Dutta and Venessa Pokaia join Kadambari Raghukumar in this second part to the conversation on CARE's work.

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Exploring cultural communication around sex and health, Fullbright scholar at Massey University Prof Angela Cooke-Jackson talks to Kadambari Raghukumar about her experiences as an academic working with Black and indigenous communities.

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Ahilan Karunaharan returns with his final in a trilogy of plays - A Mixtape for Maladies with Ambika GKR in a leading role. Kadambari Raghukumar talks to them about the making of the play that premieres at the Auckland Arts Festival this March.

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As New Zealand courts India seeking deeper bilateral ties, what does the ideal relationship look like and what's in it for us? Sunit Prakash talks to Kadambari Raghukumar on his views as a tech consultant going between the two countries.

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As the year comes to an end, five activists in the diaspora reflect on the wars in Palestine, Sudan and Lebanon and how it has affected them. This episode features Eva Maria, Avigail Allan, Rana Hamida, Ala Farah and Fatima Sanussi.

This week, we hear the personal reflections of 5 women who this past year have organized or participated in activism over crisis and conflict far from Aotearoa.

How has it personally affected them? What have they learned? And what comes next?

We hear from Aucklanders Fathima Sanussi and Dr Ala Farah from Sudan - where over 8 million are said to be displaced as the fighting between the Rapid Support Forces and the government army has continued for over a year now.

As the year comes to an end with Christmas cheer, the war in Gaza continues, as do the rallies in downtown Auckland, calling for an end to it. In this episode we talk to Israel-born Avigail Allan, Lebanon-born Eva Maria and Syrian-born Palestinian Rana Hamida, on their activism this past year.

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Finally getting to forge their futures on New Zealand soil is a long-awaited moment for so many would-be Kiwis at the citizenship ceremony. Ruwani Periera went to one to find out what that is all about.

Finally getting to forge their futures on New Zealand soil is a long-awaited moment for so many would-be Kiwis at the citizenship ceremony. Ruwani Periera went to one to find out what it's all about.

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