TOOLKIT: 60 Minutes Viewing Party

If you have a cell phone in your pocket or a computer on your desk, you are directly linked to the deadliest war in the world.

How is that possible? For over a century, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been plagued by regional conflict and a deadly scramble for its vast natural resources. The conflict in eastern Congo today - the deadliest since World War II - is fueled in significant part by a multi-million dollar trade in minerals. Armed groups generate an estimated $180 million each year by trading four main minerals: the ores that produce the metals tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold. This money enables the armed groups to purchase large numbers of weapons and continue their campaign of rape and brutal violence against civilians, with some of the worst abuses occurring in mining areas. After passing through traders, smelters, and component manufacturers, these materials are placed in electronic devices, such as cell phones, portable music players, and computers, and sold in the United States. 

On Sunday, November 29, 2009, CBS’ 60 Minutes - the most successful broadcast in television history - turned its attention to the scourge of conflict minerals in Congo in a special report. While millions of Americans viewed the episode on the day of its release, millions more missed the chance.

Host a screening of the episode.

The episode aired successfully on November 29, 2009, but the dialogue doesn't have to stop there.  For your friends who missed it on the 29th, you can host a screening of the online version of the episode at a house party. Invite your friends over for a screening of the video and start a discussion.

Viewing parties offer a way for you to engage your friends, neighbors, co-workers and others in discussions about critical issues and ways that they can be addressed.

Promote the event. Invite your friends, neighbors, co-workers, and don’t underestimate the power of social networking sites like Evite, Facebook and MySpace to help get the word out about your viewing party. And of course, word of mouth is still as strong a tool as ever!

Prepare for the party. Whether you host the party at home or at another venue, check in advance to make sure you have the proper sound and viewing equipment. This way, you can spend time with your guests rather than struggle with the equipment when they arrive. Viewing parties can be fun and social events– so if possible, provide refreshments and ensure that you have adequate seating to accommodate all your guests.

Print materials

The RAISE Hope for Congo website is an excellent resource for materials that you can print out for your guests. We recommend downloading and printing the following handouts for your event:
Visit www.raisehopeforcongo.org to learn more.
•    Congo’s Conflict Minerals Fact Sheet - http://www.raisehopeforcongo.org/files/pdf/crisis_in_congo.pdf  
•    Take Action Postcard - http://www.raisehopeforcongo.org/files/images/come_clean_download.pdf

Introduce the episode. You may want to give a few remarks about the issue and thank your guests for attending. By giving introductory remarks, guests will better understand the nature and consequences of the conflict as they watch the video.  Many of the people attended not just because they care about the issue and want to learn more but because you personally invited them.  This is an opportunity to remind them of the issue and why it’s important to you.  For a short backgrounder on the Congo, check out the “ABC’s of the DRC.”  To learn more about the conflict minerals trade in Congo, visit our sister site www.enoughproject.org/conflict-minerals

Start a discussion. After the video ends, open your group up to a discussion.  You might want to supply paper and pens so that your guests can take notes. This also gives you the chance, particularly in a large group, to facilitate more interactively. You could begin the discussion by asking your guests to take a moment to look over their notes or to reflect on an element of the episode that was particularly powerful.  Then have them pair up with the person sitting next to them to share that thought.  By allowing some time for individual reflection and then pairing, you allow everyone to talk and be heard.

Once pairs have had the chance to talk for about 4 minutes, ask them to share—what were the issues that came up, what aspects of the episode were particularly powerful.
Once your guests have had the chance to talk about the issues that resonated with them or surprised them, you can ask them if the episode inspired them to make any changes.  

You might also want to ask your guests what changes they plan to make and, as a group, commit to those changes.

As your guests offer changes they plan to make or ideas they have, you might record these on chart paper or take notes that you will send out via email, so that your guests can learn from each other and so that we can share the best ideas that emerge from the house parties nation-wide.

Join our follow-up activist conference call. Please also encourage your guests to join us on the following Tuesday, December 1 at 4:30PM EST/1:30 PM PST for a discussion with Enough’s Co-Founder, John Prendergast, International Rescue Committee's Brian Sage, and Run for Congo Women’s Lisa Shannon, to get the behind the scenes account of making the episode and an update on the issue.

Date: Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Time: 4:30PM EST/1:30 PM PST
Call Name: Congo’s Conflict Minerals; Conference ID: 44050208
Toll-Free Dial-in #: (877) 254-9825
Int'l/Local Dial-In #: (281) 913-8965

Take Action

Congo’s conflict minerals problem is complex, but the roadmap to a solution exists. The direct connection between our electronics products and the crisis in Congo presents an opportunity for consumers to make a difference by demanding that companies sell us verifiably conflict-free products.

Consumers and companies have a critical role to play, by demanding three steps to enable Congo’s minerals to benefit its people rather than the armed groups that prey upon them:

Trace: Companies must determine the precise sources of their minerals.
Audit: Companies should conduct detailed examinations of their mineral supply chains, which should be verified by credible third parties.
Certify: For consumers to be able to purchase conflict-free electronics made with Congolese minerals, a certification scheme that builds upon the lessons of the Kimberley Process for diamonds will be required. What You and Your Guests Can Do On the Spot:

1.    Help us increase demand for conflict-free electronics.

Ask your guests to sign their name to a letter that we will send to the biggest buyers of Congo’s conflict minerals - major electronics companies - that lets them know that you want to buy conflict-free products. The message is clear: “If you take conflict out of your cell phone, I will buy it.”

View and print the letter and sign-up sheet here.  Or else go on line and submit your commitment here.

2.    Stay engaged!

Ask your guests to get out their cell phones and text the word “Congo” to 228488 (spells ACTIV8) to get updates and actions from RAISE Hope for Congo.  Or pass out a copy of our sign-up sheet to stay connected to the issue.  Please mail, fax, or scan it back to the Enough Project.

3.    Give each guest a copy of our conflict minerals action alert

Take with them an action alert so they can continue to take action and share the info with their friends.

Make sure that you thank your guests for coming and let them know that they are part of an emerging nation-wide movement.  Again, so many of your guests came because you asked them so this is your chance to not only personally thank them but to also personalize the issue and why it matters to you, why you hosted the event, and why you are involved.  

Please send us photos from your event, as well as a description and/or comments from your guests, and we’ll profile them on our website!  Email them to us at congocampaign@enoughproject.org.

Thank you for hosting this house party!