MVNU students raising awareness of crisis in the Congo
MOUNT VERNON, Ohio — Multiple conflicts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have created a humanitarian crisis in the country resulting in the displacement of over 4.5 million Congolese and refugees from other countries. Mount Vernon Nazarene University is inviting the public to listen as current students from the Congo tell their stories and bring awareness to the violence happening in their homeland. The Justice Talk will take place Thursday, Dec. 5, at 7:30 p.m., in Foster Hall in Ariel Arena.
“The Justice Talks are critical conversations on important issues that impact or concern our students,” said Hank Spaulding, associate campus pastor. “They are a service of our Justice Project on campus that educates and engages the campus community on issues pertaining to a more just world from a Christian perspective.”
The student panel will include Cécile Ruthiririza, senior, political science major; Aline Butoto, freshman, social work major; Shema Makombe, sophmore, accounting major; and Daniel Luther, senior, religion major. The panel will give a brief history of the conflict and a full account of the genocide currently happening in the Congo.
“As Christians, we must care about genocide,” said Spaulding. “In addition, we have students whose families and friends are directly impacted by the current crisis. We may not be able to, as a university, stop the conflict, but we can at least raise awareness to the genocide happening that not many people know about.”
Mount Vernon Nazarene University is a private, four-year, intentionally Christian teaching university for traditional age students, graduate students, and working adults. With a 327-acre main campus in Mount Vernon, Ohio, and several convenient Graduate and Professional Studies locations throughout the state, MVNU emphasizes academic excellence, spiritual growth, and service to community and church. MVNU offers an affordable education to more than 2,200 students from 29 states and 14 countries/U.S. territories.
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