CELLPHONE | DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

GUILLAUME KALONJI

Guillaume Kalonji’s community has been devastated by the climate crisis, yet polluters persist in abusing Congo rainforest by turning them into oil blocks. This compelled him to take action in holding polluters accountable.

The end of the year in Congo was supposed to be a rainy season, which is the time for maize harvesting. But in 2017, there were no rains.

Instead, they experienced a drought that withered all their maize crops. This compelled Kalonji to become an activist and speak out for their community and the planet.

Yet years later, polluters persist in exploiting the Congo rainforest—the world’s second-largest rainforest—by turning it into oil blocks. Their government continues to justify the exploitation of drilling rights as essential for boosting the economy and addressing poverty. But this only further destroys biodiversity and fuels climate change. Consequently, it exacerbates the impacts of the climate crisis, such as droughts leading to more poverty and hunger, demonstrating how counterintuitive it is to economic development.

Object of Memory

Growing up in a predominantly French-speaking community posed a challenge in connecting with activists worldwide. Undeterred, he rapidly acquired proficiency in English with the help of his phone, using it for translations and English video downloads. Because of this, Kalonji was able to amplify their climate stories globally, fostered solidarity with other climate activists and took part in international negotiations on addressing the climate crisis