And best of all, it’s free. You can download the entire novel to your iPod, computer, or any device that will play mp3 files at Podiobooks.com or iTunes at absolutely no cost (although there’s a donation button if you’re so inclined).

Heart Of Diamonds–now available in trade paperback, eBook, and audio book editions.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo.

To celebrate eBook Week, March 7-13, I’m offering Heart Of Diamonds at half off the already-low eBook price at Smashwords.dom. This week only, the book will be available for your Sony Reader, Stanza, Palm, or just about any other device for just $4.98–a 50% discount. The special only applies to purchases through Smashwords.com.

Isn’t technology wonderful?

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo.

11:00 AM Morning Church Service
Riverside Church, Clermont Ave. (between 120th & 122nd Streets)

2:00 PM Procession & Rally at Ndunga Public Art Project
Plaza of Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. State Office Building, 163 W 125th Street

3:00 PM Conflict Resolution Workshops for youth and adults
Black River Studio, 345 Lenox Ave. (between 127th & 128th Streets)

6:30 PM Screening of “Lumo” the documentary film
Maysles Cinema, 343 Lenox Ave. (between 127th & 128th Streets)

8:00 PM Panel Discussion and Dialogue
Recording of Personal Statements and Testimonials

There will also be performances by LaBurga, Global Kids, Jumping For Justice Double Dutch Social Initiative, Kim Weston Moran, Linda H. Humes, Gloria Lowery Tyrrell, Garifuna Day Woen’s Coalition, Drummers, and others.

The events are hosted by a long list of prominent organizations including Friends of the Congo and Ndunga Public Art Project. Space is limited, so please rsvp NPAP (718) 855-8616.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo.

The simple but profound adage is the theme of Chinua Achebe’s collection of essays, The Education of a British-Protected Child: Essays.It may also be the theme of his life’s work, judging by the simple message it conveys about the importance of the communal aspirations of the peoples of Africa. He uses it several times in various essays in the book, but really drives the point home in the concluding paragraph of the last one, titled “Africa Is People.”

“Our humanity is contingent on the humanity of our fellows. No person or group can be human alone. We rise above the animal together, or not at all. If we learned that lesson even this late in the day, we would have taken a truly millennial step forward.”

Achebe, winner of the Man Booker International Prize and best known as the author of Things Fall Apart,one of the seminal works of African fiction, has a subtle, dry voice that makes each of these seventeen essays something to savor and linger over. He makes his points about racial stereotypes, African development, history, and politics, and the African-American diaspora, sometimes with humor, sometimes with biting directness, but always graciously and without rancor. You sense Achebe knows that to rail against injustice is futile; change must come through education achieved one cogent argument at a time.

While Achebe is a scholar, he is also a master storyteller. More often than not, he makes his points not with dry logical argument but with an exegetical tale about someone he’s met or something that’s happened to him. Those little narratives are much more illustrative than pure cant. In “Spelling Our Proper Name,” he tells the story of Dom Afonso of Bukongo, for example, who negotiated with King John III of Portugal in 1526 as an equal. He then writes:

“Such stories as Dom Alfonso’s encounter with Europe are not found in the history books we read in schools. If we knew them….young James Baldwin would not have felt a necessity to compare himself so adversely with peasants in a Swiss village. He would have known that his African ancestors did not sit through the millennia idly gazing into the horizon, waiting for European slavers to come and get them.”

I found his exploration of the complex politics and history of Africa in “Africa’s Tarnished Name” to be particularly thought-provoking. He also talks frequently about Joseph Conrad’s racism, which has become an important theme in the deconstruction of Heart of Darkness. Some of these essays have been presented elsewhere, although they have been revised and updated since they were first published. Nothing in them is dated, however, and Achebe’s insightful discussions with Langston Hughes and James Baldwin ring as true as his observations about the potent symbolism of Barack Obama’s election as President of the United States.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo.

Check your favorite online bookseller, or go to Smashwords.com for a comprehensive listing of available versions. For the Kindle edition, visit Amazon.com.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo.

The school is the first of many the foundation hopes to build to give Congolese girls a solid educational experience. Their dedication and “can-do” attitude has produced results, not just press releases, which is one big reason I support GMF.

Students of the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation conducted extensive research to develop a model for educational institutions when they visited the school site last year. Their plan holds great promise for the Democratic Republic of Congo. Education has suffered greatly in the nation as ongoing conflict in many regions drains the country’s resources.

In addition to the unveiling of the school’s model, attendees will hear Matthew Bishop, NY Bureau Chief for the Economist and Khaliah Ali, dedicated humanitarian and daughter of boxer Muhammad Ali.

The event will be Monday, March 1, from 6 to 8 pm at the James Cohan Gallery, 533 West 26th Street in Manhattan. For more information, contact GMF at rsvp@gmfafrica.org.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo.

Most significantly, perhaps, the new edition recognizes four organizations whose work helps the people of the Congo. A couple of these organizations are large, the other two are small, but the work they all do contributes to the well-being of the citizens of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

HEAL Africa

Women For Women International

Georges Malaika Foundation

Doctors Without Borders

The new edition of Heart of Diamonds is available from the publisher or Amazon.com. You can also find (or order it) from your favorite local bookseller. If in doubt, use the ISBN 9781449919924.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo.

While there have been many misguided ventures financed by the IMF and others (including the U.S.) in Africa, not all have failed. Nor have all the failures been due to the source. The U.S. is not an evil country as it is so often portrayed. Much good is done by the people, corporations, and yes, the government of the U.S. for the people of Africa and elsewhere in the world. Are U.S. aid programs perfect? Of course not. Are U.S. investments without strings? Of course not. Nor are those by China, Germany, France, or Britain. The question I would pose is, if these powers don’t invest in Africa, who will? Development of third world economies, improvement of living conditions, and peace in the societies won’t happen without investment and assistance.

What prompted the discussion, of course, is the growing influence of AFRICOM. Please keep in mind that AFRICOM is no more than the re-organization of existing U.S. military operations on the continent. I have very mixed feelings about the use of U.S. military assets for humanitarian purposes as I wrote when AFRICOM was announced, but would like to suggest that we look beyond the rhetoric to see what’s actually happening on the ground, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

AFRICOM has offered training assistance in two key areas that would be a great help to Congo. One is in the justice system, where U.S. legal experts have provided training in the investigation and prosecution of rape and other crimes by Congolese military personnel. The other is in training programs for FARDC units designed to discourage crimes against the civilians the army is supposed to be protecting. It should be noted that both programs were conducted upon the express invitation of the Congolese government.

I don’t advocate military solutions for social problems, but the transfer of knowledge is far from an invasion of sovereignty. In these instances, the U.S. provided expertise lacking in the Congo. How is that wrong?

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo.

What I found fascinating and even more damning, however, were the reported details of the convoluted relationships between the many groups profiting from the conflict. It should be noted that, while elements in Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania, and other nearby countries are reaping the rewards of the continuing conflict, none of those profits would be possible without the substantial participation of Congolese elements in the illicit sale of minerals, arms, and even agricultural products.

I hope to comment on the report in several posts (and will post a link to the full report when I find one online), but let me begin with one section that demonstrates how pervasive the criminality really is. The authors of the report and MONUC both report that FDLR and various Mai Mai units have formed an alliance to exploit significant gold reserves in Lubero and Walikale territories. The operation is led by General Kakule Sikula Lafontaine, military commander of the Mai Mai alliance known as PARECO. The report says:

“…trading sources as well as a former Mai Mai leader interviewed by the Group reported that Gen. Lafontaine, who has several kinship ties to the Nande traders in Butembo, acts as an intermediary between the FDLR and many traders in Butembo, organizing the delivery of general goods to the FDLR in exchange for brokering gold deals.”

The traders in question are Congolese also:

“The gold from Kasugho and Oninga is principally sold to Kahindo Muhiwa, Katina Kambale Mbayahi and Kambale Vikalwe, three Nande gold traders based in Butembo who the Group cited in its December 2008 report”

Their company is known as Glory Minerals, which was formed in 2008 and received approval from the Centre d’Expertise d’Evaluation et de Certification (CEEC) in Kinshasa to operate as an official gold exporting company. The investigators confirmed, however, that

“…Glory Minerals continues to source gold from FDLR-controlled areas.”

The three Congolese businessmen are reported to travel regularly to Kampala and Dubai to sell the gold they’ve purchased from the FDLR. They deal largely with Indian businessmen based in Kampala who in turn sell the gold to the United Arab Emirates. The gold itself is smuggled to Kampala by road or by commercial flight to Entebbe and finally to Dubai.

This is but one example of the sad state of affairs outlined in the report, dated November 9, 2009, and known officially as the Final Report of the Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It reveals many unfortunate facts, not the least of which is that crime knows no nationality. Until the government of the DRC enforces its own laws and moves against the indigenous criminals on its own soil, all the blockades, embargoes, and conflict mineral resolutions in the world aren’t going to end the rape of the nation.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo.