Staff Benda Bilili and Congo's minerals

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I used my friday to see a new documentary movie in Stockholm. Suddenly you are there. Meeting the sunlight of Kinshasa Zoo in Congo when the Staff Benda Bililis musical rhythm sounds get strong. My soul creates emotions which take me to different directions. For me, the music thoughts returns back to Buena Vista Social Club, which also pumped out the beats, which has the strong link to African roots. The story of Staff Benda Bilili is also a very strong social and inspiring story. From a life in the streets of Kinshasa to the music stages all over the world. You will be taken on a journey through social mobilising, ethics, leadership and partnership. You will meet questions that should provide a lesson which also well fit into corporate CSR responsibilities and the Political Governance agenda. Companies such as Intel, Nokia, Ericsson and Apple all have or had interests in the Congo. Minerals to provide solutions in the IT sector is something that their suppliers provide many of the Big brands with. It should not be a costly effort to give a better social condition for the populations in African countries. But, without political stability it is a hard work. Not impossible, but hard. Corruption in conflicting areas is something that the business world need to develop an action on. Corporations and politicians in the world can, through the film, get an insight that both inspires and raises questions that should lead us to consider in the decision-making. The impact on corporate social responsibilities should also reach out to those contractors who are dealers on the streets and slums of the world’s great cities. And we have had enough with bank accounts offshore controlled by corrupt generals and political leaders. Hopefully the documentary can inspire the rising of this issues higher up on the agenda in both developing and developed countries. Africa is a continent of conflict, as many others. And it is something that will never end if we don't bring the issues up on the agenda. The conversation I had with Mrs Wallström on conflict of minerals, some time ago, shows the dimension of the problems of Congo in a crisis that carries on. The documentary about Staff Benda Bilili has now been released to movie theaters all around the world. So why not start by watching this movie in Easter. Kaj Embrén, Sustainable Business Coach, +46-70-398 22 11, kaj@embren.com.