“Let’s unite”

The IRC-run Tuungane program introduces democratic methods to people in Congo who previously had little control over their lives or the future of their communities.

Photo: Christopher Scott

Responding to an op-ed on Afghanistan’s National Solidarity Program, IRC international programs vice president Michael Kocher writes in a letter to the editor:

“I just returned from eastern Congo, where our staff is supporting a similar large program named Tuungane, Swahili for “let’s unite.” Its painstaking work, but also encouraging. Not surprisingly, communities long plagued by conflict and bad governance embrace participation and the chance to direct resources to what they need most.”

Read the letter: Models for Afghanistan, New York Times, July 25