After witnessing the situation in the Congo, Chris Jackson is attempting to run 12 marathons in 12 months for Women for Women International, including one in DRC.

An article by the BBC on Chris's run through DRC can be found here

On August 8th Chris Jackson and Dominic Goggins will travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo with the objective of running a marathon. The aim of this marathon is to bring a forgotten crisis with silent victims to the attention of the British public.

The war in the DRC has claimed an estimated 5.5 million lives. This war is not just fought with guns. Rape and sexual violence is used to kill off communities, ostracize women, destroy families and tear the fabric that hold Congolese society together. The conflict occurs in a land of abundant natural resources that could provide the DRC with such wealth. The UK spends £250,000 in aid every day just prolongs the status quo – a status quo where people still fear torture, rape, murder, and seeing their children forced to join the front line as soldiers or sex slaves.

We appreciate the risks of running a marathon, and more importantly running one in a live conflict. But we are determined to use the act of running to bring a shattered nation into British consciousness. We know and have seen the compassion of the British public, but sadly too few people in the UK are aware of the crisis – this needs to change.  We want those still with a voice in the DRC to know that the UK is listening.

We ask for your words of support and best wishes as we take our first steps, strides and efforts in this marathon and campaign to engage the UK public in a conflict that we can no longer ignore.

Thank you,

Chris Jackson & Dominic Goggins

An article Chris Jackson wrote for Channel 4 can be found here

http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/politics/international_politics/the+aposinvisibleapos+conflict+in+congo/3755492

You can find more information, including links to sponsoring Chris at his blog

http://runforcongo.wordpress.com/