Ryan Gosling and MTV: Tell Your Campus We’ve Had Enough Conflict Minerals
SOURCE:
Ryan Gosling speaking at the Campus Progress National Conference in July 2008. Gosling and MTV are helping promote the Conflict-Free Campus Initiative.
Ryan Gosling, MTV, and the Enough Project are asking college students nationwide: Is your campus fueling conflict in the Congo?
The Conflict-Free Campus Initiative, a movement to encourage students to pressure universities to support the conflict-free movement, is gaining traction and has now influenced more than 50 American universities to make such pledges.
More than 45,000 people are killed each month in Congo, where minerals used to make electronics—tin, tungsten, tantalum, and gold—bring in millions of dollars that often help groups in Congo purchase weapons.
Calling students to act on the issue this week, MTV says:
It seems absurd that U.S. schools would continue to stock their libraries with technology contributing to devastation, but, well, until people start really making noise, who's to stop them?
You can make your campus conflict-free, sending a message not just to your school, but to tech companies who rely on big sales to big institutions. If enough consumers put their feet down, eventually supply and demand will demand alternate mineral sourcing.
College-student heartthrob Ryan Gosling has long been involved with Enough’s work, speaking publicly about the need for ending Congo’s reliance on conflict minerals.
Learn how to make your campus conflict-free today.
The Enough Project is a project of the Center for American Progress, our parent organization.
Brian Stewart is the journalism and online communications manager at Campus Progress.
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