It is with a heavy heart that ISHR must report the passing of 2016 Advocate Raoul Kitungano of the Democratic Republic of Congo. He died on September 15th after a brief illness.
Raoul was the Coordinator of Justice Pour Tous (Justice For All), a non-profit organization that advocates for the political, economic, cultural, and environmental rights of local communities impacted by mining corporations and other extractive enterprises in the DRC. Raoul published several research papers on the relationship between mining, armed conflict, and human rights abuses in the DRC, as well as on electoral monitoring, mining code reform, and community land protection. He was dedicated to continuing to monitor the impact of rural development and poverty reduction projects in the DRC, as well as advocating for the social, cultural, and economic rights of local communities.
Raoul had a playful, gentle personality that contributed greatly to the joy in the 2016 HRAP. He was always quick to smile and inject happiness wherever he went. May his family, colleagues, and friends find comfort in knowing how much he is respected and loved by his fellow advocates in the 2016 HRAP, the staff and faculty of ISHR, and all the people he met while at Columbia University. He will be missed but he will never be forgotten.
