Welcome to the first episode of our podcast series on the Democratic Republic of Congo.  In this episode, we'll journey into the history of the DRC, an intricate web of events that seem to have remained in the shadows but that as we will see, are very much connected, and are a direct result of the Western world's destructive practices.  We will also briefly look at a particular point in history that Ireland and the Congo have in common. Follow us on Instagram @stand.ie for updated and links for future episodes This podcast is brought to you by: Presenter / Researcher / Editor: Maria Salto Galdon, TCD Intro music:  Courtesy of bensound.com Solo piano : "Your lie in April" “The Africans”- Terry Oldfield Reflection music : Peder B. Hellard “ Dance of life” - Youtube (Soothing relaxation) Serge Ilunga: Mitole Remix ( Louange)- https://youtu.be/_yQXEQ46epc Other references: Thornton, John “The Origins and Early History of the Kingdom of Kongo, c. 1350-1550”The International Journal of African Historical Studies, Vol. 34, No. 1 (2001), pp. 89-120. Boston University African Studies Center. Available online at : https://www.jstor.org/stable/3097288 (Accessed: 15-06-2020) BBC documentary - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43xTvpxWLW4&t=2458s Chronology of key events the Congo https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13286306 Aljazeera English documentary :Inside Story - Is history repeating itself in DR Congo? :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuRI3ejVuOc Adam Hochschild “ Object of Plunder: The Congo through the centuries” University of California, Berkeley, March 16,2014, Getty Center https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLyZGTwmcRA The Economist : Videographic : As short, recent history of Congo :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vv8llEj0CXw Film : The Siege of Jadotville (2016)- directed by Richie Smith Poem : David Rubadiri : Stanley meets Mutesa: https://allpoetry.com/poem/10502019-Stanley-Meets-Mutesa-by-David-Rubadiri