01

WHY “The Gorilla Project”?

The Belgian Congo established Virunga in 1925 as one of Africa’s first national parks. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage site with lush volcanic forests, unparalleled biodiversity, and home to the endangered species of mountain gorillas. Poaching, logging, and armed conflicts in the DRC have hurt the park rangers’ efforts to protect the gorillas. Hundreds of rangers have been killed over the years. In early 2020, they were on their way to the park when they saw a civilian vehicle on the side of the road. They stopped to offer assistance and fell into an ambush orchestrated by the rebel group called the “Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda”. The rebels murdered 17 people, including 12 rangers. According to Abdi Latif Dahir of the New York Times, these rebels are among the largest foreign armed groups in the Congo, whose members include people wanted for the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. Rebel groups and business interests are intentionally trying to destabilize the region. By preventing the rangers from protecting the mountain gorillas, they open up the park for corporations to illegally exploit the oil, charcoal, and other natural resources abundant in Virunga. The park’s director, Emmanuel de Merode, was shot and wounded in 2014 when he complained about an oil company’s illegal activities.

02

WHAT is The Gorilla Project Doing?

The Gorilla Project is throwing its hat in the ring to help spread the word about the plight of gorillas. Imagine if we had a collective of like-minded creatives who could mobilize themselves at a moment’s notice. We could create films, memes, articles, and podcasts.To see an example of the production quality we are aiming for, check out this Vice report that we like. Our dream is to create a vast network of creators to ensure the public has a daily flow of information. Click the “Play The Interactive Film” link to see the film we made in the rainforests of Gabon.

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HOW can you participate?

Are you an Artist? Graphic Designer? Filmmaker? Writer?    We are looking for content creators to get the word out and help us raise awareness to save the gorillas! IF you’re up for the challenge…