How did Steve Jobs and Apple help reduce violence in the Congo? Robin Wright & John Prendergast

In this episode of Pillow Talk by Pour Les Femmes, Robin Wright talks with activist John Prendergast about the success of their efforts in 2011 to reach out to Steve Jobs at Apple about how Apple's business practices were impacting and perpetuating violence and poverty in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).  Through his efforts with The Enough Project and The Sentry, John Prendergast has been at the forefront of efforts to shine a light on and disrupt the economic drivers of war in mineral-rich African countries. In particular, John has been outspoken about the need for the global consumer electronics industry to develop and maintain a clean supply chain, especially where so-called “3TG” or "conflict minerals" are concerned, in order to create conditions for peace, human rights, and good governance in nations that have long struggled to provide even a basic standard of living for its citizens.   Robin Wright joined John in helping with Enough Project’s Raise Hope for Congo campaign which was focused on building a constituency of activists to advocate for an end to the conflict in eastern Congo. By using the full force of its activist base in order to amplify its efforts, The Enough Project was able to raise awareness among consumers and manufacturers of electronics devices that the profit from the raw minerals used in phones was funding warlords and perpetuating sexual violence as a weapon of war against Congolese women and girls.  Steve Jobs and Apple heard this message and radically transformed the way Apple did business, thereby leading the way for the electronics industry by introducing a third-party audit system and code of conduct for its mineral sourcing partners. Apple’s commitment to responsible sourcing ensures that as consumers we know that the devices that we all rely on every day are manufactured with the deepest respect for basic human rights.

Pour Les Femmes is a female-founded sleep and loungewear company with a founding mission of helping improve the lives of women around the world. Our brand ethos of safety and comfort extends to the actions we take to work with partners that provide opportunities for decent work, safety, stability, and advancement to women in places where they are most vulnerable.

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