Virunga National Park, the heart of darkness as UNESCO World Heritage
The article outlines some of the historical traces for the eco-crisis that presently threatens the first and most outstanding national park in Africa, homeland of the mountain gorilla. Texts and films about Virunga reiterate the same rhetorical figures that are frequently discussed in connection wit...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Institut des textes & manuscrits modernes (ITEM)
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| Series: | Continents manuscrits |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/coma/2773 |
| _version_ | 1797313972888666112 |
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| author | Frits Andersen |
| author_facet | Frits Andersen |
| author_sort | Frits Andersen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The article outlines some of the historical traces for the eco-crisis that presently threatens the first and most outstanding national park in Africa, homeland of the mountain gorilla. Texts and films about Virunga reiterate the same rhetorical figures that are frequently discussed in connection with Conrad’s description of the Congo River, thus showing the long-term political effects of the “discours conradien”. After a short description of the site, the article presents the Congo Reform Movement’s campaign against the bloody repression in the Congo Free State around 1900, often referred to as the Red Rubber-regime. The article argues that we can detect similar and highly problematic rhetorical structures in the animal rights campaigns, which took on a global scale in the 1970s – initiated among others by Dian Fossey and her famous and infamous fight for the protection of mountain gorillas in the Virunga. Both human rights campaigns and animal rights campaigns share a responsibility, the author argues, for the eco-crisis at Virunga. Finally, he presents the documentary Virunga from 2014 as a model and as a rhetorical alternative. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T02:40:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-33f0ad95f0154c54a10f5dced3a3df62 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2275-1742 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T02:40:17Z |
| publisher | Institut des textes & manuscrits modernes (ITEM) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Continents manuscrits |
| spelling | doaj.art-33f0ad95f0154c54a10f5dced3a3df622024-02-13T13:45:56ZengInstitut des textes & manuscrits modernes (ITEM)Continents manuscrits2275-17421110.4000/coma.2773Virunga National Park, the heart of darkness as UNESCO World HeritageFrits AndersenThe article outlines some of the historical traces for the eco-crisis that presently threatens the first and most outstanding national park in Africa, homeland of the mountain gorilla. Texts and films about Virunga reiterate the same rhetorical figures that are frequently discussed in connection with Conrad’s description of the Congo River, thus showing the long-term political effects of the “discours conradien”. After a short description of the site, the article presents the Congo Reform Movement’s campaign against the bloody repression in the Congo Free State around 1900, often referred to as the Red Rubber-regime. The article argues that we can detect similar and highly problematic rhetorical structures in the animal rights campaigns, which took on a global scale in the 1970s – initiated among others by Dian Fossey and her famous and infamous fight for the protection of mountain gorillas in the Virunga. Both human rights campaigns and animal rights campaigns share a responsibility, the author argues, for the eco-crisis at Virunga. Finally, he presents the documentary Virunga from 2014 as a model and as a rhetorical alternative.https://journals.openedition.org/coma/2773CongoVirunga National ParkWorld HeritageExploitationPolitical campaignsDian Fossey |
| spellingShingle | Frits Andersen Virunga National Park, the heart of darkness as UNESCO World Heritage Continents manuscrits Congo Virunga National Park World Heritage Exploitation Political campaigns Dian Fossey |
| title | Virunga National Park, the heart of darkness as UNESCO World Heritage |
| title_full | Virunga National Park, the heart of darkness as UNESCO World Heritage |
| title_fullStr | Virunga National Park, the heart of darkness as UNESCO World Heritage |
| title_full_unstemmed | Virunga National Park, the heart of darkness as UNESCO World Heritage |
| title_short | Virunga National Park, the heart of darkness as UNESCO World Heritage |
| title_sort | virunga national park the heart of darkness as unesco world heritage |
| topic | Congo Virunga National Park World Heritage Exploitation Political campaigns Dian Fossey |
| url | https://journals.openedition.org/coma/2773 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT fritsandersen virunganationalparktheheartofdarknessasunescoworldheritage |