DR Congo families urged to rebuild state values
Academics and NGO leaders call for families to instill civic and moral values for national reconstruction.
The reconstruction of the Congolese state must begin within families, according to Professor Dezzy Mukebayi, dean of the Faculty of Law at the Official University of Mbuji-Mayi. Speaking at the 6th interdisciplinary colloquium in Ngandajika, Kasaï-Central, he urged parents to transmit civic and moral values to children. Mukebayi stated that Congolese families are weakened by socio-economic crisis and insecurity, hindering their ability to teach respect, responsibility, integrity, sharing, and solidarity.
Professor Mukebayi emphasized that the family is the primary space for learning societal rules and civic values, calling it a political and civic space. He encouraged parents to set examples and appealed to public authorities to better support families in their educational mission. Nancy Ngalula, founder of the NGO ADAAYE, added that national rebuilding also requires restoring cultural and moral values that form Congolese identity.
Ngalula highlighted the urgency of rehabilitating principles of dignity, respect, and social cohesion, citing observed violence and brutality within some families, including those committed by relatives. The colloquium focused on the family's role as a pillar in the state's refoundation.
Why it mattersCongolese families are directly affected by socio-economic crisis and insecurity, impacting their ability to transmit essential values for national reconstruction.