In the past ten years, the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo has taken more than 6 million lives.
It is a conflict that still has not ended, taking 45,000 lives a month, 1,500 lives a day.
Not since WWII has their been a conflict this deadly and horrific, where rape is routinely used as a psychological weapon of war by nearly all forces involved.
Congo's conflict minerals leave a trail of destruction as they make their way from the mines in eastern Congo to the mobile phone in your pocket.
How does the process work? What is the human cost? What can consumers do to help end the violence being fuelled by Congo's illicit mineral trade? Enough's John Prendergast breaks it all down.
Visit raisehopeforcongo.org to find out how you can help end the world's deadliest war in the Congo.
Conflict Minerals 101 Video was directed and produced by Robert Padavick. Editing and animation by Jeff Trussell.
Enough is a project of the Center for American Progress to end genocide and crimes against humanity. Founded in 2007, Enough focuses on crises in Sudan, eastern Congo, and areas of Africa affected by the Lord's Resistance Army.
Enough's strategy papers and briefings provide sharp field analysis and targeted policy recommendations based on a 3P crisis response strategy: promoting durable peace, providing civilian protection, and punishing perpetrators of atrocities.
"Enough" works with concerned citizens, advocates, and policy makers to prevent, mitigate, and resolve these crises
See more about Congo:
Botanist Corneille Ewango talks about his work at the Okapi Faunal Reserve in the Congo Basin — and his heroic work protecting it from poachers, miners and raging civil wars.
Lisa Kristine has traveled the world, documenting the unbearably harsh realities of modern-day slavery. She shares hauntingly beautiful images — miners in the Congo, brick layers in Nepal — illuminating the plight of the 27 million souls enslaved worldwide.
Demand a fair trade cell phone. Your mobile phone, computer and game console have a bloody past — tied to tantalum mining, which funds the war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Drawing on his personal story, activist and refugee Bandi Mbubi gives a stirring call to action.