20 June 2022: Enzo Ikah, DR Congo, Featured in Pioneering Pathways Series

On World Refugee Day, 20 June, we pay tribute to all people, forced to flee their homes. These so called ‘refugees’ desevere our respect and solicatirtsy. Not just today but on ever day of the year. We are honoured to celebrate Enzo Ikah who transformed extreme adversity in his war-torn home country DR Congo through his courageous activism for peace, justice and refugee rights through his transformative Music. He shows the world that humanity triumphs over inhumanity, that love is greater than hatred and that we are all equal - red, black or white!

TREAT EVERYONE AS EQUALS: RED, BLACK, OR WHITE by Enzo Ikah

Once another fight among the soldiers and citizens broke out in DR Congo, Enzo was targeted by the government as to keep his strongly critical opinion to himself and only to speak good about the military. While stating in one of his songs "Wild Soldier" that the true purpose of soldiers was to protect their territory and not to attack the civilians of their own country, Enzo’s studio got burned down. After performing the song in a live programme, he was finally arrested and tortured without hearing in court. Enzo eventually managed to escape from solitary confinement and fled to Istanbul. His astonishing life story is representative for the life stories of so many refugees worldwide.

After 1000s of concerts, 10 albums, 41 documentaries, 100s of university conferences, and 7 books published, Enzo is still continuing to fight for the freedom of Congolese children and women. For his lifetime engagement, he was awarded the "International Humanitarian Gold Award" in 2015. Furthermore, he is the protagonist of the multi-award-winning film "Refugee here I am" (https://www.refugeehereiam.net), co-directed by Eda Elif Tibet - KarmaMotion.

“What the world needs today is to make love, not war

What the world needs today is to build peace.

With war, only the stronger side wins;

but with peace, both sides win.

No matter who is wrong or right,

war is not good for me, and not good for you either.

Red Black or White

There are differences between us:

differences of nationality, color, faith, and social status -

but to focus only on these, to the exclusion of what we have in common,

is to create problems for ourselves.

We are all the same and equal as human beings,

physically, mentally and emotionally."

Enzo IkahMusician & Activist for Peace & Refugee Rights

Democratic Republic of Congo

(Asylum Seeker, Turkey)

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