Falling Whistles: Running Toward a Goal Most Call Impossible

Do you know where the site of the deadliest war is in the entire world? It’s the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Friend & fellow UT alum, Sean Carasso, turned a backpacking trip through Congo into a bona fide campaign for peace – Falling Whistles.

Sean Carasso, Founder, Falling Whistles

In 2008, Sean met 5 boys in eastern Congo — former child-soldiers held in a military camp. One boy told Sean the story of children sent to the frontlines of war, armed with only a whistle.

Falling Whistles began with $5 and a dream. Since its humble beginnings, Falling Whistles has invested in 8 Congolese visionaries, and built a coalition of 51 Congressional members, 200 retailers, and over 50,000 whistleblowers.

And I’m happy to share this fascinating interview Sean did for Small Group of Thoughtful People. Thanks for all the amazing work you are doing, Sean.

Small Group of Thoughtful People (SGOTP): Your first trip to Congo — why there? Why not anywhere else in the world?

Sean: Originally I was just backpacking. Out to get lost. I spent three months heading north and eventually ended up in Congo. The original idea was to go in for a few days, learn what we could, and then get out. Thats when we found 5 boys in a military encampment. One boy told us that the children too small to carry a gun had been sent to the frontlines of war, armed with only a whistle. We got the kids pulled out and I went home and, through tears and red wine, wrote a blog called Falling Whistles. I sent it to about 80 friends and they forwarded it around the world. Waking up, I had thousands of emails asking – why is this happening? What can we do? We have basically been trying to answer those questions ever since.

SGOTP: Congo, as your website states, is the site of the deadliest war in the world. What was your time like that you spent over there?

Sean: Congo is gorgeous. Truly. It is both the most resource wealthy place in the world and the deadliest place in the world. Clearly those two things are not unrelated. The war is largely fought over control of the resources, like minerals for our cell phones and computers. So you have these massive forces competing over control of these minerals, and in between is a deeply resilient people doing their best to survive. Decades of war have created a creative and colorful culture that knows how precious and fleeting life can be. And so they live. They celebrate and tell stories and dance and love their lives, despite what is happening all around them. And the resources are reflected in the land – waterfalls and jungles and rivers and mountains unending. Its challenging to describe the scope because it is simply so big and so beautiful.

SGOTP: How are you working with local groups on the ground in Congo?

Sean: We began our work with a simple thesis – all change is local and all local change begins with a visionary. So we’ve been looking for young Congolese people with big ideas and the courage to see them through. Then we’ve been investing in them. That investment takes shape through finances, connections to outside networks, training and internal support. I think the future of Congo is in the hands of these visionaries and we are dedicated to seeing them, through failure and frustration, ultimately succeed.

SGOTP: I am sure you have met countless amazing people on your journey. Who/what has inspired you the most?

Sean: I am most inspired by my partner in crime David Lewis. When we had about $150 in the bank, Dav took a box of whistles and hitchhiked from Austin, Texas to New York City. He hitchhiked through 40 cities for over 4 months, stopping in living rooms and coffee shops with a simple message – “We don’t have all the answers and we don’t have all the solutions, but we won’t be quiet while millions lose their lives. Join us in speaking up for peace.” At our worst moments, has continued to be a rock for the campaign. He is the steady hand that guides us forward.

SGOTP: What’s next for Falling Whistles?

Sean: So much. We spent last winter working to stop M23, a rebel group commanded by members of the Rwandan government. M23 is now out of Goma, the capital city where many of our partners live and work, and Rwanda and Congo are both in peace talks. But this is just the beginning of what it will take to reach a last peace. FW will be working to build a global coalition of people dedicated to seeing an end to the deadliest war of our time. This coalition will make it much harder for the perpetuators of violence to do what they do in secret. Whistleblowing is about much more than wearing a whistle – its about telling the truth when others would prefer to look away. Every day we run toward a goal most call impossible – peace in Congo. We’re asking everyone everywhere to run with us.

Read more about Falling Whistles and how to get involved at: www.fallingwhistles.com

You can also find Falling Whistles on Twitter: @FallingWhistles