Awareness to Action: How Montreal's Réseau Mayele Is Mobilizing Young Congolese Amid Crisis

As violence intensifies in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, with cities like Goma and Bukavu recently overtaken by M23 rebels, young Congolese in the diaspora are organizing in response. Réseau Mayele, a Montreal-based collective, is channeling this critical moment into action, building community power from Canada to Congo.

In conversation with co-founder and director Yedidya Ebosiri and the Partnership Director Cindy Lufuluabo, they explain how Réseau Mayele was founded as a space for dialogue, education, and collective organizing. The word Mayele in Lingala means intelligence, wisdom, and awareness... values that guide the group’s mission to develop youth leadership rooted in cultural identity and social responsibility.

Working with Congolese youth between the ages of 18 and 35, the organization encourages young people to stay connected to their heritage while actively participating in their communities abroad. Ebosiri and Lufuluabo emphasize that this isn’t just about responding to crisis, that it’s about creating long-term spaces for learning, exchange, and collective movement.

Their initiatives range from community forums and public events to identity-based surveys, all designed to spark dialogue and foster unity. At the heart of their work is the belief that the diaspora holds transformative potential, not just to raise awareness, but to drive change across borders.

Through our interview, it became clear that Réseau Mayele is reimagining how young people can shape the future of the DRC. By organizing around identity and civic action, they’re showing that diasporic solidarity can be a powerful tool, not only for advocacy, but for rebuilding connection, purpose, and resistance in the face of crisis.