Project Inspiration:

The Joe Rogan Experience is one of the most famous and influential podcasts in recent years. In December of 2022, Rogan hosted Siddharth Kara who is an author, activist and expert on modern day slavery and human trafficking(Harvard Kennedy School.) Kara risked his life by traveling to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to witness and expose the horrors he saw while he was there. Joe Rogan's episode featuring Siddharth Kara was one of the most eye-opening and influential podcasts I have ever listened to so this is why I decided to choose the DRC as my Global Case Study(Rogan #1914.)

Ethical Theories

Two ethical theories can be applied to this case study which are ethics of happiness and ethics of persons. These two theories represent this case study because working under life-threatening conditions each day violates a person's right to life and well-being, the working conditions the workers experience treats them less than a human being. A few values that can be applied to this case study is accountability, compassion and life. With almost no media coverage of cobalt mining in the DRC there is no way to hold these governments and corporations accountable for their crimes against humanity to the enslaved people. Life is another value because as mentioned earlier, working in these conditions violates someone's right to life. People of the DRC heavily value their mostly Christian religeon and the traditional family unit in their lives. In the DRC, men have an obligation to protect women and children and women have a duty to care and nurture for children. The increase of cobalt mines and poverty has forced even women and children into enslaved labor in order to provide for themselves and the rest of their families. (ADHS, 2023)