This letter exchange between Binay Topno and Victoire Oganze Karhakubwa examines inequalities within and between countries through personal and political perspectives from India and the Democratic Republic of Congo. It highlights issues such as tribal marginalization, unequal access to resources, and global power imbalances, while emphasizing resilience, shared struggles, and the urgent need for fairness, representation, and inclusive development.
LETTER 1
BINAY TOPNO
Dear Victoire,
I hope this letter finds you well. My name is Binay, and I am very happy to be writing to you for the first time. I look forward to getting to know you better and sharing our thoughts as pen pals.
Today, I would like to share my views on an important topic: SDG 10, which focuses on reducing inequality both within and among countries. This goal aims to ensure that everyone, regardless of where they are born or how they live, has equal opportunities and is treated with fairness and respect.
I am a student from Jharkhand, India. Our region is rich in forests, minerals, and cultural traditions. However, despite this wealth, many people in my community face inequality in their daily lives.
For example, access to education remains a significant challenge. Many villages lack proper schools, and students often have to travel long distances to attend classes. Moreover, there is a shortage of teachers and learning resources. As a result, many children are unable to complete their education, which negatively impacts their future.
Healthcare is another area where inequality is evident. Quality hospitals and doctors are often located far from tribal areas, leading to delays in receiving treatment. This creates a substantial gap between rural and urban communities.
Economic inequality is also a pressing issue. Although Jharkhand is rich in natural resources, the benefits are not equitably shared with tribal communities. Many families are forced to migrate to cities in search of work, where they frequently encounter discrimination and challenging living conditions.
SDG 10 teaches us that development should be inclusive. Growth must benefit everyone, particularly those who are often marginalized, such as tribal and indigenous communities. It also emphasizes the importance of respecting cultural diversity and ensuring that all people have a voice in decision-making processes.
I believe that reducing inequality requires concerted efforts from governments, communities, and individuals. By improving access to education, healthcare, and employment opportunities, while also protecting the rights and identities of tribal people, we can effect real change.
As this is my first letter to you, I would love to learn about your life, your community, and how inequality is experienced in your country. I am certain we can learn a great deal from each other.
I look forward to your reply and hope this is the beginning of a meaningful friendship.
Warm regards,
Binay
LETTER 2
VICTOIRE OGANZE
Objet : ODD 10. Réduire les inégalités au sein des pays et entre les pays (1)
Cher Binay,
J’espère que tu te portes bien et que ton voyage s’est bien déroulé. Je suis très heureux de pouvoir échanger avec toi dans le cadre de ce projet, et surtout de partager nos réflexions sur un sujet aussi important que celui des inégalités.
La question des inégalités reste aujourd’hui d’actualité ; je dirais même qu’elle est inhérente à la nature humaine. Dans un pays comme la RDC, qui compte plus de 450 groupes ethniques, l’inégalité apparait lorsque les critères de compétence et d’expérience ne sont plus les seuls à primer pour l’obtention d’un poste, que ce soit dans une entreprise ou dans un ministère, dans l’exercice de la chose publique.
De plus, si l’on dépasse les frontières artificielles établies par les états, on remarque également une autre forme d’inégalité, dite « inégalité entre pays ». Celle-ci se manifeste notamment dans les actions parfois subjectives de certaines organisations internationales de maintien de la paix, selon qu’il s’agit de pays disposant d’un droit de veto ou des simples états membres.
Ainsi, dans cette première correspondance, j’aimerais réfléchir avec toi autour de trois questions : Qu’entend-on par inégalité tribale au sein d’un pays ? Quand parle-ton d’inégalité entre pays au sein des organisations internationales ? Et surtout, comment peut-on réduire ces inégalités, tant au niveau national qu’international ?
En effet, à l’intérieur d’un pays, plusieurs angles permettent d’expliquer les inégalités. En faisant référence à ta lettre, je comprends qu’à Jharkhand, les inégalités se manifestent dans l’accès à l’éducation (difficultés pour les élèves des régions reculées d’avoir des bonnes conditions d’accès à l’instruction), aux soins de santé (les hôpitaux sophistiqués sont à des myriades de distance des zones tribales) et dans la répartition des richesses entre les zones (ici encore, les zones tribales sont laissées à elles-mêmes, ce qui crée du chômage et pousse cette population à se déplacer vers les zones urbaines sans garantie de trouver un travail ).
Ayant émis le souhait de comprendre les inégalités dans le contexte qui est le mien, en Afrique et compte des réalités de mon cher beau pays, je ne peux terminer cette première réflexion sans évoquer l’inégalité tribale. Sur environ 53 membres du gouvernement que compte actuellement en RDC, la majorité serait issue de la tribu Luba, qui correspond à celle du chef de l’Etat.
Ce constat peut s’expliquer de deux manières. La première suppose que seuls les proches du pouvoir, notamment les membres du parti politique « Union sacrée », ou encore des politiciens issus de cette tribu, accèdent aux postes clés de gestion du pays. La seconde hypothèse serait que les autres tribus ne disposent pas de personnes compétentes ou expérimentées pour occuper ces fonctions.
Cependant, le caractère peu réaliste de cette deuxième hypothèse nous amène, avec regret, à considérer la première comme plus plausible.
Par ailleurs, les inégalités ne s’arrêtent pas aux frontières nationales. Le concept d’ « inégalité entre pays » peut être observé dans le fonctionnement de certaines organisations internationales, comme l’ONU. Par exemple, lors de certains conflits internationaux, des grandes puissances semblent agir sans réelle contrainte, alors que d’autres pays ne bénéficient pas du même traitement.
Cela amène à s’interroger : une organisation internationale agirait-elle de la même manière si un pays comme la RDC posait des actes similaires à ceux de grandes puissances ? Cette interrogation met en lumière une inégalité entre les membres permanents du Conseil de sécurité et les autres Etats membres.
Cependant, il ne suffit pas de dénoncer ces inégalités ; il faut également proposer des pistes de solution.
Au niveau interne, la RDC pourrait envisager des mécanismes juridiques garantissant une meilleure représentativité des différentes composantes de la société dans la gestion publique, afin d’éviter une concentration des responsabilités entre les mains d’un même groupe ethnique.
Au niveau international, il serait souhaitable que les organisations comme l’ONU disposent de mécanismes plus équitables, leur permettant d’agir de manière impartiale envers tous les Etats indépendamment de leur puissance ou de leur statut.
Je serais vraiment intéressée de connaitre ton point de vue sur ces questions, notamment ce qui concerne la situation en Inde. Penses-tu que cette forme d’inégalités existe aussi dans ton pays ? Et comment sont-elles gérées ?
Dans l’attente de te lire très bientôt, je te souhaite bon courage pour tes étude l’ami.
Bien à toi,
Victoire.
LETTER 3
BINAY TOPNO
Dear Victoire,
I hope you are doing well and that your studies and daily life are going smoothly. How have you been recently? I was very happy to receive your letter and read your reflections on inequality in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Your ideas were thoughtful and honest, and I appreciated the way you connected tribal inequality within a country to inequality between nations in international organizations.
I completely agree with your observation that inequality is not limited to economic conditions alone. It often intersects with power, identity, ethnicity, and control of important institutions. While reading your example about the representation of tribes in the government of the DRC, I could understand the frustration many people feel when they believe that opportunities are not distributed fairly.
In India, particularly in tribal regions like Jharkhand, inequality also manifests in various forms. Although our Constitution recognizes tribal communities and provides protections through reservation policies and special rights, the reality on the ground is often very different. Corruption, caste discrimination, and a lack of understanding about tribal societies continue to create barriers for indigenous people.
Many tribal communities are still viewed as ‘backward’ by those who do not understand our culture, traditions, or way of life. Development projects are sometimes planned without proper consultation with local people. Forests and mineral-rich lands belonging to tribal communities are exploited for mining and industries, but the benefits do not always reach those who originally lived there. Consequently, many young tribal students leave their villages and migrate to cities for education or work, where they may face discrimination or isolation.
I also strongly agree with your opinion on inequality between countries in organizations like the United Nations. Personally, I have begun to question the effectiveness of the UN in maintaining true world peace. I understand that the UN was established to prevent wars and promote cooperation between nations, but it often seems as if powerful countries are allowed to act with impunity while weaker nations face sanctions, pressure, or intervention quite rapidly.
For instance, many developing countries are criticized or punished for their actions, while major powers like the United States often appear capable of taking military or political actions without facing the same level of repercussions. As a result, many young people in countries like ours begin to feel that international justice is not always equitable.
In my view, peace cannot exist if rules are applied differently based on a country’s power. An international organization should treat all nations fairly, regardless of whether they are rich or poor, powerful or developing. The structure of the UN Security Council reflects this imbalance, as only a few countries possess veto power while most nations lack equal influence in crucial decisions.
That being said, I believe SDG 10 is significant, as it reminds the world that equality should exist not only in speeches or policies, but also in practice. Reducing inequality necessitates representation, respect, and engagement with communities that are often overlooked. Tribal people should not only be included in development efforts; they should also actively participate in decision-making about their land, culture, and future.
Aside from these serious discussions, I also enjoyed learning about your university and your country through your letter. Life here in Jharkhand is interesting and culturally rich. During festivals like Sarhul and Karma, tribal communities come together to celebrate nature through dance and traditional music. As a student, college life can be stressful due to studies and exams, but spending time with friends and participating in cultural activities makes it enjoyable.
I hope that one day I can learn more about the traditions, food, and student life in Bukavu and the DRC. I find it fascinating that although our countries are geographically distant, many social realities and struggles seem surprisingly similar.
I would also be very interested to know your thoughts on the role of the United Nations today. Do young people in the DRC feel that global institutions sometimes favor powerful nations? Or do you believe the UN can reform it”elf and become more balanced in the future?
Thank you once again for your thoughtful letter, my friend. I look forward to continuing this exchange of ideas and learning more about your perspective on the world. Please also share more about how you are doing personally, your studies, and your life at university these days.
Warm regards,
Binay
LETTER 4
VICTOIRE OGANZE
Dear Binay,
It is with a great deal of sorrow in my heart that I write this final letter to you. I would have wished it to be otherwise, but allow the following lines to be filled with gloomy yet sincere words. Indeed, you expressed a double wish. Firstly, to know what the youth of the DRC think about the unequal treatment by international organizations such as the UN. Secondly, to share my personal situation. I will therefore try to devote myself to this long and difficult task.
First of all, I no longer know whether it is appropriate to speak about the youth of the DRC in response to the wish you expressed. To be sincere, I hardly know what the youth of the DRC think in general, but I can tell you what the youth of Kivu think. I would like to distinguish this corner of my country from the rest, because I do not believe that the reality of Kivu (the cities of Bukavu and Goma) is that of the whole DRC.
The youth of this part of the country, and the entire population of this region, dear Binay, have been abandoned by the government of my country. Thus, how can one think about the UN when we have been under occupation since February 14 by a rebel group called M23, which has taken political, economic, and security control of the Kivu region in the DRC?
Despite the multiple promises of the Congolese government regarding a situation that would supposedly be resolved very soon by our armed forces, it has now been exactly one year that these young people no longer live but merely survive, because the security crisis, combined with the health crisis looming on the horizon, leaves the youth of Kivu no time to think about anything other than what is happening in Bukavu and Goma.
Indeed, inequality is not limited only to tribes; it also manifests itself in the visible efforts a State provides in order to ensure equal treatment among citizens from different areas within the same country. And I assure you that here in Kivu, inequality persists. We are abandoned by a government that agrees to allocate an exorbitant amount of money as a reward to the national football team that qualified for the World Cup, while a part of this country, Kivu, has been under M23 occupation for now one year.
This security crisis has led to a financial crisis affecting the educational system of the youth in my region. Several heads of households, having lost their jobs, find themselves unable to pay the tuition fees and academic expenses of their children. Some young people are therefore forced to abandon their studies due to lack of means, to wander through avenues and alleys, and thus become sources of fear and distress in the city. The hope of these young people being compromised, we can no longer speak of equality of opportunity nor hope for the future between the youth from Kivu and those from other regions of my country.
Moreover, while unconsciously my population aligned itself with this phrase by the famous : « It is not the strongest species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but those that adapt best to change », thus choosing the path of resilience rather than despair, on May 17, 2026, the WHO confirmed what local media and our own eyes had already observed on the ground: the Ebola virus has returned with a new variant for which no cure yet exists. This virus, announcing a health crisis, strikes only the Kivu region, which further reduces our slim chances of survival because this region, now under rebel occupation, cannot receive assistance from the capital.
Furthermore, the Kivu region in the Democratic Republic of the Congo depends on neighboring countries such as Burundi and Rwanda. Rwanda, Kivu’s closest neighbor, lives in a certain interdependence with our region by exchanging food supplies with the cities of Bukavu and Goma. This interdependence can be summarized by the fact that these cities import food from Rwanda and that this country benefits from the profits generated by these commercial exchanges. Thus, the peak of despair occurs on May 17 and 18, two dates marking the closure of the borders between Rwanda and the cities of this Kivu region. Even Darwin himself, wherever he rests in the afterlife, would understand that one cannot adapt to every circumstance.
In short, inequality, dear Binay, may be tribal, intercontinental within international organizations such as the UN, but also present within the same country where an entire region is abandoned without the government feeling any real discomfort about it. Time would fail us to further develop our exchanges filled with sincerity, respect, mutual understanding, and new knowledge.
With all my love and consideration, I wish you everything best in this world and I nurture the hope that we may one day become activists committed to fighting the problems of inequality that our exchanges have revealed and, why not, perhaps meet each other in the near future?
Affectionately, your friend,
Victoire OGANZE Karhakubwa.