Norah Jones, Sheryl Crow, Damien Rice and More Appearing on Congo Awareness Compilation

Norah Jones, Sheryl Crow, Mos Def, and Damien Rice are among the artists who have singed on for 'Raise Hope for Congo,' a compilation aimed at spreading awareness about the plight of women in the African nation. Curated by KCRW DJ and Los Angeles Times Magazine contributor Nic Harcourt, the project's diverse lineup also counts the likes of Angélique Kidjo, Bat for Lashes, Travis and Ozomatli.

"This compilation album will be a beacon to light the path to educating hundreds of thousands of people about the issues in Congo and what all of us can do to help end the suffering there," human-rights activist John Prendergast told the Times' Pop and Hiss blog. Harcourt befriended Prendergast working on Enough, which the latter co-founded as a way "to prevent genocide and crimes against humanity."

"One of the principal reasons why there is little international response to the terrible human-rights crimes in Congo -- particularly against women and girls -- is that people just don't know that these things are happening," Prendergast explained. According to the L.A. Times, the African state is one of the most dangerous places in the world for women, where sexual violence as a weapon of war is stunning in its frequency.

'Raise Hope for Congo' is available digitally now and will arrive in physical form on June 22.