Lydia Andrews
Washington, DC – On Monday the Africa Faith and Justice Network (AFJN), along with a coalition of over 50 organizations, issued the joint statement “Groups Urge US Senate to Authorize Additional Relief to Combat the COVID-19 Crisis” regarding the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) release of 450 billion in Special Drawing Rights (SDRs). These funds did not require United States Congressional approval and are insufficient to address the needs of the nations suffering under heavy debt burdens exacerbated by the pandemic. The coalition is calling on all members of Congress, particularly the United States Senators to move quickly and pass legislation that would increase the amount of SDRs to 2 trillion dollars.
The Africa Faith and Justice Network (AFJN) Women’s Empowerment Project (WEP) was hard at works this past week Tanzania. After a year of online workshops, AFJN’s WEP Program Coordinator Sr. Eucharia Madueke, SNDdeN was back on the continent working along side Sr. Adorata Kapinga, OSB, the Executive Secretary for the Tanzanian Association of Catholic Sisters (TCAS), coordinating the religious sisters Education and Advocacy Workshops. AFJN Board Member, Fr. Barthelemy Bazemo M.Afr. and former AFJN Executive Director, Rev. Aniedi Okure, OP also presented during these workshops.
Today, join the Africa Faith and Justice Network (AFJN) and other organizations by calling on White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeffrey Zients to support policies that promote global access to vaccines…
AFJN Welcomes Award Winning Journalist, Patrick Egwu, as an AFJN Senior Fellow. Patrick Egwu is an award-winning freelance investigative journalist based in Johannesburg, South Africa where he is currently an Open Society Foundation fellow on Investigative Reporting at the University of the Witwatersrand. Patrick has covered the work of AFJN on the continent of Africa, with a special focus on AFJN’s Women’s Empowerment Project.
The Africa Faith and Justice Network is now accepting applications for the Executive Director Position.
Today, on this World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, the world acknowledges the millions of people who are being trafficked around the globe. According to the United Nations’ “Global Report on Trafficking in Persons 2020” over “50 percent” of trafficked people were for “sexual exploitation”.
The Africa Faith and Justice Network (AFJN) is cosponsoring the “Interfaith Vigil for Global COVID-19 Vaccine Access” on Tuesday, July 20 from 12:30 – 2:00 pm (EDT US and Canada) on the National Mall in Washington, DC. AFJN’s Policy Analyst, Ntama Bahati, will be offering a prayer. All are welcome to participate in person or online.
The Africa Faith and Justice Network just released our July 2021 Report on our efforts in Ghana as part of the African Church Together (ACT) to Fight Against Corruption Project. Read the full report here:
Washington, DC – Today, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) issued a press release noting that the IMF Executive Board supported the “general allocation of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs).” The new allocation of $650 billion is three-times more than what was approved during the 2008 crises and is the largest amount to date. The IMF’s Board of Governors still needs to approve the new allocation. While many are enthusiastic about issuance of these needed financial resources to nations who are struggling due to the pandemic, the Africa Faith and Justice Network (AFJN) urges the IMF to insist that strong accountability and transparency measures be put in place to ensure that these monies will go where intended and will not be squandered away.
Today we celebrate Juneteenth, the oldest celebration of emancipation of African Americans from slavery in the United States. Beginning in Galveston Texas, it is now celebrated every year on June 19th. In 2021, President Joe Biden signed a federal law making it a federal holiday. Unfortunately slavery is still taking place in different forms: compelled service, oppression, involuntary servitude, debt bondage, forced labor, and human trafficking.
Events and Updates June 2021
The Africa Faith and Justice Network’s Women’s Empowerment Project with the Africa Faith and Justice Network – Nigeria workshops on human trafficking and child labor was featured on Catholic Television of Nigeria Catholic Daily News/ Africa on June 16, 2021.
The Africa Faith and Justice Network invites you to join our Policy Analyst, Ntama Bahati Jacques, for a United Nations Civil Society Organization Side Event “Unraveling Child Labor in the Mining Industry in the Congo Basin” on Saturday, June 18, 2021 at 9:00 am (EDT US and Canada and 14:00 pm Kinshasa). To register click here.
AFJN’s Sr. Eucharia Madueke, SNDdeN provides reflections on the International Day of the African Child and the video premiere of Mmadueke Onyinye Silvia’s spoken poem “Africa, My Africa”
The Africa Faith and Justice Network has been advocating for an end to child labour for years. We talk about fair labor practices and justice within our educational, advocacy, and empowerment workshops. Rooted in Catholic Social Teaching, we highlight the inherent dignity of every human being, no matter what age.
On May 25, 2021, at 2:00 am ET (US and Canada; 9:00 am Kenya) the Africa Faith and Justice Network premiered a video sponsored by the Coalition for Africa’s Liberation…
The Ecumenical Advocacy Days are back virtually in 2021 advocating for Climate Justice! This years is Imagine! God’s Earth and People Restored. EAD 2021 is an opportunity to support this global movement centered on and led by the people and communities most vulnerable to climate impacts due to historic racial and colonial inequities. Together, we will passionately advocate and reimagine a world that lives out the values of justice, equity and the beloved community.
March 17, 2021 Re: Establishing the Senate Human Rights Commission Dear Majority Leader Schumer, Republican Leader McConnell, Senator Menendez, Senator Risch, Senator Klobuchar, and Senator Blunt, We, the undersigned Catholic…
On February 23, 2021, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria issued We Must Pull back from the Brink of Collapse, a letter to the “People of Goodwill in Nigeria.” The Bishops acknowledged the ongoing crisis in the country and warned of a “looming collapse” and failure of the “Nigerian project” if things do not change. In the letter the Bishops’ address the “serious insecurity […] loss of lives and property” and the unwillingness for those in power to act to remedy the situation. Leaders must set the example to “seek a common purpose” and exercise their “political will.”
