Lydia Andrews
Today, the Catholic Church mourns the loss of the beloved Pope Francis. His rather sudden passing comes after a short greeting in St. Peter’s Square following the Easter Sunday Mass.
An Easter Reflection for Africa
On April 18, 2025, AFJN is joining Maryknoll’s Office of Global for Global Concerns for their annual Good Friday “Way of the Cross for Peace & Justice.”
The Africa Faith and Justice Network’s Women Empowerment Consultant, Fr. Aniedi Okure, OP, was quoted in Cleopatra Eki’s article “Groups pledge to tackle child labour, domestic servitude in Lagos” in The Guardian on April 15, 2025.
As we begin Holy Week: We pray for an end to conflicts and violence, that peace may flourish, and justice may prevail, bringing stability and security to all. We pray…
The Africa Faith and Justice Network, a member of the Public-Private Alliance for Responsible Minerals Trade (PPA), sent the “Call for Action on Mineral Traceability and Conflict Financing in Eastern DRC” letter to the PPA Leadership Team, urging them to take a clear and principled stance of the ongoing crisis in the DRC with particular emphasis on the issue of mineral extraction by unauthorized actors, including armed groups.
Join Dr. Steven Nabieu Rogers, Africa Faith and Justice Network Executive Director, as he speaks on the panel of “Voices of People of Africa and African Descent: Addressing Present Challenges to Equality and Non-Discrimination” a hybrid event held on April 16 at 8:00 am EDT (US/Canada).
Coalition letter to President Donald Trump that reiterated how “debt relief and restructuring make effective economic and security policies, strengthening our country’s global moral leadership” and calling for “strong American leadership on debt relief and financial architecture reform.”
On April 3rd, AFJN was part of a update call on the reintroduction of House Resolution 40 (Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act) with Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-7)’s Office.
Read the Africa Faith and Justice Network’s 2024 End of Year Report: Activity Highlights and Updates
The Africa Faith and Justice Network’s Women Empowerment Consultant, Fr. Aniedi Okure, OP, was quoted in Innocent Onoh’s article “Coalition Established in Lagos to Tackle Child Labour and Domestic Servitude” in Radio Nigeria Lagos on April 1, 2025.
Today, the Catholic Task Force on Africa (CTFA), a group of organizations and individuals collaborating on just US-Africa relations centered on Catholic social thought, issued the following statement in recognition of International Women’s Day. Celebrated annually on March 8, International Women’s Day is a global occasion that honors the achievements of women in social, economic, cultural, and political fields. The CTFA urgently calls for the support and uplifting of women across Africa. CTFA, as an organization committed to justice and equality, stands in solidarity with African women calling for meaningful action to support policies that uplift and protect them.
Today, the Africa Faith and Justice Network (AFJN) was one of over 100 civil society organizations that endorsed the “International Women’s Day 2025: Statement Prepared by Soroptimist International and the Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CoNGO)” that highlights the threat of artificial intelligence (AI) to women and girls.
The recent shift in US policies towards Africa has raised concerns about the future of US-Africa relations, leaving vital programs uncertain. Despite this challenge, some experts see this ‘America First’ shift as an opportunity for African nations to accelerate economic self-sufficiency by transitioning beyond aid as evidenced in the Sahel and other regions of Africa.
On March 4, 2025, Ms. Kelly Maltagliati, the Africa Faith and Justice Network’s (AFJN) Office Manager and Ignatian Volunteer Corps (IVC) was featured in Christopher Kelly’s article “IVC Member Profile Kelly Maltagliati: Providing Office Support to Africa Faith & Justice Network” in the March edition of the IVC Capital Corps Connector.
AFJN Welcomes our 2025 Spring Intern, Jahael Paul.
Letter from global faith leaders to G20 finance minister on the global debt crisis” to the G20 finance minister that “champion[s a] debt cancellation framework […] suspend[s] payments [, r]eforms International Financial Institutions [and s]upports the creation of a UN Debt Convention”.
Washington, DC – On January 31, 2025, the Africa Faith and Justice Network (AFJN) issued a call to action, sending a letter “Urgent Call for U.S. Action Against Rwanda’s Violation of DRC’s Territorial Integrity” to the United States (US) Secretary of State, and members of Congress. The letter appeals for immediate U.S. intervention to alleviate the escalating humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), sparked by worsening hostilities between the DRC armed forces and the Rwandan army allied to the M23 armed group. This crisis has intensified following M23’s takeover of Goma and expansion into South Kivu, prompting AFJN to warn of a looming “grave and humanitarian crisis” if the U.S. does not act.
We are writing to bring to your attention the grave humanitarian situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the Rwandan government has been violating the country’s territorial integrity. The Rwandan military has been using the March 23 (M23) rebel group, a Congolese Tutsi-led movement, to occupy key areas, including the recent occupation of North Kivu capital, Goma on January 23, 2025. This is the latest in a series of violent aggressions since M23 resumed its armed conflict against the DRC in early 2022.
Praying for a peaceful MLK Jr. Day.
