Continental Issues
A former human trafficker told Africa Faith and Justice Network on December 2, 2021, that his Middle Eastern partners had sent a video showing four men, aided by two dogs, gang-raping a young woman he had trafficked. The image continues to haunt him. He added, “I am not sure if I will ever be forgiven by God for what I did.” Where are the victims from? Besides trafficking compatriots from Uganda, he also facilitated the trafficking of Kenyans, Tanzanians, and Burundians.
Corruption grips African societies, economies, and politics. No matter how small, it must not be minimized and must be forcefully confronted, if prosperity is ever to be secured. Countless meetings and endless reports have said little about those taking action against corruption. Being corrupt is ultimately a choice that reveals a lack of integrity. Those who cannot be trusted should never be entrusted with management.
This October the World Health Organization has officially recommended the use of the RTS, S/AS01 Malaria vaccination for children (WHO). This vaccine has been in trial since 2019 and has…
Today, the Africa Faith and Justice Network (AFJN) along with over twenty organizations and individuals including Former US Ambassador Stephen McFarland, sent a letter to the Senate Armed Services Committee calling for support of six anticorruption measures in the Defense Bill.
The largescale transfer of wealth out of Africa drives much of today’s global affairs, and also explains much of yesterday’s. For four centuries outsiders have been plundering and carting away Africa’s natural resource wealth on an astonishing scale. The webinar will shine a light on key facets of the continuing pillaging of Africa in our time, the 21st century and will highlight how brutal this extraction remains with instigated wars, dangerous poisons, significant human and animal displacement and unsightly filth inflicting destruction on the people as well as on the fauna, flora and water sources of the once-lush environment.
Today, the “COVID Defense Act” was formally introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Representative Mark Pocan. If passed, this act will provide additional resources to ensure global access to vaccines as part of the U.S. national security strategy by rescinding “1.3 percent of total defense spending” and authorizing “the same amount for international COVID vaccine production and distribution.” The Africa Faith and Justice Network (AFJN) calls on Members of Congress to ensure that if passed, the act will also include measures to keep kleptocrats in check through accountability mechanisms.
On September 16, 2021 the World Bank announced the end of their publication the Doing Business Report (DBR) after a review that was sparked by data irregularities that were found. The Africa Faith and Justice Network’s policy analyst Jacques Bahati’s will discuss the significance of this news on YouTube September 20, 2021 at 2:00 pm ET (US and Canada).
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASESeptember 10, 2021 Washington, DC – Today, the Africa Faith and Justice Network along with over twenty-five faith and nongovernmental organizations sent a joint letter to Congressional Leadership in…
Guinea’s health workers skillfully identified and addressed a case of Marburg virus disease in Temessadou M’Boket, Guinea. The health worker’s quick detection of this disease was essential to preventing a…
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 Central African nation of Gabon has received $17 million for meeting established goals for forest conservation. The payment comes from an agreement with the Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI),…
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:
By Josh Schlicht, AFJN InternJuly 15, 2021 The armed conflict between the Ethiopian army and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, a political party and ethnic Tigrayan military organization, has no…
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.
