Latest News
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AFJN’s 35th Anniversary and Policy Briefing: Dr. Kimberly Stanton Comments (standing in for Rep. James P. McGovern)
My sincerest apologies that Rep. McGovern had to cancel his appearance at the last minute. He very much regrets that he is unable to be here this morning and sends his congratulations on your 35th anniversary. (Download PDF File) I first met Rep. McGovern in the early 2000s, when I was advocating on behalf of…
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Melania Trump to Visit Ghana, Malawi, Kenya and Egypt following President Trump’s Remarks on Africa
Melania Trump, first lady to the United States, recently visited Ghana, Malawi, Kenya and Egypt as a part of her “Be Best” campaign which promotes the physical, mental and emotional health of children worldwide. She began her trip at the Ridge Hospital in Ghana, focusing on the high mortality rates the country faces. Melania’s time…
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Africa in Global Perspective then and Now
Stop for a minute and think of the saying attributed to the Greek Philosopher Heraclitus: “The only thing that is constant is change.” Then take a cursory look at the changes that have taken place in the last thirty five years, a period that coincides with the age of the Africa Faith & Justice Network…
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Open Letter: Zambia Must Respect International Law
August 24, 2018 Dear Mr. President, Re: Zambia Must Respect International Law The Africa Faith & Justice Network (AFJN) unequivocally and in the strongest words possible condemn Zambia’s asylum rejection of Mr. Tendai Biti, a Senior member of Zimbabwe’s opposition MDC Alliance. This action is a blatant violation of International Refugee Law, sets a…
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AFJN’s Exe. Director Rev. Aniedi Okure, OP featured in the Voice of America
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is an American civil rights icon, but his influence traveled far from the shores of the U.S. From Australia to Germany to Niger, boulevards and streets bear his name, illustrating how he inspired others, especially in Africa.
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Anxiety as Tanzania Pressures Burundian Refugees to Return Home
The decision of Burundi’s President Pierre Nkurunziza to run for a third term in 2015 triggered a political crisis and widespread violence in that country, with hundreds of thousands of Burundian refugees fleeing to neighboring Tanzania. Three years later, the government of Burundi now claims that political stability has been restored and is working with…
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AFJN’s Rev. Aniedi Okure, OP mentioned in The Catholic Sun
In its infancy, many of the parishes in the Phoenix Diocese were founded by priests from Ireland who left their native land to serve in the Southwest.
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Nigerian teenagers win World tech innovation challenge
Despite all odds, women in Nigeria are breaking the code in technology. Yesterday, August 9th, five teenage girls from a Catholic Secondary school Regina Pacies in Onitsha Anambra state Nigeria challenged the world of technology and emerge as the gold winners among 2000 technological giants from around the world. The team, who developed an app…
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Nigeria is Proud to Have a Winning Contestant in the Worlds Most Global Literary Prize
This years 2018 Commonwealth Short Story Prize announced a Nigerian-German writer Efua Traoré as the regional winner for Africa. The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is the most global literary award, it holds competition for the best piece of unpublished short fiction stories open to Commonwealth citizens at least 18 years of age. The prizes are…
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Come one, Come all ! Join us for a Policy Briefing on “Africa in Global Perspective”
Please mark your calendar for the celebration of Africa Faith & Justice Network’s 35 Years of Advocacy, Capacity Building and Education for Transformation. The 35th Anniversary Celebration is scheduled for Friday September 14, 2018 from 10:00 am to 3:30 pm in Washington DC, Dirksen Senate Building, Room SD 106. The theme of the Public Event…
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Summary of US Army Presence and Engagement in Africa
In March 2018, General Thomas D. Waldhauser, Commander of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), testified in front of the House Armed Services Committee, as he gave command’s annual Posture Statement to Congress. Part of the importance behind military Generals testifying before Congress is to consider funding for various national defense and military operations. The…
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Uganda’s Post-Colonial History of Dictators and a Warning for the Future
A brief account of the major Uganda’s regimes cannot possibly do justice to their impact to on the country today, but in order to understand, one must begin somewhere. However, this short piece is designed to provide an overview into the deep-seated issue of authoritarianism in Uganda. Uganda gained its independence from the United Kingdom…
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A Problem within a Problem- Discrimination Against Pregnant Students Across Africa
In a place where education can already be so scarce, Sub-Saharan Africa cannot afford to discriminate education from willing students for reasons of stigma or outright discrimination. Recently, Burundi has joined a list of countries including Equatorial Guinea, Sierra Leon, and Tanzania in banning pregnant girls and mothers from attending school. Many of these policies…
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Uganda’s Social Media Tax Backlash- A Vision of Tyranny
President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda has recently imposed a new tax on his citizens requiring a 200 Ugandan Shilling payment per day of use of over 50 social media sites including Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp among many other major platforms. As one might expect, the citizenry is not happy with this imposition. Many people…
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A Look at Free Trade in Africa- The African Continental Free Trade Area
In March, 55 nations of the African Union joined in Kigali, Rwanda to discuss the possibility of an open trade agreement throughout the continent. Free trade and free movement across the continent is a great step in the right direction for the 50-year goals of the African Union. “An integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa,…
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Water4 and Pacha Soap- Foreign Aid Done Right
When one enters the Water4 website, they will be greeted not by pictures of the founders of the organization or donors, but rather a hopeful picture of a village pumping water out of a well that they built themselves. Water4’s mission is clear, to bring relief to the 4 out of 10 people worldwide…
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Global Push-Back Against South Sudan’s Corruption and Human Rights Violations
Currently South Sudan’s political crisis has no end in sight. However, there is certainly no shortage of empty statements of political good will from those responsible for the ongoing crisis, who from time and time again have held dialogues and signed sham peace agreements. South Sudan’s kleptocracy continues to expand while oil revenues are drying…
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U.S. Military Presence and Activity in Africa: North Africa
Read Part I (Sahel Region) and Part II (West Africa) of the series. NORTH AFRICA Morocco is defined in positive light by General Waldhauser, as it has the ability to “operate and maintain advanced U.S. equipment” and seeks to “increase interoperability with U.S. and NATO forces.” It’s geographical location largely contributes to this, as it…
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U.S. Military Presence and Activity in Africa: West Africa
Read Part I of the series, “U.S. Military Presence and Activity in Africa: Sahel Region.” WEST AFRICA AFRICOM’s roles and objectives in the West Africa region are directly equivalent to those in the Sahel Region. Stated by General Waldhauser, its principal strategic objective is to “contain and degrade Boko Haram and ISIS-West Africa.” An important part…
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U.S. Military Presence and Activity in Africa: East Africa
Read Part I (Sahel region), Part II (West Africa), and Part III (North Africa) of the series. EAST AFRICA General Waldhauser began by addressing Somalia and the country’s ongoing conflict, including al-Shabaab’s ongoing violent extremism and the emergence of ISIS-Somalia in the north. In 2017, al-Shabaab carried out one of the most deadly attacks in Mogadishu…
