Latest News
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Update on Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde US Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS
Several Republican Senators led by Tom Coburn of Oklahoma are blocking Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde US Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS or S. 2731 after it was passed the Foreign Relations Committee in a 18-to-3 vote. The Senators are objecting to the increase from $19 million to $50 million in aid through PEPFAR. They argue that…
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In the Face of Pessimism Comes Progress
When we started our work opposing AFRICOM, many people told us that the train had left the station and that there was nothing we could do to stop it. No one in Congress or at the Embassies felt empowered to stand up against a direct order from the Bush Administration, particularly when it came to…
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Zimbabwe: Violence Continues as Run-Off Approaches
By Ntama Bahati To this day Robert Mugabe is determined to remain in power at all cost. His strategy is to rule by force, particularly with violence against those who supported his opponent Morgan Tsvangirai during the first presidential election round on March 29, 2008. As June 27, the run-off day approaches, he continues using intimidation…
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Thousands of HIV-positive Babies Born Daily
The World Health Organization issued a report saying about 2,000 children of HIV-positive mothers in the developing world are born with the disease on a daily basis because the mothers were not given antiretrovirals during their pregnancy. The lack of progress came in the face of a threefold increase in access to the drugs, the…
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Dr. Denis Mukwege Speaks at Congo Global Action Coalition Conference
On March 30-31st at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC, Congo Global Action Coalition held a conference on the Democratic Republic of the Congo; an effort to bring more awareness and advocate for peace in the this nation. Dr. Denis Kukwege, chief of obstetrics and gynecology at Panzi hospital in Bukavu was one of…
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Buti Tlhagale OMI, Archbishop of Johannesburg, on presidential Run Off in Zimbabwe
Issued by Fr Chris Townsend, Information Officer of the SACBC, on behalf of Archbishop Buti Tlhagale OMI, President of the SACBC. Pretoria – May 13, 2008 ‘A run-off election in Zimbabwe will not be possible without an immediate end to intimidation, violence and torture and the deployment of reliable international election observers.’ Out of concern…
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AFJN Encourages Congress to Prevent the Further Militarization of Africa
This week, the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) is marking up its version of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009. In previous versions of the bill, Congress granted increased funding to the Department of Defense (DOD) to pursue military activities in Africa and around the world. What is referred to as “Section…
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” PEACE IN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO”
PRESENTATION OF THE ARCHBISHOP OF BUKAVU AT CONGO GLOBAL ACTION’S CONFERENCE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,March 30 -31st, 2008 Translated From French & Published April 7, 2008 Introduction Dear brothers and sisters, It is in the name of all the people of goodwill living in the Africa’s Great Lakes Region, of all my Congolese brothers and sisters,…
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AFJN Signs Letter Rejecting Building Foreign Militaries in the 2009 Defense Authorization Act
This week, AFJN joined 25 other organizations in signing a letter to the Senate Armed Services Committee opposing the “Building Partnership Capacity of Foreign Military and Other Security Forces” in the Defense Authorization Act for the fiscal year 2009. The Senate is marking up their version of the bill this week and will determine how…
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Buti Tlhagale OMI, Archbishop of Johannesburg on Zimbabwe Crisis
The Catholic Church in Southern Africa, concerned about the deteriorating situation in Zimbabwe, speaks out. In his statement below, Buti Tlhagale OMI, Archbishop of Johannesburg and president of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference is calling leaders of Southern Africa Development Community (SADEC), the African Union (AU), the United Nations (UN), and other African leaders…
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Church Leaders Condemn Situation in Zimbabwe
Last week, leaders of the Zimbabwe Catholic Church, Evangelical Church, and Council of Churches released a statement describing the dire situation in Zimbabwe as a result of the recent presidential elections. Continued food shortages and an upswing of violence have led the leaders to “warn the world that if nothing is done to help the…
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At the Root of the Crisis in Kenya
Many observers have expressed at least some surprise at the post-election crisis in Kenya, a crisis that has so far left more than six hundred people dead, at least 200,000 people displaced and is affecting the economies of the entire region. Kenya has been known as one of Africa’s most stable and peaceful countries. The…
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Where Research and Outreach Intersect
Two hundred and fifty Notre Dame Students attended a one-day student-led symposium on human development studies at Notre Dame on February 23, 2008. Mr. Ray Offenheiser, a Notre Dame graduate who is now the president of Oxfam America, offered the keynote. What started in September 2006 as the Millennium Development Initiative at Notre Dame University…
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AFJN Membership Passes Resolutions on AFRICOM and Congo
At AFJN’s 25th Anniversary Conference April 18-20, members of AFJN passed two resolutions. The first, a Resolution on Opposing the New U.S. Military Command for Africa (AFRICOM) , calls on the U.S. Congress to de-fund the new command and instead increase funding for development initiatives and multilateral diplomacy. Among other things, it also calls on the State…
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25th Anniversary Conference
This weekend (April 18-20), AFJN celebrates its 25th year of policy analysis and advocacy for peace and justice in Africa. Workshops on health, trade, and conflict transformation will inform participants of the issues currently affecting Africa and what can be done to ensure a more just US-Africa policy. This four-day event also includes keynote addresses…
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Zimbabwe: Decision of the People to Oust Mugabe
Zimbabweans once again tried to change their leadership by demanding the departure of President Robert Mugabe who has ruled Zimbabwe for 21 years. His dictatorship delays progress and prosperity for all Zimbabweans as they suffer from high inflation, unemployment, and food shortages. Unfortunately, the question remains: who won the presidential election on March 29, 2008? More than a week after…
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US President George Bush Visits Rwanda – Bad News for the Congolese
What does the War on Terror have to do with Rwanda? Certainly very little, but this is one of the pretexts that President Bush is using in Rwanda as he has elsewhere to strengthen US corporations access to the diverse natural resources from the other side of the Rwandan border in the Democratic Republic of…
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Legacy of Bush in Africa Difficult to Reconcile
When it comes to Africa, most American Presidents have had little interest in the continent and its people. However, over the past several administrations, the Executive Branch has sought increased involvement in African affairs, ranging from humanitarian aid to military support. Former President Bill Clinton is known around the continent for his initiatives aimed at…
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Opportunities and Challenges in Burundi
President Pierre Nkurunziza was recently in Washington and in his remarks at the Woodrow Wilson Center for Scholars on February 6, 2008, he offered Burundi as an example of hope in a troubled Africa. Nkurunziza took office on August 26, 2005 as the second democratically elected president in Burundi. This is the fist time in…
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Triggers of Conflict in Africa
After the violence, death, and displacement in Kenya, it seems the leaders have finally agreed upon a power-sharing deal that placates both sides. Kenya’s conflict has now subsided from the news headlines and it is hoped that the country will begin to reestablish itself as a stable African nation. However, it is important that we…
