Latest News
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The United States and Africa in the Trump Era
On July 13, 2017, the Center for American Progress (CAP) held an event titled “America’s Relationship with Africa in a New Era.” The panel’s discussion was largely centered around their reactions to the New York Times article about the Trump administration’s prioritization of the Department of Defense’s hard military power over the softer powers of…
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The Mothers with the Future of South Sudan in Mind
In an effort to make South Sudan a suitable place to raise children, more women and mothers are working to clean up bombs, landmines, and other unexploded ordinances. By putting the values of family and safety first, these women deminers are clearing the way for a better future in South Sudan. One of these women,…
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Dislocation of Tanzanians From Their Land by Corporations: Impact on Family Life and Values A Briefing to the Tanzanian Episcopal Conference (TEC) Dar es Salaam June 20, 2017
Africans live on a land literally swimming in wealth yet most are impoverished by this wealth due to bad management, selfishness, lack of vision, a let-them-tell-us and let them-help us mentality and the them being anyone but Africans. This pervasive mindset affects all aspects of African society and even the church. Despite the lessons of…
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Twenty-Fifth Anniversary of the Deaths of Five nuns of the Adorers of the Blood of Christ In Liberia 1992 – 2017
Sisters Agnes Mueller, Barbara Ann Muttra, Kathleen McGuire and cousins Mary Joel Kolmer and Shirley Kolmer died during the civil war in Liberia. Sisters Barbara Ann and Mary Joel accompanied the convent watchman to check on the safety of his family because there was fighting in the vicinity. They picked up two ECOMOG soldiers along…
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Years After the Arusha Accords Burundian Democracy is Wavering
The implementation of the Arusha agreement in August2000 and the five-year development of a transitional government hinging on power sharing institutions, marked what many assumed to be the end of long standing ethnic violence in Burundi between the Hutu and Tutsi peoples. At the time of his election in August 2005, the international community was…
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Digital Education Training for Africa’s Youth
To combat the unemployment and poverty that Africa’s growing youth population is likely to face, Google has launched a free program teaching digital skills in Africa. This program is led by Bunmi Banjo, a Nigerian-Canadian woman who is Google’s Brand and Reputation Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa. Under Banjo’s leadership, the Digital Skills for Africa program…
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UBUNTUFM: PROMOTING A MORE COLLECTIVE WORLD
UbuntuFM is an on-line community, with several outlets on the web, aiming to spread the Ubuntu message of ‘humanity towards others’ across the globe out of the belief in a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity. Therefore, the term “UbuntuFM” simply means “broadcasting the Ubuntu message by all means possible. Ubuntu is a…
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Rwandan Women Healing the Nation Post-Genocide
On June 26, 2017, the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) held an event titled “Women Guiding Peace After War: Lessons from Rwanda.” The panel discussed the incredible progress women have made since the 1994 genocide. In the twenty-three years since the Rwandan genocide, women have become the majority in parliament, holding 64% of all…
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Africa’s Education Needs
On June 15, 2017, the Wilson Center’s Africa Program in Washington DC held an an event titled “Transforming the Education Sector to Meet Africa’s 21st Century Needs.” The event provided unique perspectives on the issue of education in Africa today. The speakers agreed that although Africa has increased primary education enrollment under the United Nations’ Millennium…
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Rapping to Protect Youth From Emigration Dangers
Poor economic stability has been the ultimate factor driving Gambian emigration. Since gaining independence in 1965, Gambia has experienced high levels of unemployment, particularly among the younger generations. This problem has caused a mass emigration of skilled workers who embark on the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean in search of jobs. Having witnessed many young…
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Condemning the charges against Angolan Journalist Rafael Marques de Morais and his colleague Mariano Bras Lourenco
Mr. Rafael Marques, first on the right, was indicted by the Angolan government days after receiving the NED Democracy Award. Africa Faith & Justice Network (AFJN) unequivocally condemns the charges against Angolan Journalists Rafael Marques de Morais and Mariano Bras Lourenco, strong and courageous advocate of good governance in their home country and an inspiration…
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Protection and Assistance for IDPs in Africa
Former UN Secretary General, Koffi Annan, once said: “Internal displacement is the great tragedy of our time. The internally displaced people are among the most vulnerable of the human family.” Millions of people are forced to flee their homes or places of habitual residence each year, including in the context of conflict, violence, development…
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The Current Situation on IDPs in Africa
In Africa, more than 13 million people are currently on the run in their own countries. We at Africa Faith and Justice Network (AFJN) refuse to stand by and let this crisis remain silent much longer. Despite the obvious link between internal displacement and refugee flows, policymakers tend to focus mainly on refugees while internally…
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Africa: The Continent with the Most IDPs in the World
Africa was the continent hardest hit by internal displacement in 2016. Conflict and violence displaced more people in Sub-Saharan Africa than in the Middle East, according to a report released by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). Of the 6.9 million new internal displacements by conflict in 2016, 2.6…
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Changing Perceptions of Africa, One Photo at a Time
The Instagram account Everyday Africa is made up of photos and captions that work to dispel the common idea of Africa as simply a poor, war-torn, underdeveloped continent. While acknowledging that conflict and poverty are an undeniable reality in parts of Africa, the page “looks for the beauty in the normal, returns dignity to the…
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Rafael Marques de Morais: A Courageous Anti-Corruption Activist
Photo: Rafael Marques de Morais (center) with AFJN Staff and Interns at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center. On Wednesday June 7th 2017 at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) at its annual Democracy Award, honored five courageous anti-corruption activists from Afghanistan, Angola, Guatemala, Malaysia, and Ukraine. These individuals have fought, and…
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Kicking a Goal for Inclusivity
The 1994 genocide in Rwanda left the country deeply divided and hopeless. In an effort to re-establish a sense of community and restore hope, Felicite Rwemarika formed a women’s soccer team. Megan Specia, a New York Times reporter, highlights these soccer teams in her Times video titled “Rwanda’s Soccer Sisterhood.” These teams are made up…
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Welcome to our Summer Intern, Madison Stewart
Madison Stewart is a rising senior at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania where she majors in political science with a minor in public administration. Madison has spent much of her academic career researching the effects of ethnic groups and ethnic political parties on intrastate conflict. She is currently in the process of writing a paper that…
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Seed Sovereignty Struggle vs. Genetic Modification of Africa’s Indigenous Seeds
Genetically modifying African indigenous seeds must be carefully examined so as to understand the cost-benefit relationship of this effort to Africa’s agriculture sector. There is a strong argument that those seeking to invest in the business of genetically modifying African indigenous seeds want a monopoly of these seeds, thus controlling this multibillion dollar economic sector….
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Listening to Heal a Nation
The Benebikira Sisters, the oldest indigenous congregation in Rwanda, have a number of nuns in their community referred to as “Sister Listeners.” Their job is simply to listen – to listen in order to help the country heal following the 1994 genocide. Sr. Marie Venantie Nyirabaganwa, Superior of the Southern Province, remarked, “There are many…
