Latest News
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Vulture Funds: Ugly Name for an Ugly Reality
Vulture funds, often called “Distressed Debt Funds” are predatory hedge funds that siphon off newly freed resources from poor-country debt cancellation efforts. They do this by buying up a poor country’s debt in default for pennies on the dollar and then engaging courts in U.S., Britain and beyond to sue for the full amount of…
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‘Greetings’ in Burundian Culture
Hearing Burundians greet each other and greet us in Kirundi got me curious about finding out the meaning of these daily greeting rituals. The finding is, astonishingly, a good ground on which Burundians can build bridges of reconciliation and recovery from the hurt caused by years of war.
In fact, greetings in Burundi are full of expressions of wishes for peace for individuals and for the whole community. In the morning, you say mwaramutse. It literally means ‘did you wake up?’ It can also mean ‘did you survive?’ This question is about surviving the unexpected challenges that can happen in the dark of the night.
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Evolving Political Situation in Burundi
This article was originally posted on January 29th, 2009 during AFJN’s trip to Burundi and Uganda. It appeared as a blog post on justicegreatlakes.blogspot.com. Reposted here April 14th, 2009. Although many Burundians feel positive about the political shift in their country, some still hold skepticism about the sustainability of the current peace. The sound of…
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Climate Change and the Poor: A Plea to the Relief and Development Community
Through an accident of birth, most of us enjoy an extravagant lifestyle. We have the basics—food, clothing, housing, and health care—and then some—education, stable communities, good jobs, freedom to travel and to speak without fear of reprisal. Africa Faith and Justice Network members know that too many don’t even have the basics. As people of faith,…
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Senator Feingold Releases Statement on AFRICOM and Somalia
In a statement released Tuesday, January 27th, Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) noted the “important and strategic roles that AFRICOM can play” in boosting the security of Africa’s young democracies. Although he recognized the flaws within AFRICOM and the need for stronger diplomacy, his overall endorsement of the Command is cause for concern.In the statement, Feingold…
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Follow Bahati and Beth in Central Africa!
AFJN Staff Members Bahati Ntama Jacques and Beth Tuckey are currently in Burundi and Uganda conducting research for our project on restorative justice. They are keeping a blog, updated every couple of days, that can be read HERE. Find out what they’re doing and learning about community-based reconciliation!
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Centre Jeunes Kamenge
This article was originally posted on January 27th, 2009 during AFJN’s trip to Burundi and Uganda. It appeared on the blog justicegreatlakes.blogspot.com. Reposted on April 14th, 2009. The Kamenge Center sits in the middle of the northern neighborhoods (quarters) of Bujumbura, the capital of Burundi. During the war in the 1990’s, it became one of…
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A United States Department of Development?
By Fr. Rocco Puopolo, You’ve heard of the Department of Defense, the Department of State, Department of the Treasury, and others – what about a Department of Development? There is a buzz in the Beltway. Many NGO’s and policymakers are emphasizing Development within the three “D” approach to foreign policy: Diplomacy, Defense, and Development. For…
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Violence as a Path to Power: A Trend in African Politics
Looking over the African political landscape today, it seems that the preferred and only option to stopping months or years of violence is by giving a government seat to those who use violence. Why reward those who use violence to fulfill their political dreams? What does it mean for the democratic process in Africa? A number of examples…
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Interpreting Ghana’s 2008 Presidential Election
Once again Ghana set the bar higher for the future of the democratic process in Africa. Much has been written about the past, present and the future of democracy in Africa and most of the literature and political analysis point to the many ills that hinder African democracy. However, the December 28, 2008 presidential elections…
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Ugandan Rebels Retaliate Against Government Attack
Two weeks after the Ugandan government initiated a botched military operation against the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in DR Congo, the angered rebels initiated a string of attacks against the Congolese civilian population. According to reports from Caritas International and other news agencies, over 400 have been killed, nearly 200 abducted, and scores raped. To…
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AFJN Participates in Call tothe President for Responsible U.S. Global Engagement
Over the past several months, AFJN has been working with the Connect U.S. Fund to develop a concrete set of foreign policy priorities for the next Administration. Through a series of consultations, meetings, and draft letters, the letter has finally been released and will be sent to President-elect Barack Obama. Although the broad letter does…
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A Change of the Guards in Somalia
By Beth Tuckey As Ethiopia continues its troop withdrawal in Somalia, the international community is holding its breath in hopes that the transition is peaceful. After two years of U.S.-backed occupation of Somalia, Ethiopia finally recognized that its presence could not deter the Islamist “threat” and that in fact, its actions have strengthened some of…
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Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference Condemns Mugabe
Cardinal Wilfrid Napier OFM, Spokesman for the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference, released a statement on December 18th calling for stronger action by South Africa and SADC (Southern African Development Community). In solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe, the statement declares that “it is now time to isolate Mugabe completely and to remove all forms…
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AFJN Signs Statement of Policy Recommendations for Chad
This week, AFJN signed onto a policy statement providing recommendations for the incoming Obama Administration on the instability in Chad, particularly in relation to the situation in Darfur. The statement was drafted by Caring for Kaela, an international humanitarian NGO, and was signed by AFJN, Africa Action, and Refugees International. In sum, the statement recommends…
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AFJN Signs Statement of Policy Recommendations for Chad
This week, AFJN signed onto a policy statement providing recommendations for the incoming Obama Administration on the instability in Chad, particularly in relation to the situation in Darfur. The statement was drafted by Caring for Kaela, an international humanitarian NGO, and was signed by AFJN, Africa Action, and Refugees International. In sum, the statement recommends…
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The Scope of the Congo Crisis
With the renewed violence in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, the number of victims continues to rise and hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced. On November 6th in Kiwanja, civilians were massacred by Laurent Nkunda and Rwandan troops in retaliation to an attempt by the Congolese armed resistance group commonly known as Mai Mai to…
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As Somalia Deteriorates, the US Seeks Control
Just when we thought the situation in Somalia couldn’t possibly get any worse, recent weeks have shown that Somalia will likely deteriorate further before stabilizing. From piracy to militancy to displacement and starvation of the local population, Somalia needs international attention more than ever before. Ethiopian troops who have been occupying Somalia since the U.S.-backed…
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Read Rocco’s Blog from West Africa
From November 2nd through December 2nd, Africa Faith and Justice Network’s Executive Director, Rocco Puopolo, s.x. visited Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone to conduct research and interviews as part of AFJN’s Restorative Justice Book Project. Click here to read his “Restorative Justice in West Africa: Rocco’s Trip” BLOG!
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How is the Conflict in the Congo Linked to the Cassiterite Trade Boom?
The ongoing war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is essentially an economic war. The high demand for Congolese cassiterite (tin) and other natural resources has claimed millions of lives, displaced thousands, and transformed the Congo – particularly North and the South Kivu – into a crime scene (sexual violence against women, ethnic cleansing, torture, forced labor,…
