Latest News
-
Congo’s Struggle for Water
Anne Vickers, AFJN intern 2007 “When the poor and needy seek water, I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.” Isaiah 41:17-18 In the May/June 2007 newsletter, Jacques Bahati wrote…
-
Congolese Archbishop Sounds the Alarm
Archbishop Francois-Xavier Maroy of Bukavu, in eastern D.R. Congo, in a May 28th letter to the visiting French ambassador sounded the alarm concerning the developing dangers for the people of the Bukavu region. In the letter, which follows, the archbishop ominously states that “all the elements are gathering for a new war in South…
-
Friday, June 20 is World Refugee Day
World Refugee Day has been internationally recognized on June 20 ever since it was established by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in 2001. It serves as an opportunity to learn about and reflect upon the growing scale and complexity of the refugee crisis and to salute the courage, strength and resilience of…
-
African Churches Reject Free Trade Agreements with Europe
A statement was released this week by a very broad coalition of churches opposing the European Partnership Agreements (EPA). The statement is impressive in its gathering of churches that don’t often find each other signing the same documents. Signees include the Catholic Church-Kenya Episcopal Conference and AMECEA, the Anglican Church, The Assemblies of God and…
-
AFJN Director Signs Letter Calling for World Bank Leadership Reform
Rev. Rocco Puopolo, Executive Director of AFJN, has signed on to a letter to the Executive Directors of the World Bank and the IMF, calling on them to reform the selection procedures for leadership at both institutions. The recent revelations about Paul Wolfowitz have shed light on a process that is outdated and unsuited to…
-
DRC’s 47th Independence Anniversary
Last fall, the Democratic Republic of Congo completed the first democratic election in many years. Saturday, June 30th, a corresponding celebration of Congolese independence was more than necessary! We hope that you were able to join some of the 47th year festivities that occurred worldwide to support our Congolese friends. Check back to read about…
-
Beating Ploughshares into Swords?
The Disturbing Direction of US Africa PolicyThe creation of AFRICOM signifies deeper and more sustained U.S. military engagement on the continent than we have ever seen. Yet, AFRICOM is hardly surprising; the militarization of U.S. Africa policy has been underway for a decade now. The danger though lies in what is increasingly absent: accountability.Ironically, the…
-
Statement of Southern African Bishops’ Conference on Zimbabwe
On April 4, the Southern African Bishops’ Conference came out with a statement on the situation in Zimbabwe. Meant to coincide with the Easter season, the Bishops bring out the various forms of suffering of their brothers and sisters in Zimbabwe and the impending disaster if things don’t change. They recall their own suffering under…
-
Nigerian Bishops Speak Out About Elections
In the person of their chairman, Bishop Felix Alaba Job, the Nigerian Bishops’ Conference stated that Ngeria had failed to conduct free, fair and credible elections. Citing several examples of mismanagement of the elections, Bishop Job stated that the people had been robbed of their chance to choose their leaders. Yet, the Bishops prefer that…
-
Statement on Violence from the Religious Superiors Conference of Kenya
AFJN was shocked by the news of the murder of AFJN member, Rev. Martin Addai, M.Afr, as reported in our recent Easter newsletter . Fr. Martin, who lost his life in Nairobi on March 10, 2007, was only one of many victims of violence that the Religious Superiors Conference of Kenya deplored in a recent…
-
US House Unanimously Condemns Zimbabwe Oppression
On April 17, the US House of Representatives, by a vote of 414-0 passed a resolution ‘condemning the recent violent actions of the Government of Zimbabwe against the peaceful opposition party activists and members of civil society.’ The resolution (H.Con Res.100) was then sent on to the Senate for consideration in the Judiciary Committee. Introduced…
-
Holy See Calls for Action on Trade Justice
Speaking at the United Nations last week, the Vatican Ambassador, Archbishop Celestino Migliore, reminded the assembly that the need for an agreement on trade issues is ‘ a moral imperative that cannot be delayed.’ Using the words of Paul VI, the Archbishop reiterated the Holy See’s concern for the achievement of greater justice through fair…
-
AFJN Concerned About U.S. Military Action in Somalia
On January 9th, in the latest development in the U.S.Â’ global War on Terror, air strikes undertaken by U.S. military aircraft hit presumed al-Qaeda terrorist hide-outs in southern Somalia, though subsequent statements from the Pentagon have revealed that the only casualties were civilians. The last time the U.S. military directly intervened in Somalia was in 1993, when eighteen soldiers were…
-
CTFA Letter to Archbishop Ncube of Bulawayo Received
On April 6, Rev. Rocco Puopolo, Executive Director of AFJN and chair of the Catholic Task Force on Africa, sent a letter of support to the Catholic Archbishop of Bulawayo, Pius Ncube. The Catholic Task Force wanted to support the Archbishop in his efforts to speak out on behalf of the people of Zimbabwe who…
-
Zimbabwe: “In the Name of Jesus…Stop the Violence”
The Catholic Bishops of Zimbabwe have written a pastoral letter on the current crisis in their country. In the letter, they call on the government to end the violence and to be fair, just and compassionate in governing their people. Weeks of escalating political turmoil have seen political opposition leaders arrested, beaten and shamefully paraded…
-
Congo Global Action Supports MONUC in letter to Rice
The Congo Global Action Coalition sent a letter to US Secretary of State, Condeleeza Rice, on April 5 asking the the US offer continued support to the UN mission in the Congo (MONUC). The letter, found below, emphasizes the important role MONUC has played in helping make possible the recent democratic elections. Given the fragility…
-
U.S. Boots on Africa’s Ground
The rumors were true after all. For several years, we have been hearing that the United States was about to create a military command structure for Africa. On February 6, President Bush announced that US Africa Command (Africom) would become a reality. Up until then, the northeastern part of Africa had been covered by Centcom,…
-
US Bishops Support Zimbabwean Brother Bishops
After Pope Benedict XVI, the UK Bishops and the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops have officially reached out to support their Zimbabwean counterparts. Bishop Wenski, of the Orlando Diocese, in his role as chairman of the International Policy Committee of the Conference, wrote a…
-
“… and How are the Children?” Deemed Huge Success
From March 9-12, nearly one thousand people from church communities all over the United States came to Washington for Ecumenical Advocacy Days. AFJN members joined their sisters and brothers in a weekend of workshops, worship and preparation for lobbying the new members of Congress. Of the one thousand gathered at the Doubletree Hotel, nearly one…
-
AFJN Responds to President Bush in Africa
Before President Bush left for Africa, AFJN and several other NGO’s organized a press call to address some of our primary concerns regarding the Bush Administration’s legacy in Africa. On the top of the list was the new US military command for Africa – AFRICOM. Those who spoke on the call highlighted this flawed policy…
