Latest News
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Sudanese Bishops Release Statement on the Comprehensive Peace Agreement
The Sudanese Catholic Bishops released a statement on July 25 calling for a more rigorous implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, as well as more concerted efforts for peace throughout Sudan. The statement was openly critical of the widespread corruption within Sudan and the “minimal efforts being exerted by the Government to enforce law and…
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Victim-Activated Landmine Abolition Act of 2006
Landmines and other weapons that do not distinguish between combatants and innocent civilians have been declared inhumane by the international community for nearly 15 years. Since the 1990s, the United States has not exported, produced or used victim-activated weapons. However, the United States remains one of only 13 countries that have yet to enact a…
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Democratic Republic of the Congo Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act
Legislation that would improve U.S. assistance to people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has passed the Senate, and now awaits introduction in the House. Call or write your Representatives in the House and ask that they introduce and expedite passage of the bill! The Democratic Republic of the Congo Relief, Security, and Democracy…
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Congo Awaits Results of Groundbreaking Democratic Elections
The first multiparty elections in 46 years were held in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Sunday, July 31. At more than fifty thousand voting locations, approximately twenty-five million voters cast ballots after waiting in long but relatively peaceful lines. Overall, the elections took place with few incidents of violence, thanks in large part…
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Catholic Church Considering Change to Stance on Contraceptives
The Catholic Church may be reconsidering its ban on condom use in all circumstances, recognizing the moral predicament faced by HIV-positive spouses, especially in Africa. At the end of April, Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan, a senior Vatican official, announced that Pope Benedict XVI had requested a report on the possibility of condom use being acceptable…
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Free Trade vs. Fair Trade
So often we hear the phrases “free trade” and “fair trade” intermingled with economic reform and world trade talks. Which is better and why? What do these terms mean for Africa? Our consumerism makes a very big impact on developing nations, whether we realize it or not. Read on to learn more about the kind…
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Darfur Peace Agreement Failing as Security Deteriorates
The hope generated by the signing of the May 5 Darfur Peace Agreement has been shattered, replaced by an ever-growing sense of despair about the prospects for gaining peace. Only one of the rebel groups, a faction of the Sudan Liberation Army led by Minni Minnawi, has signed on. The other two major rebel armies…
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Darfur Peace and Accountability Act of 2006
The violence in Darfur has received significant attention from humanitarian and advocacy groups around the world. Unfortunately, the United States government has stayed largely removed from the conflict, allowing genocide to continue without immediate and urgent action. The Darfur Peace and Accountability Act is one move toward ending the conflict in Sudan, though it needs…
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How Do Your Representatives Vote on African Issues?
One of the most important parts of advocacy work is having the capability and confidence to communicate with our government representatives. As citizens, we have the right to address our representatives with the issues we feel passionate about. As representatives, they have the duty to listen. So how do you know whether your congressmen have…
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Ethiopia Freedom, Democracy, and Human Rights Advancement Act of 2006
On June 27th, the International Relations Committee approved a bill “to encourage and facilitate the consolidation of security, human rights, democracy, and economic freedom in Ethiopia.” For several decades, Ethiopia has been prey to abusive governments that have denied the rights of its people. From the repressive Mengistu Haile Mariam regime to the deterioration of…
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Congolese Bishops Call for Peaceful Political Transition
The Catholic Church spoke with one voice making seven suggestions in a message of hope to the Congolese people. The Cardinal, Archbishops and Bishops, Standing Committee members of the national Episcopal Conference of Congo, (CENCO in French) issued their message following a four-day meeting of the group. Read their suggestions below. The suggestions were: A…
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How You Can Help Advocate for a Peaceful Congo
The best way to receive timely updates and alerts about how to be most effective in advocating for a better future for the people of the Congo is to sign up for our eNetwork at the right of the page. But here are some other ideas: Write an editorial to your local newspaper, visit your member…
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Hope for a Unified Somalia
In early June of 2006, Islamic militants stormed Somalia’s capital city of Mogadishu–site of the 1993 killings of 18 American marines, captured in the movie Black Hawk Down–and wrested control from several allied warlord militias. The U.S. government, meanwhile, was found to be funneling military support to the warlords in a bid to prevent the…
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Congo Action Plan
Democratic Republic of the Congo is roughly the size of Western Europe. It’s establishment of a peaceful future is critical for the stability of the entire region. It’s difficult past leaves nothing but the hope for better days for Congolese people. To be an effective partner of the Congo, the United States has a critical…
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HIV/AIDS Policy to Protect Life
AFJN works with faith-based and other organizations to bring a comprehensive understanding of the devastation of HIV/AIDS in impoverished countries in Africa. U.S. leaders need to be encouraged to address all aspects of the problem and implement policy to effectively alleviate the burden of the disease on an already vulnerable population. As a Catholic organization,…
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Promote Reunification and Stability in Côte d’Ivoire
Since 2002, Côte d’Ivoire has been paralyzed by a divide between the rebel-held North and the army-controlled South. The instability began in 1999 when General Robert Guei organized a coup to overthrow the then President Henri Bedie. Guei also instilled religious discord by refusing to allow a Muslim northerner to take part in Presidential elections….
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Day of the African Child
On June 16th, the world celebrated The Day of the African Child to commemorate student uprisings in Soweto, South Africa in 1976. Demanding a better quality of education, thousands of black school children took to the streets in protest. Hundreds of children were shot and more than 100 people were killed. This day honors the memory of those killed and…
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End Human Rights Abuses in Zimbabwe
Since President Robert Mugabe began seizing white-owned farms in 1999, the country has been plunged into a state of severe economic and political decline. Though whites in Zimbabwe made up only 1% of the population, they controlled approximately 70% of the commercially arable land in the country. When that land was allocated to political supporters…
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“Americans Urge Bush Over LRA”
“Americans Urge Bush Over LRA” Ugandan New Vision article about AFJN petition on northern Uganda
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Election Date Set for DRC
DRC: Elections to be held on 30 July, polls body says (IRIN) Independent Electoral Commission Chairman Apollinaire Muholongo Malumalu announced on Sunday that Presidential and parliamentary elections will be held on July 30th. The first elections to be held in the nearly 40 years since independence in the Democratic Republic of Congo will include 33 candidates. Prominent opposition leader, Etienne…
