Members Working
Book on Africa in the Globe from Former AFJN Director
Former AFJN Executive Director, Marcel Kitissou, has contributed a chapter to a new book entitled Africa in the Global Power Play from Adonis & Abbey
Publishers Ldt. Kitissou's chapter is "Coping with Reality and Dealing with Imagination: Political Violence and Terrorism in Africa in the Global Context" - an excellent supplement to AFJN's continued work on AFRICOM. One of the primary goals of the new US Africa Command is to combat terrorism on the African continent, in addition to protecting oil resources and providing humanitarian aid. Kitissou is currently a Visiting Scholar at the Institute for African Development at Cornell University. Please contact AFJN (afjn(at)afjn.org) for more information on how to order a copy of the book.
AFJN Attends UN Conference in New York
AFJN was well represented at the 60th Annual UN Conference for DPI/Non Governmental Organizations held at the New York Headquarters from September 5th to 7th. The topic for this year's conference was Climate Change; How It Impacts Us All. Over 2,500 people gathered from 81 countries. AFJN Board Member and current liaison to the UN in New York, Fr. Luigi Zanotto, was joined by Fr. Rocco Puopolo, Executive Director; Sr. Maura Browne of the Sisters of Notre Dame (and former Executive Director of AFJN); Mr. Jacques Bahati, AFJN policy analyst; and Sr.Cecilia Nya from Nigeria and a member of the Sisters of the Holy Child of Jesus.
Three days were dedicated to two general sessions, a series of
round table discussions, and noon-time workshops that exposed the participants
to research from over 37 experts in the field of Climate
Change. One of the insights that disturbs
those of us advocating for Africa is that Africa
contributes only 4% of the carbon emissions that contribute to global warming, but it is
the continent most effected by carbon emissions of the rest of the
world.
For the program, final declarations, web casts of the major roundtables, and general sessions, visit: www.un.org/dpi/ngosection
AFJN Executive Director Takes Part in Uganda Conference
Kampala, Uganda from August 1st to 15th. From July
24th to August 8th, Fr. Rocco Puopolo took part in the preparatory Pan
African meeting of the African YCS delegates and joined the world
delegates for the first week of their two week council. There were 19
African movements represented and 51 world movements. He was a faciliator
for one day and spoke on culture, conflicts, and roadmaps to peace
through dialogue and advocacy. The major issues that the Pan African
Coordination Team is dealing with are peace and justice education,
HIV/AIDS awareness and action, interreligious dialogue and human rights education. The Pan African sessions were held at the Uganda
Spirituality Center for the Laity at Namungongo near the shrine of the
Uganda Martyrs. The World Formation and Council for IYCS was held at
Ggaba Major Seminary.
Rocco met with the chaplains and student leaders in order to
strengthen ties with the many YCS groups at univeristies throughout
Africa. He also invited them to share their analysis and actions with AFJN in order to enhance and deepen our advocacy for Africa. This will add
another layer of "African voices" to our unique mission in Washington, DC. If
AFJN members in the US or in Africa know of other university chaplains
or student groups that we should be in contact with, please do not
hesitate to let Rocco know.
Dingell's Op-Ed Prompts Response from AFJN Member
Read more: Dingell's Op-Ed Prompts Response from AFJN Member
Great Bend Dominicans Celebrate Nigerian "Daughter" Community's Independence
Our daughter congregation, the Dominican Sisters of St.
Catherine of Siena of Gusau, Nigeria,
became an independent congr
egation of diocesan status, April 19, 2007, at Holy
Family Cathedral, 39 Ahmadu Bello
Way, in the Diocese of Sokoto, Nigeria. This momentous occasion
has been over 25 years in the making. Following a letter from Rome, the Most Rev. Dr. Kevin J. Aje, Bishop
of Sokoto, issued the decree establishing them as a diocesan congregation with
their motherhouse in Gusau.
Read more: Great Bend Dominicans Celebrate Nigerian "Daughter" Community's Independence
AFJN Board Member Comments on the Situation in Northern Uganda
Lacey Haussamen, Board Member and former AFJN employee, has spent the summer in northern Uganda researching health systems in the
war-torn area. We recently received these observations in an email from
Lacey and hope that they will inspire some of you to take action and advocate
for better basic services in Africa,
particularly in zones of post-conflict reconstruction. Lacey is pursuing a master’s
degree in public health at Emory
University and will
conclude her studies in the spring of 2008.
Read more: AFJN Board Member Comments on the Situation in Northern Uganda
AFJN Board Member Visits Zambia
The rather popular quote of recent memory came to mind as I
visited a number of Catholic Relief Services (CRS) sites in Zambia. I take
the liberty to rephrase it a bit: “It takes a village to address the HIV/AIDS
pandemic.” What would that village look like?
Prof. Mshomba Comments on G8 and Image of Africa
AFJN member, Dr. Richard Mshomba, professor of economics at LaSalle University in Philadelphia, recently published an article in the Arusha Times, entitled, "G8 and the World's Image of Africa." He holds that the image tends to be negative and portrays African leaders as perpetually having their hands out. Professor Mshomba has been a member of AFJN since 1999. He is the author of Africa in the Global Economy. Please click here to read this provocative article.
Dr. Mike Gable reflects on Lobbying with Parish
Ed. note: On June 20, Senator Voinovich decided to co-sponsor Senate bill 805. Congratulations to Mike and his parishioners for proving once again that local action is essential to achieving real policy change.
Stand by Me!
Cincinnati Twinning Generates
Solidarity/Advocacy with Africans
Remember the Ben E. King song
from the 1960s, Stand by Me? What a
terrific piece of music that warmly captures the meaning of human friendship
and solidarity. The U.S. Catholic
bishops’ 2001 document, A Call to
Solidarity With Africa, reflects the same message: “U.S. Dioceses and
parishes have found twinning with dioceses and parishes in Africa and other
parts of the world to be enriching experiences of communion with other members
of the body of Christ and a means of deepening bonds of solidarity with a
church in need.” It’s all about building
relationships and solidarity in God’s family... standing with and for one
another in good and bad times.
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