2011, A year of Transitions for AFJN

From the Jan-March 2011 edition of Around Africa, by Fr. Rocco Puopolo, Executive Director, AFJN

Dear friends,

Like the sankofa bird on our Africa Faith and Justice Network (AFJN)  logo which looks back to where it has been as it moves forward, I would like to offer a few thoughts and words of appreciation as we begin this year of transition.  By the end of this summer we should have a new executive director in place.  I am moving back to ministry with my Xaverian Community in Massachusetts.   Melaura Homan-Smith joined Bahati and me on staff in January, replacing Allison Burket.  Fr. Bob Dowd and Sr. Ann Oestreich are leaving the Board and we will have a few new Board members joining us at our June meeting.   

These five years have been filled with challenge and growth both for each of us on staff as well as for AFJN itself.  In spite of our recent financial challenges, we have been able to establish some creative programming that expanded our service beyond our annual conferences, research and newsletters.  We initiated the annual Dyer Lecture Series, showcasing an aspect of Africa through the very voices of Africans studying here in Washington DC.  We have held African Summits in three US cities with interest in another four to be planned in the near future.  We have held one “Congo Voices” day event here in DC and hope to do more for other countries of Africa.   We have expanded presence on college campuses, parishes and other centers where information and advocacy for Africa was welcomed through college chapter at Notre Dame University in Indiana, parish and colleges partnerships, conferences and the like.  

We are strengthening partnerships with Pax Christi USA, JubileeUSA and JustFaith in order to be a resource for their membership on advocacy and education on behalf of Africa.   We are forming links with many Africa Diaspora groups throughout the country, welcoming them into our programming, outreach and networks.  We continue to have leadership roles in the many collaborative efforts here in Washington where advocates come together on Africa issues, whether it is with the Catholic Task Force for Africa, The Advocacy Network for Africa, Ecumenical Advocacy Days,  The African Great Lakes Advocacy Coalition and more.   

Our staff of three work hard, but there are many more who have been part of the efforts mentioned above.  Thirty three university students have been interns since I have been director.  So I thank Barbie Fisher, Mary Hansen, Joseph Effiong, Donna Harati, Jennifer Way, Anne Vickers, Sarah Snider, Rehanna Merchant, Gbenimiah Slopadoe, Bahati Jacques, Allison Burket, Sarah Shanley, Sinbad Fennimore, Barbara Vi Thien Ho, Sarah Kozyn, Josh Perry, Kerezhi Sebany,  Katie Wittingen,  Kpakpo SergeAdotevi,  Aly Lo, Sembar Abed, Sr. Hiwet Tesfagiorgis, CMS,  Julie Albert, Evan Fowler, Mariama Jalloh, Fr. Emmanuel Adeboa, M.Afr.,  Jeff Weaver, Meghan Mattern,  Katie Mattern,  Andy Fallon, Ezibonne Nwankwe, Alexis Nadin, and Jason Bongiovanni.   Presently we have Mariama Jalloh, Sebastian Porter, Leo Tamakloe,  and Fr. Joe Phiri, OMI in the office.  Since I became AFJN director, I had the privilege to work with the following staff members who have now moved on to other  services or further studies are:  Michael Poffenberger, Phil  Reed,  Beth Tuckey and  Allison Burket.  I thank them all for sharing their interest and passion for Africa with us.  

And guiding our work and clarifying our vision is our Board:  Fr. Charles Stander SM, Sr. Clarita Hanson  SHCJ, Sr. Elizabeth Kolmer  ASC.,   Fr. Jim Noonan  MM,  Sr. Jo'Ann DeQuattro, SNJM,  Sr. Joan Marie Doud MMS,  Fr. John Converset MCCJ, Mr. John Kleiderer,  Ms. Lacey Haussamen, Ms. Teresa Phillips, and Mr. Trevor Rodrigues all under the  guidance  of Fr. Christopher Promis  Cssp., our chair.    We have others who serve on Board committees but are not board members:  Ms. Anne Marie Hanson, Ms. Frances Michalkewicz, Br. Dave Andrews CSC, Fr. Norm Brockman SM, Fr. Clarence Williams CPPS,  Mr. Myles McCabe,  Sr. Ruth Emke and Br. Robert Metzer.     Past Board members are Fr. Bob Dowd CSC, Sr. Ann Oesteich IHM, Fr. Luigi Zanotto MCCJ, Sr. Madeline Therese Wilhoit CSC, Dr. Michael Gable, Sr. Connie Krautkremer MM, Sr. Pat Gallogoly MM and Fr. Norm Brockman SM.

And there are more.  There is YOU.  There is still a lot of work towards educating and advocating for Africa that is to be done, especially beyond the Beltway.    As I mentioned in my keynote at our 1999  annual meeting, “Becoming Respectfully Insistent for the Love of God and Africa,” the issues, the people and the politics of Africa are still very much an unknown here in the US.   Our voices, our experience, our perspective needs to be put out there.  Isn't that what AFJN is all about?  We need to make the call for solidarity with Africa real.  The cumulative experience of some of you who served in Africa is needed to strengthen AFJN.  We as individuals, AFJN as a network, as well as the people we advocate for, all gain.   So, continue to be an active part of AFJN, responding to our e-blasts, attending our events, supporting our network in any way you can.  Thank you so very much for being there with and for us and enjoy the blessing that this New Year brings.

—Fr. Rocco Puopolo, s.x.  Executive Director