AFRICA-EUROPE FAITH AND JUSTICE NETWORK
RESEAU FOI ET JUSTICE AFRIQUE-EUROPE

174, rue Joseph II
B-1000 Bruxelles - Belgique
Tel. 32-2 234 6810 Fax 32-2 231 1413
aefjn@aefjn.org http://www.aefjn.org

UGANDA ANTENNA

FAITH AND JUSTICE NEWSLETTER
Issue no 15 - July 2003

AMECEA MEETING OF JPIC NATIONAL COMMISSIONS
(Nairobi 12-16 June 2003)

Representatives of commissions of Justice and Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) of Episcopal Conferences and of Associations of Religious established the following priorities for the next two years:

1) In general:
· formation of JPIC personnel at all levels
· Justice within the Church
· Networking and co-ordination
· Break the culture of violence and build a culture of peace
2) Justice within the Church
· conditions of service of Church personnel
· struggle against abuse of power and of persons
· participatory decision making
· financial transparency and accountability

Uganda delegation to the meeting:
Fr. Henri Valette (Kampala)
Ms. Catherine Akello (Gulu)
Fr. Cyprian Ocen (Gulu)

Interfaith Peace Initiative (IFPI)

The tragic events of the spilling over to Teso of the LRA war has taken everybody by surprise. With so many thousands of new IDP's, we feel sympathy for the suffering people of Teso, added to those of Gulu, Kitgum, Pader, Lira.
A fund raising function was held at Sharing Youth Centre on Sunday 29th of June, 2003, organized by the Religious Leaders and M.P.'s of Teso. Contributions can still be sent through the Caritas office at the UCS.
IFPI supports the open letter sent by the Teso Religious Leaders to condemn violence and demand that the flow of information be re-established after the sudden closure of Radio Kyoga Veritas, Soroti Catholic Education Commision, and Soroti Catholic Diocese Social Development Office (SOCADIDO)
Those services are needed to help the poor.

ARU JPIC Commission
Next meeting:
September 5-6, 2003
at ARU Secretariat.
On the agenda:
i) research and information from grassroots upwards;
ii) our priorities in Uganda.
The core group will sit again on 23/08/03


A BOOK TO READ "STRUGGLE FOR EQUALITY"
Women and Empowerment in Uganda
By John Mary Waliggo
AMECEA Gaba Publications
Spearhead Numbers 158-160
(available at St. Paul's bookshop)

After reading the book we become aware of the achievements of the missionaries and the Local Church between 1870 and 2002. A lot remains to be done.
This masterpiece provides the historical background we need to pull together as we support women claiming their rights and responsibilities in society and in the Church.
Once you start reading you cannot lay the book aside. DON'T MISS IT!

Sr. Theresa Namataka SOM

ARU Secretariat is enriched by the appointment of Sr. Theresa Namataka as Secretary for Education. Our JPIC commission will profit by her services in our work to implement the priorities of AMECEA on formation. Welcome.

PRESS RELEASE

Dear Sir,
The JPIC (Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation) Committee of the Religious of Uganda noted with pleasure on June 25th the invention by Mr. Nitin Dholakia of bio-degradable plastic bags.
However, if the residue from burning plastic is poisonous for the soil, it is quite possible that the bio-degradable plastic bags may be poisonous too. We hope the Bureau of Standards is checking this out.
South Africa's solution of banning plastic bags except for a heavier variety for which people have to pay is worth trying, surely.
It would even make money for the government.
Sister Margaret Conroy
P.O. Box 689, Jinja
on behalf of JPIC

RELIGIOUS CALL FOR TRADE JUSTICE!
The Africa-Europe Faith and Justice Network (AEFJN), a network mandated by 41 religious institutes working for more equitable trade between Europe and Africa, invites all religious communities, national and international leadership teams of religious institutes, national, regional and international Conferences of Major Superiors to write to their Ministers of Trade and the Commissioners of Trade of the European Union to draw attention to the religious' concern for a fair and equitable trade between Africa and Europe!

To whom?

1. The European Union will be represented at Cancun by the EU Commissioner for Trade, Pascal Lamy. You can write to him as well as to your national Minister of Trade!
Write to: Commissioner Pascal Lamy

Trade Directorate-General
Rue de la Loi 170
B-1040 Bruxelles - Belgium
Fax +32-2 299 1029
e-mail pascal.lamy@cec.eu.int


2. To Uganda national Minister of Trade
Hon. Edward Rugumayo
Minister of Trade
P.O. Box 7103 or P.O. Box 4241
Kampala

3. 3.Thanks for sending a copy of your letter to our office: aefjn@aefjn.org

When?
The Cancun Ministerial Conference will be held at Cancun, Mexico, from the 10th till the 14thof September 2003. We ask you to send your letter as from August 11th, taking in account that the letters should arrive at the latest by September 5th!

How?
Using the official letterhead of your institute or organisation, send the letters by mail, fax or e-mail.
You can use the model letter (sent separately).

ISSUES at stake: (more details in model letter)
1. Guarantee the Access to Essential Medicines for all!
2. Access to Affordable Domestic Water and Sanitation Services for All!
3. Safeguard the Rights of Smallholder Farmers on Seeds and Traditional Knowledge!
4. Facilitate sustainable agricultural policies for Africa!
5. Respect the level of development and strength of Least Developed Countries economies!

I HAVE SEEN THE HUMILIATION OF MY PEOPLE AND HEARD THEIR CRY (Ex 3:7)
(Extracts from Gulu Archbishop John Baptist Odama 's Pastoral Letter)

…..I want to remind the indifferent world that the people of the Northern and North-Eastern districts of Uganda (Acholi, Langi, Teso, Karimojong, Lugbara, Madi, and Alur), and many others subjected to such atrocities are part of Uganda, and of the whole humanity who should enjoy equal rights, responsibility and dignity. I also want to remind [them] that Uganda has a constitutional duty and mandate to protect the lives of all its citizens, without exception, their properties, as well as its territorial borders. The constitutional right and duty to protect derives from the universal right to life, common good, equal opportunity to work and earn a living and develop it, perfected by the magnanimity of our common Father God, "who makes His sun rise on both the wicked and the good and He gives rain to both the just and the unjust" (Mt 5:45).
As honest people, we cannot accept that a political war about forms of government and administration of the common good becomes religious…..
We cannot ignore or close our eyes to the cruel conduct of warring parties and their daily heavy consequences on the children. Children suffer most because they are minors and as such are always vulnerable to unscrupulous adults who conscript them into their ranks, physically and morally impairing their fundamental human freedom. The horrendous and traumatising punitive measures to torture victims of abductions, which children are compelled to carry out, is an execrable criminal act….
…" God alone is good. We are not. And so we must repent of our sins and go back to God who truly loves us and go back to our human kind, brothers and sisters in the same Loving Father.