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

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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 21 - March 2005

"Life to the full"
This JPIC commission letter aims at supporting all Religious and faith leaders in the commitment to JPIC.
Our Bishops, Major Superiors, houses of formation and every community will receive a copy.
This message was prepared by the JPIC commission of ARU and endorsed by the Executive of AMSRIU. We hope it will be a helpful tool for our ongoing formation. It will be presented also by the Mobile teams to all the Branches of ARU.

The JPIC Mobile Teams visit the ARU Branches:
MOROTO ARU Branch celebrated the day of Consecrated life on the 12th Feb. 05 in a very meaningful way.
Some 40 Religious had a shared reflection on the theme: "Our consecrated life and the Eucharist" animated by a JPIC team. Then we celebrated the Eucharist and enjoyed a wonderful Agape prepared and brought by the different communities.
Some important issues were identified and addressed, like: young boys disappearing, culture of violence becoming "normal"?, peace initiatives , and why Karamoja is left behind...!
There will be a follow up.

KASANA-LUWERO ARU Branch: A session has been planned for the 07-04-05.
They want to explore, identify and address together the most important issues concerning them about JPIC.

JINJA ARU Branch wants one day session on the 18-6-05 to explore together their most important challenges in their Mission.

TORORO ARU Branch has chosen a two days session on the 17+18 June 05 to identify and address the most relevant challenges on JPIC for them.

MASAKA Branch will meet on the 28/05/05

KASESE ARU Branch has chosen the 23-04-05 for one day session. They want us to facilitate their search for ways to deal with "Conflict transformation and communication, in communities".

KAMPALA Arch. ARU Branch plans one day session for 14-05-05 on some relevant issues to them, like: injustices within our Church and Congregations, the North violence and others..
The ARU Branches in the Dioceses of : Fort Portal, Hoima, Mityana, Kabale, Mbarara and Lira are in the process of choosing a date soon for their day on JPIC.
The remaining ARU Branches in the Dioceses of: Kotido, Gulu, Arua, Nebi and Lugazi have been contacted by the ARU Mobile teams coordinator and we are still waiting for their reply

TRAINING OF TRAINERS (TOT 4).
Originally a fourth TOT was foreseen for Jan'05. However, the ARU-JPIC Commission Meeting of Sept. 22nd. '04 made two recommendations:
1. It would be good to have more Major Superiors and General Councilors at the next TOT 4.
2. Time is needed to implement the previous 3 TOT's, therefore, the meeting recommended that TOT 4 be scheduled for mid-2005.

Then the Core Group Meeting of March 1st, 05 recommended that TOT 4 be on the topic Techniques of lobbying/advocacy.
When? That it take place after the first round of Mobile Teams Workshops.
This will be further discussed at the next ARU-JPIC Commission Meeting in May 05.
In the meantime, it is presumed that those who attended the first 3 TOTs are busily engaged on using what they learned for the benefit of the Community/local Church.

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Communion and Solidarity
Between Africa and Europe

This is the topic discussed at the first symposium held in Rome, dedicated to bringing together representatives from both continents to reflect on their common needs and responsibilities.
An estimated 150 bishops, and delegates from 62 countries on the two continents met to reflect on the need to exchange gifts between the Church on the two continents.

Organized by the Council of European Bishops' Conferences (CCEE) and the Symposium of the Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), with the sponsorship of the Vatican Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples and the collaboration of organizations concerned with solidarity, the conference took place from Nov. 11-13.
"In the light of an experience of solidarity and exchange which has existed for such a long time" -- with missionaries, volunteers, and organizations of solidarity --, the novelty of the meeting is to deepen a "collaboration that is truly reciprocal" -- "to give and receive" -- between Africa and Europe.

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Women's Day
What did you do on the 8th of March to promote the dignity of women?

Global Week of Action - 10-16 April 2005 (Trade for People not People for Trade)
Many civil society Networks, NGOs and Churches are organizing activities for the Global Week of Action on Trade from the 10 - 16 April 2005. The aim is to put pressure on national and International Institutions, to TRANSFORM the conditions, rules and practices of international trade, so as to make of TRADE an instrument for the promotion of human well-being, sustainable communities and economic justice.

All Religious Congregations are invited to sign the global Petition in the name of their Institutes, mentioning the number of the members they represent. (Petition letter attached)

SHARING Youth Centre will stage an unequal Foot-ball match to illustrate the unfairness of the Global Trade liberalization policy of the WTO.

Alleviating the trauma of Returnees.
- Several workshops were organized by the JPIC Commissions of Gulu, Lira and Soroti
- Three tools need to be used:
1) The traditional/cultural way of dealing with conflict and reconciliation.
2) The Christian way of forgiveness and love of our enemies within the Church structure, people being more fully aware of the issue.
3) The modern techniques of counseling.
- A team was chosen to prepare a program along these lines.
- There is the need to conscientize the local, national and international community to their respective roles in this process of healing.

AMECEA PLENARY.
All the Bishops of the 9 countries of Eastern Africa will be meeting in Uganda (Colline Hotel, Mukono) from the 3rd to the 11th of June 2005. We are invited to pray for the success of that gathering which will be reflecting on the "Response of the Church to the HIV/AIDS pandemics". It is also an opportunity for us all to realise that we need more than compassion, and that the problem is linked with the state of poverty of Africa in general, and the International injustice which penalises our continent. And without just governance, a lot of Aid funds risk disappearing in the pockets of dishonest individuals.

Debt Cancellation Campaign.
At the occasion of the tsunami disaster of December 26th, many donor countries decided to cancel the whole bilateral debts of the affected countries around the Indian Ocean. But most countries of Africa have been suffering from a still greater poverty situation, and the international community has been mostly deaf to their plight and the need to cancel their debt in order to allow them to get over their situation. At the occasion of the G 8 Summit Meeting (2nd July 2005 in Edinburgh) the AMECEA JP Desk invites us to act.
We invite all Churches, dioceses, parishes, religious congregations, Christian groups, schools and institutions, as well as all people of good will, to join in the campaign to alleviate the suffering of the African population, predominately the poor.
YOU can help by writing letters to the G8 Chiefs of State and to the G8 Ministers of Finance requesting the cancellation of all African debts.
A model letter and list of addresses will be sent to you.

Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
The closing pages of the Compendium are dedicated to the theme of building a "Civilization of Love." People are searching for meaning in their lives, the text notes, and the Church responds with the proclamation of the Gospel of Christ. Through faith in God and Jesus Christ, Christians can obtain inspiration regarding the principles that should order private and public life.
Bringing about a renewal of society to ensure justice and solidarity is no easy task, and we should not be led into thinking that there is some magic formula to solve problems. Our salvation does not lie in such a formula, but in the person of Christ, found in the Gospel and in the Tradition of the Church.
And even if believers know that there will never be an earthly paradise, their hope founded in Christ gives them confidence in the building of a better world. In this effort we should be guided by the principle of the primacy of love. Love, the Compendium adds, should permeate every social relationship and be the highest norm for all activity.

AMECEA JPIC
Representatives of National and Religious JPIC Commissions will meet in Nairobi from April 11th to April 14th.

HAPPY EASTER