| Africa-Europe Faith and Justice Network (AEFJN) |
| | | Denise Boyle fmdm | | | | | | | Members of St. Patrick’s Society are actively engaged in the work of the Africa-Europe Faith and Justice Network (AEFJN). Recently AEFJN put out an excellent report: “Towards 2008”. In this they highlighted their advocacy initiatives to assist African countries, to control their own resources. The main points of the report are:
1. Africa is the richest continent on our planet, endowed with huge resources of minerals. The people of Africa are its greatest resource, particularly the youth with their energy and vitality. Today the colonialism of the past is being replaced by neo-colonialism, whereby industrialised countries are competing again for control of Africa’s resources. Winners are mainly transnational corporations and small often corrupt African elite. Losers are the rural populations, who are driven from their lands and forced to migrate to the cities, resulting in increased social tensions. Europe will be affected through uncontrollable migration, plus a rise in terrorism and organised crime.
| | | 2. Globalisation thrives on ‘free trade’ agreements, endorsed by the World Trade Organisation (WTO); and the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) using these tools to gain access to shrinking resources. Dictatorial regimes and corrupt politicians often act as willing tools to give away the riches of their countries for personal gain; thus promotion of the common good is forfeited for self interest and profit!
3. Africa’s role is still one of providing raw materials, with little added value, thereby curtailing development and leaving most of its population struggling for survival. The Church needs to be more prophetic in denouncing the injustices and causes of hunger, poverty and the underdevelopment of Africa. AEFJN is trying to highlight glaring injustices and to promote respectful and fair relationships between Europe and Africa.
4. In 2008 AEFJN will pay special attention to aspects of fair trade relations between Africa and Europe by supporting:
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The work of Food Sovereignty i.e. the rights of populations and states to define their own food and agricultural policy appropriate to their needs.
Challenging EU policies re ‘Agro-fuels’ which could diminish food production, cause more hunger, lead to large-scale destruction of rain forests and expulsion of local populations from their traditional lands, to make room for ‘industrial’ farming of energy crops.
Social and environmental standards for the extractive industries. Currently people are driven from their land without proper compensation, forests are destroyed, and land and water is polluted and rendered unusable.
5. The other aspects of economic and social justice that threatens the well-being of peoples in Africa are: privatisation of Water; lack of Medicines; the proliferation of Arms; and the contemporary form of slavery known as Trafficking in People.
AEFJN believe that the destruction of nature and the growing divide between the poor and the super-rich is a threat to world peace, even to the survival of the human race. To counter this AEFJN is working for the restoration of right order among peoples and within all creation.
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