The Church is at the World Social Forum as a Deserving Entity

[Joanne98]

Clerics: The Church is at the World Social Forum as a Deserving Entity

From Worldwide Faith News <[e-mail]>
Date Thu, 25 Jan 2007 08:08:53 -0800

For Immediate Release

Clerics: The Church is at the World Social Forum as a Deserving Entity

(NAIROBI) 24 January: The Church in Africa is now mature and can tackle global challenges on an equal footing with the rest of the world, according to Archbishop Zaccheaus Okoth of the Kenya Catholic Church

Archbishop Okoth said the Church was participating in the World Social Forum (WSF) to convey the message that "we want a better world" and contribute to making the people of Africa be conscious of who they were.

The Archbishop who is the President of CARITAS said the Church wanted to state very clearly that the dignity of the human person had neither race nor colour. He said the Church wanted to promote the dignity that appreciated an African as equally a dignified person in front of God just like any other. It therefore meant that the challenges that were there should be seen for all. He was responding to a question on what unique thing the Church was bringing to the World Social Forum.

Archbishop Okoth said Africans were not inferior since they had values that were admired by other nations He pointed out Africa's generosity of caring for their brothers as an example that made them a people that valued life.

Responding to the same question, the General Secretary of the AACC, Rev. Dr. Mvume Dandala said the AACC/CARITAS platform represented more than 300 million Christians in Africa. He noted further that the church was with their flock every day and, therefore, understood their plight better.

"We are touching them when they are hurting most. We are with them when they are affected by the consequences of the global climatic change that is happening, where people are hit by tornados and things like that. These are new things to our continent and churches are always there in the frontline of being with the people in those situations," noted Rev. Dandala.

Rev. Dandala said the uniqueness of the Church at the WSF was that it was not speaking from a philosophical or ideological position, but rather from a day to day experience of the suffering of the people.

Ends.
http://www.wfn.org/2007/01/msg00289.html

[struggle4progress]

1. AACC Opposes Privatization of Water

From Worldwide Faith News <[e-mail]>
Date Thu, 25 Jan 2007 08:41:10 -0800

For Immediate Release

AACC Opposes Privatization of Water

(NAIROBI) 24th January: The General Secretary of the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC), Rev. Dr. Mvume Dandala has asked the youth to put pressure on their governments to preserve water and stop its privatization.

He said this when <he> addressed the youth who were celebrating water as life at the World Social Forum (WSF) in Nairobi on 22nd January. The youth, who were celebrating water as life with music concert that attracted a huge crowd, was part of the AACC/CARITAS Ecumenical Platform. The concert was an organized by the Ecumenical Water Network.

Rev. Dandala said that there were many people in Africa who were without water and it was not their fault. He urged the youth and other cadre of people to put a strong case for water not to be commercialised for profit, and to ensure that it was made available for all. He said the Church in Africa should commit itself in the struggle of the people to ensure that all had access to good water.

The AACC General Secretary also expressed his concern for the climatic change that was having adverse effect on Africa and called on churches to campaign for a clean environment ...

http://www.wfn.org/2007/01/msg00296.html

[struggle4progress]

2. Desmond Tutu Tells World Forum: Terrorism Cannot be Defeated in Current Climate

by Daniel Blake
Posted: Wednesday, January 24, 2007, 13:10 (GMT)

The war on terror will "never" be won "as long as there are conditions in the world that make people desperate," like dehumanising poverty, disease and ignorance, former Archbishop Desmond Tutu told ecumenical participants at the start of the 2007 World Social Forum (WSF) in Nairobi ...

"God weeps and says: 'Who will help me so we can have a different kind of world, one in which the rich know they have been given much so they can share and help others?'" A creation that was very good has "turned into a nightmare" ...

Tutu emphasised that the "fundamental law of our being" is that "we are bound to one another". Because of that, "the only way we can make it is together, all of us". Only together can we be free, safe and secure.

According to Tutu, this rule applies also to politics: "Not even the only superpower can be totally self-sufficient; it needs other nations." ...

http://www.christiantoday.com/article/desmond.tutu.tells.world.forum.terrorism.cannot.be.defeated.in.current.climate/9254.htm