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| HE Peter Cardinal Turkson (Left) and Most Rev. Zacchaeus Okoth at the Social Transformation Conference Held in Nairobi Kenya |
President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace His Eminence Peter Cardinal Turkson has challenged African leaders to formulate visions that would ensure social Transformation for the continent.
Speaking on Thursday 13th November, at the opening of a three-day Conference on Social Transformation being held at Tangaza University College from 13-15 November, 2014 in Nairobi, Cardinal Turkson said that it is time for Africa to formulate visions which can bring impact, promote and transform the lives of the people in the continent.
Cardinal Turkson observed that there is a lot of dreaming about African transformation but probably the biggest expression of its character was when the African leaders met in Japan on their program called ‘Tokyo International Devolvement for Africa’ where the Foreign Minister for Germany said that the African Transformation and Renaissance being talked about will not take place until sons and daughters of Africa capture and formulate their vision for the transformation of the continent and spearhead its movement.
“Social Transformation and Africa renaissance capture the vision of not only religious group or faith based groups but also politicians,” he said.
Citing NEPAD, the New Partnership for Africa's Development which many thought was the launch for Africa Renaissance; Cardinal Turkson said it failed because “The visionaries of NEPAD formulated the visions and the dimensions for which they themselves failed to appreciate and did not commit themselves fully to.”
He therefore advised that sons and daughters of this continent must become the protagonists of social transformation.
The Cardinal assured the participants the commitment of the Pontifical Council of Justice and Peace towards the process of Social Transformation, which would be launched at the end of the three day conference.
Also speaking at the event, the Director of Inter-Religious Council of Kenya, Dr. Francis Kuria who is the moderator of the conference said “We want our societies transformed in a manner that brings out the best in us. And we have called people from all faiths under the auspices of Tangaza University College and the Catholic of Justice and Peace commission to seek ways in which we can accomplish this task of social transformation.”
On Saturday 15th November H.E. Peter Cardinal Turkson was expecting to give his Keynote address.
Source: Pamela Adinda, AMECEA Social Communications