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| Participants of the meeting |
In an effort to implement the 17thAMECEA Plenary Resolution on the need for Justice and Peace as well as Caritas Commissions to find modalities to work closer together in an effort to bring about the face of Christ to the people of God, National Caritas Directors and National Justice and Peace Executive Secretaries from the AMECEA Region during their first Regional Meeting held in Nairobi strongly reaffirmed their commitment to fully collaborate rendering quality service to the society.
According to Mr. Antony Mbandi, Coordinator of AMECEA Justice, Peace and Caritas Department, this Resolution was strengthened during the 18thPlenary of AMECEA in Malawi in 2014 where the Bishops passed another Resolution creating the department of Justice Peace and Caritas in an effort to build synergies in the works of charity and mercy.
During their first Regional Meeting held in Nairobion 6thto 8thFebruary, 2016, the National Caritas Director and National Justice and Peace Executive Secretaries from AMECEA Region made a number of commitment of which top on their list is to serve with professionalism, compassion and care with formation of the heart, while committed to always have the face of Christ in all their work with a clear focus on enhancing the dignity of the people of God.
They also committed themselves to continue working together through information and knowledge sharing while at the same time calling upon other social departments to hold hands to serve the human persons. They also called upon AMECEA Justice Peace and Caritas Department to invest more in research on topical areas affecting AMECEA conferences which include extractives, migration/trafficking, conflict resolution, climate change and livelihoods.
The group made a commitment to ensure good stewardship in their work for the common good of all as well as focusing their programs on formation guided by Catholic Social Teaching while emphasizing on ownership and sustainability.
Other issues that were given priority during the meeting included the extractive industries which more often than not are a curse to the local communities rather than a blessing. A commitment was made to have a stronger voice on negative effects of extractives and economic injustices. On the issue of human trafficking and undocumented migration, they committed themselves to address the root causes and the needs of the persons who are affected. Another issue that was discussed was that of radicalization in the region, they committed to develop and implement programs that promote social justice with emphasis on economic issues affecting the youth.
Finally committed to network and collaborate with other like-minded agencies and stakeholders working in the AMECEA region dealing with various social issues in service of God’s people.
The meeting was made possible by the support of CAFOD, a longtime partner of AMECEA Justice Peace and Caritas Department. It is a culmination of a series of meetings and events that have been undertaken by AMECEA. Ultimately, this meeting responded to the directive issued by His Holiness Pope Francis to find ways of holding hands and creating more efficiency and effectiveness in an effort to serve the people of God better and especially in the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi who reminds us that the bond between concern for nature, justice for the poor, commitment to society, and interior peace are inseparable. (Laudato Si 10).
By Pamela Adinda, AMECEA Online News