KENYA: Commitment Statement of AMECEA Justice Peace and Caritas First Regional Meeting held in Nairobi on 6th to 8th February 2016
Preamble
In the 17th Plenary of Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA), the Bishops passed a resolution on the need for the 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.
This resolution was strengthened during the 18th Plenary 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.
This collaboration was also emphasized in the MUMEMO; Declaration and the Kinshasa Declaration, which clearly outlines the integral nature of charity in the work of the Church and the responsibility of the Bishops to guide this work as stated in 25a of Deus Caritas Est: “For the Church, charity is not a kind of welfare activity which could equally well be left to others, but is a part of her nature, an indispensable expression of her very being.”
In the same spirit, we the National Caritas Directors and the National Executive Secretaries of Justice and Peace from the (AMECEA) Region are elated to have been able to carry forward this spirit of the AMECEA Bishops and have been able to hold our first joint meeting in Nairobi which is a first of its kind in the region and true in the continent.
This meeting is a culmination of a series of meetings and events and ultimately in accordance with 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).
COMMITMENT STATEMENT
We the National Caritas Directors and National Justice and Peace Executive Secretaries from the AMECEA Region therefore declare that:
Inspired by the call of Pope Benedict XVI, to serve with professionalism, compassion and care with formation of the heart, we commit ourselves to always have the face of Christ in all our work with a clear focus on enhancing the dignity of the people of God.
1. Inspired by the call of Pope Benedict XVI, to serve with professionalism, compassion and care with formation of the heart, we commit ourselves to always have the face of Christ in all our work with a clear focus on enhancing the dignity of the people of God.
2. We Justice, Peace and Caritas Heads of Departments from AMECEA member countries will continue working together through information and knowledge sharing and we call upon other social departments to hold hands to serve the human persons.
3. We call upon AMECEA Justice Peace and Caritas Department to invest more in research on topical areas affecting our conferences which include extractives, migration/trafficking, conflict resolution, climate change and livelihoods
4. We commit ourselves to ensure good stewardship in our work for the common good of all and commit ourselves to focus our programmes on formation guided by Catholic Social Teaching while emphasizing on ownership and sustainability.
5. We recognize the complexity of the issues of exploitation in the extractives industries in our region which does not benefit our people, we commit ourselves to have a stronger voice on negative effects of extractives and economic injustices.
6. We recognize the reoccurrence of emergencies in our region. We thus commit ourselves to develop strategies to work towards building an emergency solidarity fund to respond efficiently and effectively to different disasters in the region and within the national conferences.
7. We are concerned with human trafficking and undocumented migration caused by a number of factors. Persons who are victims have to be handled with human dignity. While recognizing the laws of the different countries, we are committed to address the root causes and the needs of the persons who are affected.
8. Having discussed the issue of radicalization in the region, we commit to develop and implement programmes that promote social justice with emphasis on economic issues affecting the youth.
We commit ourselves 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.
Present
1. Antony Mbandi – Justice Peace and Caritas Director – AMECEA
2. Beatrice Odera – CJPC Executive Secretary Kenya
3. Bekele Moges Kidane – Caritas Director Ethiopia
4. Carstens Mulume – Director of Social Development – Episcopal Conference of Malawi
5. Cassian Lushinge – Director of Human Dignity – Tanzania Episcopal Conference
6. Fr. Kiflom Tesfaghiorghis – Secretary General - Eritrea Conference of Catholic Bishops
7. Guelay Woldegiorgis Kahsay – CJPC Executive Secretary Ethiopia 8. Jim Long John – CJPC Executive Secretary South Sudan
9. Laurenti Masui – Caritas Director Tanzania
10. Martin Chiphwanya – CJPC Executive Secretary Malawi
11. Msgr. Dr. Francis Ndamira – Caritas Director Uganda
12. Prossy Nambatya – Representing CJPC Executive Secretary Uganda
13. Samuel Mulafulafu – Caritas Director Zambia
14. Stephen Kituku – Caritas Director Kenya
In attendance
1. Margaret Mwaniki – Representing Caritas Africa
2. Merab Dinah – CUEA – Centre for Social Justice and Ethics
3. Pauline Wakibiru –AMECEA Justice Peace and Caritas Department
4. Sr. Tabitha Nyawira – AMECEA Justice Peace and Caritas Department