JUST THINKING

Escaping from Economic Injustice

Numerous Africans leave their families and home as they search for a better life for themselves and their close ones. They decide to risk a journey that could cost them their life rather than stay and suffer economic injustice in their country of origin.  Unfortunately, it is hard for them to free themselves from economic injustice. Read more

FROM THE AEFJN DESK

The World is over-armed and Peace is underfunded

Small arms and light weapons cause significant suffering and loss of lives around the world and their existence remains a great concern for all those interested in peace and troubled by the enormous suffering caused by these weapons. Recently, the United Nations adopted a resolution that draws more attention to the importance of strong international monitoring and action to reduce the threats that illicit trafficking, proliferation and misuse of small arms pose to international peace. Read more

Trade & Agribusiness are destroying Family Farming

The EU trade preferences in Africa are increasingly being captured by foreign agribusinesses and this gives another motive for foreign enterprises to acquire land in Africa. These trade structures restrict Africa to being a supplier of resources and raw material for consumer markets elsewhere. Read more

ALSO IN THE NEWS

Merck’s appetite for African microbes

Merck, the giant pharmaceutical company (5^th largest in the world) has applied for a patent for two antibiotics gleaned from soil of two African countries. This seemingly good news is bio-piracy as Merck has illegitimately appropriated biodiversity resources and traditional knowledge of the peoples of Africa without returning any of the profits from these drugs to the people who have preserved them for centuries. Read more

African peasants reject the Assault on Peasant Seeds

During a meeting to discuss the African seeds system, African farmers’ organisations have expressed alarm at the increasing corporate capture of African agriculture and they reject corporate seed laws. They call for the farmer’s autonomy on exchanging and saving seeds to be maintained and they reject the model of industrial agriculture. Read more

Swiss NGO TRIAL accuses the Multinational Argor

The facts of this case are linked to the responsibility of the Swiss company Argor-Heraeus which processed 3 tons of gold ore between 2004 and 2005. It seems that the Company had bought gold ore in Uganda and that the mineral originated from pillaging, by armed groups, in West Democratic Republic of Congo. Read more

VOICES FROM THE NETWORK

General Assembly and Closing of AEFJN’s Jubilee year

The end of AEFJN’s Jubilee year, November 15^th, coincided with the annual General Assembly in Rome. Fr. Agbonkhianmeghe E. Orobator, the Jesuit Provincial of Eastern Africa, was the keynote speaker for AEFJN's closing Jubilee celebration. The title of his talk was “Living Faith Through Justice: Old and New Frontiers” (Click here for his Speech). The General Assembly took place in the afternoon. Read more

ADVOCACY

Letter on the Economic Agreements between Africa and the EU (EPAs)

The Secretariat, Antennae and member congregations have written letters to the EU Ministers of Development Cooperation in view of their meeting in Brussels December 12^th. AEFJN asked them to facilitate a political solution to the difficult situation EU measures have created in African countries by imposing them stringent conditions for the EPAs. AEFJN also asked them to support the withdrawal from the negotiations of offensive EU demands such as the high level of tariff elimination and the prohibition or limitation of export taxes. Read more

Networking at the EU Family Farming Conference

On the occasion of the International Year of Family Farming 2014, the European Commission organized a conference on family farming. This event proved to be a great networking opportunity for AEFJN. The AEFJN Secretariat exchanged views on the importance of family farming and on AEFJN’s upcoming campaign for a moratorium on large scale land acquisitions with farmers’ organisations and civil society from around the world. Read More

ACTION

Act to Stop Herakles Farms’ Unjust Lawsuit Against a Cameroon Activist

Nasako Besingi is the managing director of Struggle to Economize Future Environment, an organisation actively campaigning against land grabbing by big corporations. Nasako was brutalized by Herakles employees when he was on his way to an awareness-raising meeting on land grabbing. He suffered physical injuries and of top of that Herakles filed a lawsuit against him. Take Action to stop this unjust behaviour and sign the letter composed by our colleagues from AFJN. Click to sign the petition

VIDEOS

Monsanto - Kolibri : Music video of the group Kolibri on the activities of Monsanto. (Only in French) (4min)

Speculation and Manipulation of Food and Commodities : Video on Food Speculation : illustrative video on food speculation. (10 min.)