VOICES FROM THE NETWORK

France Antenna – Representatives’ forum

On 24 November, the French antenna organized a seminar for the Representatives’ Forum. The central theme was land grabbing in relation to the objectives of sustainable development. Participants spent all day developing strategies and possible avenues of action for religious interested in this theme. The session was moderated by Daniel Verger, Head of Advocacy France Europe at Secours Catholique / Caritas France. During the workshop, Mathieu Vandi Faché, a researcher for the Antenna of Cameroon, addressed the issue of land governance in Cameroon. Then, Gino Brunswijck of the international secretariat spoke about policies and business activities at the international level that put pressure on African land.

 

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1611 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Rome November 2016

The Annual General Meeting of AEFJN was held last 11th November 2016 at the Generalate of the White Fathers in Rome. A large group of AEFJN contact persons gathered for the presentations of the Annual Reports and relevant issues regarding the life of the network. The event started with a welcome for those attending and an opening prayer led by Fr. Arlindo Pinto. Fr. Jose Ignacio Garcia, Social Apostolate Coordinator of the Jesuits in Europe, spoke about “Turning to the South: our way of procedure”. He described our advocacy work and how we have to understand it at different levels: research and understanding of the reality in Africa, the relevance of communication, how to facilitate the mobilization of people interested in our work, the specific task of advocacy work and how to strengthen our network through the networking.

 

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1611 AEFJN-UK Antenna Meeting in November 2016

A large group of the AEFJN-UK Antennae met 2nd - 3rd November 2016 at Wistaston Hall, Crewe. On the first day, the opening prayer was followed by a brief session explaining the vision and mission of AEFJN as a unique organisation in the Catholic Church which focuses on the economic issues affecting relations between Africa and the European Union and its member states. In small groups, members discussed their hopes and concerns about the future of the UK Antenna, the steps they might take to work together more effectively and how to share the organising of the antenna. The rest of the meeting was dedicated to presentations/ conversations on the antenna’s three focus issues: Trade, Climate Change and Land Grabbing.

 

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1610 News from Cameroon

Jean-Louis Marolleau, coordinator of the French antenna, visited Cameroon in August. During his stay, he met several representatives of religious communities in the country and also the Cameroonian antenna. There is an account of his trip on the website.  

 

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1609 Forever Green in Our Hearts

AEFJN painfully and mournfully announces the passing on of Fr. Kennedy KATONGO, OMI. He was a member of the AEFJN executive team in Rome and served the network wholeheartedly. Fr. Kennedy died of a massive heart attack in the early hours of September 14, 2016 at the General House of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate in Rome. He was only 36 years of age.

 

Fr Kennedy was born in Lusaka, Zambia on May 3, 1980, and joined the Oblates in 2002. After his novitiate, he made the first vows in Johannesburg, South Africa on February 1, 2003. He later made his final profession in Lusaka on December 28, 2008 and was ordained a priest on October 9, 2010. He served in parish ministry in the Zambian OMI Kalabo Mission and at St. Mary´s Parish Lukulu. In 2014, he was named Director of the Oblate Justice and Peace Service in Rome. 

 

Requiescat in Pace

AEFJN Secretariat team, Brussels

 

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1609 Visit of the Executive

tl_files/aefjn-images/im_spirituality/Echoes AEFJN/Visite de lexecutive parliament europeen .jpgThe Secretariat welcomed members of the Executive to Brussels 8-9 September 2016.  On this occasion, the President of AEFJN Fr. François de Paul HOUNGUE and Sr. Rebeca Sepepka met the members of the Secretariat and shared the vision of the Executive about the advocacy work of AEFJN.  During their stay in Brussels they visited the European Parliament and were introduced to the work realized by European Institutions.

 

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1609 Belgian Antenna

Two new members have joined the executive committee of the Belgian Antenna, bringing the total number to six. They meet every other month and there will soon be a formation day for the new members and longer standing ones who have never received training. This will cover issues such as information coming from their communities, advocacy, working as a network. Inspiration will be drawn from the first volume of the AEFJN Manual on Economic Justice. The session will take place at the Chapel of the Resurrection, the discreet, ecumenical Christian presence at the heart of the European Institutions.

 

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1607 EDISA, the Cameroon Antenna’s initiative to counter fake medicines

The Cameroon AEFJN antenna has sent us its first bulletin which aims to inform and motivate the public about action to improve social justice. The Belgian antenna is delighted to see that they are focussing on the same two issues as Cameroon: large-scale land grabbing and the battle against fake medicines. 

 

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1607 New Intern at the Secretariat

tl_files/aefjn-images/im_epas/im_csr/Ignacio Machuca Gutierrez.jpgFor the month of July, AEFJN welcomed a new intern. Ignacio Machuca was born in Seville in 1997 and is currently studying journalism at the University of Seville. He is using his experience in communications and technology at the Secretariat, helping the team generally and taking a special interest in trade and international relations.

 

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1606 In Namibia, the gods have really gone crazy

In 1990, in the cradle of South Africa’s independence, Namibia then had many enviable trump cards: 2.5 million inhabitants spread out over 825,000 km2, no debts, diamonds, uranium, copper, fish, meat, excellent road infrastructure, electricity, well established institutions to serve as a legal framework, superb landscapes, etc.  There were however a few clouds in the sky: unemployment between 20 and 40%, but, above all, ideology-based promises made by SWAPO, the party in power, to China whose aid at that time (1960-65) had been very modest, an ideological ‘debt’ that is now weighing heavily on the country. Today, 26 years on, we must recognize a certain erosion of power due to the external vultures of corporate globalization that accelerates social inequalities and some multinationals that are dismembering Namibia in large and small bites.

 

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1605 Antennae Meeting 2016 in Namur

1603 VISIT OF THE SECRETARIAT OF PILAR TRILLO

1603 INTERNS AT THE SECRETATIAT

1511 Benin: Meeting of Major Superiors in Benin (18 - 19 November)

1510 Swiss Antenna: At the Africanum, a big family of refugees and volunteers

1508 - 1507 Antenna France: Taxation to Help Development and Climate

1508 - 1507 UK Antenna: Lobby on Climate Change and Poverty - London

1506 Antennae meeting

1505 Contact person meeting

1504 AEFJN meets the Nuncio to the EU

1504 Mega regional trade agreements: a worsening economic war that dares not speak its name

1501 France Antenna: Forum for congregational representatives

1411 -1412 Fr Gervase Taratara's presentation at AGM 2014

1411 -1412 Annual General Assembly

1407 1408 FR. Chika’s Visit to the Secretariat

1406 AEFJN: Antennae Meeting 2014

1405 - After years of service I still have a dream!

1405 - Visit to Senegal: Meeting with farmers and civil society

1404 AEFJN Visit to the Cameroon Antenna

1404 General Assembly of the French Antenna

1402 Visit to the UK Antenna

1402 Visit to Burkina Faso

1402 Visit to Zambia

Remembering the first president of AEFJN

1311 General Assembly and Closing of AEFJN’s Jubilee Year

AEFJN UK Celebrates the 25th Anniversary