East African churches intensify efforts for peace
The church and other organizations working for justice and peace in Eastern Africa should intensify their efforts towards full peaceful environment in the region, a conference resolved yesterday. In a three page document, issued at the end of their weeklong meeting, representatives of eight African Bishops Conferences (AMECEA) expressed their concern that issues such as gender violence, violence and general insecurity, political and religious intolerance, HIV/AIDS, proliferation of small arms, and high level of poverty and widening of gap between the rich and the poor, had continued to affect many people in the region. The meeting called on church leaders, governments, regional bodies, and organizations, faith-based communities, international organizations and institutions and people of good will , working within the region, to individually and severally consolidate the positive achievements made so far and to further the initatives aimed at resolving negative issues, afflicting the region today. They further called these bodies to work together with the faith-based communities in the region to appropriately and timely respond to the needs of the people in the region, especially those marginalized and the less privileged. And the meeting, chaired by the AMECEA justice and peace desk Chair, Sudanese Bishop Daniel Aduok, auxiliary bishop for Khartoum archdiocese and Archbishop Baptist Odama of Gulu Archdiocese, Uganda and the chair of the Catholic bishops' justice and peace commission resolved to actively promote the values of democracy, intra and inter national dialogue, education of the people in governance issues, women active participation in governance and decision making processes, initiatives to stop stigma and discrimination of HIV/AIDS infected and affected people, integrity of creation and preservation of natural resources. For more information see: www.amecea.org/