wfn.org | All Africa News Agency Oct 13 2003 News

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

ALL AFRICA NEWS AGENCY
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NAIROBI, Kenya.
Tel: 254-2-4442215 or 4440224;
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Email: aanaapta@nbnet.co.ke

AANA Bulletin			Bulletin APTA
Editor -Elly Wamari		Editor - Silvie Alemba

AANA BULLETIN No. 40/03 October 13, 2003

NEWS SECTION

Churches Draw Up Charter To Bolster NEPAD Process

NAIROBI (AANA) October 13 - A process is underway by the Church in Africa, 
to develop a comprehensive action plan on church involvement in the New 
Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).

The All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) Director of Finance and 
Administration, Mr Bright Mawudor, while opening a three day consultative 
forum on NEPAD on October 6, said the Church could no longer afford to sit 
on the fence in the wake of an initiative that aimed at bringing about 
positive socio-economic and political dispensation in Africa.

The forum, attended by representatives of national Christian councils and 
sub-regional fellowships in Africa, among other ecumenical partners, was 
organised and hosted here by AACC to formulate an Ecumenical Charter on 
NEPAD.

The charter will provide guiding principles and ways in which the Church in 
Africa will be actively involved in the NEPAD process.

It will then be presented in Yaounde, Cameroon, for adoption by churches at 
the forthcoming 8th General Assembly of the AACC, scheduled for next month.

Mawudor, who was representing AACC General Secretary, Rev Dr Mvume Dandala, 
observed that the NEPAD document was "shy on social mobilisation" to ensure 
African ownership of the initiative. He noted that this was where the 
Church could lend a helping hand.

Giving an example of the potential force of the Church in promoting NEPAD, 
he pointed out: "The AACC member churches for instance, have an estimated 
congregational strength of 120 million Christians who gather weekly on 
Sundays in 39 African countries".

The Ecumenical Charter on NEPAD, Mawudor explained, "is a statement of 
principles by the ecumenical movement to give spiritual meaning to the 
NEPAD process and to accompany the NEPAD document".

"It will be the light that illuminates the document, and have it fully 
assimilated by the churches," he added.

Mawudor said NEPAD was bringing new hope to Africa, a continent which at 
the international front, had been a victim of skewed trading relations 
"which returned peanut for her exports".

The continent, he observed, has been hard hit by an international 
conspiracy aimed at perpetuating her as a primary producer of raw 
materials, all which NEPAD seeks to redress.

He said the developed nations were not for a level trading ground with the 
developing countries, thus effecting escalating tariff mechanism for 
competitive goods from Africa into the markets in the North.

Mentioning the Cotonou Agreement as an example of a carrot and stick pact, 
Mawudor observed: "The agreement requires that if we continue to be a raw 
material economy, then we benefit from both low tariffs on our goods and 
funding from European Development Fund, but if we dare manufacture 
chocolate from our cocoa, then protectionist barriers would be erected as 
high to ensure we do not export our chocolate."

According to him therefore, forging a new international partnership that 
changes the unequal relationship between Africa and the developed world, 
was among NEPAD aspirations, which the Church now seeks to boost using the 
charter.

AACC was mandated to develop such a charter by the first consultation by 
ecumenical partners on NEPAD, held in South Africa in March this year, and 
organised by the South Africa Council of Churches (SAC), World Council of 
Churches (WCC), and AACC.

Reported by Joseph K'Amolo

Conference Resolves To Send Peace Teams to Conflict Areas

JOHANNESBURG (AANA) October 13 - A two-day inter-faith conference for 
southern Africa region ended in Johannesburg on October 1, with the 
adoption of a Plan of Action calling on religious leaders to send regional 
peace teams to areas of conflict.

With this appeal, religious leaders from the 11 countries represented at 
the conference, affirmed their "ongoing commitment to seeking and 
maintaining peace in the region", and to move from consultation to action.

Accordingly, delegates committed themselves to implement some practical 
steps as soon as possible.

These include the establishment of inter-faith groups in countries where 
these do not exist; gathering of a reliable database of faith institutions 
and religious leaders; and holding at least one inter-faith conference or 
indaba (consultation), plus one "capacity workshop" every year in each 
country.

Also included in the action plan is the regular reporting by national 
inter-faith groups to the regions, and the establishment of a quarterly 
newsletter.

The Southern Africa Inter-Faith Plan of Action was adopted by more than 60 
religious representatives of the African Traditional Religion, Baha'i, 
Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish and Muslim faiths.

It is based on the Johannesburg Inter-Faith Declaration, a shared 
commitment to safeguarding peace in Africa as outlined during the 2002 
Inter-Faith Peace Summit here.

The conference was organised by the LWF and hosted by the National 
Religious Leaders Forum of South Africa (NRLFSA).

Participants came from Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, 
Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. Similar 
meetings are planned for the Western and Eastern/Central regions.

Earlier, Ntate Kgalushi Koka, director of the Karaites Institute of 
Africology, South Africa, extolled African traditional means of resolving 
conflicts, using the concept of Ubuntu.

"The African Traditional Religion (ATR) has only recently been welcomed 
into the family of recognised religions," Koka told participants in a 
session that focused on ATR's different approaches to conflict resolution.

He continued: "So now we have to ask: What is the contribution of African 
Traditional Religion toward the establishment of peace? And what are the 
cultural and philosophical roots of our skills and talents to make peace?"

He answered this question by referring to the African concept of Ubuntu or 
"humanness."

"Ubuntu is a universal concept that recognises the equality and inherent 
spirituality of every human being. This humanness is instilled in our 
bodies through the divine spirit, converting them into living souls," he 
explained.

According to Koka, the African basis for bringing about peace is the 
fundamental belief that there is nobody without humanness or Ubuntu, and 
that through Ubuntu, individuals become aware that they all share a common 
spirit, even with their greatest enemy.

"If we know this, we cannot avoid seeing in every other human being, our 
brother or sister. The being-ness of the other person is mirroring my own 
humanness," he expounded.

As this philosophical foundation is only a "potentiality," it has to be 
"actualised" in practical ways to bring about peace.

In conflict situations in Africa, the administration of rituals is 
recognised as a traditional way of putting the philosophy of Ubuntu into 
practice. "Rituals make the spiritual forces visible in actions and 
gestures," Koka elaborated.

As an example of a peacemaking ritual, he demonstrated the "Ceremony of the 
Ashes." During such a ritual, two persons or parties in conflict are 
gathered by community elders.

The two adversaries have to face each other, while ash is placed in their 
hands. They then have to lick the ash from each other's hands and spit it 
out. The washing of hands, a handshake and embracing follow.

"The ash is a symbol of something that has burned [and] whose energy has 
been spent," Koka explained, adding, "By licking up the ash and spitting it 
out, the quarrelling persons symbolically act out that the evil energy of 
their quarrel has been used up."

Koka pointed out that there are many ways of resolving conflict, but noted 
that "unfortunately, we do not use our skills enough to make peace."

By Erika von Wietersheim
Lutheran World Information

We Have Successfully Preached Peace, Says Mozambican Cleric

NAIROBI (AANA) October 13 - The Church in Mozambique has prioritised 
peace-making due to the historical aspect of the country, the General 
Secretary of the Christian Council of Mozambique (CCM), Rev Dinis Matsolo, 
has said.

In an exclusive interview with AANA here on October 8, the Mozambican 
clergyman explained:  "The past history of the country has been dotted with 
conflicts, before and after independence.

"Before independence, Mozambicans had engaged the former colonial masters, 
Portuguese, in the liberation struggle of their country. After independence 
in 1975, they again got engaged in yet another conflict, this time between 
Frelimo (Front for the Liberation of Mozambique) and Renamo (Mozambican 
National Resistance) political parties."

The Frelimo/Renamo skirmishes continued on until 1992, when the historical 
peace accord between the two political parties was signed in Rome.

"It was out of this historical experiences that we have decided to 
prioritise peace-making among our people," stressed Rev Matsolo.

The church leader was in the Kenyan capital last week, to attend a 
three-day ecumenical consultative forum on the New Partnership for Africa's 
Development (NEPAD), organised by the All Africa Conference of Churches
(AACC).

As part of their engagement in peace making, churches in Mozambique have 
launched a national disarmament programme, Transforming Weapons into 
Ploughshares (TAE), co-ordinated by CCM.

"In this programme, we exchange guns and other ammunitions, collected by 
Christians, with farming tools, building supplies, bicycles etc," explained 
Rev Matsolo.

The TAE programme was established in 1995. According to the CCM general 
secretary, an estimated 265,000 guns and other ammunitions have so far been 
collected in exchange for "materials meant to give life more meaning among 
the Mozambican people".

"And through it, we can claim to have transformed thousands of our people 
from war to peace-making. In other words, we can claim to have managed to 
preach peace, where war has reigned the minds of our people for too long," 
concluded Rev Matsolo.

Reported by Osman Njuguna.

Tough-Talking Govt Officials Promise To Close Private Media

HARARE (AANA) October 13 - The Zimbabwean government has hinted that it 
would clamp down on all private media refusing to tow the official line.

Information minister, Professor Jonathan Moyo, told journalists here about 
a week ago that the government was in the process of outlawing two other 
publications, The Independent (formally The Zimbabwe Independent) and The 
Standard, and a private radio station beaming into Zimbabwe from the United 
States, for allegedly "peddling western propaganda".

The minister, who is the architect of the draconian Access to Information 
and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) recently used to shut down a popular 
newspaper in the country, said the newspapers were publishing trash that 
would not be published anywhere overseas.

Last month, a government appointed media commission, working in cahoots 
with the police, closed the offices of The Daily News, after the country's 
Supreme Court refused to hear a case in which the paper challenged sections 
of the AIPPA requiring newspapers to register with the commission.

The court ordered the paper to register with the commission before its case 
could be heard. The commission and the government interpreted the ruling to 
mean the paper was operating illegally, and went ahead to close its premises.

Lawyers and media experts, both local and international, condemned the 
closure as a misinterpretation of the court ruling.  Others called for the 
isolation of Zimbabwe on the grounds that it was stifling freedom of 
expression.

But Mugabe's regime appears unfazed, and is determined to press ahead with 
its efforts to eradicate private media.

Speaking at the official launch of New Ziana, a multi-media state 
organisation established to publish pro-ZANU-PF information, Prof Moyo made 
it clear that after the closure of The Daily News and its Sunday sister, he 
was now after The Standard and The Independent.

He said the two papers were fronts for imperialism and they needed to be 
silenced for degrading the country's ruling elite.

"They call the President (Mugabe) a thief. Why don't they say George Bush 
(United States President) is a thief and Tony Blair (British Prime 
Minister) is a thief?" charged the minister.

He also took a swipe at Studio 7, a Voice of America (VOA) news 
broadcasting station that beams to Zimbabwe.

"Studio 7 will die. It faces death. They think we are sleeping, we want to 
see where they are going with Studio 7," he warned.

The minister, well known for launching vitriol at his proclaimed enemies, 
said The Standard and The Independent were just like The Daily News that 
was closed down on September 11.

"They publish trash just like The Daily News. They are not different from 
it. Just to show their clear identity, The Independent has dropped 
Zimbabwe, which was part of its name, while the national flag that was on 
The Standard masthead has been blown by the wind, the British wind. It is 
no longer there anymore. They are serving their masters and we are clearly 
aware of that," claimed Prof Moyo.

The publishers had argued that the changes were a result of a marketing 
strategy aimed at making them appears more appealing.

The chairman of the media commission, Dr Tafataona Mahoso, who also 
attended the launch, confirmed that a clampdown on The Standard was imminent.

Said he to a journalist from The Standard: "Oh, you are from The Standard. 
We will be coming to you. We will be writing to you soon. You are writing 
lies, carrying stories with initials as by-lines."

The Zimbabwe government maintains a tight stranglehold on media and still 
refuses to open the broadcasting industry to private players. There is only 
one television station and four radio stations, all controlled by the 
government.

Reported by Bhekisipho Nyathi

Veteran Journalist Advises On Benefits Of Press Freedom

NAIROBI (AANA) October 13 - Advocates of restriction to free media in 
Africa are enemies of democracy and free society.

This was said by the Executive Secretary for Information and Communication 
Desk of the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC), Mr Mitch Odero, 
during a media workshop for southern Sudanese media managers and 
journalists, on October 3.

Odero, an internationally acclaimed journalist, traced back the pains and 
joys in the journey of media development in Africa for the past 40 years, 
noting that mistakes made in the past should be avoided to gain deeper 
understanding of the media.

Speaking on press freedom, he advised stable governments not to fear free 
press, as it offers concrete benefits to society.

"A free press does not only mean that the media should enjoy the freedom to 
publish, but it also means that the media should enjoy access to 
information, particularly official information," he said.

He went on: "In other words, access to information determines the degree to 
which the society is free.... When freedom of press and freedom of access 
to information are restricted, then, in essence, it is society's right to 
know which is restricted."

Odero classified freedom as a value of civil and free society that has 
often been defined in terms of communication rights, which includes access 
to information.

"Equally so, freedom as a communication principle is also defined as 
unrestricted right to publish without prior permission or licence, and 
without reprisal, apart from the normal provisions of the law of the land, 
which applies to all citizens and which should be progressive rather than 
repressive," he stated.

He however, had some word of advice to media managers.	"While the media 
advocate for freedom of access to official information, they should 
encourage access to the media by divergent voices.  This is even more 
critical when it comes to access by the minority groups in society," he said.

Reported by Herman Kasili

Report Projects Astronomical Expansion Of Slum Dwellings

RIO de JANEIRO/NAIROBI (AANA) October 13 - A report released by the United 
Nations Centre for Human Settlement (UN-HABITAT), shows a worsening 
situation among the urban populace, and warns of failure to attain the 
Millennium Development Goals.

The report, released last week on World Habitat Day (October 6), states 
that one in every six human beings is a slum dweller, and that the number 
is likely to double in the next 30 years.

The publication, which was launched in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, notes that 
slum dwellers in developing regions account for 43 percent of the 
population, in contrast to about six percent in more developed areas.

In sub-Saharan Africa, the proportion of urban residents in slums is 
highest at 71.9 percent, according to the report.

"Unprecedented urban growth in the face of increasing poverty and social 
inequality means that the United Nations Millennium Development Goal to 
improve the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers by 2020, should be 
considered the absolute bare minimum the international community should aim 
for," says the document.

The publication, The Challenge of Slums: Global Report on Human Settlements 
2003, finds that, alarmingly, there is currently little or no planning to 
accommodate these people or provide them with services.

According to Mrs Anna Tibaijuka, the Executive Director of UN-HABITAT, "the 
United Nations goal of 'Cities without Slums', is unattainable without the 
vigorous implementation of urban planning and management policies designed 
to prevent the emergence of slums".

This, she added, must go along with a commitment on the part of governments 
to reduce poverty.

"Without concerted action on the part of the municipal authorities, 
national governments, civil society actors and the international community, 
the number of slum dwellers is likely to increase in most developing 
countries. And if no serious action is taken, the number of slum dwellers 
world-wide is projected to rise over the next 30 years to about 2 billion," 
she said.

More than half of the twenty-nine case study cities covered in the 
UN-HABITAT report indicate that slum formation will continue, mostly 
throughout Africa.

It adds that the cyclical nature of capitalism, increased demand for 
skilled versus unskilled labour, and the negative effects of globalisation, 
in particular, economic booms and busts that ratchet up inequality and 
distribute new wealth unevenly contribute to the enormous growth of slums.

The report's major concern is the growing challenge presented by this 
crisis. The world's rural population has reached its peak, and almost all 
further population growth will be absorbed by urban settlements - a 
critical situation recognised by very few governments, cities and other 
agencies.

Reported by Henry Neondo

Traditional Healers Have Regained Repute In Zimbabwe

HARARE (AANA) October 13 - The high cost of treatment and increased 
illnesses following the advent of the AIDS pandemic is forcing many 
Zimbabweans to seek the services of traditional healers.

There is now increased awareness and recognition of traditional 
medicine.  Traditional healers normally referred to as Ng'angas, are making 
booming business as their drugs are cheaper than modern medicine, and are 
widely available in practically most communities.

As the demand for traditional medicines increases, Zimbabwe is planning to 
protect and promote the growing of indigenous rich herbs in the country.

The Zimbabwe National Traditional Healers' Association (ZINATHA) has 
already put in place, a programme to commercialise plant-based products, 
referred to as green pharmaceuticals.

The president of ZINATHA, Prof Gordon Chavunduka, says the programme has 
realised that the country is endowed with a favourable climate for a wide 
range of herbal plants, some of which have been used by communities to 
treat ailments for over a century.

The government wants local healers to move from traditional to commercial 
use of herbal medicines because of the growing market.

Research has found that with proper knowledge and enabling structures, the 
healers could benefit financially from export of herbal products, since the 
market for herbal cosmetics, perfumes, condiments and confectioneries has 
experienced a upward trend.

Zimbabwe has a rich bio-diversity and wealth of indigenous knowledge on 
plant life, and therefore has the potential to emerge as one of the 
producers of herbal products in the region.

Experts say the government and stakeholders should consolidate past gains 
of traditional knowledge base, to start developing new herbal preparations 
on Zimbabwe's bio-diversity, and make these products available to the 
international community.

Recently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) urged African governments to 
formally recognise traditional medicine and create an enabling environment 
for its practice.

The call was made by the WHO regional director for Africa, Dr Ebrahim 
Samba,	in a message on the occasion of the first African Traditional 
Medicine Day, observed this year across the continent.

Dr Samba noted that for centuries, traditional medicine played a crucial 
role in combating multiple and complex conditions affecting Africans, and 
that because of its popularity, accessibility and affordability, more than 
80 percent of the people in the region continued to rely on it for their 
health care needs.

"It is (therefore) incumbent on governments in the region to reverse the 
erosion of the centuries-old traditional medical knowledge and practice," 
he said.

"This way, they will be restoring the glory of traditional medicine to its 
pride of place, and perpetuating the culture of its utilisation," he
continued.

Dr Samba also urged countries to invest in research and development to 
validate claims on safety, efficacy and quality of traditional medicines, 
and document such information.

According to Dr Samba, they should also engage in the large-scale 
cultivation and conservation of medicinal plants, and the protection of 
intellectual property rights.

These, he said, should be done for two principal reasons.  First, most 
Africans have recourse to both traditional and modern medicine for their 
health care needs due to cultural acceptance and belief, and, secondly, the 
average ratio of traditional health practitioners to the population, 
compared to that of medical doctors, is 1:200 and 1: 25,000 respectively.

Reported by Tim Chigodo

  Malawi's Charged Political Climate Worries Civil Society

BLANTYRE (AANA) October 13 - Officials of the Public Affairs Committee 
(PAC) in Malawi have expressed concern over what they call an unfavourable 
political situation being experienced in the country.

The PAC is an umbrella body of political, civic and religious organisations 
that plays a watchdog role on the country's political direction, and on 
other matters of national interest.

The officials made the remarks during a national elections roundtable 
conference here, saying political parties have not embraced democratic 
principles, almost 10 years after the onset of multi-party politics in the 
country.

The two-day conference attracted all registered political parties, civil 
society groups and the media.

PAC chairperson, Boniface Tamani, who is a Catholic priest, lamented the 
lack of inter-party dialogue in the country, which he said has resulted 
into divisive politics becoming the order of the day.

He appealed to politicians in the country to ensure transparency and 
accountability during the general elections in May next year, without which 
there was a danger that the elections results could be rejected.

The conference, however, resolved to use all resources available to ensure 
free and fair general elections.

One of the resolutions called on the electoral commission and the police to 
act on concerns from different stakeholders involved in the electoral 
process, such as disruption of rallies addressed by opposition parties.

PAC, which produced a four-paged communiqui after the meeting, highlighted 
a number of problems that needed to be tackled by the electoral commission 
and the civil society, to ensure smooth running of the 2004 elections.

In the communiqui participants observed that there was need to review the 
whole electoral calendar to ensure that it was practical.

It was noted that according to the current calendar, nomination of 
candidates would start before dissolving parliament, a situation that many 
said could raise confusion among the electorate.

In the meantime, representatives of religious organisations together with 
diplomats from major western governments have been meeting with politicians 
to determine how they could diffuse intolerance that is threatening to mar 
the scheduled general elections.

With just eight months to go to the polls, there have been widespread 
reports and debates on the climate of intolerance between religious and 
political leaders.

Confirming the meetings, a western diplomat, who asked not to be 
identified, said she could not give details because of the sensitivity of 
the discussions.

Reported by Hamilton Vokhiwa

Clerics Gang Up To Impeach Electoral Commission Boss

BLANTYRE (AANA) October 13 - Malawi's senior clerics have instituted a 
probe into the activities of the chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC), 
whom they claim to be aligned to the ruling party and therefore incompetent 
to lead the country to a free and fair elections next year.

The Public Affairs Committee (PAC) and the Forum for the Defence of 
Democracy (FDD) have reported that they have started investigating James 
Kalaile for  "partisan conduct frustrating expectations for free 
presidential, parliamentary and local government elections" scheduled for 
May 18, 2004.

Kalaile is one of the judges at the Common Market for Eastern and Southern 
Africa, by virtue of which he is an advisor to President Bakili Muluzi.

Monsignor Boniface Tamani of the Roman Catholic Church, who is PAC 
chairperson, said church leaders were under pressure to act. "We will have 
to carry out investigations to establish if there are people with 
questionable elements in the commission, for the sake of free and fair 
elections next year," he stated.

Meanwhile, three clergymen from the country's major Christian denominations 
have declared interest in overseeing coalition talks between opposition 
parties.

Anglican Bishop, James Tengatenga, who recently received death threats for 
his biting criticism of government's mismanagement of public resources, is 
the chairman of the team, while his deputy is Livingstonia CCAP synod 
general secretary, Reverend Howard Matiya Nkhoma.

"Opposition parties asked for assistance and as church leaders, we have the 
responsibility to bring them to a roundtable," said Tengatenga, brushing 
aside president Muluzi's outbursts that the Church was meddling in politics.

Reported by Hobbs Gama