wfn.org | Media Advisory, 800 African Church Leaders Nov. 22-27, Yaounde

["Nat'l Council of Churches" <nccc_usa@ncccusa.org>]

800 CHURCH LEADERS FROM ACROSS AFRICA TO MEET NOV. 22-27, YAOUNDE
Ecumenical Assembly Will Address HIV/AIDS, Violence, Terrorism, Debt,
Trade/NEPAD, Good Governance, Child Soldiers, Poverty, and More; Many
International Guests

October 24, 2003
COVERAGE ADVISORY / FOR MEDIA PLANNING
EXCEPTIONAL CONTENT, SOUND AND VISUALS

WHAT: 8th continent-wide Assembly of the All Africa Conference of Churches,
which comprises 172 member churches and associate members including national
councils of churches in 41 countries.  Constituency base: 120 million
Africans.  The last such assembly was held in 1997 in Addis Ababa.

WHEN/WHERE: Registration Nov. 22, Assembly Meets Nov. 23-27, Yaounde,
Cameroon.

WHAT: EXCEPTIONAL CONTENT, SOUND AND VISUALS

-	Opening Worship at the National Stadium (Nov. 23).  Yaoundes
churches
will be closed so that members can join AACC delegates for this explosion of
Gospel music and celebration, featuring a procession into the stadium.
-	Assembly Opening Ceremonies at the National Conference Center. 
Including
welcome from the President of Cameroon, greetings from the World Council of
Churches and the African Union and an address by the AACCs dynamic new
leader, the Rev. Dr. H. Mvume Dandala, 51, a South African who in September
became General Secretary of the Nairobi, Kenya-based AACC.  See
http://www.ncccusa.org/news/03dandala.html for a profile.
- Childrens Forum.  African children including child soldiers will tell
their own stories of marginalization, poverty, war, abuse - and hope.
- Africas Churches Speak: In cluster hearings, regional groups and
plenary sessions, African church leaders will discuss a wide range of
issues - democratization and good governance, HIV/AIDS, globalization,
poverty, self-reliance, war, reconstruction, trade/NEPAD, terrorism,
violence and more - and chart their ecumenical response for the next five
years.
- HIV/AIDS Day: The AACC will offer voluntary on-site testing and is
encouraging church leaders -- in clerical garb!! - archbishops, bishops,
pastors, laity - to be tested for HIV/AIDS.  HIV-positive pastors will give
their testimonies as a way of demystifying and destigmatizing HIV/AIDS.
Candlelight procession through the streets of Yaounde will express
compassion for people with HIV/AIDS.
- Youth and Womens Pre-Assembly Events Nov. 19-21.

SUPPORT SERVICES FOR NEWS MEDIA:

-	Full newsroom with computers, telephone and internet access, complete
documentation, on-site media liaison staff and daily news conferences.
- See www.aacc-ceta.org for more information and to register.  Indicate
media and your organization where sending organization is requested and
return the form to the AACC in Nairobi, Kenya; Fax (254) (20) 444-3241;
assembly@aacc-ceta.org
- For further information: contact Mitch Odero/AACC media liaison in Nairobi
at infodesk@aacc-ceta.org; phone (254) (20) 444-1338/9; in the U.S., contact
Carol Fouke, National Council of Churches USA media liaison, at
news@ncccusa.org; phone 1-212-870-2252 (before Nov. 15).
-end-

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