wfn.org | All Africa News Agency 36/03 September 15, 2003 (a)

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

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

AANA BULLETIN No. 36/03 September 15, 2003 (a)

Church Exhumes 67 Year Old Body For 'Proper' Burial

BLANTYRE (AANA) September 15 - The Church of Central Africa Presbyterian 
(CCAP) in Livingstonia Synod in Northern Malawi, has exhumed the remains of 
its first Ngoni convert, buried 66 years ago.

The remains of Mawelera Tembo have been exhumed and transferred from Loudon 
Mission to Njuyu Station in Mzimba district, where he has been reburied 
under a full church funeral service.

A celebrated evangelist, Tembo composed a lot of songs found in the CCAP 
hymn book, before meeting his death on October, 8, 1937.

While serving the Synod, Tembo made tremendous contributions to the growth 
of the Church and the spread of Christianity to fellow Ngonis and other 
ethnic communities in Northern Malawi.

Synod General Secretary, Rev Matiya Nkhoma, said in an interview that the 
Synod decided to transfer Tembo's remains because it felt he was not buried 
under proper procedures.

"First, Tembo was based at Njuyu Station, which was his home, but went	to 
Loudon to visit his sister, and eventually died there. He was buried at the 
same place, since transport was a big problem in those days,"  said Rev
Nkhoma.

He added that apart from this, Tembo was a close associate of William Koyi, 
a famous Presbyterian evangelist, who set up the mission in Njuyu.

The Church therefore felt that he had to be buried close to Koyi's grave in 
Njuyu.

The Ngonis are a group of warriors that migrated from Natal in South 
Africa, and settled in Mzimba, which is the largest district administration 
in Malawi.

Livingstonia Synod is the second largest in the General Assembly of CCAP, 
which groups together Blantyre, Nkhoma, Lusaka and Harare Synods. Blantyre 
Synod is the largest.

Reported by Prince Jamali

Green Cards Turn Nigerians To Greener Slaves, says Bishop

LAGOS (AANA) September 15 - The American Visa Lottery, through which many 
Nigerians have migrated to the United States, has been described as a new 
order of slavery of citizens of developing countries.

The presiding Bishop of Faith Tabernacle (Winners Chapel) in Otta, on the 
outskirts of Lagos, recently noted that it was unfortunate many Nigerians 
who migrated through the visa lottery ended up doing menial jobs.

"Many of them win lottery only to exchange their destiny with mockery. 
Professors end up selling gas at filling stations, some pastors who 
abandoned their ministries are working as night guards, while some doctors 
have to attend nursing school to survive," said Bishop Oyedepo.

Warning his Church members not to participate in the lottery, the bishop 
said the whole exercise was self-inflicted slavery, which many Nigerians 
were subjecting themselves to in their bid for survival.

"The shame and reproach those going for the lottery are bringing to Nigeria 
is bad enough. Acquiring the green card has turned them to greener slaves," 
Oyedepo told his congregation.

The bishop was speaking during a church service on September 7. He advised: 
"Going to Europe or America is not a credential for survival. Being where 
you are gives you dignity."

Reported by Lekan Otufodunrin

Moves To Undo Risky Cultural Practices Gain Momentum

BLANTYRE (AANA) September 15 - The fight against cultural practices that 
boost the spread of HIV/AIDS received renewed impetus when an international 
NGO launched a programme to sensitise communities on the need to circumcise 
initiates in hospitals, instead of within the usual village bush enclosures.

Sixteen initiates from traditional authority Mlumbe in Zomba district, 
southern Malawi, have graduated after undergoing circumcision at Zomba 
Central Hospital under a World Vision International programme.

In addition to agriculture, education and health, World Vision runs a 
programme to curb HIV/AIDS, that has seen initiates being circumcised at 
the hospital, under hygienic conditions.

World Vision Assistant Regional Manager for Southern Malawi, Assan Golowa, 
explained that after considering the galloping spread of HIV/AIDS, his 
organisation felt it was imperative to check harmful cultural practices 
that exposed young male children to HIV.

Traditionally, the ngalibas or namkungwis (initiation counsellors) use one 
razor blade on all the initiates during the circumcision exercise, usually 
performed in unhygienic stuation.

"The practice is dangerous - so we approached medical personnel at the 
hospital to do a professional job that would not expose the young ones to 
the deadly disease," said Golowa.

According the World Vision official, there are plans to extend the 
programme to other southern districts of Mangochi, Machinga and Chiradzulu, 
where traditional circumcision of young boys is common among the Yao and 
Lomwe communities.

However, the World Vision initiative was not without problems. Unlike last 
year where 33 boys underwent circumcision at the hospital, the number 
dropped this time, as rumours circulated among villagers that their 
children would have their blood sucked by the doctors.

It took the village headman to allay the fears. "The programme will really 
reduce the number of infected people and parents must be encouraged," said 
Ajusu, the traditional leader in area.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health and Population, in collaboration with the 
National AIDS Commission (NAC), has instituted a national study to 
determine the impact of high risk cultural practices in relation to 
Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), HIV/AIDS, unwanted pregnancies and 
delayed women access to maternity health care services.

In Malawi, such practices as chokolo or Kuhara, which translate to the 
inheritance of the wife of a deceased person, are still being practised. 
Some communities also perform fisi (the hyena), where a young initiated 
girl is forced to have sex with an elderly man to gain first sexual
experience.

Reported by Hobbs Gama

Ecumenical Heads Launch Attacks On Bad Trade Systems

GENEVA (AANA) September 15 - Heads of church bodies based at the Ecumenical 
Centre here, have reiterated the commitment of the ecumenical community to 
work with people towards "a global trading system that is just, sustainable 
and caring".

In a joint statement on September 10, addressed to the 5th Ministerial 
Conference of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), which took place from 
September 10 to 14 in Cancun, Mexico, the general secretaries of the 
Lutheran World Federation (LWF), World Council of Churches (WCC), World 
Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) and Conference of European Churches 
(CEC), underlined an understanding of trade and development that was rooted 
in spiritual, moral and ethical perspectives.

General Secretaries Ishmael Noko (LWF), Konrad Raiser (WCC), Setri Nyomi 
(WARC),  and Keith Clements (CEC), said the ecumenical community would 
continue to advocate for trade and financial policies that uphold human 
rights, especially economic, social and cultural rights through ongoing 
joint initiatives.

"In evaluating WTO agreements so far, we ask the following questions: Are 
they just and fair, especially to the vulnerable and impoverished? ... Do 
the agreements support right relationships between North and South, between 
producers and consumers, and between the powerful and the powerless? Are 
they friendly to God's creation?" posed the statement in part.

It went on: "The ecumenical community believes that international trade 
agreements should first and foremost respect, value and uphold the sacred 
nature of all life. In contrast, the economic agendas of some governments, 
especially Northern governments, seem to be largely driven by corporate 
interests at the expense of economic justice."

The strong worded statement continued: "We call upon all governments of 
developed countries to recognise the rights of the weak, and in 
co-operation with developing countries, to develop fair conditions for 
trade with equal access for all."

The ecumenical organisations expressed disappointment at a TRIPS Agreement 
(Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights), which WTO has used 
to "block" access of developing countries to affordable generic drugs.

Sections of the TRIPS Agreement protect trans-national pharmaceutical 
companies against competition, by way of restricting supply of generic 
drugs from large-scale manufacturers of such drugs, like India and Brazil.

"The TRIPS agreement and the interpretation of some of its regulations by 
the WTO has blocked the availability of generic drugs at affordable prices 
that are needed to combat diseases in the developing world," said the 
ecumenical heads.

They went on: "We therefore call for radical changes of the trade regime 
concerning intellectual property rights and recognition of the right of 
developing countries to produce and import generic drugs in quantities and 
at prices that serve the needs of their people."

Reported by Pauline Mumia
(Lutheran World Federation)
  Additional reporting by Elly Wamari

Church Councils Call For More Attention On Liberia Peace

ACCRA (AANA) September 15 - West African church leaders are warning that 
Liberia still faces enormous problems, despite the existing peace accord, 
and will need the continued support and attention of church partners 
throughout the world.

"It is still far from over," said Rev Benjamin D. Lartey, the General 
Secretary of the Liberian Council of Churches, referring to fighting among 
warring factions that continues in parts of Liberia.

Peacekeepers from various West African nations have reported a rise in 
clashes in recent days, in rural parts of the country.

Rev Lartey said continued international pressure and attention will be 
needed to ensure implementation of the accord, signed on August 18 by the 
warring parties.

"It is a good document if it is enforceable," he said, and added: "But the 
peacekeeping needs to be robust."

Baffour D. Amoa, Secretary General of the Fellowship of Christian Councils 
and Churches in West Africa (FECCIWA) noted: "When people hear 'peace', 
they lose attention...The situation remains turbulent."

The LCC, one of the member councils of FECCIWA, is co-ordinating relief 
efforts supported by Church World Service (CWS) and other members of the 
Action by Churches (ACT) International network.

Reported by Chris Herlinger
Church World Service/ACT International

Fallen Kenyan Catholic Icon Was A Man Of Many Firsts

NAIROBI (AANA) September 15 - Kenya's retired Catholic Cardinal, Maurice 
Michael Otunga, who died here on September 6, will be laid to rest on 
September 19, at St Austin's Cemetery in the suburbs of Nairobi. This is in 
accordance with his will.

It will be the first time a clergyman of the level of bishop and above, 
will be buried at the cemetery, usually preserved for clerics of lower rank.

"As per now, no Catholic clergyman of the status of bishop and above has 
been interred there. His Eminence Cardinal Otunga will be the first in that 
order. Those interred there [so far] include priests, sisters and deacons," 
Father Emmanuel Ngugi, the priest-in-charge of the Holy Family Basilicah in 
Nairobi, told AANA last week.

Aged 80 years, the late Cardinal Otunga had served the Church for a total 
of 53 years.

The Cardinal, who was ordained into priesthood on October 3, 1950 and 
consecrated a bishop six years later, has had many firsts in the history of 
the Catholic Church.

His consecration as a bishop on November 17, 1956 at the age of 33, made 
him the youngest bishop in the world at that time.

When the Church elevated him to archbishop on October 24, 1971, he became 
the first Kenyan to head the metropolitan Archdiocese of Nairobi, replacing 
the late Archbishop John Joseph MacCarthy of the Holy Ghost Fathers 
congregation.

Two years later (March 5, 1973), Pope Paul VI made him Cardinal, again 
being the first and the only Kenyan so far, to attain that status.

One of the powers and duties entrusted to a cardinal is to participate in 
the rare election of a Pope.

The late Cardinal Otunga participated twice in such an exercise. The first 
was during the election of Pope John Paul I (the late), who served as a 
Catholic pontiff for the shortest time ever (37 days).	The second involved 
the selection of Pope John Paul II.

And when he retired as the archbishop of the metropolitan archdiocese of 
Nairobi, on April 21, 1997, he left yet another mark as having been the 
longest serving Catholic clergyman, as an ordained priest, the world over.

A humble man by nature, he chose to spend his life in retirement at a home 
for the elderly in Nairobi, rather than live in a plush neighbourhood.

Meanwhile, Pope John Paul II, the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) 
and Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki, himself a Catholic, have mourned the late 
Cardinal Otunga.

Observed the Pope in his telegraphic message to the Archdiocese of Nairobi: 
"It is with deep sadness that I learned of the death of Cardinal Maurice 
Michael Otunga, and I wish to assure you and all the faithful of the 
Archdiocese of Nairobi of my prayers to the Good Shepherd that, in his 
tender love, he will bring this dedicated servant speedily to the place 
prepared for him at the heavenly banquet".

A message of condolence from the AACC, addressed to the Catholic head in 
Kenya, Archbishop Ndingi Mwana a' Nzeki, noted: "We express our message of 
condolence through you to the Archdiocese of Nairobi, the Archbishop 
Eminence's family, relatives and close friends. His promotion to glory 
provides contentment in the knowledge of his spiritual destiny.  He has 
completed his journey and a filling one."

President Kibaki, in his message, observed that Cardinal Otunga's dynamic 
leadership led to the growth of the Catholic Church in Kenya.

Reported by Osman Njuguna

DRC Militias Are Still Using Child Soldiers, Says Amnesty

BUNIA/NAIROBI (AANA) September 15 - Despite the recent establishment of a 
Transitional Government of National Unity in the Democratic Republic of 
Congo (DRC), thousands of children in the country continue to be used for 
political and military advancement by the leaders of the country's warring 
parties.

A new report released by Amnesty International last week (September 9) says 
that child soldiers are still being recruited, and face a catalogue of
abuses.

"The ruthless exploitation of Congo's children by leaders of armed forces 
to further their own material and political ends is one of the most 
egregious examples of human rights abuses in of the entire conflict in the 
Congo," said Amnesty.

"The international community should bring pressure on all parties involved 
in the DRC, including leaders of all armed groups, to hold recruiters 
accountable for their acts, and to bring them to justice at the 
international and national levels," stated the report, which documents the 
plight of child soldiers in the DRC.

The report is titled, Democratic Republic of Congo: Children at War. 
Children interviewed by Amnesty International after dropping their weapons, 
give horrifying accounts of how the armed conflicts in the DRC have 
affected them, both physically and psychologically.

One child recounted: "We had to walk for days. At night, I had to raid 
villages in order to get some food. In October, I was part of the attack on 
Uvira."

He continued: "It was horrible. I was afraid and didn't want to kill 
anybody or be killed. After the attack, I left my gun and ran away."

Since 1996, thousands of children have been forced to join militia groups 
in the DRC. Recruitment drives are almost continuous.

Forceful conscription is prevalent, although voluntary enlistment is also 
widespread.

Children have been abducted in the streets or taken from classrooms, 
refugee camps or camps for the internally displaced.

Many others have also been taken from their homes at gunpoint, as their 
distraught parents look on helplessly.

Some children are known to have voluntarily joined the army or militia 
forces on being separated from their families, and in conditions of poverty.

Once recruited, they are sent to military training camps along with adult 
conscripts, for indoctrination.  They are usually subjected to violent 
treatment.

After a few weeks of training, the children are deployed to the frontlines 
for combat, to be used as cannon fodder.

Frontline missions include serving as decoys, detectors of enemy positions, 
bodyguards for commanders, or sex slaves.

Most girl soldiers have reported being sexually exploited or raped by their 
commanders or other soldiers.

Once on the frontlines, children are repeatedly forced to commit abuses, 
such as rape and murder, against enemy soldiers and civilians, including 
their own family members.

Others have been forced to engage in cannibalistic or sexual acts with the 
corpses of enemies killed in battle.

The individual price paid by child soldiers is often high. Brutalised and 
deeply traumatised by their experiences, many continue to be haunted by the 
memories of the abuses they witnessed or were forced to commit.

For girl soldiers, beyond the brutality and trauma of rape, sexual assault 
may result in serious physical injury and forced pregnancy, as well as 
infection with HIV.

International opinion has strengthened against the illegality and 
immorality of recruiting and using children in conflicts.

A consensus on the prohibition of recruitment and use of children now 
exists, to discourage this practice throughout the DRC.

Most of the warring parties in the country have committed themselves to end 
the recruitment and use of child soldiers.

However, there is a vast discrepancy between public pronouncements and 
actual attempts made by various governments and armed groups to protect 
children from being used as combatants.

Reported by Henry Neondo

Conference Calls For Holistic Leadership In The Church

LAGOS (AANA) September 15 - Solutions for improving leadership in the 
Church in Nigeria were offered here early this month at a conference 
attended by about 500 church leaders and workers.

Participants at the conference, which was organised by Church Growth 
Services, agreed that there was an urgent need for the church leadership in 
Nigeria to be based on biblical principles.

It was noted that many leaders have derailed from God's commandments and 
were misleading their followers.

The conference pointed out that while there was numerical growth in the 
number of Churches and members, there was no corresponding spiritual 
development and display of Godly virtues by Christians.

To properly harness the gains of the growth in Christianity in the country, 
participants agreed that the Church in Nigeria needed holistic leadership.

They described this type of leadership as true, Godly, called and competent 
guidance, focused on a God-given goal, and influencing people positively in 
body, soul and spirit.

It was observed that too many ministries, denominations and churches, were 
loosing focus simply because true leadership was not in operation.

"Many crises, break-aways and downward spiral could be traced to lack of 
holistic leadership in majority of churches today. We are focusing on less 
important things at the expense of people's soul. The time to change is 
now," the participants resolved.

Speakers at the conference included President of Church Growth Services, Dr 
Bola Akin-John, President of Fresh Anointing Church, USA, Pastor Adegoke 
Itiola, and David Kirkwood of Grace Church of South Hills, Pennsylvania, USA.

Reported by Lekan Otufodunrin