wfn.org | AANS - WCC's Samuel Koiba on Africa HIV/AIDS dilemma

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

AACC NEWSFLASH

September 23, 2003

Socio-cultural revolution needed to fight HIV/AIDS
By Mitch Odero

The General Secretary (elect) of the Geneva based World Council of Churches 
(WCC) Rev. Dr. Samuel Kobia said in Nairobi today (September 23) that 
HIV/AIDS posed an "astonishing dilemma of communal death" in Africa.

Addressing his fist press conference in Africa since his election (in 
August 28) to the WCC's substantive position, he explained.  "In most 
African traditional societies when an individual was sick the whole 
community was sick, hence in today's world when the old are burying the 
young, there is the astonishing dilemma of communal death.  Since young 
people have always been considered as the ones to take care of their 
parents in old age their ongoing demise due to AIDS is a cause of grave 
concern to the future of the continent.  People with AIDS die many times 
over in the gaze of their communities who in turn suffer the guilt of 
social stigmatization.	This misery stems out of the very means by which 
life flourishes as a gift to the community."

HIV/AIDS, he went on was not only a tragedy to individuals and their 
families "but it is also an extension of social anguish to an entire 
generation of orphaned children".

Rev. Kobia, whose press conference was held at the All Africa Conference of 
Churches (AACC), noted that "debates on sustainable responses to HIV/AIDS 
in Africa have largely focused on bio-medical interventions making 
questions of sexuality and spirituality to remain evidently hidden by 
global merchandising of this disease.  Feminization of poverty has also led 
to a large percentage of women in child bearing age to be infected in rural 
communities resulting in thousands of children going hungry as others 
continue to suffer from severe malnutrition".

The outcome, he went on, "is a continuous cycle of the very special 
conditions under which numerous women inevitably resort to prostitution to 
feed their families and men who infected them move on to cohabit with other 
women."

Rev. Kobia, a Kenyan is the first African to be appointed to head the 55 
year old world ecumenical body.  He was elected on August 28 and takes over 
office in January 1st, 2004.

Rev. Kobia stressed that equitable accesses to care, treatment and support 
to all in need "can no longer be a priviledge but a basic right to 
life."	Yet the claims of "rights" are useless without concomitant 
infrastructure for the delivery of the said rights. Ready access to 
appropriate medication "is one of the main factors determining long-term 
survival for HIV-infected people.  What is even more fundamental, though, 
is to address the social causes of the disease and reinvent alternative 
sustainable methods of prevention.  This calls for nothing short of 
socio-cultural revolution in our lifestyles" he underlined.

Rev. Kobia who was flanked by AACC General Secretary Rev. Dr. Mvume Dandala 
also spoke on interfaith relations pointing out that he planned to convene 
a global symposium on inter-religious dialogues and cooperation in 
overcoming violence.

The symposium planed for the second half of 2004 will also aim at promotion 
of "a culture of peace among all peoples of the world".

Today, he went on, religion is assuming a powerful position in the affairs 
of humankind because unlike the twentieth century which was dominated by 
politics of ideology, the twenty-first century is dominated by politics of 
identity.  In an effort to safe guard their boarders, identities tend to 
divide and religions can create conflicts across those borders.  "What 
religions should be doing, instead, is to seek to promote understanding 
despite the boarders and this is best done through dialogue between 
religions" he underlined.

Rev. Kobia noted that by exercising religious tolerance and interfaith 
collaboration, the religious motivated violence would be overcome more 
effectively as the faith community became credible agents of reconciliation 
in the process.

He noted that Africa could claim the 21st century as the new era of self 
sufficiency in food production, primary health, public safety, security and 
living a life of dignity in just, peaceful and sustainable 
communities.  This however challenges governments in partnership with 
churches and civil society institutions to create and sustain new ideas for 
radical structural changes in the living conditions of the working poor, 
excluded groups and peasant communities in Africa.

Food sovereignty he stressed, is basic to all other claims of self 
determination.	A people who cannot feed themselves cannot command respect 
among the family of nations.  Africans have the capacity to identify and 
utilise own resources that would radically "change our view of ourselves 
and the rest of the world.  My vision is that Africa could attain food 
sufficiency within a decade. All it would take is political will and 
strategic planning" he pointed out.

He went on, "there is great hope in the horizon with the ecumenical renewal 
of the life of the churches in Africa.	We rejoice at the election of 
Bishop Mvume Dandala as the general secretary of AACC and we will accompany 
the member churches in their commitment to ethical emancipation of the 
continent".

He added that churches in Kenya and Africa working together could become 
"the beacon of hope and sanctuaries of life."

He also called on churches to play their role towards popularising NEPAD 
(New Partnership for African Development) as a movement.

Earlier while introducing Rev. Kobia, AACC General Secretary Rev. Dr. Mvume 
Dandala noted that the world was exposed to irrationalities of war and 
therefore needed to be recalled back to be a caring world.  "This needs a 
voice that will remind the world to maintain responsible humanness and we 
are proud that a son of Africa (Rev. Kobia) has been called to sound the 
clarion call."

Rev. Dandala stressed various outstanding benchmarks made by WCC over the 
years including a significant role in the fight against racism leading to 
the dismantling of apartheid regime in South Africa.

Rev. Kobia also had a message for Kenya:  He called on Kenyans to "work 
hard to sustain the environment of peaceful dialogue and understanding in 
the coalition government.  The world is still watching which direction the 
democratic outcome of your struggles would lead to. Many African countries 
have been inspired by and look up to Kenya as a model.	Therefore the NARC 
(the ruling coalition party) experiment must succeed because its failure 
will disappoint not only the Kenyan people but other Africans as well" he 
added.

He stressed that "the reform movement in Kenya must gain a new momentum 
beyond the making of a new constitution.  The churches ought to become more 
responsible as a moral voice to speak fearlessly on behalf of the working 
poor and peasant communities".

For further information contact:-

Mitch Odero - AACC Information Desk
E-mail:  infodesk@aacc-ceta.org
Tel: 254-020-4441483/4441338/9
Fax: 254-020-4443241/4445835
Our website www.aacc-ceta.org

The World Council of Churches (WCC) is a fellowship of churches, now 342, 
in more than 100 countries in all continents from virtually all Christian 
traditions. The Roman Catholic Church is not a member church but works 
cooperatively with the WCC.  The highest governing body is the assembly, 
which meets approximately every seven years.  The WCC was formally 
inaugurated in 1948 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. It's staff is headed by 
general secretary Konrad Raiser from the Evangelical Church in Germany.

The All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC is a fellowship of 169 churches 
in 39 African countries.  Its General Secretary is Rev. Dr. Mvume  Dandala.