Editors: CORRECTS spelling of Quipungo's name in 6th graf and Cote d'Ivoire in 10th graf
Bishops focus on poverty in Africa and its causes
May. 16, 2007
NOTE: Photographs are available at http://umns.umc.org.
By Linda Green*
SPRINGMAID BEACH, S.C. (UMNS) - What is poverty, and why is the word used to describe Africa?
The questions were posed during an April 29-May 4 meeting of the Holistic Strategy on Africa committee, which is made up of African and U.S. church leaders seeking to strengthen ministries of The United Methodist Church in Africa.
Africa is rich in diversity and uniqueness, but a common thread throughout the continent is degrees of poverty that adversely affect its people and their national governments.
Although the continent is rich in mineral resources, "the resources are not controlled by Africa," said Bishop Joseph Humper of Sierra Leone.
"Poverty itself needs to be redefined because Africa is not poor," said Bishop David Yemba of the Central Congo Annual Conference. "Africans have their fields, sheep, food."
The roots of poverty
The challenge, according to East Angola Bishop Jose Quipungo, is "the struggle for an African to live day to day." He said that churches, especially those in Portuguese-speaking countries, had no resources when colonialism ended and had to fight for access to education and technology.
"We started at zero to have the achievements we have today," he declared, adding that education is necessary in eliminating poverty. "Give education to the people so that they can get the education about the resources they need. We may not become like America today or tomorrow but, in 20 to 30 years, we will not be the Africa we are today."
Rukudzo Murapa, vice chancellor for Africa University and convener of the session, said that avoiding the issue of poverty "is in itself the enemy" and that any cultural traits that keep Africans from seeking knowledge need to be examined. "Ignorance is the worst form of servitude," he added. "It is one of the root forms of poverty."
Poverty is the result of slavery "when the leaders were taken away and the gap has not been filled," according to Zimbabwean Bishop Eben Nhiwatiwa, adding that Africa is still suffering long after the slave trade has ended.
"Poverty is a complicated subject," said Bishop Benjamin Boni of the Cote d'Ivoire Annual Conference. "It needs to be discussed over a long period of time to arrive at solutions," but "surely, churches need to be financially empowered to address poverty."
Speaking for the voiceless
East African Bishop Daniel Wandabula spoke of how ignorance, exploitation and diseases of poverty plague Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda. "If the church is to be effective, these issues have to be addressed by the whole church which is entrusted to speak for the voiceless," he said.
Africa does not manufacture guns, land mines or other weapons used for killing, he added, "but the people continue to suffer from these weapons being directed at them."
Murapa shared strategies for addressing poverty, which include:
* Understanding the relationship between Africa and developed countries; * Investing in human resources and human capital; * Investing in higher education with disciplines and other subjects that can guarantee a return; * Fostering a climate of entrepreneurship using models from the Nation of Islam; * Teaching people that accumulating wealth is not a bad thing - but that how they use that wealth can be; * Finding ways to stop the "brain drain" from poor nations, in which bright and talented people leave to work in other countries; * Urging the church and government to collaborate in the fight against poverty.
United Methodist bishops in Africa will meet Sept. 10-13 at Africa University in Zimbabwe for further discussion about responses to poverty.
On another matter, a committee working to develop models for pension systems for pastors and church workers in United Methodist conferences outside the United States has begun working toward a $2 million campaign to fund pilot pension projects in Africa. The committee named Liberia for a pilot project in 2006 and is considering where to begin the next three pilots projects before the 2008 General Conference.
*Green is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in Nashville, Tenn.
News media contact: Linda Green, (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
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United Methodist News Service Photos and stories also available at: http://umns.umc.org
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