"The Love of Christ compels us to promote justice in the mining sector" Faith Actors at AMI 2024
Decades of unsustainable mineral exploitation have pushed many African societies into poverty despite the continent’s abundant natural wealth. To address this reality, the Alternative Mining Indaba (AMI) creates an inclusive space for communities and non-state actors to not only engage in meaningful dialogues, critiques, and analyses of their interactions with the extractive industries but also build and strengthen their capacity and solidarity to hold governments and mining corporations accountable for their decisions and actions.
Under the theme “Energy Transition Minerals: Putting Communities First for an Inclusive Feminist Future”, the 2024 AMI interrogated the role of transition minerals in transforming society. Over 400 delegates including several leaders from the All Africa Conference of Churches members participated in this event from 5-8 November 2024, Cape Town, South Africa.
“We want AMI to be a place where we don’t just share our stories but where our stories make a difference," said Ms Katlego Malesa from the Sekhukhune Combined Mining Affected Community Organization as she reflected on the theme.
During the various plenary sessions and side events, painful stories of exploitation, Gender-based violence, and conflicts in the various mining communities were narrated, exposing the lived realities of habitants of the mineral-rich areas.
“Please stop child labor in the mining industry” pleaded the 12-year-old Trachila Chola during the morning plenary on 6th February 2024.
Delivering his very inspiring closing address, Rev Emmanuel Chikoya; General secretary of the Council of Churches in Zambia (ZCC) declared that the faith sector will never quit the struggle for economic justice in Africa.
“Our actions are inspired by the everlasting love of Christ that Compels us to safeguard Human Dignity, Exercise ethical leadership, work for justice and peace, and be stewards of God’s creation.” He affirmed as he highlighted the theme of the recently held AACC 12th General Assembly, “The Love of Christ Compels us. 2 Cor 5:14” as an expression of the faith actors' source of motivation and power to work for a just, prosperous, peaceful, and secure Africa.
