The All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) and South African Council of Churches (SACC) co-hosted a Southern Africa Advocacy Framework Workshop in Johannesburg from the 10th - 12th September 2019. 

The workshop was opened by Gorden Simango the Director of AACC Liaison Office at the African Union. He welcomed all the participants and emphasized the importance of the workshop to the process of mapping different actors and advocacy initiatives in the region.  

The objective of the workshop was for members to identify each other’s scope of work and explore synergies in collective work on advocacy (advocacy framework) while jointly validating information for an AACC directory and database of advocacy initiatives of members of the AACC and National Council of Churches (NCCs) in Africa.

Dr. Vasu Gounden, Founder and Director of the African Centre for Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD) gave the keynote address for the workshop. In his address, he noted that Faith-Based Organizations (FBOs) are moral standard-bearers hence the need to amplify their voice and agency more so now at a time of moral degeneration. He added that Africa should deliberately invest in social engineering which ensures that there is an enhancement of skills, capital and opportunities for growth. For every society to progress it requires entrepreneurship skills, managerial skills, administration skills, professional skills, technical skills, and labour

Rt. Rev Bishop Mthanjiswa Malusi Mpumlwana, General Secretary, South African Council of Churches (SACC) shared that Christian activism and activism by Christians end up being considered as advocacy by social activists because of how busy church leaders portray themselves to be and their inability to stand up to their Christian commitment. “We enter activism with the bigger part of our faith and with time it becomes a burden and we adjust to the jobs we hold rather than the faith”. He said.

To maintain and improve on integrity in advocacy work, the participants were encouraged to access information from primary authentic sources, conduct a preliminary assessment of allegations, compare allegations with other cases and cross-check information with other sources. Other values that were noted as essential include confidentiality and gender sensitivity. The participants were also encouraged to ensure that they uphold the duty of care for those involved in the work, ensure the safety of information collected, ensure informed consent as well as both online and physical safety for beneficiaries or sources of information and evidence that is used in the advocacy. 

In conclusion, AACC is committed to engaging directly with key decision-makers and duty bearers during strategic meetings at the continental level.  

 

 

 

The All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC), a continental body of 193 churches in 42 African countries with headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya rejoices with you, Your Excellency, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia on your award of Nobel Peace Prize. This has not come to us at AACC as surprise, because of your demonstrated efforts to broker peace and understanding between Ethiopia and your sister nation Eritrea Your commitment to peace and international cooperation is abundantly evident in many ways. You have continued to spearhead various initiatives within the Great Lakes and Horn of African region to entrench a culture of inclusivity in governance and sense of hospitality. You have shown by your decision to gazette that all Africans traveling to Ethiopia shouldn’t trouble themselves to acquire visa before traveling but acquire it at the port of entry, this no doubt expressed your fidelity to principles of Africa’s integration as aptly captured in the African Union Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want, Aspiration Two, that states, “An integrated continent, politically united, based on the ideals of Pan Africanism and the vision of Africa’s Renaissance”.

AACC on behalf of the 193 Member Churches and Christian Councils felicitates with you on this revered award given to you, we pray and hope that it will inspire you the more to remain a relentless advocate of peace anchored on authentic justice for all.

Be further motivated by the biblical text of Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”

 

The All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) represented by Prof. Rev. Bosela Eale and Ms. Minoo Kyalo, held a Consultation of the Associations of Theological Institutions in Africa (ATIA) with the theme “Evaluation and Future Prospects of Theological Associations in Africa” from 24th -27th September in Gaborone, Botswana. 

The objective of the two-day consultation was to take stock of the past 5 years and explore ways and means of how the AACC can strengthen and enhance her accompaniment of theological associations and plan for the way forward. 

The consultation meeting was the first for theological associations to come together and discuss issues related to their respective associations. Participants were drawn from the 5 Associations namely; Association of Theological Institutions in Eastern Africa (ATIEA), Association of Theological Institutions in Southern and Central Africa (ATISCA), Association des Institutions D'enseignement Théologique en Afrique Centrale (ASTHEOL-CENTRAL), Association des Institutions D'enseignement Théologique en Afrique Ouest (ASTHEOL- WEST) and West Africa Association of Theological Institutions (WAATI).  

Leaders of the theological associations shared their work experiences, evaluated work done during the last five years and engaged on the relevance and future of theological institutions in Africa as well as ways of collaboration between theological associations. They agreed to review the curriculum of their theological institution, design a course on Peace from the aspiration 4 of the Agenda 2063 and incorporate it in their theological curriculums as well as organize ATIA meetings at least twice a year, AACC being the convener.

In conclusion, the AACC will create a link on its website where the associations can post their work for accessibility. The AACC will also come up with a strategy to encourage more female theologians to join the leadership of the theological associations.

 

This is the message of AACC General Secretary, Rev. Dr. Fidon on the international Day of Peace for this year 2019.

"The world is focusing on the theme: Climate Action for Peace. SDG 13: Climate Action.

There is no country that is not experiencing the drastic effects of climate change. Greenhouse gas emissions are more than 50 percent higher than in 1990. Global warming is causing long lasting changes to our climate system, which threatens irreversible consequences if we do not act.

The annual average economic losses from climate-related disasters are in the hundreds of billions of dollars. This is not to mention the human impact of geophysical disasters, which are 91 percent climate-related, and which between 1998 and 2017 killed 1.3 million people and left 4.4 billion injured.

In Africa we suffer a lot from the effects of climate change, even though we do not cause most of it. However, we are not only victims. We are also part of the problem; we also contribute to causing climate change.

AACC has identified climate change as one of the key areas we must continue working on. We see how the dignity of African people is impacted by negative effects of Climate change. One of the effects is how climate change causes conflict: from fighting for firewood and water, to conflicts between pastoralists and farmers, and to migration forced by climate change lead into many aspects of conflicts in this continent.

The bible says in 1 peter 3:10 and 11:

    "Those who desire life and desire to see good days,...let them turn away from eveil and do good; let them seek peace and pursue it" And one of the main ways to o that is through Climate Action, also for this year."

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