Advocacy At The African Union

Advocacy at The African Union is broken down in the following thematic areas.

1. Agenda 2063

Programmatic Goals

•   Monitor the implementation of Agenda 2063

Programmatic interventions

• Undertake continuous research and advocacy on the Agenda implementation
• Disseminate the research findings (both to the AU and the AACC member churches)
• Advocate for children’s rights

 

2. Migration and trafficking in persons

Programmatic Goals

• Minimize the phenomenon of illegal migration

Programmatic interventions

• Undertake research on the underlying causes
• Hold governments accountable, where applicable

 

3. Population and Development

Programmatic Goals

• Highlight the link between population growth and development/poverty

Programmatic interventions

• Undertake research and generate discussions on population and development
• Promote sustainable population growth

 

4. Representation of Faith Based Organizations’ voice

Programmatic Goals

• Present issues from the member churches and Civil Society Organizations (e.g. gender, climate change, interfaith relations, etc.) to the AU

Programmatic interventions

• Participate in issues debated in AU respective organs (ECOSOCC, CIDO, FEMWISE, PANWISE, etc.)

 

5. New African Debt Crisis

Programmatic Goals

• Raise awareness on the increasing debt crisis

 

Programmatic interventions

• Undertake research and conduct analysis on national debts
• Initiate and generate debate on national debt

Peace, Diakonia And Development

This programme is broken down in the following thematic areas.

1. Peace

Programmatic Goals

• Maintain ecumenical pastoral presence for reconciliation and peace in difficult situations

Programmatic interventions

• Maintain high-level ecumenical diplomacy
• Encourage the churches to have disaster preparedness and management systems (effective early warning systems)
• Facilitate reconciliation and mediation initiatives
• Assist the churches to play a proactive role in preventing potential conflicts (e.g. related to land, water and other natural resources)

 

2. Migration and Human Trafficking

Programmatic Goals

• Increase awareness on the phenomenon and address root causes of migration

Programmatic interventions

• Encourage the churches to include the issue of migration and human trafficking in the church agenda
• Promote an Africa of Hope (Videos, documentaries on returnees, profiling of successful business women, etc.)
• Work with European ecumenical institutions to address the challenge of Africa-Europe migration
• Develop linkages with Africans in the diaspora

3. Climate Change

Programmatic Goals

• Addressing the impact of Climate Change

Programmatic interventions

• Engage in advocacy at the AU through the Liaison Office (compliance with the Paris Agreement)
• Promote the use of renewable energy

4. Environment and Care for Creation

Programmatic Goals

• Promote eco – theology.

Programmatic interventions

• Educate member churches on the challenge of environment and climate Justice and the imperatives of an eco-theology in African contexts
• Address issues of land and water justice

5. Engagement with Global and Continental Development Agendas

Programmatic Goals

• Creatively engage with UN Agenda 2030 and African Union “Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want”.

Programmatic interventions

• Continue popularization for ownership by the churches
• Equip churches to monitor implementation and hold their governments accountable
• Showcase achievements from time to time

6. Advocacy for Economic Justice and a new Debt Crisis

Programmatic Goals

• Engage in multi-stakeholder dialogue on national debts, international aid, access to markets (economic partnership agreement) etc.

Programmatic interventions

• Advocate for Churches’ commitment to economic justice in the continent
• Produce fact sheets on ballooning new debt and the challenge of debt management
• Equip churches to monitor governments borrowing (ethical decision-making)
• Address issues of corruption

7. Population and Development

Programmatic Goals

• Highlight the issue of sustainable population growth and its impact on development

Programmatic interventions

• Demonstrate the link between population growth and development
• Assist churches to responsibly engage in reproductive health issues
• Research and make available statistical data and analysis on population growth in Africa

8. Diakonia

Programmatic Goals

• Advocate for Diakonia as an imperative ministry to the Church to be inclusive, empowering and transformative

Programmatic interventions

• Collaborate with the World Council of Churches on Diakonia in the African continent.
• Equip churches in developing common understanding of Diakonia and practice of the ministry of Diakonia
• Disseminate publications on Diakonia

Gender, Women And Youth

Gender, Women and Youth

Gender, Women and Youth is broken down in the following thematic areas

1. Sexual and Gender Based Violence

Programmatic Goals

Ending Sexual and Gender Based Violence

Programmatic interventions

• Pursue the fight against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV)
• Increase participation of men in the fight against SGBV
• Encourage abused men to open up to/for help
• Produce resources (practical tools on how to address SGBV issues and theological reflections on SGBV)
• Conduct a research on the persistence of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)

2. Widows

Programmatic Goals

Highlight the plight of widows

Programmatic interventions

• Conduct an awareness campaign on the plight of widows in the continent
• Produce ideas to assist in addressing the plight of widows in the churches

3. Women’s Rights

Programmatic Goals

Advocate for women’s rights and gender equality

Programmatic interventions

• Engage with the African Union and UN Women on gender concerns and involvement of women in decision making
• Establish an AACC men’s movement for gender justice
• Initiate a youth campaign for gender justice
• Sensitize young girls and women about their value as human beings created in God’s image; have a good self-esteem

4. Gender Equality in church Leadership

Programmatic Goals

Enhance women’s participation in church leadership

Programmatic interventions

• Promote gender sensitive interpretation of the bible (interpretation of gender-biased biblical texts)
• Conduct a survey on the level of women’s involvement in church leadership
• Support advanced training for potential women leaders

5. Women and Entrepreneurship

Programmatic Goals

Promote women entrepreneurial skills development for wealth creation

Programmatic interventions

Create a forum for women entrepreneurs to share ideas and showcase success stories for inspiration of other women

16. Youth employment and Entrepreneurship

Programmatic Goals

Foster job creation and innovation among the youth

Programmatic interventions

• Encourage churches to create opportunities for exchange programs for young people
• Showcase success stories of young people (innovation, small-scale enterprises, etc.)
• Fight drugs and substance abuse
• Organize youth contests (essay competitions, etc.)

7. Preventing/Countering Violent Extremism and Radicalization

Programmatic Goals

Establish an Interfaith Youth Movement for Peace Building

Programmatic interventions

• Provide platforms for awareness creation on religious radicalization and extremism
• Create opportunities for interactions among youth of different faiths in Africa
• Use social media for peace promotion and peace building in Africa
• Open an online forum on “youth as agents of peace”
• Collaborate with the African Union interfaith programmes and other actors

8. Youth and African Patriotism

Programmatic Goals

AACC Youth Campaign on African Patriotism.

Programmatic interventions

•  nitiate a youth campaign on Youth Patriotism in Africa: - “Africa: my home, my future”.
• Organize an All Africa Youth Congress to launch the campaign and inspire youth to love their countries.
• Create awareness programs on the achievements of our countries, societies, and promotion of the diversities and talents in our countries.
• Create a youth platform for discussion to own and popularize the Agenda 2063 for a United, Peaceful and Prosperous Africa.

Theology, Interfaith Relations And Ecclesial Leadership Development

Theology, Interfaith Relations and Ecclesial Leadership Development is broken down in the following thematic areas.

 

1. Ecumenical Formation

Programmatic Goals

• Nurture young theologians and pastors for ecumenical formation
• Rekindle the spirit of ecumenism

 

Programmatic interventions

• Young theologians especially participants at the AACC Ecumenical Theological Institute are encouraged and supported to write, present and publish theological literature
• Conduct a tracer study of the graduates of Theological Institute
• Organize annual theological colloquiums and competitions

 

2. Addressing Misleading Theologies

Programmatic Goals.

Engage churches in identifying, analyzing and deconstructing misleading theologies on the continent

 

Programmatic interventions

• Create platforms for dialogue with theological associations on deconstructing misleading
• Theologies
• Equip church leaders in Africa to identify and analyze destructive and misleading theologies

 

3. Interfaith Interventions

Programmatic Goals

Diffuse interfaith tensions and create awareness on the need for interfaith dialogue

 

Programmatic interventions

• Collaborate with Program for Christian Muslims Relations in Africa (PROCMURA)
• Facilitate member churches in interfaith reconciliations
• Engage the African Union on interfaith matters
• Facilitate peace meetings involving leaders and youth of different faiths, particularly in conflict areas

 

4. Ecclesial Leadership Development for Self-Sustainability

Programmatic Goals.

Provide guidance and accompaniment for sustainable leadership in the churches

 

Programmatic interventions

• Promote good governance and democratic transition in the churches (e.g. respect for church constitutions, fighting corruption, etc.)
• Facilitate conflict resolution within churches as requested
• Create an AACC pool of mediators who are non-partisan
• Continue providing capacity building on leadership at different levels