Can Africa attain economic liberation, social welfare, as well as ecological protection in partnership with the European Union, the United States and China?
An ecumenical gathering in Tanzania will address this question by assessing investments in poverty eradication and development in the region.
This consultation is organised by the World Council of Churches (WCC) Poverty, Wealth and Ecology programme, in partnership with the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC), from 27 February to 1 March 2013 in Arusha, Tanzania.
Economists, sociologists, ecologists and other experts from Africa, the EU, the US and China will participate in the discussions. The EU-China-Africa Development Dialogue (ECADD) process will serve as the basis for their dialogue.
The ECADD process emerged from the AACC General Assembly in Mozambique, 2008, focusing on the “political and economic liberation of Africa”.
“The consultation will assess if there are visible marks of poverty reduction following 50 years of EU and US involvement in Africa’s development,” said Dr Rogate Mshana, WCC's programme executive for Poverty, Wealth and Ecology.
“In this significant dialogue, participants will analyse relations between China’s strong presence in Africa and poverty reduction. It is in this context that the consultation will discuss the role churches need to play,” he added.
Along with the WCC and AACC, other institutions involved in the event include Building Eastern Africa Community Network (BEACON), Helsinki Process on Globalisation and Democracy, Ecumenical Justice Network of the Fellowship of Christian Councils in Southern Africa and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
The participants of the consultation will develop a statement on investment in Africa by the EU, US and China and its impact on poverty eradication.
* All Africa Conference of Churches: http://www.aacc-ceta.org/ [1]
[Ekk/3]
