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Africa: Churches to Push for Effective Foreign Aid to Continent |
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Written by CISA
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Friday, 29 August 2008 |
 Catholic development organisations and representatives of the Church in Africa will next week appeal to the international community for effective aid to the continent.
The Catholic charities (under the umbrella of Caritas Internationalis) will be at the negotiating table in Accra, Ghana, for the Third High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness to be held in September from 2 to 4.After a May meeting, the Church in Africa, represented by the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences in Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), joined the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) to make a joint ecumenical statement appealing for aid to be distributed in more effective ways.
The Christian leaders are encouraging more decision-making power delegated to local communities regarding the way money is spent, ZENIT reported. They are appealing for an end to conditions placed by governments and institutions when they donate aid.
The ecumenical statement quoted studies that show half of all aid is tied to technical assistance and supply driven. It noted the continued militarization of aid and the promotion of consumer culture at the expense of sustainable development.
"The Accra process," the statement concluded, "must be a step forward in the journey for Africans to stand with pride, with no begging bowls in their hands, but with bowls in our hands ready to contribute to help others around the globe."
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 28 August 2008 )
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