Bishops focus on poverty in Africa and its causes
By Linda Green*
May 16, 2007 | SPRINGMAID BEACH, S.C. (UMNS)
Bishop Jose Quipungo
|
What is poverty, and why is the word used to describe Africa?
The questions were posed during an April 29-May 4 meeting of the
Holistic Strategy on Africa committee, which is made up of African and
U.S. church leaders seeking to strengthen ministries of The United
Methodist Church in Africa.
Africa is rich in diversity and uniqueness, but a common thread
throughout the continent is degrees of poverty that adversely affect its
people and their national governments.
Although the continent is rich in mineral resources, "the resources
are not controlled by Africa," said Bishop Joseph Humper of Sierra
Leone.
"Poverty itself needs to be redefined because Africa is not poor,"
said Bishop David Yemba of the Central Congo Annual Conference.
"Africans have their fields, sheep, food."
The roots of poverty
The challenge, according to East Angola Bishop Jose Quipungo, is "the
struggle for an African to live day to day." He said that churches,
especially those in Portuguese-speaking countries, had no resources when
colonialism ended and had to fight for access to education and
technology.
"We started at zero to have the achievements we have today," he
declared, adding that education is necessary in eliminating poverty.
"Give education to the people so that they can get the education about
the resources they need. We may not become like America today or
tomorrow but, in 20 to 30 years, we will not be the Africa we are
today."
Rukudzo Murapa, vice chancellor for Africa University and convener of
the session, said that avoiding the issue of poverty "is in itself the
enemy" and that any cultural traits that keep Africans from seeking
knowledge need to be examined. "Ignorance is the worst form of
servitude," he added. "It is one of the root forms of poverty."
Poverty is the result of slavery "when the leaders were taken away
and the gap has not been filled," according to Zimbabwean Bishop Eben
Nhiwatiwa, adding that Africa is still suffering long after the slave
trade has ended.
"Poverty is a complicated subject," said Bishop Benjamin Boni of the
Cote d’ Ivorie Annual Conference. "It needs to be discussed over a long
period of time to arrive at solutions," but "surely, churches need to be
financially empowered to address poverty."
Speaking for the voiceless
East African Bishop Daniel Wandabula spoke of how ignorance,
exploitation and diseases of poverty plague Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya,
Sudan and Uganda. "If the church is to be effective, these issues have
to be addressed by the whole church which is entrusted to speak for the
voiceless," he said.
Africa does not manufacture guns, land mines or other weapons used
for killing, he added, "but the people continue to suffer from these
weapons being directed at them."
Murapa shared strategies for addressing poverty, which include:
- Understanding the relationship between Africa and developed countries;
- Investing in human resources and human capital;
- Investing in higher education with disciplines and other subjects that can guarantee a return;
- Fostering a climate of entrepreneurship using models from the Nation of Islam;
- Teaching people that accumulating wealth is not a bad thing – but that how they use that wealth can be;
- Finding ways to stop the "brain drain" from poor nations, in which bright and talented people leave to work in other countries;
- Urging the church and government to collaborate in the fight against poverty.
United Methodist bishops in Africa will meet Sept. 10-13 at Africa
University in Zimbabwe for further discussion about responses to
poverty.
On another matter, a committee working to develop models for pension
systems for pastors and church workers in United Methodist conferences
outside the United States has begun working toward a $2 million campaign
to fund pilot pension projects in Africa. The committee named Liberia
for a pilot project in 2006 and is considering where to begin the next
three pilots projects before the 2008 General Conference.
*Green is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in Nashville, Tenn.
News media contact: Linda Green, (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
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Resources
Africa Episcopal Areas
Africa University
United Methodist Committee on Relief |