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Africa: Economic Justice Conference
Africa: Economic Justice Conference
Date distributed (ymd): 980815
Document reposted by APIC
+++++++++++++++++++++Document Profile+++++++++++++++++++++
Region: Southern Africa, East Africa
Issue Areas: +political/rights+ +economy/development+ +security/peace+
Summary Contents:
This posting contains a statement from the Dar es Salaam conference of
the Economic Justice Network for Church Organizations in Eastern and Southern
Africa on the theme "Economic Justice." It puts the Jubilee 2000
campaign for debt cancellation for poor countries in the context of a wider
range of economic issues.
+++++++++++++++++end profile++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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The Economic Justice Network for Church Organisations in Eastern and
Southern Africa is made up of all the Council of Churches which form the
Fellowship of Councils of Churches in Eastern and Southern Africa (FOCCESA),
in Angola, Botswana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South
Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The secretariat is at
the Ecumenical Documentation and Information Centre for Eastern and Southern
Africa (EDICESA).
Contact: Tendai Chikuku Nyahoda
Director, EDICESA
P.O. Box H94, Hatfield
HARARE, Zimbabwe
Tel: (263 4) 570311/572979
Fax: (263 4) 572979
E-mail: EDICESA@mango.zw,EDICESA@harare.iafrica.com
JUBILEE 2000 -
ECONOMIC JUSTICE FOR CHURCHES IN EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA
July 28-31, 1998
Kurasini Conference Centre,
Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania
Theme: 'Economic Justice'
COMMUNIQUE
1. Theological base
The term 'jubilee' has a biblical origin which comes from the word 'yobel'
(jubilee) or a horn. A horn was blown to announce or proclaim the beginning
of the jubilee, that is, the year of the Lord's favour (grace). Thus, jubilee
points to a year of grace whereby human beings had sinned against each
other and against God.
In our context in Africa, Jubilee must not be exclusively confined to
the cancellation of the unpayable debts of most of the poor countries of
the world. While it is recognized that this is undoubtedly part of the
jubilee package, it is important to stress that the concept must call for
a transformation of society at various levels and emphasize the restoring
of the broken bonds of the community of God's people. Jubilee was, and
must, be a time for setting slaves free and redistributing land. Efforts
at jubilee must, therefore, affirm Africa's dignity, resurrect the continent's
lost identity and enhance its solidarity. In this regard, the process of
jubilee must redress the socio-economic inadequacies in society's production
relations and forces and seek to promote an equitable distribution of wealth.
Jubilee is thus about relationship between God and people; between people
and people; and between people and nature. This relationship transcends
human greed and distortion, lifting us towards the higher ideals of forgiveness
and redemption. But 'forgiveness' implies that the offender has accepted
their guilt. Thus, we implore the rich nations of the North to acknowledge
their guilt for the long years of exploitation and oppression, from colonial
through to the present times, of the poor countries of the South. Their
acceptance of guilt, and our readiness to forgive, are what constitute
the essential expressions of the celebration of the value of life. 1
With reference to the debt burden, we also acknowledge that numerous
mistakes have been made by us, especially our political and religious leaders
and we have been late to question them. Thus, true jubilee calls for a
transformation that will lead to good governance, transparency and accountability.
Even more important is the fact that jubilee must relate to people's
freedom. This freedom relates to political freedom, but it goes beyond
that. Jubilee must be viewed within the context of man and woman created
in the image o f God. The responsibility given to humanity as stewards
and custodians is set on the perspective of a creation declared by God
as 'good'-free from exploitation and oppressive culture. It is one where
the potentialities of God's people ar e given room to flourish. In this
regard, Leviticus declares jubilee as rearranging human relations so that
they can conform to God's 'good' creation. While the liberation struggle
gave Africa political freedom, there still remains the matter of economic
justice. Jubilee, then, relates to putting right those things that militate
against the rights of our peoples to their freedom, economic empowerment
and peace.
Jubilee is about community; it is about being your brother's keeper;
it is about reinforcing Africa's famous dictum of 'I am because you are'.
It is reaffirming 'ubuntu' for what it genuinely is. Unlike the current
practices that perpetuate instability and chaos, the jubilee campaign presents
hope and optimism.
2. Statement/Analysis of the problem
We travail and bleed with Christ as we witness the current turmoil of
his people in our region, and as we see how human greed has subterfuged
God's project of universal peace and harmony of jubilee. Africa in general,
and our region in particular, is, like Job of Yor, afflicted with all manner
of s ores, but the ones that we find ache most at this historical moment,
are the scourge of debt, the new viciousness of Northern capital manifesting
itself in the form of globalisation and the Multilateral Agreement on Investment,
trade and investment distortions, as well as the key challenge to secure
three meals a day for all of God's people and the need for food security.
2.1. The debt crisis
We noted with concern the glaring examples from the unworkable programs
of the SAP which have caused endless poverty in our communities.
We also noted that as we approach the 21st Century, Africa is not yet
free as the North continues to design and impose agreements on Africa which
are only meant to make Africans indirect economic slaves.
The impact of debt is manifested in the denial of educational opportunities,
the erosion of health care, and the inability to finance genuine public
sector development. Furthermore, the circumstances under which the debt
has been incurred are morally unjust, ranging, as they do, from the apartheid-caused
debt, unfair international trade and investment terms, right through to
corrupt diversion of development finance. In any event, in its current
proportions, the debt is unsustainable as Africa finds itself caught up
in servicing a usurious debt, notwithstanding the political instability
which makes paying even more difficult.
2.2. The 'Lome' negotiations
The present Lome IV agreement between the EU and the ACP countries on
development aid and trade expires at the end of the century and negotiations
for a new agreement will commence during 1998. It is worth noting that
the present agreement has not been successful. The present arrangement
has not altere d but sustained colonial relations of production and redistribution,
and consumption. The development aid is too centralized focusing mainly
at the central governments and has often failed to reach the poor. Despite
the availability of trade preferences the share of ACP countries in the
total import of the E U has dropped to insignificant numbers compared with
imports from Asia and Latin America. Trade preferences -- at zero tariffs
-- have been available mainly for products where poor countries stand no
chance in competing with the EU-manufactured goods and industry -- while
heavy protection have been the rule on agricultural goods produced by the
EU itself.
The negotiating mandate for a new agreement adopted by the EU governments
is a cause for serious concern for the ACP countries. The EU aims at integrating
the ACP into the world market system from which they are now largely marginalised,
by introducing free trade agreements between itself and African, Caribbean
and Pacific regions respectively. These regional agreements should achieve
equal/reciprocal market access after a transitional period of only five
y ears, which implies that African countries should open their markets
to exports from the EU-countries. This approach is very dangerous since
almost no economic sector in ACP countries would be able to survive competition
from the EU within such a short horizon even if the EU provides support
for improving economic structures and capacities. The least developed countries
are offered special treatment which is WTO-compatible because it offered
to all LDCs, but less favorable than those available in the present Lome
Convention. The strategy of the EU should be seen in the context of capital-led
globalisation where the rich nations of the North are involved in competition
over the control of markets and resources in the South, and particular
as a European response to the US-Africa Growth and Economic Opportunities
Act. African countries must oppose these agendas and propose alternatives
that better suit their needs for development and poverty alleviation.
2.3. The Multilateral Agreement on Investment
The Multilateral Agreement on Investment is an international treaty
under secret negotiations by the twenty-nine (29) member countries of the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. More clearly put,
the MAI is a charter of rights to transnational corporations, whose main
goal is to restrict t he ability of governments to regulate them, promote
greater legal security and protection for investments and establish dispute
settlement mechanism which gives them rights to challenge national laws
and seek payment to damages. If agreed, it will be open for ratification
not only to OECD states, but to all non-OECD countries which will be asked
to join after negotiations have ended.
In its current form, the MAI proposes an unprecedented expansion of
corporate rights without a corresponding transfer of social and environmental
responsibilities and obligations. The MAI has profound political, economic,
social, environmental and cultural implications, characterized by large
elements of control of the global economy from governments to unelected
and unaccountable corporations.
MAI should be understood in the context of globalisation, which is a
deliberate political project of the rich countries and transnational corporations
manifesting itself in the economic processes and activities of World Bank
, IMF, etc.
2.4. Food security and economic justice
Hunger and malnutrition is a daily reality for more than 40% of the
population in sub-Saharan Africa. Efforts to improve food security have
largely failed because of inadequate public policies, unequal distribution
of productive resources, such as land, as well as distorted and unjust
international trade structures. Malnutrition is widespread even in those
countries in the region who are major exporters of agricultural products.
The poor peasants and village communities have been neglected regarding
access to land, credit, markets , appropriate and sustainable farm technologies
and advice. In addition to this, the movement of large-scale commercial
farming in the region has dispossessed many small-scale farmers of their
land, apart from forcing them to grow certain types of cash crops. The
introduction of structural adjustment programs favour the emphasis on export
crops to earn hard currency often at the detriment of food production for
local consumption. The market forces set free by adjustment programs often
work against food security. When food subsidies and price controls are
removed, the poorer sections of the population can only afford one or two
meals a day often of insufficient nutritional value. Reduction of import
controls in SAPs allow Europe, the US and other countries in the North
to dump their agricultural surplus production in Africa at prices so low
that local farmers go out of business. This is free-trade dogmatism with
double standards that the World Bank preaches and forces poor countries
to remove subsidies and protection while the EU and the US agricultural
markets are heavily protected and subsidized.
3.0. The way forward
In view of these problems and challenges, the meeting recommends that
Task Forces be created and mandated to tackle the following issues:
3.1. The debt crisis
3.2. The 'Lome'
3.3. The MAI
3.4. Food security and land
The Task Forces will work with churches, through their national councils,
to engage in the analysis of the issues identified above, lobby governments
and regional organisations, and mobilise councils and churches for concrete
action on these issues.
The Task Force will comprise 5 people selected on the basis of commitment
and competence on a given issue. More specifically, the terms of reference
of the Task Force will be with respect to each of the groups mandated area
of work -
- to identify issues and set policy trends and strategies for policy
work.
- to lead in research and analysis.
- To spearhead and, where applicable, carry out the tasks themselves,
the preparation of briefing and educational materials, as well as other
learning and communication resources for use in advocacy and campaigns.
- To spearhead lobbying and advocacy efforts, including establishing
and maintaining contact with key policy players as appropriate.
- To network with other NGOs, civic groups, and media groups in order
to promote the analysis, messages and concerns of the Network.
- To report to and receive directions from the Network from time to time
as will be agreed.
Where no economic justice officer exists, each National Council is requested
to forward the name of a contact person to the Economic Justice Network.
The Steering Committee was mandated by the meeting to put in place the
Task Forces and to ensure that work on the identified topics start soon.
Other more general recommendations include the following:
- That FOCCESA should constitute a delegation to go to Angola on a fact-finding
mission in view of that country's political turmoil.
- That FOCCESA should embark on research and action on regional integration.
Additional background on the Economic Justice Network for Churches
in Eastern and Southern Africa
(excerpts from FOCCESA newsletter)
Church organisations in Eastern and Southern Africa have established
an Economic Justice Network to harness all the resources of the east and
southern Africa region for all its people with a view to facilitate economic
justice through the transforming agency of Christians compelled by the
Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Our Mission
The mission of the network is to strengthen the commitment of the church
in its advocacy work on economic justice and in acting as a catalyst for
engaging people in the promotion of economic and social structures. The
network will establish mechanisms to bring the experiences and concerns
of the marginalised and poor people to the agenda of church and society.
Description of existing situation and aims of the project
Churches and Christian Councils are forceful actors in the civil society
on human rights and democratization. Increasingly their involvement on
behalf of the poor and marginalised sectors of society of necessity should
lead them to deal with economic justice issues. In this regard a just region
and just world is what the network advocates for.
Various studies have revealed that we are operating under an economic
system which ignore the Third World context characterized by the globalization
of the economy, which has aggravated poverty in developing countries, especially
Africa. The system tends to work against the poor in favour of the rich.
Third World countries are living under the unbearable weight of foreign
debt. National economies are functioning under the constraints imposed
by the World Bank through among other things, SAPs. Social indicators show
that there has been a reversal of literacy rates, a decline in health standards,
growing poverty in urban and rural areas, a rise in social crime, rise
in unemployment, growing gap between the rich and the poor and an erosion
of the authority of national governments.
What is our challenge?
-To seek alternatives to the market forces
-To contribute to the democratizing of the global trading systems
-To affirm economic justice as a human right
-To restore dignity in the life of the poor
-To stress the need for sustainable development
-To ensure the meaningful participation of citizens and civil society
in the development of our economy
-To eliminate poverty and enhance the quality of life
For more information, including network contact information in specific
countries, please contact the FOCCESA secretariat at EDICESA (edicesa@harare.iafrica.com)
This material is being reposted for wider distribution by the Africa
Policy Information Center (APIC), the educational affiliate of the Washington
Office on Africa. APIC's primary objective is to widen the policy debate
in the United States around African issues and the U.S. role in Africa,
by concentrating on providing accessible policy-relevant information and
analysis usable by a wide range of groups individuals.
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