Together with Africa: Celebrating hope
February 1, 2010

In the eight months leading up to the recent Synod for Africa, the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns produced Together with Africa: Celebrating hope on a weekly basis. Each week we sent an update, a story of hope and an action proposal to folks committed to solidarity with the people of Africa. Now that the synod is over, the challenge for the Church in Africa and for all who would accompany the African journey to justice, peace and reconciliation is to implement the convocation’s good recommendations.

In support of that challenge, we are initiating a new “phase” of Together with Africa. Twice a month, we will send out similar updates, stories of hope and action proposals that relate to the implementation of the synod’s proposals.

Since many Together with Africa readers live in the United States, we are sharing with you Africa Action’s recently released Africa Policy Outlook 2010. We believe it is important to advocate with our own governments for Africa-related policies that promote justice, peace and reconciliation.

Africa Action’s Policy Outlook is an annual publication forecasts the key issues and developments in Africa policy, such as climate change, the global economic crisis, HIV and AIDS, foreign aid and other topics, and it analyzes trends in U.S. relations with Africa under the current administration.

As Africa moves into a new decade, the Africa Policy Outlook for 2010 identifies several challenges facing the Obama administration. Africa Action’s executive director Gerald LeMelle said, “The U.S. has tripled the budget for U.S. military programs in Africa and revitalized the IMF and its failed lending policies, while at the same time, flat-lined funding for life-saving HIV/AIDS programs… The Obama administration has so far chosen to emphasize the importance of the U.S.’s military role on the continent. However, the question now is whether, by treating dissent with military force rather than traditional law enforcement techniques, the U.S. is undermining democracy and at the same time encouraging extremism and the growth of anti-Americanism.”

This year’s report focuses on the following topics: AFRICOM, Ethiopia, Uganda, foreign aid reform, economic policy, debt, HIV and AIDS, climate change, land grabbing, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, and Zimbabwe.

See the entire document as a PDF here.

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