Back to Africa Summit
Rev. John L. McCullough, Executive Director of Church World Service (second from left), and African delegates to the Interfaith Summit on Africa in Washington, D.C., July 18-21, presented some of the continent¹s most pressing issues to members of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus in a briefing on Capitol Hill (Tues., July 18). From left: Dr. Nandini Patel, Chairperson, Hindu Council of Malawi, CWS's McCullough, Rt. Rev. Dr. Nyansako-ni-Nku, President All Africa Conference of Churches and President of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon, and Tahirih Matthee, Council of the Bahåi¹s of the Western Cape, South Africa.
Photo: Rick Reinhard Photography |
Statement by Rev. John L. McCullough to the Congressional Human Rights Caucus
Rev. John L. McCullough
Executive Director & CEO
Church World Service
July 18, 2006
I want to thank the Honorable Representative [Watson, California] for the invitation to address the Congressional Human Rights Caucus. This is an extraordinary opportunity for African religious leaders to address issues of human rights from an African perspective, and more importantly to discuss these issues with American policy-makers.
Nowhere is hunger and poverty so deeply entrenched as it is on the African continent. Yes, other continents face these same issues, but Africa has a disproportionate share of the sufferings. Poverty is not properly understood. It has many contexts, and comes in many forms.
There is of course the prevalence of hunger, but at the same time we recognize that Africa is a continent of immense mineral wealth. In African societies where oil is an available resource, only relatively few people enjoy its economic benefits. Some sectors are "awash in money from oil," but the people live in dire poverty. African religious leaders say, "Oil is soiling our people."
Access to water is a basic human right. These leaders say that more than just a natural resource, water is spirit, and therefore should easily be available to all, but sadly it is not.
Africa has a disproportionate number of refugees and internally displaced persons. These people suffer the poverty and indignity of not having a place they can call home.
Africa has more than its share of ordeals. This condition is stimulated by wars such as those that have affected the Sudan, the Ivory Coast, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and which now threaten Guinea. We should not forget Somalia. We need to talk of justice but also understand the perspective of the victims of these and other forms of injustice.
The United States determines its foreign policy on the basis of strategic national interests. The fate of 800 million people on the African continent should be a matter of our national interests.
Poverty is about more than just natural resources or military conflict. HIV/Aids is devastating Africa and leaving more and more people without the capacity to care for themselves, or to enjoy a quality of life that we belief faith in God demands.
The religious leaders who are gathered here want to say clearly that in Africa, religion cannot be sidelined. If you take away the faith-based groups, in some countries there would be no healthcare.
Today there are 300 million Africans living below the poverty line. We should be able to reach consensus as to what we see as fundamental human rights – regardless of ones situation or national identity. Food security is one of those fundamental rights, and all of us understand it in very personal and intimate ways.
We need to be enlightened about the contributions that women can make. Not just society-at-large, but the churches also need to recognize the changing roles of women. Women too need to have the benefit of realizing the full potential of their gifts, graces, and talents. This is a critical source of intellectual capital for the continent and our world. While it is true that women have traditionally played the primary role of caring for the family, we should at the same time recognize their true capacity, and the contributions they can and do make to society-at-large.
The issue is not one necessarily of money. The issues we are talking abou t here do not take as much as Warren Buffett's $37 billion to solve. Though we acknowledge and appreciate his generosity, we prefer to see allocations of this kind going directly to those who provide care for the poor. Such large amounts are not always necessary--in Africa, even $5 million can do a lot.
This briefing points out the importance of our collaboration across sectoral lines, and of inviting more people into the discussion. I congratulate you as U.S. policymakers in your recognition that inviting more people into the dialogue is not intimidating, but that it is essential if we are to both achieve a more accurate understanding of the issues confronting us, and solutions that will have long-term results.
Finally, should time permit I am asking the Honorable Representative for the courtesy of introducing two senior clerics that are part of our delegation. One is the Most Rev. Njongonkulu W.H. Ndugane, Archbishop, Anglican Church of the Province of Southern Africa; and the other is His Holiness, Abune Paulos, Patriarch of Ethiopia, Archbishop of Axum and Echegue of the See of St. Tekle Haimonot and President of the World Council of Churches.
Thank you.
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