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Congo Week of Action: October 17- 23 October 14th, 2010
The Missionary Oblates JPIC office joins millions around the world in commemorating the Congo Week of Action.
Faith communities, civil society groups in fifty countries and about two hundred universities will mark the week-long set of actions which is designed to raise awareness about the devastating situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo and mobilize support on behalf of the country’s people. It will take place from Sunday October 17 to Saturday October 23. 2010.
Democratic Republic of Congo remains one of the largest and most neglected humanitarian crises today with more than six million deaths since 1998. Millions of people have been displaced and many thousands of women and children have
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U.S. Catholic Task Force on Africa offers Support to Bishop Duffy OMI October 10th, 2010
- Poor state of Zambian roads hampers economic development
On October 8, a coalition of Catholic religious, Africa advocacy groups and humanitarian organizations based in Washington D.C issued a letter of support to Bishop Paul Duffy OMI in Zambia. The letter from the Catholic Task Force on Africa offers words of encouragement and expresses solidarity with Bishop Duffy. The Bishop has been receiving threats in recent months from ruling government party members for his having spoken out about the living conditions of people in his diocese.
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Congo Catholic Bishops Praise U.S. Law on Conflict Minerals August 17th, 2010
The Congolese bishops have welcomed the passage into law of the Congo Mineral Conflict and Extractive Industries Transparency via amendments to the US Financial Reform Bill. The president of the National Conference of Bishops of Congo, Bishop Nicolas Djomo said during a press conference in Kinshasa that the Catholic Church in the Democratic Republic of Congo is determined to campaign for the newly enacted law on conflict minerals so that it becomes useful in the extractives industries in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Bishop Djomo said that the legislation will help restore peace in the Democratic Republic Congo and that more actions are needed to strengthen good governance, support the legal economy, encourage peace and reconciliation, create a legal framework to revive the judicial system, and encourage citizens to engage in public life.
Bishop Djomo, who also serves as the Bishop for the diocese of Tshumbe in Kasai Oriental Province, thanked the America people and praised the American government, the U.S. Congress, faith based groups and other concerned groups who helped in passing the provisions on conflict minerals.
Conflict minerals, especially in Eastern Congo, provide the source of funding that allows armed militias to continue acts of terror, particularly widespread sexual violence and rape, while causing countless deaths.
World Bank Hosting Public Consultations on Operations in Africa June 20th, 2010
The World Bank Group is consulting and seeking input about World Bank operations in Africa. The series of public consultations is focusing on how to improve World Bank operations in Africa and is expected to be completed in January 2011. The aim of this consultative process is to raise awareness about opportunities and challenges facing Africa and to gather a diverse perspective about the Bank’s operations there. The global economic crisis coupled with changes in Africa’s political and socioeconomic landscape has made it necessary to revise World Bank operations in Africa.
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Transparency on Congo Conflict Minerals Folded into the Financial Regulatory Reform Bill May 25th, 2010
With the passage of the Restoring American Financial Stability Act (S. 3217) in the United States Senate, the Congo Conflict Minerals and the Energy Security through Transparency (ESTT) amendments have made it into legislation. However, as neither amendment was in the House version of the financial reform legislation, both amendments will be taken up by the House/Senate Conference committee which will work to reconcile the differences between the two bills. Both amendments were agreed to during the passage of the Restoring American Financial Stability Act in the Senate.
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