African Jubilee: assessing accomplishments and planning the future

(Vatican Radio). For many African nations this is the decade which marks more or less half a century of independence from colonial rule.

It’s an occasion to think back, and of course… look ahead!

That’s why professors in African studies, theologians and African ministers and politicians are travelling to Nairobi in Kenya, to participate in a five-day International Interdisciplinary Conference taking place at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa.

The title of the event is “Africa’s Golden Jubilee: Assessing 50 Years of Scholarship and Development in Africa.

The Conference seeks to highlight achievements of the last 50 years and lay down lessons for the future.

So, as Vatican Radio’s head of the English for Africa Programme, fr. Moses Hamungole explained to Vatican Radio's Linda Bordoni, the focus of the talks will be Africa’s accomplishments in the past 50 years.

Fr. Moses was preparing to travel to Nairobi to attend the event which he says shines the light on various disciplines, from science, technology and engineering, to education health, arts, humanities and social sciences…

He says religious issues are also under the spotlight, in fact even although the event is organised by a Catholic University, one speaker has been invited to present a paper on the challenges faced by the Pentecostal Churches in the Continent.

Fr. Moses explains that the Catholic University of Eastern Africa was founded by the organisation that today is known as AMECEA, a regional grouping of bishops' conferences from eight countries in Eastern Africa.

He explains that the Conference will consist of eleven separate sumposia organisex by the University Faculties, Centres and Institutes and an interdisciplinary panel, each focusing on a different theme such as "The Church and Development in Africa", "The Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences in Research and Development in Africa", "Five decades of gender based violence and discrimination against women and girls – What can be done and by Whom?"...

And commenting on the positive-sounding title of the event, Fr. Moses says hope and optimism are fundamental for men and scholars of africa in looking towards the future "because there is no looking to the future if there is no hope".

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