KENYA: ACWECA to Discuss issues of Religious Intolerance and Fundamentalism in their 16th Plenary Assembly

(ACWECA) Executive board Committee

The Association
of Consecrated Women in Eastern and Central Africa (ACWECA) has expressed concerned
with the growing Religious Intolerance and Fundamentalism that is happening in
this 21st century.

Speaking
with AMECEA Online News in Nairobi
recently, the Chairperson of ACWECA Sr. Margaret Aringo said that many of the
countries which make the association face this problem and the impact of these
problems also affects the Women Religious.  “This is the reason we have decided that to choose this subject as one of the
topics of discussion during the study session of the 16th Plenary
Assembly in Lusaka Zambia in August this year”. 

Among the
ACWECA Countries facing challenges to do with religious radicalism and fundamentalism
include Sudan, Eritrea, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. 

Sr. Aringo
explained that the theme for the forthcoming plenary: “Go, do not be afraid and serve” was taken from Pope Francis’ talk
with the youth in Brazil. All the other topics for the Plenary have been
arranged in such a way that they are able to address this theme. She said that
this growing religious extremism and intolerance is also related to other
problems affecting our people, which include conflicts and hunger have a great
impact on our life as Women Religious.” She went to say that as Women Religious
they would like to witness to the work of the Spirit of the Lord even when
serving people who are affected by the turmoil around them. 

Concerning
preparations for the ACWECA 16th Plenary in August, Sr. Aringo said
that ACWECA has contacted all its friends and partners who have already shown
great support and commitment to attend it. Among those who have been invited
are delegates from the International Superiors General Union. 

Among the
facilitators at the Plenary are Sr. Joyce Maya from the USA and two sisters
from Zambia who belong to international congregations. ACWECA has also engaged
the national office of Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Zambia to help the
Plenary reflect on some of the social economic programs that would have a
transforming impact in the lives of the people in the region.  

Sr. Aringo appealed
for support from partners and other people of good will, to help them to cover
some of the expenses for the Plenary.  “We
need moral, spiritual and material (financial) support so that we may be able
to have a successful Plenary,” she said. 

The ACWECA
Vice-Chairperson and a representative from Zambia Sr. Theresa Nyoni of the
Congregation of Little Sisters of St. Francis from Zambia also said fund
raising is the key issue in their preparations for the plenary. She said that
they have sent out requests for people to come forward and support them
financially. 

Sr. Nyoni
said that the venue for their plenary has been identified. That is Andrew’s
Motel which is a big hotel in Lusaka, with a capacity for over a hundred
people.  She said that the official
opening of the plenary will be on 17th August and on this particular
day, the sisters will be celebrating 40 years of the existence of ACWECA. The
plenary will end on 28th August 2014.