ETHIOPIA: SECAM Governance Working Group Visits the AU offices in Addis Ababa
By AMECEA Online News Reporter
AMECEA Justice Peace and Caritas Department, which is a member of the Symposium of Episcopal Conference in Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) Governance Working Group, joined the group during their visit to the African Union’s Departments of Political Affairs and the Citizens and Diaspora Organizations (CIDO).
Dr. George Mukundi, Ms. Theresa Ndavi,
Rev. Fr. Rigobert Minani, Carlos Pacatolo
and Berhanu Tamene
The aim of the visit was to engage with the African Union technical teams on how to foster the growth of collaboration after the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between SECAM and AU,
The MoU, which was signed in 2015, seeks for the church in Africa and AU to work together in promoting a continent driven and managed by its own citizens so as to create a dynamic force in the international arena.
Dr. George Mukundi Wachira who is the Head of African Governance Architecture (AGA), gave the team a comprehensive overview on their work in the department and the areas in which the church can be involved in engaging with governments, citizen, regional economic communities and the African Union. This being a first time for the working group to engage with the commission, the team also briefed the Head of AGA on progress made so far on the MoU implementation by SECAM.
The Head of AGA challenged the team to ensure that similar processes are happening within the respective countries
and at the regional economic blocks recalling the proposal already presented to the East African Community by AMECEA. He further emphasized the need for the church to ensure that agreements signed by governments in the continent and regional economic blocks are adhered to within the countries. He reiterated that this is a space that the church can assist the African Union to deliver on its agenda 2063.
The Acting Director of CIDO Mr. Ahmed El-Basheer, shared with the team the need to create a strong presence of
pose for photo with the staff of AU Citizens
and Diaspora Organizations
the church especially in carrying the message of the AU to the citizen. He decried the lack of knowledge of the African Union by the citizens. He also recognized the work being done by the church in interreligious dialogue to bring about peace and stability. He further requested that this be deepened so that Africans can live as ONE, which was the dream of the founding fathers of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and later the African Union.
On the part of the governance-working group, the Chairperson reiterated the commitment of the church in Africa to work with the AU, the regional economic communities and national governments to ensure transparency, accountability and the rule of law are respected. The team was also in agreement with AU’s CIDO that the church will seek to play a greater role in ensuring that citizens are involved in policy making processes across the continent and that governments show more commitment to the continental and regional economic communities through budgetary allocations. The issue of diaspora was, discussed and it was agreed that the AU and SECAM together with their constituent bodies continue finding ways of engaging with the diaspora.
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