{"id":19,"date":"2016-04-22T12:55:00","date_gmt":"2016-04-22T12:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/communications.amecea.org\/index.php\/2016\/04\/22\/zec-to-host-environmental-conference\/"},"modified":"2016-05-16T09:03:04","modified_gmt":"2016-05-16T09:03:04","slug":"zec-to-host-environmental-conference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/communications.amecea.org\/index.php\/2016\/04\/22\/zec-to-host-environmental-conference\/","title":{"rendered":"ZAMBIA: ZEC to Host Environmental Conference"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nThe Zambia
\nEpiscopal Conference (ZEC) is scheduled to host a high profiled Conference on
\nMining and Agriculture in Lusaka from 25th to 26th April, 2016. The President
\nof the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace at the Vatican, H.E. Peter Cardinal
\nTurkson is expected to be the key speaker at the Conference, while AMECEA
\nSecretariat will be represented by Mr. Antony Mbandi, the Coordinator of AMECEA
\nJustice and peace.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nAnnouncing
\nthe development, ZEC secretary General Fr. Cleophas Lungu said the Conference
\nwill highlight the impact of mining and agriculture on the environment on care
\nof our common home in the context of large scale investments.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nFr. Lungu
\nadded that the Conference will also help to popularize \u201cLaudato Si\u201d, the Encyclical
\nof Pope Francis on Care for Our Common Home. In the Encyclical, Pope Francis
\ncritiques consumerism and irresponsible development, laments environmental
\ndegradation and global warming, and calls all people of the world to take swift
\nand unified global action towards human behaviour that cause climate change. <\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n\u201cWe are
\nexcited as a Church to host this Conference. As you know Zambia\u2019s economy is
\ndriven largely by the mining sector and so we want to make awareness of its
\nimpact on the environment,\u201d he said.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nThe ZEC Secretary
\nGeneral further said that Zambia has been feeling the effects of Climate Change
\nas can be seen from reduced rainfall and unpredictable weather patterns which
\nhas resulted to among other problems, crop failure, water shortages and load
\nshedding of power, thereby affecting production in the country. He added that
\nthe Conference will also look at the impact of large scale tree clearance for
\nagriculture and how the country should respond and adapt to the effect of
\nclimate change.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n\u201cZambia has
\nrich arable land which is very conducive for agriculture. We have seen people
\ncutting a lot of trees for large scare farming which has had an effect on
\nenvironment. This must be addressed and help bring change\u201d Fr. Lungu pointed
\nout.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n\u201cZEC is
\nexcited at hosting this Conference, for we have a mandate to preach good news
\nto all creation not only human beings. From the time missionaries came to the
\ncontinent the Church has been educating people on how to care for the
\nenvironment. So we shall collaborate with others during the conference on what
\nwe should do together to care for the environment\u201d He said.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nFr. Lungu
\nhas also expressed gladness that the president of the Pontifical Council for
\nJustice and Peace at the Vatican, Cardinal Turkson will be the key speaker at
\nthe Conference. The Conference outcomes, recommendations and resolutions will
\nbe used by the Catholic Church in Zambia to design further Pastoral reflections
\nto be used by Small Christian Communities throughout the country to effectively
\nrespond to the needs of the environment, by transforming human behaviours and
\nactivities that influence climate change in Zambia and in the world. At the
\nsame time it is hoped that the Conference will influence policy makers to
\nformulate policies that are responsive to the biodiversity of the environment.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nThe Conference,
\nwhich will be attended by ordinary people and experts from various sectors of
\nlife, will provide a forum for sharing ideas and experiences in areas of
\nmining, agriculture, environment and climate change, in the light of the Papal
\nencyclical, \u201cLaudato Si\u201d.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nThe Conference
\nhas attracted participants from Association of member Episcopal Conference of
\nEastern Africa (AMECEA), SECAM, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia Environmental
\nManagement Agency (ZEMA) Ministry of Lands, Disaster Management and Mitigation
\nUnit (DMMU), Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Mines, University of Zambia,
\nCopperbelt University and Catholic University. Others are St. Dominic Major
\nSeminary, St. Augustine Major Seminary, Civil Society Organizations and
\nPartners, Islamic Council of Zambia, Evangelical fellowship of Zambia (EFZ),
\nCouncil of Churches in Zambia (CCZ), Economic Association of Zambia and Chamber
\nof Mines, Traditional leaders including the media and other key partners.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nBy Mwenya Mukuka <\/i><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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