Commission for Africa meets with churches and calls for Urgent Action

The ‘Commission for Africa’, recently created by the government has just released a report stating that now is the time to act on a collection of problems regarding the troubled continent. In talks with specialists working in British churches as part of its new consultation programme, it has been revealed to the Commission exactly how desperate the situation has gotten.

The British Prime Minister, Tony Blair and Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown both have actively supported the Commission, which was established in Spring 2004 with the Department for International Development (DfID). Seventeen members make up the Commission, nine of whom are of African origin, and even rock star, Bob Geldof, who helped to put together 1985’s Band Aid to offer relief to the African continent, was one of those who was a driving force behind the establishment of the Commission.

The Commission met with the African Forum of the ecumenical Churches’ Commission on Mission, which gathers British and Irish denominational representatives and development agencies such as Christian Aid and CAFOD (the Catholic Fund for Overseas Development), and the Head of the African Commission’s Secretariat, Myles Wickstead agreed there was a great need for concrete positive action and not just pretty words.

This week on its website the Commission published a new document entitled “Action for a strong and prosperous Africa”, and a consultation also took place with regards to an action report due to be released in spring 2005.

Major issues that were tackled were governance and participation, poverty targets, health (HIV/AIDS, malaria), education, peace and security, trade, aid and debt. The aim and purpose was to come up with new ideas and to galvanise action. Included in the challenges at the meeting with the churches was how to build the foundations for greater confidence and capacity in Africa’s civil society. Also it was pondered on how to build political will for change in Europe and in the US, and how state prejudices against programmes supported by religious communities could be overcome.

Through all of 2005 focus will firmly be set on Africa, and the UK government will play a major role in the European Union and G8 summits. A review will also be held to consider the UN’s Millennium Development Goals set for completion in 2015, which are currently well behind their targets.

Backing the Commission for Africa are highly regarded agencies such as Oxfam and Christian Aid, but it is believed that a massive change of direction in political will is required if the Commission is not to be simply another ‘all talk and no action’ initiative.

Commission for Africa’s consultation process coincides with international media attention on the African country of Sudan. The highly troubled African country is host to the world’s longest-running civil war and tragedy has particularly been seen in the Darfur region where whole communities have been left devastated by the merciless actions of the Janjaweed militias.

The international community has been made very aware of the troubles faced in Sudan and in a bid to boost public concern, the 1985 Band Aid single will be re-recorded and re-released for Christmas. It has been made clear though that the single will be a statement about the priority of Africa and not just a charitable project.