Reflection: Secularism Results in Subservience in Africa

by Jim Harries

Dr. Harries has lived for many years in an African village using African languages and resources, He sees two implicitly contradictory truths presupposed by Westerners:

1. That today’s Western people’s peculiar history has enabled them to be global trendsetters especially in economics and technology, and

2. That people with different histories are no less capable of doing the same.

He explains his view of the dangers of secularism that he sees resulting in non-Western people being brought into a subservience to things that they do not understand.

EditorMarch 4, 2021vulnerable mission, Africa, education, secular, racism, secularismComment

Urbanisation incontrôlée et assainissement urbain au Sud-Cameroun. Le cas du quartier Obili à Yaoundé

Uncontrolled urbanization and urban sanitation in South Cameroon. The case of the Obili district in Yaoundé

by Samuel-Béni Ella Ella, Maître de Conférences, Département de Sociologie, FALSH, UY1 and Carole Alexis Ngassomo Emama, doctoral student

Article is in French. [Copy and paste into Google Translate to read one segment of this article at a time (3900 character limit per translation).]

Uncontrolled urbanization and urban cleaning up in South-Cameroon. The case study of “Obili”‘s quarter in the Yaoundé III Town”. The present interactionist research establishes a relationship between uncontrolled urbanization and urban cleaning up at the “Obili”‘s quarter of the Yaoundé III Subdivision Council. After a brief description of this popular quarter, the authors reveal the deep causes of this uncontrolled urbanization, which focus on the non-respect of urban planning and public health, the demographic growth and the deviancy of inhabitants. This uncontrolled urbanization, which is materialized through anarchical constructions without rights of ways and the general insalubrity, creates the urban disorder, the dirt illnesses, the growing insecurity and the promiscuity, which disturbs relations between neighbors.

EditorJanuary 3, 2020Africa, urbanization, sanitationComment

Innover dans un catéchisme africain pour vaincre la superficialité de la foi : Le paradigme du cas centrafricain

Innovating in an African Catechism to Overcome the Superficiality of Faith: The Central African Case Paradigm

by Banga Anatole, PhD Student, Institut Universitaire de Développement International (IUDI)

This article is in French. Use Google Translate if necessary to read one section at a time (3900 character limit per translation)

The author writes about an absence of transformation in the lives of those who declare themselves Christians. The ongoing crisis in the Central African Republic (CAR) raised many questions among which the biblical teachings or catechism that pioneer missionaries taught years ago to introduce Christianity in the country. During the current armed conflict, when Muslim rebels persecuted harshly Christians to the extreme and destroyed churches, one can observe the so-called Christians militias reacted in very evil ways against Muslims in the country. The use of witchcraft to protect oneself against bullets from enemies, the killing of innocent people in the name of Christ, and so on, were some of the images international medias and breaking news at that time portrayed as the misconduct of believers in CAR. Yet, it is widely known Central African Republic has the record of 80% Christians, and according to Operation World 52% are evangelicals. Are such mentioned above testimonies the confirmation of the saying “in Africa churches are one mile length and one inch deep”?

When reflecting about that problem, we may find the root in the lack of anthropological knowledge at the time missionaries arrived and also their misinterpretation of the African peoples’ culture. The gospel was modeled according to a western point of view and didn’t deal according to the local context. Today, on the one hand, souls are saved every day, churches are planted every month, and statistics astonish us every year. But on other hand, there is no transformation of African societies. Poverty has prospered, wars are waging over the continent. We are suggesting an African catechism to overcome the problem. Such catechism will take in consideration the oral tradition of the people, the cultural context of the nation, the wide range of stories in use in the traditional societies for teaching, the community way of living of African people, as well as socioeconomic realities.

EditorJanuary 2, 2020Africa, violenceComment

Reflection: Tales from Ethiopian War Zones

by Ron and Carolyn Klaus

The authors share a story about a young man whose tribe had been attacked, his farm burned, and a close relative killed. Without any outside encouragement, he walked into the attacking tribe’s territory. Their leaders encircled him in a threatening way. “Wait,” he said. “Before you do anything, I have something to say. I want to tell you that I forgive you. And I want to ask your forgiveness for the things that members of my tribe have done to you.” He said it first confused the attackers. They could not understand what he was saying. Then, once they grasped it, their hearts melted. They laid down their weapons and began a conversation on how the two tribes could make peace.

Ron also shares that It it helps to realize that God is more interested in executing justice than we are, and will inevitably do so, if not in this world, certainly in the next. Therefore, when we forgive, we are not minimizing the hurt, pretending to forget it, or giving up on getting restitution. We are merely transferring our case into God’s court.

EditorJune 26, 2019Africa, conflict, peacemakingComment

Cameroon’s Failure to Develop Agricultural Growth

by Etienne Siama

Résumé

Dans sa quête pour l’émergence à l’horizon 2035 tel que mentionné par le DSCE, le Cameroun s’est doté d’une SNDR. A mesure que le temps passe, les objectifs assignés tardent à se réaliser et ceux d’autant plus que l’environnement de la zone du plus grand producteur de riz souffre des affres de l’insécurité, auxquelles viennent s’ajouter les défis de l’ouverture des marchés. Productrice de la denrée alimentaire la plus consommée au monde, la SEMRY est, en plus des forces de son environnement, victime de sa gouvernance. Elle est sous « assistance respiratoire », ne vit que des subventions et ne produit aucun résultat positif. Les équipements agricoles sont usés et certains rudimentaires ; c’est encore la main d’œuvre humaine qui fait le gros du travail pour une production déplorable.

Abstract

On its quest for emergence by 2035 as indicated in the Strategy paper for growth and employment (GESP), Cameroon defined a National Rice Development Strategy (NRDS). As time passes, set objectives linger to be achieved, especially as the largest rice producing zone is gravely affected by insecurity, a situation which is compounded by the challenge of opening markets. Producer of the most consumed food in the world, SEMRY is, in addition to the forces of its environment, a victim of its governance. She is under "Respiratory assistance", lives only on subsidies and produces no positive results. Agricultural equipment is worn and some rudimentary; it is still the human labor that does most of the work for a deplorable production.

EditorFebruary 26, 2019Africa, Agriculture, governance, marketingComment

The Plight of the Talibé: How Theology and Development Theory Inform Social Action in Senegal

by Brett D. Molter

Wherever there are communities of people living together, social injustice exists. One such social injustice existing in many of the world’s nations today is that of child trafficking. This article seeks to examine the plight of the talibé of Senegal in light of development theory and how it might address this most pressing social injustice issue. Furthermore, through exegeting Scripture, this article will address theological implications of engaging in social injustice issues and what followers of Jesus could be doing to aid in its eradication. Finally, suggestions will be given for future research concerning the plight of the talibé and how might the country of Senegal be further affected if this exploitation of boys is allowed to continue.

EditorFebruary 5, 2019Africa, poverty, social action, DevelopmentComment

Adopting a Human-Rights Based Approach to International Development

by Stanley Arumugam

It is only in the past decade that religion has been recognized as critical to ensuring sustainable international development efforts. This article focuses on the significant historical contribution of evangelical Christianity in international development and explores some of the ideological tensions that challenge partnership with secular organizations.

EditorMay 21, 2018Africa, Poverty, Development, Religion, Justice, Contextualization, HolismComment

“Tohu Wabohu” Concept (Genesis 1:2): The Biblical Root of International Development

by Kisongo Mbeleulu, WCIU MA student

The concept of international development is a borrowing of the biblical Hebrew concept of Tohu Wabohu. Though international development may appear corrupted in its practices by yielding to the interest of the powerful, the concept of Tohu Wabohu justifies the presence of the church on the stage of the global development community and compels the church to engage in transformation work, not as an option but as an obligation for the glory of God.

EditorDecember 22, 2014development, Creation, transformation, AfricaComment

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