The Justice, Peace and Development Commission annual coordination meeting of the Symposium of Episcopal conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) took place from October 15 to 19 at the Conference Hall of the Douala Archbishop’s House, with a call for parpicipants to be true justice, Peace and reconciliation ambassadors.
The Secretary General at the Littoral Governor’s office, Etienne Ludovig Ngoa officially declared the meeting open. In his welcome speech, the President of the Justice and Peace Commission of the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon and the Archbishop of Garoua, His Grace Antoine Ntalou, thanked the Delegates for their endless efforts in seeing that peace and justice reign in Africa and the World.
The Archbishop of Kumasi, Ghana and Second Vice President of SECAM, His Grace Gabriel Justice Yaw Anokye presided at the meeting which Justice and Peace Regional Coordinators from Episcopal Conferences and a representative from the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, attended. The meeting’s main theme was, “The Role of Regional Commissions of Justice and Peace in Strengthening SECAM Advocacy Programme for a Just, Peaceful and Reconciled Africa in the Context of the Post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”.
For four days participants discussed six topics that included “A Global perception of the SECAM Justice and Peace programme,” which the Second Vice Assistant Secretary General of SECAM and Director of the Justice, Peace and Development Commission, Rev. Fr. Samuel de Jesus Paquate, presented.
Other topics were on “Regional experiences on the Role of Justice and Peace Commissions on the Question of Justice, Peace and Reconciliation in the context of the Post-2015 Development Agenda and in the light of Africae Munus”, “SECAM’s Advocacy programme on the objectives of Durable Development Goals after 2015, presented by SECAM’s Programmes Coordinator, Firmin Adjahossou,” “The role of Regional Commissions in the preparation of the next SECAM Congress on Reconciliation and Durable Development Objectives in Africa, presented by the Justice and Peace Coordinator AHCE, Egypt, Fr. William Sidhom,”, “The role of Justice and Peace Commissions in Africa in the Operation of SECAM’s Liaison Office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, delivered by SECAM’s Vice President, His Grace Gabriel Justice Yaw Anokye,” and Group work based on priority development actions for the Church in Africa in the context of preparing for the Reconciliation year and the objectives for durable Development after 2015.
Mgr. Gabriel Yaw, who co-presided the meeting with Mgr. Antoine Ntalou, read out SECAM’s Justice and Peace Commission specific objectives which included the evaluation of the extent to which Regional Justice and Peace Commissions in Africa have been able to facilitate the dissemination and implementation of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Africae Munus, planning for SECAM’s Justice and Peace Congress on Reconciliation in Africa and the Post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals, strengthening Networking among Regional Justice and Peace Commissions and creating an enabling environment for the Regional Coordinators for interactions, peer learning, experience sharing, and capacity building and also learning from the host Country.
The meeting ended with a closing thanksgiving Mass on Saturday, October 18, 2014, at the Douala SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral, which the Bishop of Bafang, Mgr. Abraham Kome, presided at.
The Reading of the Final Communiqué followed immediately after the Mass, in which all leaders of Africa and the World, especially politicians, governments and the Church, were called upon to think carefully each time before making decisions to safeguard the common good.
