A WORKSHOP/TRAINING ON LOBBY/ADVOCACY FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE FOR CONSOLIDATING MUTUAL STRATEGIES IN THE COUNTRIES OF AMECEA REGION.

 AMECEA Secretariat is organizing a two day workshop on Good Governance for the AMECEA countries in Nairobi from 16^th -17^th March 2010.

According to Rev. Fr. Pius Rutechura, Secretary General of AMECEA, the workshop aims at carrying out the prophetic voice in seeking to commonly address key pastoral and social issues as its contribution to the global calling for a better world.  

 Fr Rutechura said AMECEA is grieved by the immense suffering of our sisters and brothers for various reasons ranging from political, economic and social reasons. AMECEA is saddened by the long standing ethnic and political tensions, civil wars which results into displacing people and making them live below poverty line. Thus, the Church must do something which could be regarded as an intervention that might help in remedying the situation.

 He said this situation calls for common strategic approaches which involve a wider Church, secular communities and the governments’ involvement. It calls for a stronger Church involvement, lobby and advocacy. Rightful advocacy approaches range from raising awareness on issues, articulating issues, preparing messages for Church leaders when they make important official visits to partners; encouraging twinning processes (establishing formal relationships with people and communities: connecting people: globalization of solidarity).

 This wants the Church to engage on issues of establishing parliamentary liaison persons, continued dialogue with policy makers on pressing public issues, empowering people by making them be more informed, imparting civic education to people and engaging in policy making activities.

 “It is the intention of the Church in the AMECEA region to bring everybody, lay faithful Professionals, government leaders, on board to pay attention and bring changes in political, economic, social and cultural sectors,” he said.

 The participants to this workshop are Bishop Chairs of Justice and Peace Commission, Secretaries General, Justice and Peace Coordinators, Parliamentary Liaison persons and Legislators from AMECEA countries. Others are AMECEA Secretariat and participants from the Centre for Social Justice and Ethics of the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA).

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