Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Lubumbashi (Agenzia Fides) - There are many African countries ranked among the world's poorest. Still, they are Countries rich in natural resources. The Seminar held by JascNet (the Network of African Jesuit Social Centres) held recently in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo began with this consideration. According to information sent to Fides Agency by the General Curia of Jesuits, the objective of the meeting was to try to establish a real governance of natural resources in the African continent. Among the issues addressed during the workshops were: mining production, access to information on procedures for oil extraction, combating deforestation that threatens climate change, land grabbing, drought and migration. During the workshop participants were divided into four working groups: the one dedicated to the mining governance decided to create a blog on the subject and to hold a second workshop in October; the group, focused on oil management, decided to make a map of the extraction of crude oil in Africa, while the thematic group on environmental governance planned to intensify their efforts related to ecological education, even through the spread of official texts on forestry issues. Finally, the group focused on land management established to study the issue for land grabbing on behalf of the elites both indigenous and foreign. The meeting was attended by Jesuits from Kenya, Zambia, Madagascar, Chad and the Democratic Republic of Congo. (SL) (Agenzia Fides 22/07/2013)
