Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Managua (Fides Service) - The first meeting of the African churches and minority organizations in Latin America will be held in Managua, from June 22 to 24,. According to a statement released by the World Council of Churches (WCI), in the Latin American and Caribbean region, there are several communities of African origin, often small and scattered, without any kind of visibility or political power. These communities are exposed to multiple forms of discrimination that remain unnoticed. Compared to other sectors of society, they are having to cope with problems such as extreme poverty, unemployment, lack of education and adequate housing, diseases and malnutrition. The institutionalized racism becomes evident in the government policies that deprive minorities of these livelihoods and deny them equal opportunities, depriving them of their territories and natural resources, giving forest concessions to multinationals and through political and administrative systems that do not respect the knowledge, traditions, values and languages of Afro people and the indigenous . The meeting in Managua will see participants from Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico and Venezuela, with the aim of facilitating an exchange of experiences and create bonds of solidarity and programs for common action. The conference was organized together with the department "Pastoral de negritude" of the Latin American Council of Churches (LACI), recently created, and by the WCI program "Comunidades Justas and incluyentes". (PA) (Agenzia Fides 20/06/2011)
