Response to the Address by His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, Head Church of England

by K.Y. Amoako,
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
21 January 1998

Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would like to thank Your Grace for that Inspiring and Compassionate Statement about the situation Africa finds herself in. Your address has so eloquently posed a key development challenge that is directly related to the present and future welfare of the African people, the problem of unsustainable and unpayable debt.

We fully share your views and sentiments that Africa is in a struggle for a better livelihood for her people, and that this struggle cannot be won without concerted and decisive action on the debt problem. To have a chance at tackling poverty problems on the continent, the economies must grow at over 10 percent per annum for many years to come. Yet with such massive resource haemorrhage in the form of debt payments, Africa's chances of effectively reducing the widespread poverty are remote.

We also share your concern that the eve of the new millennium not be just another calendar event, but an epoch of new hope, partnership and mutual responsibility to free Africa from the bonds of debt and other external restrictions to her quest for economic and social progress.

We completely agree with you that the Africa debt crisis is no longer simply a macro-economic or fiscal issue concerning indebted governments and the creditor institutions and countries. Africa's debt problem is a moral issue for the world.

Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Poverty, or rather its eradication, is the single most important challenge facing Africa. We, therefore, further agree with Your Grace that strong partnerships need to be built around a shared vision of an Africa free from poverty so as to secure a better future for African children.

An effective fighting weapon is to strengthen the advocacy role and the lead in civil society the church is taking in Africa ? for it is only with strong coalitions of civic groups, and with mass mobilization and sensitization of African citizens that good governance, democracy and popular participation will come about.

Another weapon is for the church to mobilize its significant development network in forging closer and more synergistic links with other development actors, including UN agencies and NGOs. Indeed, the church has a clear comparative advantage in reaching out to communities, and that capacity can boost development efforts at the grassroots level.

Your Grace, with your, and the Church's intercession on behalf of Africa, one begins to feel that JUBILEE-2000 is going to be a time of reconsidering fundamental economic relationships, a push for economic justice, and a well-deserved celebration. And for that, we like to thank Your Grace personally and the Church of England for adopting the position you so eloquently described in your address. We pray that the movement you are championing grows stronger and stronger to mature into a real "Kairos" and a better tomorrow for today's Africans and those yet to be born.

We thank you very deeply.