Debt Relief And Poverty Eradication Conference in Kampala

Debt Relief And Poverty Eradication Conference in Kampala

Catholic Relief Services (Baltimore)

5th November, 2001.

Between November 8 and 10, the Ugandan Episcopal Conference and the Catholic Secretariat will join faith-based organizations in a Debt Relief and Poverty Eradication Conference.

The conference will examine the moral and ethical implications of the current debt relief and poverty eradication programs in Uganda; engage bishops in dialogue among themselves and with Ugandan leaders about their roles and responsibilities related to these issues; and start a process ensuring that strategic interests of the poor are embedded in all activities of the church.

At the end of the conference, the bishops are expected to issue a public statement."We believe the church should play a leading role in the campaign for debt relief and in fostering broad civil society participation in the development of Uganda's poverty reduction strategies," says Cardinal Emmanuel Wamala, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Kampala.

"Weak governance and corruption are robbing the poor of their potential livelihoods and life chances. Throughout the world, the church must address this global phenomenon with renewed vigor. Consequently, we believe that it is appropriate for the church to participate in discussions in order to guarantee the prudent allocation and management of public funds."On Friday, November 9, the bishops will meet with His Excellency the President of the Republic of Uganda, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, to further discuss the issues in a private and unprecedented meeting.

A public dialogue on the issues of debt and poverty eradication is planned for November 10 with government officials, the media and the public.Participants will attend workshops and education meetings about the role of the church in debt relief and poverty eradication and try to understand debt issues and the linkages between debt, poverty and governance issues.

Featured speakers include H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the President of the Republic of Uganda; H.E. Bishop Gianpaolo Crepaldi, Secretary to the Pontifical Peace and Justice Commission; Hon. Gerald Ssendawula, Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development; Mr. James Adams, World Bank Representative to Uganda; and Mr. Jean Marie Adrian, Regional Director of Catholic Relief Services, among others.

"During the conference, we will not only be learning how to be strong advocates for Uganda on debt relief, but we also hope to draw civil society into discussions of nationally owned development priorities and policies," says Bishop Cyprian Lwanga of the Diocese of Kasana-Lweero and President of Caritas Uganda. "The church will sustain fora, which would permit the poor themselves to have a voice in the participation process, and allow us to work as a cooperative partner with other denominations, faiths and civil society actors.

"Uganda's efforts to overcome poverty have been thwarted by among other things, the increasing debt burden. "Debt crisis, marginalization and impoverishment of millions of people in Uganda will not be solved until it is recognized that human development and unpayable debt are part and parcel of the same problem," says Bishop Lwanga.

The Catholic Bishops in Uganda are concerned about the donor and international community focus shifting away from debt relief and poverty eradication at a time when the fruits of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries initiatives (HIPC I and II) and the related Poverty Reduction Strategy are just beginning to show. "With the international communities' focus shifted to the fight against terrorism, we want to ensure that the momentum behind the Jubilee 2000 effort does not dissipate. All signs indicate that Africa will bear a heavy burden as a result of the current worldwide economic downturn," says Bishop Lwanga.

Increasingly sustained efforts are required to enhance participation of the poor and their genuine representatives at all levels. Therefore, the Catholic Church is raising its voice to advocate for changes in government policies and practices in order to address fundamental problems at local, national and international levels that keep Ugandans in poverty.

Such a role responds more fully to the fundamental idea of the church's Catholic Social Teaching on "integral human development" and the "dignity of the human person."