A Call To Solidarity With Africa: Conference Presentation
Americans And Africans In Dialogue About Africa's Promise, Needs And Image
Part II: Conference In Nigeria
Dracc, Emene-Enugu, 5-9 January, 2004
Presentation Of The Conference by Fr. Goddy Odigbo, CSSp
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Your Graces, My Lord Bishops, Your Excellency, the Executive Governor of Enugu State and Official Representative of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, The Monsignors, Rev. Fathers, Religious Men and Women, Christian laity, My Lords temporal, Our Distinguished Guests from the United States and other African Countries, Chiefs and Traditional Rulers, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I have the singular privilege and joy of welcoming all of you to this opening ceremony and introducing this conference which has gathered all of us from different parts of the world especially from the United States of America and the continent of Africa. As you would have seen in our conference brochure, this is the second part of a two-part conference which has been entitled A Call to Solidarity with Africa. Americans and Africans in Dialogue about Africa’s Promise, Needs and image.

As some of you might know, this conference project arose as a response to the call made by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) during their general meeting in November 2001. This call was contained in a very rich and challenging document that came out of that meeting entitled A Call to Solidarity With Africa which I have here in my hands.

The aim of this document was to draw the attention of the global community in general and of the US Catholics in particular to Africa as a continent that has been greatly marginalized in world affairs but is yet full of promise, despite the peculiar challenges that it faces in tour time. It would seem, especially through the effect of the media coverage, that mainly Africa’s problems predominate in the consciousness of most people in and outside Africa, eclipsing somehow the enormous possibilities and potentials of the continent.

In 2002 the Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, USA, working together with the Department of Theology, African and African-American Studies Program and other university bodies, felt strongly that this document with its prophetic call was too important to be left on the shelves without an active response. They decided to convoke a meeting of some Africans and people with interest in Africa from October 19 to 21, 2002, to study this document more closely and search for ways of giving it life. At that meeting which took place at Notre Dame it was decided that the University of Notre Dame will undertake a two-part conference in partnership with United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and in conjunction with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, The Laity Council of Nigeria, The Catholic Institute of West Africa (CIWA), The Spiritan International School of Theology (SIST), Attakwu-Enugu, Nigeria and the Conference of Women Religious of Nigeria.

The conference project aims at helping to inspire all concerned in and outside Africa to think differently about Africa and seek new ways of developing a sustainable commitment to the cause of Africa at the institutional, organizational, church and government levels. The first part of the conference took place at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, USA, from 21-24 September 2003. It brought together a cross section of participants from different walks of life and professions in the United States, Africa and Europe to deliberate on the story and situation of Africa, past and present, increase the understanding of Africa’s contemporary challenges and promise, and sensitize people on the need for continuing educative commitment -to Africa at different levels of church and society everywhere. A lot of issues were raised and ventilated. The conference generated a lot of interest among many people, young and old, Africans, Americans and Afro-Americans. There was a deep yearning to continue the dialogue as soon as possible with greater commitment to look for creative and practical responses to the issues that were raised.

That is what has brought all of us together here in these few days. It was felt that it would be very important and beneficial for the ongoing conversation that our American partners in the dialogue get an opportunity to have some direct and personal experience of Africa and some of its people. That was why it was decided that the venue of the second part of the conference would be in Africa. Nigeria was chosen as the first African country for this dialogue in view of its size, complexity and population. It is generally believed that one out of every five Africans is a Nigerian. And so, in a way, Nigeria could serve as a good case study that can offer very helpful insight in understanding the African situation.

It is hoped that this second part of the conference which we are formally beginning this morning here in DRACC will deepen and build on the insights and ideas which were generated from the conference at Notre Dame last September in such a way that priorities are more clearly identified and strategies put in place to address these priorities and through the collaborative efforts of the concerned US and African partners we can find concrete creative and effective ways of moving forward. It is our hope that this conference would generate and promote in practical terms greater solidarity with Africa as we journey together as a global community into the new century. It is this that has informed the choice of the topics and the selection of the speakers of our conference. Yes, it is our hope that the entire initiative will not end here at DRACC but generate and sustain a desire and determination among more and more Africans and Americans for ongoing education, collaboration and exchanges between African and American partner theological institutions, ecclesial organizations and their governments to help towards building the Africa that we shall all be happy and proud to hand over to our children and our children’s children.

Once again, I welcome you all and pray that the Lord will bless us and this initiative.

Thank you.

Goddy Odigbo, CSSp
SIST, Attakwu.,
January 6, 2004