tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11941943379198421102024-03-18T20:42:08.995-07:00Kampala RoadReflections upon the Anglican Communion, Africa and the Episcopal Church. Reflections from my experience as a Kiva Fellow in Uganda. Limited perspective, open mind.LKThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05791517233920008067noreply@blogger.comBlogger159125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194194337919842110.post-45172710792989491222008-12-16T10:32:00.000-08:002008-12-16T10:35:07.496-08:00One blog at a timeI find that I'm duplicating entries here on my other blog, <a href="http://teabagsinfusion.blogspot.com">The Infusion</a>, so I'm going to stop adding new entries at this page. Thoughts on Africa will occur on a sporadic basis on my primary blog, interspersed with other items. If you are interested, feel free to come by.LKThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05791517233920008067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194194337919842110.post-35041904344671175192008-12-16T10:24:00.000-08:002008-12-16T10:31:15.989-08:00Opinions on an opinionThere was a long <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/16/opinion/16cohen.html?th&emc=th">editorial</a> in the NYTimes today suggesting that creating a trade agreement in East Africa will create peace in the Congo. I think that's a lovely thought, but I'm skeptical. And it's not that I know a lot about the situation, and perhaps a trade agreement will help. But I'm particularly dubious that having the U.S. negotiate such a trade agreement will make any difference. <br /><br />It seems rather infantilizing, suggesting that Daddy needs to step in and negotiate among the different parties. These are, you know, sovereign countries in their own right and if they want a trade agreement, they can negotiate it <em>amongst themselves</em>. If anything, I would suggest that the new administration say they are ready to help if asked, but will not create plans and programs for East Africa. My two cents.LKThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05791517233920008067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194194337919842110.post-18659737383549917432008-12-01T10:57:00.001-08:002008-12-01T11:05:17.615-08:00Violence in NigeriaI find it very strange that I only learned today that over 300 people have been killed in post-election, sectarian <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2008Dec01/0,4670,AFNigeriaClashes,00.html">riots in Jos, Nigeria</a>. And that I learned about it sideways through an <a href="http://gafcon.blogspot.com/2008/12/old-fashioned-nigerian-faithfulness.html">Anglican blog</a>, which was noting the silence of the Archbishop there.<br /><br />I can believe that I haven't been paying enough attention; I know that full well. It's just particularly strange that this happened at the same time as the siege in Mumbai, in which (and not to belittle this at all) about 200 people died. <br /><br />I'm not saying one is worse than the other because there's greater carnage. I'm just struck by the fact that there was constant radio and TV coverage of the one and (in my media exposure) silence on the other. To me, that painfully suggests that deaths in Africa are not news. <br /><br />Please pray for Nigeria, and India, and all places torn by violence or strife.LKThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05791517233920008067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194194337919842110.post-71141199585523182102008-12-01T09:37:00.000-08:002008-12-01T09:49:13.766-08:00At the U.N.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/experts/rices/rices_portrait.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 152px; height: 166px;" src="http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/experts/rices/rices_portrait.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Of all the Obama appointees announced today, I am personally most interested about the ambassador to the United Nations, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/01/us/politics/01rice.html?th&emc=th">Susan E. Rice</a> -- another Rice from Stanford (she got her BA there in 1986). <br /><br />For one thing, she seems quite a change from John Bolton who simply despised the UN in which he worked (I was appalled by his appointment). What's more, Obama is making UN Ambassador a cabinet position during his administration. <br /><br />I'm excited about her because her particular specialty seems to be African affairs, and one of her primary goals is to prevent and/or put a stop to genocide. I'm nervous about her because she seems very hawkish. <br /><br /><blockquote>During her first run at the State Department, Ms. Rice was a point person in responding to Al Qaeda’s 1998 bombing of United States Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. But her most searing experience was visiting Rwanda after the 1994 genocide when she was still on the N.S.C. staff.<br /><br />As she later described the scene, the hundreds, if not thousands, of decomposing, hacked up bodies that she saw haunted her and fueled a desire to never let it happen again.<br /><br />“I swore to myself that if I ever faced such a crisis again, I would come down on the side of dramatic action, going down in flames if that was required,” she told The Atlantic Monthly in 2001. She eventually became a sharp critic of the Bush administration’s handling of the Darfur killings and last year testified before Congress on behalf of an American-led bombing campaign or naval blockade to force a recalcitrant Sudanese government to stop the slaughter.</blockquote><br />But I don't know. This could be a very positive thing, especially for African nations. Or it could be a disaster. Here's hoping it's a good thing.LKThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05791517233920008067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194194337919842110.post-32498571438929337882008-11-28T19:29:00.000-08:002008-11-28T19:31:36.139-08:00An interesting blogI'm not sure how, exactly, I stumbled upon <a href="http://chrisblattman.blogspot.com/">this blog</a>, but I really appreciate what Chris Blattman has to say about Africa, aid, and related topics.<br /><br />As I wrote on my other blog, at the moment I'm really struggling with the concept of foreign aid, and this blogger has some worthwhile things to say on the subject.LKThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05791517233920008067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194194337919842110.post-60601471055164515612008-11-24T17:50:00.000-08:002008-11-24T18:00:23.771-08:00The country of AfricaSarah Palin took a lot of (probably unjustified) grief for saying that Africa was a country, not a continent, but I have to say that understanding is probably deeply embedded in a lot of us. I heard it today when Barack Obama was announcing the Secretary of the Treasury and said that "Growing up partly in Africa" had given him perspective on global markets--and it does. But I was surprised to find myself instantly wondering "Where in Africa?" knowing now better than before that "Africa" is not a country, and to grow up in Africa doesn't tell me as much as I think it does.<br /><br />Incidentally--and significantly--the African nation where Geithner spent some of his youth was Zimbabwe, a country with a sad history of economic disaster.LKThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05791517233920008067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194194337919842110.post-74163315822976342782008-08-28T15:30:00.000-07:002008-08-28T15:36:46.418-07:00Dean Martha in SudanI've fallen behind in my Africa news, but I was very pleased to see this <a href="http://e4gr.blogspot.com/2008/08/dean-martha-heralds-new-day-for-women.html">tidbit</a> (following the Lead) about the Very Reverend Martha Deng Nhial being installed as the Dean of the Cathedral of St. Matthew in Renk, Sudan. Very cool!LKThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05791517233920008067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194194337919842110.post-69178100867025539882008-08-15T13:12:00.000-07:002008-08-15T13:46:37.122-07:00China in SudanThe NY Times has a very succinct summary of the China-Sudan situation: "The brief against China is by and large uncontested (except by China): the Sudan government buys its weapons from China with the foreign currency it makes from selling China its oil. China, meanwhile, protects Sudan from excessive attention in the United Nations Security Council." This is written in a <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/30/magazine/30olympics-t.html?pagewanted=1">much longer piece </a>discussing the methodology of a group called "Dreams for Darfur," which is strange to read in retrospect because all the plans for making the Sudanese genocide a major issue for this Olympics don't seem to have materialized. I mean, I was looking out for this issue and I can't say I've seen it a whole lot. Is it just me? <br /><br />I think the inkling of China's connection with Sudan came about only because Steven Spielberg resigned as a creative consultant for the opening ceremonies. I don't think that hurt the opening ceremonies, but it was the thing that got this issue into the news. Aside from that and Joey Cheek, former Olympic speedskater, having his <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/06/joey-cheek-ex-olympic-spe_n_117237.html">visa revoked </a>before the games started (Cheek is the president of an organization called "Team Darfur"), I haven't seen this issue mentioned very much.<br /><br />Mostly, I am upset at the International Olympic Committee. I think they have been rather weak and cowardly in their dealings with China and could have done far more to say to the Chinese government, "We made a bargain; we can go somewhere else," and stick to it. But what do I know? I'm sure there's plenty of blame to go around: to NBC, the major advertisers, journalists, the U.S., the U.N., <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/01/sports/othersports/01athletes.html">the athletes</a>, all of us who are excited to watch the Olympics...point your finger anywhere, I'm sure you can find someone who's culpable. <br /><br />My main hope is that the story doesn't disappear in a puff of Olympic success. And my prayer is for the people of Sudan who are the ones primarily affected by the conflict there.LKThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05791517233920008067noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194194337919842110.post-6039371224730212062008-08-14T16:11:00.000-07:002008-08-14T16:25:30.082-07:00China in AfricaI hope at some point to post a slightly more knowledgeable entry on China's relationship with Sudan, one of the very touchy issues with the Beijing Olympics. In the meantime, though, I encourage you to read <a href="http://www.theroot.com/id/47560">this very interesting article </a>from "The Root" (which I think is affiliated with the Washington Post) that offers an intriguing look at why China is so warmly welcomed by most African nations. A former US ambassador to two African nations, David Shinn, summarizes it thusly: "One, they take greater business risk, and two, they don't attach the political conditions that the West tends to impose." <br /><br />The article concludes, "If the West wants to push back China's undemocratic influence across Africa, it will have to match China's economic commitments on the continent. There are 900 million African faces waiting to greet the future as it approaches—from east or west." <br /><br />A complicated situation of which I know only a smidgen. Read the article and tell me what you think.LKThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05791517233920008067noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194194337919842110.post-65269879291893799182008-08-08T09:52:00.000-07:002008-08-08T10:17:51.437-07:00Pray for Mauritania<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgndVlyUio8oeUdBhlU1kiVXaT9PXF7pjguZ_BuNOpf7KUqeyUcHUedw3ekm7LCn_xsMftrXIOnJSocebOUY4uHtOf5g1xZZux3MA0DZyjRsb50pYtmd8jq0ZYrpX3uvsR9qFczPziDo5E/s1600-h/0807-for-web-MAURITANIAmap.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgndVlyUio8oeUdBhlU1kiVXaT9PXF7pjguZ_BuNOpf7KUqeyUcHUedw3ekm7LCn_xsMftrXIOnJSocebOUY4uHtOf5g1xZZux3MA0DZyjRsb50pYtmd8jq0ZYrpX3uvsR9qFczPziDo5E/s320/0807-for-web-MAURITANIAmap.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232197143799308690" /></a><br />One thing I hope to do with this blog is introduce us all (myself included) to the news from Africa.<br /><br />Mauritania is a former French colony on the west coast of Africa, between Senegal and Mali. It gained independence in 1960 and has since then had bouts of very long, single party rule, interspersed with military coups (in 1978, 1984, 2005). <br /><br />According to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mauritania">Wikipedia</a>, the first fully democratic election since 1960 (when the French-backed President Moktada Ould Daddah began his 18-year one-party leadership), occurred in March of 2007. "This was the first time that the president had been selected in a multi-candidate election in the country's post-independence history."<br /><br />All this being a lead-up to the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/07/world/africa/07mauritania.html?ref=africa">news</a> in Wednesday's NY Times that "A group of senior military officers in Mauritania arrested the country’s president and prime minister on Wednesday in a bloodless coup against the first freely elected government there in more than 20 years."<br /><br />Hard to say what the motives were. The Times says the National Assembly had been critical of the government's handling of rising food prices and dealing with oil revenue. In the speedily updated Wikipedia article, "A Mauritanian lawmaker, Mohammed Al Mukhtar, announced that 'many of the country's people were supporting the takeover attempt' and the government was 'an authoritarian regime' and that the president had 'marginalized the majority in parliament.'"<br /><br />As of today, according to the <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7548866.stm">BBC</a>, the ousted president's whereabouts are unclear, the U.S. has suspended $20 million in non-humanitarian aid (i.e. money for miliary purposes and peacekeeper training), and diplomats from the Arab Union and African Union have arrived in Mauritania to discuss the situation with coup leaders.<br /><br />Again according to the BBC, things are calm on the ground for most people going about their daily business. The reported noted that "some people at the airport were joking about the situation - possibly as it is not regarded as that out of the ordinary given the country's history of coups."<br /><br />But I can't help but believe an ongoing pattern of military coups is not good for a place. Please keep Mauritania in your prayers.LKThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05791517233920008067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194194337919842110.post-7069877179454739052008-08-06T21:40:00.001-07:002008-08-06T22:01:11.394-07:00On the selection of the Archbishop of CanterburyYou know, one thing that's wonderful about having a blog is that when you put a mistake in print, it will stay in the blogosphere forever, like one of those rogue satellites.<br /><br />I found this little tidbit today from the <a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article4474522.ece">London Times</a>:<br /><br /><blockquote>And, despite Africans' claims that the process was a colonial imposition, they did choose him: although the appointment was formally made by the Queen on the recommendation of the Prime Minister, the Archbishop's name was put forward by an electoral college made up of Church members. It consulted widely, in a process that took far longer than a papal convocation, and was endorsed by a meeting of all the Anglican primates in the Communion. As Anthony Sadler, the then Archbishops' Secretary for Appointments, wrote to The Times yesterday about the meeting of the primates: “I have never attended a meeting where the presence of the Holy Spirit was so clearly and movingly in evidence.”</blockquote><br /><br />Which just goes to show how little I know about the mechanisms of the Anglican Communion.<br /><br />One thing I do not know: can someone beyond the UK be appointed by the Queen to serve as Archbishop of Canterbury? Even looking at the <a href="http://www.cofe.anglican.org/news/appointment_of_the_next_archbishop_of_canterbury.html">procedures for the appointment of the ABC</a> on the Church of England's website, it is not clear. <br /><br />One thing I would like to point out is the way this comment in the Times protests against "Africans' claims that the process was a colonial imposition." But despite his use of the plural, this is Archbishop Orombi's claim, not the continental church's claim as a whole.<br /><br />I have to say, after looking through the procedures for appointing the Archbishop of Canterbury, I still think Archbishop Orombi has made a reasonable point. It's hard not to think that the C of E and England's government has the upper hand on the ABC's selection when you read, "The Prime Minister, after consultation, appoints a communicant lay member of the Church of England to chair the Crown Appointments Commission, which oversees the selection of a new Archbishop of Canterbury." And et cetera and et cetera and so forth. Still sounds rather imperious to me.LKThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05791517233920008067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194194337919842110.post-17843301705564497442008-08-04T20:54:00.001-07:002008-08-04T21:13:28.269-07:00Archbishop Orombi in the London TimesI'm a bit behind the times here (pun <em>really</em> unintended, because it would be a <em>lame</em> pun), but last Friday in the Times, Archbishop Orombi of Uganda published a <a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article4438729.ece">column</a> as a guest contributor that is worth noting.<br /><br />He writes, "We believe that our absence at this Lambeth Conference is the only way that our voice will be heard. For more than ten years we have been speaking and have not been heard. So maybe our absence will speak louder than our words." Which reminds me very much of the time that my sister and my mother were] having an argument and my sister's side consisted of the refrain: "You're not listening to me! You're not listening to me!" and finally, "You're not agreeing with me!"<br /><br />But the Archbishop has a very good point (i.e. I'm agreeing with him) when he says, "Since that meeting [of the primates in 2003, after the election of Bishop Gene Robinson there have been numerous other “betrayals” to the extent that it is now hard to believe that the leadership in the American Church means what it says. They say that they are not authorising blessings of same-sex unions, yet we read newspaper reports of them. Two American bishops have even presided at such services of blessings. Bishops have written diocesan policies on the blessings of same-sex unions. It is simply untrue to say they have not been authorised."<br /><br />It's driven me crazy, too. There's all sorts of legerdemain in the church about how, "Oh, no, no, we're not <em>authorizing</em> blessings; that's for the national church to decide at General Convention and they never have. We're just <em>proposing</em> rites of same sex blessing" I'm sorry, but that's just sissy talk. It's quite clear that those who are opposed to same sex blessings are opposed to them happening at all. And I can understand why they feel betrayed when the Episcopal Church says they won't authorize same sex blessings and then offers them. It's like the old "I'm not touching you!" torture. Technically, no, but surely we must realize this is pouring salt in the wound. <br /><br />Why not be up front about it? Why not brave the possibility that we would be kicked out of the club for doing what we think is right? As it is, our behavior makes us look like jerks, and in this article, at least, Orombi is too much of a Christian to say so outright. <br /><br />The final major point of the Archbishop's article is to state that the office of the Archbishop of Canterbury is a colonial remnant, and he certainly has a point here, too. The only person who can invite people to Lambeth or not is chosen...by the British government. "Even the pope is elected by his peer," the Archbishop notes. And it is indeed very odd. The Archbishop further says, "The spiritual leadership of a global communion of independent and autonomous provinces should not be reduced to one man appointed by a secular government." And I don't think it is, but he raises an issue that I haven't seen mentioned before.<br /><br />I think the Archbishop, of course, has every right not to attend Lambeth if he doesn't want. I am very sorry if (and I don't have all the details aside from Bishop Mwamba's comments) he prevented other Ugandan bishops from attending Lambeth against their will. But I do think his statement in the Times is more than just a fit of pique and is worth listening to, even if we don't agree.LKThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05791517233920008067noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194194337919842110.post-22074015628561461492008-08-04T11:19:00.000-07:002008-12-08T20:27:02.619-08:00Dirt on the shoes<div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxBhJ-C2tm6Yr7PQMabkk6zrX5I9IxaPlYIVjXEz1412mqM9OdO05OSXKK-oQDrRhlyYXWWmh8DyWj6tm64IS9_mFrwI2YrQduKqT2dlbgdnhLkQikGDyrFbg7PDgBJgu_-hb37VnEiCo/s1600-h/P8030004.JPG'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxBhJ-C2tm6Yr7PQMabkk6zrX5I9IxaPlYIVjXEz1412mqM9OdO05OSXKK-oQDrRhlyYXWWmh8DyWj6tm64IS9_mFrwI2YrQduKqT2dlbgdnhLkQikGDyrFbg7PDgBJgu_-hb37VnEiCo/s400/P8030004.JPG' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div>These are the shoes I used for heavy-duty walking in Uganda (though often I wore shoes that were dressier, even when walking on dirt roads--and most of the locals wore flip-flops). I hadn't taken them out since I got back and I had an immediate bout of nostalgia seeing the red dirt on these shoes. Alex would have cleaned all the dirt off them by now, but of course, Alex ran off. And I'm in California where cleaning my shoes is no one's task, including mine.<br /><br />In the midst of the confusion and sadness over Sally and Joseline, over Lambeth and GAFCon, I have absolutely no temptation to shake the dust of Uganda from my shoes. None at all. I realized yesterday when I was doing some supply work and included an illustration from Uganda in my sermon that there's still more to learn from even that small experience. I'm still working on it, and Uganda is still working on me.<div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>LKThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05791517233920008067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194194337919842110.post-56495936279579899922008-07-31T10:12:00.000-07:002008-07-31T10:14:48.352-07:00Update from JoselineJust got this painful email. Please pray for me as I consider what to do. Here is what Joseline writes:<br /><br /><blockquote>Yes i also feel good now that you have answered my mail and you are praying for me Mummy how are you well i really dont know what you will tell her about about the money because i have tried to talk to her bout the condition was going from bad to worse i even printed out the mail you sent to us and she just got bitter she shouted at me before all the girls that "so now you have printed out this mail stupidly to show me how right you are" she even told me that my greed and narrow mindedness should not should not ruin her ministry.<br /> <br /> Mummy she said alot and i have been in alot am just recovering from the shock so i really dont know how you are going to talk to her because i see my future is at steak and i think you should pray to the holy spirit to give you the right words that may not put my future at steak again because i know you are really hurt by what she did .<br /><br /> of recent when i took my list of requirements she quarreled and said you see how stupid you are now you needed this much it was 200,2000 shillings i was trying to save for your requirements you see how shallow minded you are but Mummy imagine she told me i have sponsors this is a man and woman sometime which are supposed to cater for all my school and am sure these people catered for the requirements and very thing even then, imagine if you had not left that money 760000 wouldn't i have gone to school with the requirements to say all that i now she was guilty and she was trying to make me think that she is right by the way, she even told me that she actually needed my mother to come because she wanted to beat me before my mother because am not great full for all that i get from her meanwhile i haven't yet settled am still so stressed because i have to spend the whole day without lunch and break fast and am scared i may get ulcers well she is saying that she is trying to save for my own good but i don't know whether it will be cheaper to sustain me with ulcers you still have to pray for me alot and by the way she warned me about writing to you which she called going behind her back ans spoiling her name so am really scared .<br /> <br /> do you know what there is a time i have not been going to school waiting for my requirements when i went back to school people thought that i was sick because every one was telling me that am so skinny now and there is now life in my smile ok dear bye love you and am praying for you too</blockquote>LKThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05791517233920008067noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194194337919842110.post-48730611963731932822008-07-30T09:29:00.000-07:002008-07-30T09:34:05.496-07:00Pray for ZimbabweExcerpted from <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Zimbabwe.html?ref=world">the NY Times </a>this morning:<br /><br /><strong>Zimbabwe Devalues Currency; $10,000,000,000 Now $1 </strong><br />By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS<br />Filed at 10:27 a.m. ET<br /><br />HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) -- Zimbabwe will drop 10 zeros from its hyper-inflated currency -- turning 10 billion dollars into one -- the country's reserve bank said Wednesday. President Robert Mugabe threatened a state of emergency if businesses profiteer from the country's economic and political unraveling.<br /><br />Shop shelves are empty and there are chronic shortages of everything including medication, food, fuel, power and water. Eighty percent of the work force is unemployed and many who do have jobs don't earn enough to pay for bus fare.<br /><br />One third of Zimbabweans have become economic and political refugees. Another third is dependent on foreign food aid. But Mugabe barred non-governmental organizations from handing out food last month, claiming they were supporting the opposition.<br /><br />***<br /><br />Mugabe has blamed profiteering and sanctions by the United States and the European Union for Zimbabwe's economic collapse. Critics have blamed mismanagement by Mugabe's government and a land reform program that has slashed Zimbabwe's agricultural output.<br /><br />***<br /><br />Mugabe went on television just as South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki was jetting in to meet with him about stalled power-sharing talks. Mbeki was greeted by Mugabe at Harare airport Wednesday afternoon. The two shook hands and briefly embraced before leaving together.<br /><br />Mbeki has insisted the power-sharing talks which started last Thursday were going well and had simply adjourned on Monday.<br /><br />But several officials said Mugabe's negotiators returned home and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai went to South Africa, the venue of the talks, after they deadlocked over who would lead the ''inclusive'' government under negotiation. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because all parties agreed to a media blackout surrounding the talks.<br /><br />***<br /><br />Mugabe and Tsvangirai, bitter rivals, met for the first time in 10 years last week and agreed to have their negotiators hammer out a formula to share power and halt the southern African nation's political and economic disaster. The talks came after three months of state-sponsored electoral violence that killed more than 150 opposition activists, injured thousands of people and drove tens of thousands from torched homes.<br /><br />Both men say they won elections this year and should lead the government.LKThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05791517233920008067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194194337919842110.post-55314699227226629002008-07-30T09:20:00.000-07:002008-07-30T09:27:28.015-07:00Considering...Since my last entry, I could have noted any number of things, but I felt they would be a rehash of previous entries or else not considered enough to be of use. <br /><br />I've heard from Joselyn, but not from Sally as the email did not go through. I need to call Sally, but am not looking forward to the prospect.<br /><br />Meanwhile, the only thing I feel worth noting about the Lambeth Conference as it relates to Africa is a comment from Bishop Trevor Mwamba of Botswana. Many have noted that the Bishops of Uganda and Nigeria have boycotted Lambeth. Bishop Mwamba points out that this is not exactly the case, in an interview reported by <a href="http://www.thinkinganglicans.org.uk/archives/003318.html">"Thinking Anglicans"</a><br /><br /><blockquote>Bishop Mwamba described the situation as it had been in Uganda, “where a special Synod is organised and provision passed which would penalise any bishop coming to the Lambeth Conference. That denied freedom of expression in terms of any individual bishop. The invitation to Lambeth is in the gift of the archbishop and it is up to a particular bishop, not a particular province, to say I will come or I won’t come.<br /><br />“What are we saying about our leadership styles? It was the same in Nigeria- many would have been glad to come. So when they say 200 of our brothers have boycotted the conference – definitely no. Maybe given the freedom, one or two would have stayed behind. It must be clearly understood: the reason why they didn’t come is that they were forced not to come.” </blockquote><br /><br />I find this incredibly sad. What might Lambeth have been if all the bishops who wanted to come had come?LKThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05791517233920008067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194194337919842110.post-27690124562056348492008-07-22T20:39:00.001-07:002008-12-08T20:27:02.905-08:00The heartbreak continues<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ5pZW32CG3Lv7e5DA_kJe6XTQ5HmRlKmTZ0c0CqkoVBnxzoe8Qp8h826ZHFsFXlnZyZ_cU7OMCsCgdnfXb5ul74nMY18pR5BsxnrZSR35hrEBSSfzxdLsbAiwyE2L3x07GDP6NPFiRms/s1600-h/Archbishop+Daniel.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ5pZW32CG3Lv7e5DA_kJe6XTQ5HmRlKmTZ0c0CqkoVBnxzoe8Qp8h826ZHFsFXlnZyZ_cU7OMCsCgdnfXb5ul74nMY18pR5BsxnrZSR35hrEBSSfzxdLsbAiwyE2L3x07GDP6NPFiRms/s400/Archbishop+Daniel.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226052993685774114" /></a><br />Just a couple of days ago, I wrote about the companion relationship between the Diocese of Lui in Sudan and the Diocese of Missouri. I said that I thought this was the way to go. Which just shows how much I know.<br /><br />Today's news from the Lambeth Conference is that Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul held a press conference. In it he said, not only that Bishop Gene Robinson should step down for the sake of the church, and that "Asked if he has talked to Robinson, Deng replied, 'I have nothing to say to him.'" But furthermore, <blockquote>"He also said he cannot participate in the Anglican Communion's Listening Process because homosexuality is not 'approved by the Bible' and 'is not part of my culture, I cannot talk about it.' Deng said there are no gay or lesbian people in Sudan."</blockquote>(This was reported by <a href="http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_99260_ENG_HTM.htm">Episcopal Life Online</a>, and more specifically by my friend and fellow CDSP alum, Mary Frances Schjonberg.)<br /><br />Reading this, I zipped on over to <a href="http://my-manner-of-life.blogspot.com/">"My Manner of Life" </a>, written by Lisa Fox whom I quoted the other day and who chairs the companion diocese committee. It's pretty devastating, in several senses of the word, and I encourage you to pop over there to get Lisa's view on all of this.<br /><br />My own view is, How can he have visited the Diocese of Missouri, met Lisa, met gay clergy, had members of the diocese come to his diocese, shared and prayed with and gotten to know all these people and not be changed at all? How is that even possible? How can you completely shut yourself off from listening? I simply do not understand, and I cannot imagine the amount of effort it takes to hold yourself with such forced rectitude that you cannot bend no matter what you see or hear or do. It just baffles me. <br /><br />I continue to realize that I don't understand much at all. Which is not going to stop me from trying. But I begin to wonder if I personally will make any headway at all, or if any headway is even possible.LKThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05791517233920008067noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194194337919842110.post-76110019555721797262008-07-21T12:52:00.000-07:002008-07-21T12:54:55.704-07:00An emailThis is an email I wrote this morning. I'm posting it here because I think it gives a sense of the complicated nature of the relationships between Africa and the West in a rather personal context.<br /><br />**<br />Hello, Sally and Joselyn!<br /> <br />Grace and peace to you both.<br /> <br />I have gotten word from Joselyn that she has been having trouble getting money for transport and lunch for her beauty training school. What Joselyn doesn't know, Sally, is that I gave you 760,000/= before I left so that she wouldn't have to worry about transport money. I didn't want to tell Joselyn because I wanted our friendship to be simply friendship and not based on any kind of patronage. I could understand that you might want to give her word that there was money for a month at a time, but I simply do not understand what is going on that Joselyn is so anxious about getting the money for her transport. Is there really is a problem or is there a misunderstanding? If someone is misrepresenting something, that would break my heart. I cannot believe it, but I cannot understand it any other way at this time.<br /> <br />It is really distressing to me because I don't know what's going on. I love you both so much, but there is obviously some difficulty here. I really don't care what's going on; I just want Joselyn to have the resources she needs to get to school and back and to have lunch.<br /> <br />Please make sure that Joselyn has the money that she needs for food and transport. I will expect Joselyn to report that she has what she needs. Also, Sally, please do let me know your perspective on the situation. I honestly have no idea what's really happening there in Kampala and may never know, and that's not important, actually. But I do know that I want Joselyn not to have to worry about food or transport and I think it should be possible for us as sisters in Christ to make that happen without difficulty or constraint. <br /> <br />At 5,000/= per day, which is what Joselyn has told me she needs, 760,000/= should last 152 days. Even with the 7 weeks gone by in the training, that should still leave enough for the rest of the calendar year.<br /> <br />Please know that both of you continue to fill my thoughts and my prayers. I so value and respect both of you. I hope and pray that this will be resolved happily for all of us, and I wish you every blessing in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ.<br /> <br />In His name,<br />Laura<br /> <br />**<br /><br />I'll keep you posted.LKThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05791517233920008067noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194194337919842110.post-5601137371310707002008-07-19T08:26:00.000-07:002008-07-20T07:15:28.517-07:00The way forwardThe Lambeth Conference started this week and it has been amazingly quiet. They're on retreat, don't you know, and many of the Anglican websites report how the press is upset there is no NEWS (meaning no kerfuffles).<br /><br />One of the blogs I read is called "<a href="http://my-manner-of-life.blogspot.com">My Manner of Life</a>," written by a woman in Jefferson City, MO. Her diocese has a companion relationship with the Diocese of Lui in the Church of Sudan, and she reports of her reaction to seeing a photo of Bishop Daniel, waiting for a bus to go to the Lambeth retreat. It's quite lovely, and I do recommend a trip over there to read it. <a href="http://my-manner-of-life.blogspot.com/2008/07/archbishop-daniel.html">Here is the link.</a> (My life has changed since I found out how to use that link function.)<br /><br />And here, I think, is the key point.<br /><br /><blockquote>Folks like to draw a thick line between the Episcopal Church and the churches of the "Global South." But I met this man. I spent a lot of time with him. I have no doubt that he will argue for the Gospel. From what I heard in my time with him, that means feeding people who are starving in Sudan, bringing them water and education and health care, and building a healthy society in Sudan. Those are the priorities I heard from him. When it comes to the "issues du jour," I hope his view will be informed by the time he spent in Missouri, where many folks introduced themselves and their partners.</blockquote> And to me, this is key: actually meeting face to face, getting to know one another as members of the family of God. Some of them you like and some of them you don't, and that's not related to race or place of birth. But you can love one another all the same.<br /><br />It's a shame that the bishops of Nigeria and Uganda (alone of all the African nations) are completely boycotting Lambeth. I wonder if deep down the real reason for doing so is that if they met those with whom they disagreed, these bishops might find they actually like them, and the internal conflict would be unbearable.<br /><br />Kudos to Missouri for making connections with Sudan. For what it's worth, I think this is the way to go.LKThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05791517233920008067noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194194337919842110.post-31390186229359838762008-07-15T20:06:00.000-07:002008-07-15T20:21:58.493-07:00Perhaps there are other issues in Africa?This morning, thanks once again to "The Lead," I found another African website of note: <a href="http://www.africanmonitor.org/">the African Monitor</a>, "African voices for Africa's development." Archbishop Njongo Ndungane, the former Archbishop of Cape Town, is a regular contributor (some readers may remember that Archbishop Ndungane visited the Diocese of California at the time of our convention last year). Why, astonishingly, he seems to be more interested in issues of hunger, poverty and disease than with human sexuality.<br /><br />That's one thing, upon reflection, that I noticed about the Top 50 list: where were the people who were making a difference in, oh, I don't know, <em>alleviating suffering</em>. It would be kinda nice if the Anglican Communion were notable for that.<br /><br />At any rate, Archbishop Ndungane has <a href="http://www.africanmonitor.org/node/136">a thoughtful piece about the recent G8 summit</a>, which points out in its own way how issues of hunger, poverty, and disease get highjacked by sexier concerns. Ndungane reports that the G8 countries are way under target in meeting promised levels of aid; at current levels, they will fall an estimated $40 billion dollars under their target. Ndungane writes, "<strong>Notably, collectively, the G8 has delivered just $3 billion of the $25 billion that was pledged to Africa in 2005</strong>." <br /><br />He goes on to say, <br /><br /><blockquote>Africa’s problems were eclipsed by the Zimbabwe issue. There is nothing wrong about focusing attention on Zimbabwe- there is certainly a need to be concerned. However, to allow one country’s problems to take precedence over the rest of the continent, given the gravity of problems in Africa and the vastness of the continent was a big disappointment. </blockquote><br /><br />***<br /><br />Archbishop Ndungane was not in the Telegraph's Top 50. I have no idea whether that's a correct assessment or not. But I do think allowing the issue of sexuality to overshadow everything else of interest and importance to Anglicans in the Anglican communion is, ultimately, a disappointment.LKThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05791517233920008067noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194194337919842110.post-32538391149227396352008-07-14T19:53:00.000-07:002008-07-14T20:26:55.286-07:00In the top 20In case you were wondering what happened with the last of <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2275556/The-50-most-influential-figures-in-the-Anglican-Church.html">the 50 most influential Anglicans</a>, etc., etc., here are the Africans in the top 20:<br /><br /><strong>10. John Sentamu</strong> - <em>Archbishop of York </em><br /><br />Yorkshireman of the Year in 2007, the Ugandan-born John Sentamu has become immensely popular in Britain - his adopted country after being forced into exile following incurring the wrath of dictator Idi Amin. <br /><br />A high court judge in the country, he was locked up for 90 days and beaten before he escaped to England, where he read theology and trained for ministry in the Church of England. <br /><br />His enthusiastic brand of learned and muscular Christianity quickly brought him to notice. He was appointed Bishop of Stepney in 1996 and at that time served as advisor to the Stephen Lawrence Judicial Enquiry, he later chaired the Damilola Taylor review. <br /><br />In 2002 he was appointed Bishop of Birmingham and in 2005 became Archbishop of York. <br /><br />In an interview before his enthronement he gained the affection of the British public by calling for a rediscovery of pride in their cultural identity, warning against multiculturalism. He has also become well known for his symbolic protests. <br /><br />In 2006 he pitched a tent in York Minster and fasted in solidarity with those suffering from the Middle East Conflict. In a BBC interview with Andrew Marr, he cut up his dog collar as a symbol for the way President Mugabe is stripping Zimbabweans of their identity. He also campaigned for the release of BBC journalist Alan Johnston. <br /><br />He is a loyal supporter and friend of the Archbishop of Canterbury and widely tipped as a potential successor. <br /><br /><strong>6. Desmond Tutu</strong> - <em>Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town</em> <br /><br />The Nobel Peace prize winner is widely regarded as the greatest Anglican of the 20th century, and still commandss enormous influence, affection and respect today. <br /><br />His courageous stand against apartheid gained him unprecedented support for the better part of three decades. <br /><br />It is not too much of an exaggeration to say that the infrastructure and closer links within the Anglican Communion grew precisely to support him as he personally risked life and limb in the struggle. <br /><br />He later earned even greater kudos when he headed the Truth and Reconciliation Commission which became the litmus test for effective mediation work between divided factions. <br /><br />In retirement he became a champion of the cause of gays and lesbians comparing their liberation to the struggle against apartheid. <br /><br /><strong>5. Henry Orombi</strong> - <em>Archbishop of Uganda </em><br /><br />Leader-in-waiting for millions of Anglicans in sub-saharan Africa as Archbishop Akinola gets closer to retirement. Archbishop Orombi represents a younger generation of evangelical leaders in the Anglican Church presiding over growth and commitment to mission and social work. <br /><br />The Anglican Church in Uganda has been at the forefront of halting the country's HIV/Aids pandemic and has experienced significant growth in the number of churchgoers. <br /><br />Ugandan's opposition to homosexual practice is defended in terms of its history. <br /><br />Archbishop Orombi is one of the few Anglican leaders to unequivocally condemn violence against homosexuals, but recently said he didn't wear his dog collar when he is in countries where there are supporters of homosexuals. <br /><br />He described "these people" as "dangerous". <br /><br /><strong>3. Peter Akinola</strong> - <em>Archbishop of Nigeria </em><br /><br />Peter Akinola represents for many commentators an epochal shift in the centre of gravity for Christianity from western dominance to what is now commonly known as the 'Global South'. <br /><br />With 18 million committed churchgoers, the Church of Nigeria dwarfs any other in the Anglican Communion. After his election as Archbishop in 2000 he outlined a clear programme of evangelism, social work and self-sufficiency in the sectarian and troubled country. <br /><br />At first he appeared to have a close relationship to the American Presiding Bishop, Frank Griswold, but that changed in 2003 when the General Convention ratified the election of Gene Robinson to New Hampshire. <br /><br />Since then he has upset the American Church by intervening in its affairs with the creation of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America that he brought under his leadership. <br /><br />In 2006 he was named as one of Time magazines leaders of the year, but since then his stock has fallen. <br /><br />He failed to be re-elected as Chairman of the 37 million-strong Christian Association of Nigeria, and has attracted criticism for inciting violence in the Cartoon riots. <br /><br />His defenders argue that he was doing no more than voice the frustration a leader of a Christian community whose members are routinely attacked in some parts of the country. <br /><br />However his support for draconian anti-gay legislation has made him a favourite bete-noire for liberal anger. He has also referred to homosexuals as an 'abomination'. <br /><br />One of the key leaders of the Gafcon movement, the Church of Nigeria was a trailblazer for removing the link to Canterbury from their constitution. <br /><br />He is believed to be behind Gafcon's own revision of the office of the Archbishop, as merely an 'historic' one rather than an instrument or focus of unity in the worldwide church. <br /><br />It seems now that after Akinola's frequent gaffes other leaders are taking over the leadership of the Communion's conservatives but as leader of 18 million of the continents Anglicans, Archbishop Akinola remains one of the most influential Anglican leaders - for better and for worse. <br /><br />***<br />#2 and #1, by the way, are Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams.LKThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05791517233920008067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194194337919842110.post-45356510447389674642008-07-11T16:30:00.000-07:002008-07-11T16:41:34.800-07:00Update on Ugandan bishop at LambethAn <a href="http://my-manner-of-life.blogspot.com/2008/07/orombi-redux.html">alert blogger</a> noticed that the story in the New Vision I quoted a few posts ago isn't quite what it was made out to be. I have cast false aspersions upon the Archbishop of Canterbury--mea culpa!<br /><br />The Anglican Mainstream--yet another Anglican blog--reports the story <a href="http://www.anglican-mainstream.net/2008/07/11/from-the-church-of-uganda-bishop-ssenyonjo-not-invited-to-lambeth/">here</a>. Apparently, Christopher Ssenyonjo has been invited by Integrity USA to come to Lambeth and be at the Integrity booth. <br /><br />Remember that thing about money? <a href="http://walkingwithintegrity.blogspot.com/2008/07/bishop-christopher-coming-to-canterbury.html">The Integrity website </a>notes that "Bishop Christopher's trip is being underwritten thru the generous donations of IntegrityUSA's members and friends."<br /><br />Let's be clear: both sides of the debate are funding both sides of the debate. And it very much complicates the relationships between the West and Africa in the Anglican Communion.LKThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05791517233920008067noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194194337919842110.post-61849704709817928132008-07-11T11:50:00.000-07:002008-07-11T11:52:08.323-07:00#25From the list of <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2286440/The-50-most-influential-figures-in-the-Anglican-Church-30-21.html">50 most influential figures in the Anglican Church</a>.<br /><br /><strong>25. Benjamin Nzimbi</strong> - <em>Archbishop of Kenya </em><br /><br />Archbishop of the four-million strong Church of Kenya, Benjamin Nzimbi is among those who will not be attending the Lambeth Conference. <br /><br />He has backed his fellow Archbishops of Rwanda, Uganda, Rwanda and Southern Cone, in providing alternative leadership to conservative congregations in the United States. <br /><br />He has also supported the formation of a new Anglican Church in North America, and has said that he will help as many churches in America as he can.LKThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05791517233920008067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194194337919842110.post-6453151042288759162008-07-11T10:47:00.000-07:002008-07-11T11:08:09.447-07:00What the Archbishop doesn't know..., or thoughts on money<a href="http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/12/638231">Archbishop Orombi stated </a>that he didn't want the Church of Uganda accepting tainted money from those who support homosexuals--"with strings attached." Well, apparently he doesn't know his daughter, Sally Orombi, at whose home I spent <a href="http://lauratoepfer.blogspot.com/2008/03/maundy-thursday-in-kampala.html">Maundy Thursday </a>and had Easter dinner, accepted a donation from me. Horrors!<br /><br />But money is a very sticky business and I do think the Archbishop has a point, even if I don't agree with his stance. There's still an incredible patronage system that's apparent in Uganda. There are lots of strings attached to money: "We'll give you money if you do it our way." And it's understandable, too, because the patrons, whoever they may be, don't want to see their money wasted.<br /><br />As far as the church goes, this is a very, very complicated issue--complicated by morality and perceptions of the wealth of the West. This is second-hand, but one church here in California with long-standing ties in Uganda was told they could no longer donate to a diocese there. The bishop told the rector of the church, "When elephants battle, the ants suffer," as I recall (I'll need to ask if that's the exact quote). <br /><br />Meanwhile, the self-proclaimed "orthodox" Anglicans are apparently offering a great deal of financial support, <a href="http://www.anglicantv.org/blog/index.cfm/2007/9/9/Archbishop-Henry-Orombi">according to the Archbishop</a>. A quote from the aforelinked interview: "... they support us, they give us money. Oh they give us money. Since we began to relate with our orthodox brethren they have given us much more money, much more money, oh yeah, much more money. They have given us more money." <br /><br />Are there strings attached? And to what purpose is that money used? Here's hoping and praying it goes to relieve suffering and help those in need. I'm not sure I care where the money comes from as long as it's going to that purpose. I doubt that any money from anyone is totally pure.LKThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05791517233920008067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194194337919842110.post-36759491957811846522008-07-11T10:41:00.000-07:002008-12-08T20:27:03.074-08:00How most people spend their time<div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSUncweX0S9sH6Q2zOum-8fQy9RUfeBQmIer9uHu0wxWKVztCmUG0ypshZ0PNs0w6-T2CF2ooQLcZ57GGjrxvsvR0KKLCr8XTBPeHQ4jsEBNzJb7_9pLv4hIK2YKC2WVsmLZtcUae5lcc/s1600-h/FL000010.JPG'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSUncweX0S9sH6Q2zOum-8fQy9RUfeBQmIer9uHu0wxWKVztCmUG0ypshZ0PNs0w6-T2CF2ooQLcZ57GGjrxvsvR0KKLCr8XTBPeHQ4jsEBNzJb7_9pLv4hIK2YKC2WVsmLZtcUae5lcc/s400/FL000010.JPG' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div>This is a picture of the store next to my apartment in Bukoto. I went there all the time to buy vegetables or fresh eggs (one egg cost 200 shillings). My neighbor who worked there would be there in the morning when I left for the office and there when I got back in the late afternoon. Occasionally I would go out at night, and I would see her there in the dark with a kerosene lantern for light. Most of her day seemed to be spent sitting and waiting for customers to come by. She sat on the floor behind the counter where she had half-cakes (a kind of fry bread) in a glassed in case.<br /><br />If there's one thing I learned in Uganda it's that life is hard there. I got an email from my friend Joseline describing how she is probably going to have to choose between transport to and from the beauty college and lunch (I'm working to make sure she doesn't). This is not an exceptional choice. God only knows how many thousands of people are making choices like this all of the time.<br /><br /><div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>LKThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05791517233920008067noreply@blogger.com0