The Africa Faith and Justice Network [AFJN] strives to be a meaningful voice for Africa in U.S. public policy. AFJN stresses issues of human rights and social justice that tie directly into Catholic social teaching. AFJN works closely with Catholic missionary congregations and numerous Africa-focused coalitions of all persuasions to advocate for USA economic and political policies that will benefit Africa`s poor majority, facilitate an end to armed conflict, establish equitable trade and investment with Africa and promote ecologically sound development.



AFJN`s support base is primarily built on the Catholic missionary community in the USA and in Africa. AFJN is an extension of missionary witness in the difficult yet important arena of USA political decisions that affect African people.



Mission: Africa Faith and Justice Network

* a Catholic network of individual and group members

* focused on Africa and the experience of its people

* committed in faith to collaborate in the task of transforming United States mentality and policy on Africa

* seeking to be an instrument of education and advocacy on behalf of justice for Africa



Africa Grassroot Response Initiative -- "Seeds & Water"

The Africa Faith & Justice Network [AFJN] launched the Africa Grassroots Response Initiative [GRI] in June, 2000. It establishes an interactive communication network with select justice & peace, NGO and civil society groups in Africa. The network channels information back and forth between Africa, North America and Europe that GRI partners use for their respective advocacy efforts on economic justice issues.



African smallholder agriculture and the human right to water are important areas of concentration in the project. Most notably, AFJN supports community rights to seeds, food crops, plants and other agricultural resources over against monopoly control of those resources through patents [Intellectual Property Rights] by corporations, institutions and individuals. Together with our African partners, AFJN opposes the patenting of living organisms. Likewise, AFJN supports African social justice groups in keeping freshwater for drinking and sanitation in the public domain, free from privatization by transnational corporations and others.



Through the GRI project, AFJN`s carries out its efforts with significant African input, which gives African grassroots groups a stronger platform in the USA, brings more depth to AFJN`s work with its USA-based advocacy partners, and enhances AFJN`s impact on Capitol Hill. GRI is a tool for working with African social justice groups in a more concerted and cohesive way.