European and African Bishops have asked the G8, which will meet from June 1st to the 3rd at Evian (France), for “new mobilisation for the African continent”: this request, contained in a letter signed by Monsignor Joseph Homeyer, president of the Commission of the European Union Episcopates (Comece) and by Monsignor Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya, President of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences for Africa and Madagascar (Sceam), emerged during the Ecumenical Kirchentag which is being held in Berlin and will close on June 3rd. The Bishops are asking the G8 to “provide practical support for the New Partnership for development in Africa (Nepad), by increasing aid provided by cooperation for development and reducing the debt of developing countries”. The Bishops appreciate the French Presidency’s initiative of inviting the heads of state from a number of African countries and those responsible for some international organizations to attend the G8. According to the Bishops this will represent “a step towards a necessary example of a global governance group – proposed in a report addressed to Comece Bishops in October 2001 -, so that globalisation will represent an opportunity for all and not only for the richer”.
