Globalization and Social Justice

INTRODUCTION:

I wish to thank the Konrad Adenauer Foundation for the gracious invitation to participate in this symposium on the Bible, Globalization and Social Justice. I thank them especially for facilitating my being able to participate. Already that is in itself a positive attempt of globalization. I am happy to be part of this discussions because I have confidence in the goodwill of Konrad Adenauer Foundation to contribute towards creating a better world for the future for all of us. We pray that the efforts of such groups as this will be blessed with success. Let me apologize that I am not in a position to deliver an academic lecture. I crave your indulgence to allow me to simply reflect freely with you, speaking largely straight from the heart.

The specific topic assigned to me is “Globalization and Social Justice: African Problems and Experiences. I will reflect on this topic precisely as it is formulated. First I will give some general impression of the phenomenon called Globalization. Secondly I will briefly look at the relationship between Globalization and Social Justice in the world and finally, I will try to share with this audience how we in Africa experience this process: African problems and experiences. I will conclude with a few considerations on the future for Africa and the world in general. I hope that my other colleague from South Africa, Archbishop Ndungane, will also confirm and complete much of what I have to say.

1. GLOBALISATION.

1.1.

Definition: Globalisation is an expression that is now very commonly used all over the world, even in our countries. There are many definitions of the expression. For our purpose I will like to adopt that given by Fr. Henriot, who defines it as “the phenomenon of increasing integration of nation states through economic exchanges, political configurations, technological advances and cultural influences. (1)

1.2.

Expressions of Globalisation: In practical terms, especially for us in Africa, it means that we are being exposed increasingly day by day to influences, events and occurrences taking place on a global level. This is most visible in the area of communication where we are constantly exposed to transmissions from centres of global communication like the BBC, CNN and similar net works. We sometimes do hear and see events of our country being beamed all over the world. Unfortunately this is often only when there are negative events, thus giving the impression that nothing positive ever happens in Africa! We see globalisation also in the computer revolution, which permits us not only to work easier, but also to link with other parts of the world through the internet. Instant communication like cellular phones, through satellite networks means that we can hear and be heard all across the globe. There are less visible but no less significant impact of the phenomenon on the daily lives of the people. It affects even the economic policies of our governments. Decisions taken in far away Tokyo, London, New York often determine what kind of and how much food we shall have on our table and how much will be available for health care and education of our people. On the cultural level, the youth especially are exposed to global fashions and artistic expressions, music and other art forms. We should not forget too the religious dimension of globalization especially as it affects our continent. This has been a constant dimension of the Catholic faith in Africa and elsewhere throughout history. This has been recognized even in non-theological academic circles. Robertson, a social historian says: "The Roman Catholic Church is the oldest significant globe-oriented organization. It has recently become a particularly effective globe-oriented and politically influential actor across most of the world, claiming mankind to be its major concern"(2) In recent times, however, we are seeing it often in a very strong way with regard to Islam and Pentecostal evangelism.(3) Even the tragedy of HIV/AIDS is also an aspect of the global interactions in the world of today. All this has created new possibilities but also new challenges, new concepts and new meanings calling for new approaches and new solutions.

1.3.

Historical Antecedents: Although globalization is a recent expression, its reality is in someway as old as human history. The history of humanity is studded with experiences of imperial ambitions, where certain nations seek to extend their influence and power over the known world of their days. So we hear of the Egyptian empire, the Roman empire and of recent, the colonial empires whose impact is still felt in the present global community. The more significant aspect of these imperial ambitions is the effort of one human group to extend its hegemony over the whole world. It is the logic of the domination. Unfortunately, that same logic is still present today, despite the fact that the landscape of human history is strewn with the carcasses of dead empires. The new aspect of the modern trend of globalisation seems to be the effort to have a world community that is built up and sustained through the participation of all. The United Nations Organisation with its agencies is a prophetic pointer in this direction.

1.4.

Biblical Perspectives: Although I believe someone else may have competently treated the biblical dimension of globalization, permit me to make a few observations in this regard. The dominant thrust of the biblical message is clearly global, universal from the beginning to the very end. “In the beginning, God created heaven and earth. (Gen. 1:1) The basic idea of the bible is that the whole of humanity is one family, originating from one man and one woman. The early part of the bible explains the process of emerging diversities and divisions in this one human family, according to nations and languages. This is presented at times as a natural growth and development, (Gen. 10) and at times, as we see in the story of the tower of Babel, as punishment for human pride.(Gen. 11) In any case, from this story, we see the idea that the unity of humanity comes from God. This unity gives man great possibilities, almost to the point of making him wanting to be like God.

Later on we have the story of the people of Israel beginning with the patriarch Abraham, who received the promise that "in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed." (Gen.12:3) Beyond the promise, the people of Israel lived most of the time under world powers, like Mesopotamia, Egypt and the great kingdoms and empires of the Middle East. The Israelite state was one out of many nations and generally, a weak member of the contemporary community of nations. Apart from a relatively brief period, under David and Solomon, when she became an important actor in international politics, the Israelite state lived most of the time through an experience of domination, enslavement and exile. Despite all this, the prophetic utterances about Jerusalem as the final rallying point for all nations and about the future messiah with universal jurisdiction, constantly kept alive the dream of a united world under the God of Israel. A most vivid expression of this vision can be seen in this powerful prophetic oracle:

“In the days to come

the mountain of the Temple of the Lord

shall tower above the mountains

and be lifted higher than the hills.

All the nations will stream to it,

Peoples without number will come to it Is. 2:1-2

At that time there will be universal peace and tranquility:

He will wield authority over the nations

And adjudicate between many peoples;

These will hammer their swords into ploughshres,

their spears into sickles.

Nation will not lift sword against nation,

There will be no more training for war.

O House of Jacob, come,

Let us walk in the light of the Lord.

This vision was never eliminated by the yoke of the successive world empires under which Israel had to live; Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks and Romans.

The New Testament also continued this message of Gods universal kingdom here on earth to be perfected in the world to come. The gospel message is a good news for all. On Calvary, Jesus died for all. Pentecost reverses the disintegration and confusion at the Tower of Babel, as "everyone heard the apostles speaking each in his own tongue." (Acts 2:6) The history of the expansion of Christianity is one of gradual bringing together of the whole of humanity under "one fold and one shepherd." (Jn 10:16) This is the thrust of the last command of Jesus to his apostles: "Go make disciples of all nations." (Mt 28:19) St. Paul looks forward to the end when everything will be subjected to the Lord Jesus, "then the Son Himself will be subjected to the One who has subjected everything to Him, so that God may be all in all." (I Cor. 15:25) The bible ends with the Book of Revelation which presents the vision of the "New Jerusalem, the holy city coming down out of heaven from God."

We can see in all these texts a firm basis for the consistent Christian attitude of global thinking right from the beginning. The social teachings of the church, about which we shall speak more later, are rooted on this biblical perspective which believes that God created humanity as one family and has given us all a common destiny to be with him. Globalization therefore is an eminently Christian phenomenon.

2. GLOBAL SOCIAL JUSTICE

If globalization has become such a topical issue, it is certainly because of its impact on the lives of men and women of our days especially in the areas of social justice and world peace both of which are connected. The Popes have constantly reminded us that there can be no peace in the world without justice. We recall here the famous saying of Pope Paul VI: "If you want peace, work for justice". The more humanity is brought closer together through communications and travel, the more it will be intolerable to maintain a situation of gross inequality and social injustice. Fortunately, the process of globalization also gives humanity possibilities for radical and revolutionary progress in this line of social justice.

2.1.

So far, so bad: In the meantime however, what we see before us leaves so much to be desired. It could almost be said "so far so bad." (4) Mans primordial attraction to egoism and greed is very much evident in the process of globalization before our eyes. Those who control the resources, the knowledge, the technology and the power of the global structures tend to use these resources mainly in their own self-interest rather than for the common good of the whole of humanity. The result is an ever-increasing gap between rich and poor, strong and weak. This gap is not the only problem. More serious is the fact that in this ever- increasing gap, it is the small minority that is on the strong rich side, while the vast majority is on the poor and destitute side. It means then that billions of human beings find themselves marginalized and excluded. Obviously, where the minority marginalizes and excludes the majority, there is a structural disfunction, which cannot be without negative consequences. Another aspect of this is the phenomenon of homogenization of cultures especially through the mass media and communication. There is the tendency for the cultures of poorer people to be pushed aside and replaced by dominant cultural trends coming from rich centres of production.(5) The problem is not so much that one culture is replacing another. What is unfortunate is that such a displacement is not often on the basis of improvement on human values. Often beautiful values are destroyed and replaced by inhuman attitudes. Another aspect of the experience of globalization in respect of social justice is with regard to the environment. The earth with its environment meant for all its inhabitants both now and in the future is being exploited by those who are in the position to do so with reckless irresponsibility. (6) Even though the impact of this is not always easily felt by the victims of such processes, the reality is there to be seen, e.g. the famous global warming. The impact of unbridled exploitation of natural resources, the destruction of forests, mining in poor countries without regard for the environment, and less still for the health and well being of people: all these are aspects of lack of social justice in our global world.

2.2.

An Open-ended Process: And yet as the Pope recently declared in an address to the members of the Pontifical Academy for Social Sciences, "Globalisation, a priori is neither good nor bad". (7) It is open ended, depending on how we direct and handle it. It has, however, become inevitable because it is a process that can lo longer be arrested. But its direction is not inevitable. It has tremendous possibilities for the good of humanity. The great challenge before us now is how to employ such possibilities in such a way that humanity as a whole profits and thrives through global structures and resources.

2.3.

The Catholic Social Teaching: The Catholic Social doctrine on these matters is clearly stated in recent documents of the church, especially the great social encyclicals from Rerum Novarum right up to Centesimus Annus., There are also the various interventions of recent Popes and of the Holy See at the international fora. (8) These have consistently put forward viable and cogent proposals as regards how to work towards a global community in the world of our days that is respectful of human values and at the same time promote the glory of God. The importance of maintaining fundamental human values is constantly stressed. Technology in itself is largely a neutral force. But if it is to work for the good of mankind, as God intends it to be, it must be guided by certain human values. It is not everything that we can do that we should do. In all this, the paramount consideration must be the common good of humanity. The more the world is united globally, the more it is in the interest of each part that the common good of all be pursued. Pursuing the common good therefore is a form of enlightened common interest. But this cannot be done if humanity does not develop some kind of common recognition of basic values to guide human progress. Here comes the importance of what Pope John Paul II describes as the "priority of ethics" and the need for a common code of ethics. (9) This is a project which is very dear to the heart of Prof. Hans Kung, the great German Philosopher/Theologian. Despite what seems to be irreconcilable differences between religious bodies and between religions and liberal free thinkers, the fact remains that on the practical level, it is n ot too difficult to agree on what is right and what is wrong provided we put the good of the human being first and adopt his interests as criteria for judging. Our experience in a country like Nigeria has proved beyond doubt that on these basic matters we disagree only when we do not want to be sincere with ourselves. In the same way, the project of a common code of ethics to guide globalization worldwide across all cultures and religions is a necessity, which cannot be delayed for too long. Thank God that it is not a futile project.

3. AFRICAN PROBLEMS AND EXPERIENCES:

Now let us concentrate more on the continent of Africa and try to illustrate the various ways in which the process of globalization is affecting our continent.

3.1.

Africa's historical experiences of Globalisation: In the first place, we wish to note that Africa has been part of the global community in different ways over the past few centuries. Fr. Henriot distinguishes four stages in the impact of globalization on Africa: Slavery, Colonialism, Neo-colonialism and Globalisation. (10)

3.1.1.

The ignominious slave trade: The first experience of Africa in contact with the global world was with the so-called discovery of Africa by European explorers. What began as a mutually respectful relationship soon degenerated into one of raiding and gathering of human beings for the ignominious slave trade across the Atlantic ocean. We note here however that Africa did not suffer the slave trade only in the hands of Europeans carrying Africans across the Atlantic into the Americas. Earlier than that, and much later thereafter, there has also been the slave trade by Muslim Arabs across the Indian ocean and Sahara desert into the Arabian peninsula and Northern Africa. The significant presence of black people today in many Arab lands as well as in the islands of Mauritius and Madagascar is a clear witness to this history of man's inhumanity to man. Both the European and Arab slave trade have been equally devastating to the psyche as well as to the resources of our continent. Therefore, our first contact with the bigger world around us was characterized by serious exploitation and lack of respect for our human dignity. It must be recorded to the credit of the western world that the movement for the abolition of slavery also began within the Christian circles of the west especially in England, a movement that later spread to other European nations. I am not aware, however, of any anti-slavery movement in the Islamic centres of power and wealth.

3.1.2.

Colonialism: After the slave trade, came the era of colonialism. At the 1884 Berlin Conference, Europeans pored over the map of Africa and partitioned it for the exploitation of European powers of those days. At that conference no African was present. The period of colonialism no doubt witnessed an appreciable level of human development. But it was certainly also a time of negative exploitation of the African continent. The meeting of cultures between the colonial powers and the African peoples was one that was far from being on equal basis. We note however that the period of colonialism also coincided with the beginning of serious Christian evangelization in our continent. This means that the heritage of the colonial period is not univocal. It has both positive and negative dimensions. We should note too that Islam spread around the same period as well. The Nigerian case is a good illustration. The British colonial regime adopted the Muslim rulers of the north as their agent for the indirect rule subjugation of the whole northern region. This facilitated the imposition of Muslim rulers over many northern tribes that had successfully resisted them over generations. Our country is still reaping the bitter fruits of this unholy alliance even today.(11)

3.1.3.

Neo-Colonialism: In the sixties, one country after the other in Africa was granted political independence and it was thought that the era of exploitation was over. In this connection, the late Kwameh Nkrumah of Ghana was quoted as having declared "Seek you first the political kingdom, and everything else will be added unto you." Unfortunately it was not to be. Neo-colonialism took the place of colonialism. Countries had "flag independence" but all the time remained dependent on previous colonial masters. Furthermore, the ideological confrontation between the east and the west, between communism and capitalism found in Africa a convenient battle ground. The result was a continent that was ruled by proxy. This explains how corrupt and dictatorial regimes were able to maintain their hold on their people with the support of foreign powers that found puppet rulers convenient for their own purpose.

3.1.4.

"The New World Order" The so-called collapse of the iron curtain and the subsequent end of the cold war seems to coincide with the intensification of the process of globalization with which we are here concerned. A "new world order" was announced at that time. What we see in Africa however is a most "unjust new world disorder" which is not so new after all. The irony now is that most countries in Africa have never had it so bad since the past thirty or forty years. Furthermore fresh conflicts and civil wars have been raging in recent years especially since the east-west equilibrium of forces no longer maintained a semblance of peace. This is the story of Sierra Leone, Liberia and presently of once stable and peaceful La Cote d'Ivoire. It is, of course, not possible to generalize about conditions in Africa. There is so much difference between one country and the other. But on the whole, it can be said that the process of globalization as it is presently working itself out has pushed Africa largely to the margins.(12)

3.2.

The Economic Dimension: On the economic level, Africa is practically absent from the negotiating table when all is said and done, we simply have to accept whatever rules and conditions are imposed on the continent in the process of economic exchanges. It is said that the terms of these exchanges get more and more unfavourable as the years go by. The cocoa farmer in Africa received more than five times for his cocoa in the 1960 than he is receiving today in real terms. And there is no effective way of bargaining for a better deal. This economic imbalance translates itself into political terms. The rulers, even when they are sincere and wise, find it difficult to hold their ground against the national interest of the big powers. Worse still very often those who control economic power have ways of determining the political direction in the weaker nations. If we add to all this, the corruption and greed of many of the African leaders, it is no wonder that the lot of the poor masses on our continent continues to degenerate.

3.3.

The Cultural Invasion: On the cultural level, the continent has continued to be a consumer of all kinds of mass produced cultural goods, music, dances, fashion, whatever the mass media peddles around as the latest fashion. We should also mention in this connection the religious dimension. On the whole Africans are very religious and they have opened themselves up to the world religions: Islam and Christianity. However at the same time the continent has become free ground for rampaging wolves that dress themselves up in religious sheep's clothing. This is evident in the nefarious activities of both fanatical Muslim elements and some forms of virulent Pentecostal evangelistic groups. In deed much of the religious upheavals in Africa, certainly in my country Nigeria, is as a result of clashes between such fanatics on both sides.

3.4.

Environmental Degradation: An area of serious concern for Africa is the rampant exploitation of the continent's resources without due regard to the environment. For example, mining in Africa is often still being done with systems and methods that have long been abandoned in the countries of origin of those crude technologies. The Bishop of Obuasi in Ghana has very sad stories to tell about the disastrous impact on his people of gold mining activities in the Ashanti Mines. The oil companies operate in Nigeria in a way that they would not dare to do in the north sea or in the fields of Texas. (13) Logging companies operating in the African rain forests are cutting down our majestic and splendid trees at an alarming rate thereby reducing large tracts of forest land to mere grass land. This has an impact on the climate as well as on erosion and soil quality. We must also not forget the impact on Africa of activities taking place elsewhere with impact on world environment, especially the famous "global warming" which has impact on the climate of Africa, on the sea waves and other aspects of life on our continent. (14) These are totally beyond our control.

3.5.

The "Trickle Down" effect: This is not to say that the continent has not gained anything from the process of globalization. Where genuine efforts have been made by government and rulers, there has been some amount of "trickle down effect" on our continent even on the economic level. For example, much is being said now about the NEPAD initiative for the development of Africa. Its outcome is still to be seen. It will depend, not only on the good will of the rich nations but also on the political seriousness and economic discipline of the African rulers themselves. (15) Technology is gradually affecting the lives of our people, although the gap of the technology divide between those who have the know how and the rest of us is still widening. The progress in communications technology by its very nature has permitted many parts of African to be opened up to the wider world. The cellular phone technology for example has made it possible for us even in the remotest villages to be connected with the rest of the world. As progress is made in energy technology such as biogas and solar energy, it will become easier to run gadgets, even in rural areas, at affordable costs. The progress that science has made available in the positive direction in the health sector as well as in methods of food production ought to make life easier for us in Africa. But these will not happen if there is bad government by our rulers and lack of interest in what is happening in our country by the world powers who control these resources. Finally, we cannot underestimate the positive aspects of the fact that Africa has a voice in many global fora, not only at the United Nations but also in many international organizations. We note too the presence of Africans in key positions of leadership in many world organisations starting from the United Nations itself whose Secretary General presently is a Ghanaian. Nigerians are found everywhere in the world in top positions as well as in menial jobs from Sweden to Israel, from Germany to the United States of America, from South Africa to Papua New Guinea. That too is globalization.

4. FUTURE HOPE FOR AFRICA

We must continue to hope for a better future. (16) Our hope is not unfounded because there are possibilities for the process of globalization to be directed along lines that will make life better for all the citizens of the planet earth in general and for Africa in particular. But for this to happen, certain conditions would seem to me necessary.

4.1.

Charity Begins at Home: First let us talk about Africa itself. Charity begins at home. There will be need for a greater effort to rule our nations decently. The challenges of good government in Africa are enormous. (17) There is no doubt that many foreign interests are interfering in the running of African affairs. There is not much we can do about it. The continent is so vast, its natural resources so tremendous that we should not be surprised that other nations are interested in our continent. The important thing is that those who claim to be our leaders should also be concerned about the good of our nations and of our people. It should be clear that the policies they pursue are in the national interest of African nations. Unfortunately not many rulers of Africa have been able to pass this test. Some are unable to grasp the complex issues that determine world relationships and are therefore unable to make wise decisions for their nations. They are also unable to choose for themselves wise advisers. Such people lead their nations along paths that lead in all kinds of tragic directions. There are also rulers who are not so much unwise as selfish. They see the nation almost as a private property to be exploited in the interest of themselves, their families and their cronies. This is why some rulers remain indefinitely in power even after they have seen the total failure of their policies. There are rulers who would want the whole nation to die for them instead of they taking the heroic position of dying for the nation. An aspect of this is rampant corruption is where and when rulers loot the resources of the nation and most often in collusion with foreign interests. There seems to be an international Mafia, which takes advantage of the many loop-holes that a globalised financial system has created for stealing a lot of money very fast. (18) In such circumstances, it is not surprising that the policies that control the lives of the people do not consider as priority the good of the people or the protection of the environment. There is no doubt that the greatest responsibility lies with us and our rulers.

4.2.

The International Community: Having said all the above, precisely because of the force of the current of globalization , no country is an island. In particular the poor and weak countries are vulnerable to global forces. That is why there is need that the rest of the world should look at Africa with a fresh mind and changed attitude. There is need for a greater respect for the dignity the human person. All human beings are equal in Gods eyes and each deserves at least a minimum level and means of living. It should therefore be a matter of grave concern for the international community that the majority of men, women and children in Africa, and in many other Third World countries, live below the poverty line, have no access to good drinking water and cannot look after themselves when they are ill, which is also very often. If this respect for the dignity of the human person becomes an important element in the decision making of the international community, it will make a lot of difference to the way international relations are formulated and implemented.

Linked with this is the importance of sharing. The Pope calls it "globalisation of solidarity."(19) The goods of this world are very unevenly and unfairly distributed. This is often also because the technological know-how which produces wealth in the modern world is very unevenly distributed. Every effort ought to be made not only to share resources with the poor but above all to put them in a position to be productive in their own right. This sharing will in fact become a two-way traffic which will be enriching to the giver as it is to the receiver.

Finally there is the issue of participation. Presently, globalization is characterized by the exclusion of the marginalized. It is about time that everyone be involved in the discussions and the decisions that determine the direction the world is going. Therefore the presence of Africa at international fora should not only be simply marginal or symbolic. Nor should they be there only to support positions taken by the powerful nations who tend to recruit and drag poor countries under their spheres of diplomatic influence, in order to gather voice and votes for their own pre-determined agenda. This will require a thorough re-organisation of the rules governing international organizations starting from the United Nations. (20)

4.3.

The Religious Dimension: Finally, we have to talk about religion. We have shown that faith and religion have a lot to do in ensuring greater social justice on the basis of morality and ethics. But this contribution of religion will not be forthcoming or effective if religions are at each other's throat. In Africa, people take their religions very seriously. Unfortunately, it seems that there are people ever ready to manipulate this deep religious feelings and sentiments. These manipulations come from two main directions. First, they come from fanatics on all sides, who are unable to see anything good in other peoples faith. Secondly, they come from politicians who seek to use the strong popular feelings associated with religion to mobilize support for themselves and their political ambitions. My country is a typical example of this. It means therefore that those who consider themselves leaders of the religious communities should do their best to restrain the fanatics within their own ranks and be alert not to make themselves easy tools in the hands of those who are pursuing other political agenda. (21) When that is done, Africa my well be the continent that will show the way forward for the rest of the world as regards human development based on sound morality, and just peace based on shared religious values.

CONCLUSION:

Globalisation is certainly a sign of our times. As Christians, we should have faith that it is a process that is not without the knowledge of God. We believe that it is a grace for the men and women of our time. It is an inevitable process that we can criticize, attack but cannot stop. Therefore we have to live with it. However, how we live with it depends very much on the choices that we make in freedom and solidarity. It is important therefore that the whole world together find ways and means of making sure that the resources, skills and knowledge available to humanity now be used in such a way that the whole of humanity gains. The alternative is to continue to accumulate goods on the basis of individual and group greed and egoism, leading to ever increasing social injustice and imbalance with its natural consequence of social unrest and conflict. Humanity today has at its disposal powers and instruments for mass destruction, sufficient to destroy the whole world hundred times over. That is the bad news. The good news is that for the first time in human history, we now have at our disposal instruments and knowledge to be able not only to feed all in this world, and to banish disease from our world but also to create a truly human family. The choice is with us. Shall we have this wisdom to build a "civilization of love" about which the Pope has constantly spoken? Discussions like the one we are now engaged in, I believe, are a step in the direction of finding such solution. Thank you very much for your attention.

NOTES AND REFERENCES

1. HENRIOT, Peter S.J. “Africa in the Age of Globalisation in Chiedza, Arrupe College Journal, May 2001, p.50.
2. ROBERTSON, Roland , Globalization: Social Theory and Global Culture ((London: Sage, 1992, 129.)
3. For some interesting observations on “Evangelical Protestantism, see BERGER Peter L. “Four Faces of Global Culture, The National Interest, No. 49, Fall 1997, Washington, D.C.
4. On the negative aspects of globalization, especially as it affects Africa, see HENRIOT, Peter S.J. op. cit.
5. Pope John Paul II has serious warnings on this in his address to participants at the Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences on April 27, 2001. ZENIT News Agency, April 27, 2001.
6. HENRIOT, Peter S.J. op. cit. pp. 55-56.
7. ZENIT News Agency, April 27, 2001.
8. Address of Pope John Paul II on May 17th, 2001 to members of the Foundation for "Ethics and Economies", Osservatore Romano, English Edition, No. 28, 11 July 2001, p.2.
9. POPE JOHN PAUL II: Address to the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, April 27th, 2001.
10. HENRIOT Peter S.J. op. cit. p.51.
11. ONAIYEKAN, J. "Muslims and Christians in Nigeria: the Imperatives of Dialogue." In SEDOS Documentation, 2001, p.280.
12. POPE JOHN PAUL II, Ecclesia in Africa No 39-40.
13. Although the case of Ogoniland is well known all over the world, it is only one out of many.
14. HENRIOT, Peter S.J. op. cit. p.55-56.
15. For a caustic but realistic criticism of NEPAD by a concerned Nigerian economist, see ADIONE-EGOM Luke, Globalization at the Crossroads Lagos 2002, pp. 143-146; 167-170.
16. Because of sentiments like this, I gave the title "Hoping Against Hope" to my address in February 2002 to the Catholic Social Ministry Gathering, organised by and for the Catholic Bishops of the United States of America.
17. POPE JOHN PAUL II Ecclesia in Africa, Nos 110-113, stresses the importance for Africa of good administration of public affairs, building the nation, and administering the common patrimony.
18. POPE JOHN PAUL II, Ecclesia in America No 28 has some encouraging things to say about the negative ethical implications of this aspect of globalization.
19. POPE JOHN PAUL II, Address for the "World day of Peace: 1998" reminds humanity of the need to promote global solidarity in our days, because "globalization without solidarity leads to marginalization". It is encouraging to note that even Mr. Wolfenshn, the President of the World Bank, seems to share these concerns. See WOLFENSOHN, James D. "A Call to Global Action" in the Jesuit journal America January 8-15, 2001, p.8-12.
20. This is why there have been persistent calls from many quarters for a review of the United nations Charter to meet better the challenges of the contemporary world. There is need to review the composition and the status of the "permanent members" of the Security Council. Also, what does the world body do when powerful nations like the USA and Israel ignore at will UN resolutions, while hypocritically demanding that weaker nations, like Iraq, must comply immediately or face war?
21. The 2002 Message to Muslims on the occasion of the end of the Muslim festival of Ramadan issued by the new President of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue, Archbishop Fitzgerald, challenges Christians and Muslims to seek the path of peace in our conflict ridden world.