Africa and Justice: Justice in and for Africa

Thanks to Cristina Vargas for sending this powerful and clear article on Zambia by Peter Henriot, S.J.

Surely, should we not really speak of “Africas” in the plural? Such a huge Continent, comprising over 700 million people living in over 50 countries. When I was travelling from Zambia last week to come to the USA to offer presentations like the one I am offering this evening, I looked at the map on the small TV screen in front of me at my seat. Africa, such a huge Continent – you could fit the mainland USA into in it three times and still have some space left over! It took over six hours of very fast air travel to cover only two-thirds of the Continent. And such a wondrous variety of life below me!

And justice – what definition would be appropriate and helpful for us to focus on here? You who are participating in the AFJN Conference will already have heard much about the important topic of Restorative Justice. And we all know that justice takes many forms: economic, political, cultural, religious. To speak of “social justice” might cover it all. And so let it be social justice that I particularly focus on, even in general terms, this evening.
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