Council of Anglican Provinces in Africa held a youth conference from the 9th to the 14th of April 2018 in the diocese of Kenya, Nairobi. Graced with 300 Anglican Youth from different provinces in Africa, leadership and raising our continent was the theme for the conference. African diversity was oozing from all angles, a true sign of our African rainbow, this included worship, songs, language and culture.
Green Anglicans formed part of the conference in plea to discuss environmental challenges that we face in our daily lives and the role of the church especially young people to combat climate change or at least to live sustainably going forward. Environmental challenges continue to create a huge challenge in Africa, especially agriculturally, which then escalates food insecurity and poverty. This goes as far as affecting some of the prime sacraments and traditions in the Anglicans church.
Working with Rev Sam Sifelani, Central Africa’s Environmental Coordinator, Green Anglicans split the session between what the bible say’s about care for creation as well as action and advocacy.
We engaged the participants in conversation about carbon foot print and we can reduce it in our homes and communities, we also discussed on how the church can begin to have conversations about talking with the big companies who are contributing the most to this bad cycle.
The aim of the session was to clarify this often difficult to engage with topic and unpack the ways in which the participants can harness the energy enable the youth to come up with initiatives to help their communities to adapt. At the end of the discussions a light had been shed to most of the participants who had never made the cross between faith and care for creation.
-Ncumisa Magadla
