Introduction

The Justice and Peace Initiative (JPI) of religious people in Nigeria convened its 17^th annual general assembly at the Divine Love Retreat Centre and Conference (DRACC), Abuja, from October 16 to 19, 2024. More than 20 congregations were represented including the Missionaries of Africa. This platform was created in 2007 by the Association of Major Superiors of Nigeria. Different congregations come together every year and join efforts in matters of justice and peace.

1. 1. Activities

First activity 

On the first day of the meeting, after the opening Mass, we had a presentation from Fr. Genesis Onah Abdul, lecturer at the Federal University of Abuja. He focused his reflection on hope, reconciliation and peace – Prov, 4.13 and Jn, 15.16 -. He reminded us that the credibility of our mission lies in the way we live. We live in a world full of immorality. We are therefore a sign of hope, reconciliation and peace. And yet, we cannot give to others what we do not have ourselves. We must first be a sign of hope in our communities, our congregations and the Church. It is therefore vital to ask true and existential questions: how will we be perceived if we are involved in these immoralities? How many communities are signs of hope and examples of reconciliation and peace? And for me, to be a sign of hope in the Nigerian context and even in Africa in general, is to generate credibility in our mission through our esprit de corps, in order to promote the credibility of our mission. This is why the first value for us should be daily contact with Jesus in community. Our daily relationship with Jesus as a family makes us, in action, light in a world of darkness. This is why we must first be salt and light to ourselves – in our communities -. We cannot give what we do not have. It is a daily commitment for all of us

Second activity

The second activity focused on different Justice and Peace activity reports from different congregations. The reports were brief but precise and practical. We, the Missionaries of Africa, are really not left out in this area. It was encouraging to see that other congregations also seemed inspired by our work. According to the reports of many congregations present, it seems to me that in many cases of restoring justice and promoting peace, there is safeguarding work that must be encouraged. Because these are cases of rape, child-trafficking, abuse of authority even on the part of the clergy, and the after-effects of continuous family violence.

1. 2. Meeting Resolutions

At the end of our meeting, we had these resolutions:

1. 1. Stable Representation: religious congregations are urged to send delegates to represent them at JPI events, ensuring three-year membership stability.
   2. Formal Requests: mediation and intervention requests from beneficiaries are expected to be formally addressed to JPI.
   3. Legal Expertise: JPI will engage legal experts in peace, justice and integrity cases where necessary. 
   4. Grassroots Engagement: JPI will develop practical strategies to support vulnerable persons.
   5. World Peace Day: JPI wishes that all Religious Congregations adopt specific approaches such as road walks, rosary processions, peace talk etc. to celebrate World Peace Day (September 21). 
   6. Strategic Media: For effective communication, JPI operates through social media platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp etc. Congregations are encouraged to leverage on these media platforms for peace and justice advocacy. 
   7. Collaboration: to achieve its aim, JPI is open to partnering with relevant local and international agencies through the Conference of Major Superiors.
   8. Annual Tasks: all Congregations are encouraged to carry out specific tasks in line with the theme of the year to be reported to the body for archival reporting. The theme for the year 2024/2025 is “Celebrating the jubilee of Consecrated life through advocacy for the vulnerable, environmental protection and solidarity.”
   9. Specialized Offices: at its just concluded AGM, JPI established the following teams; legal team, media team and project management team.
   10. Safeguarding Policies: with the prevailing issues of abuses, JPI encourages each congregation to draft and implement policies for the protection of minors and vulnerable people. 

*Conclusion*: the JPI Annual General Meeting reaffirms commitment to promoting justice, peace and integrity.

1. 3. Visit to the displaced

On the last day of our meeting, we travelled to an Internally Displaced Persons-IDP-camp in Abuja. These people are victims of insecurity, natural disasters and poverty. We brought them food and clothes. These people lack a little bit of everything. There are many organizations working with them in the field of education and skill acquisition.

Conclusion

An African proverb says: a finger cannot kill a louse. It is a good thing to come together at least to exchange ideas on how to bring more justice and peace to our Nigerian society. JPI’s work is like a drop of water in the ocean, but we need that drop of water to fill our pastoral vase. Being a member of JPI is an attitude to be encouraged and recognized. As a Missionary of Africa, I learned a lot from others and above all I now know how to evaluate our contribution in the field of JPIC-ED and especially regarding safeguarding.

By: Felix Kiboba, M.Afr.