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    Ethics Brewed in an African Pot Aghonkbianmeghe E. Orobetor, SJ DOING ETHICS IN AFRICAN CHRISTIANITY RAISES THE CHALLENGE OF OVER- generalization in the midst of diversity and variety. This essay surveys the wide cthical landscape of Africa, explores key ethical issues on the continent within the context of the world church, and proposes priorities for action in view of a ‘lobe! ethical partnership. ica fourteen years ago, [was greeted with the following question by ‘an American: “Would yor happen to know my friend in Tanzania?” “Tp geta picture of how daunting this question was, consider: the average travel time from Nigeria to Tanzania by air is almost the same as froma New York to Los Angeles! More than two thousand miles of villages, cities, countries, desert, sivers, and tropical forest separate Lagos from Dar es Salam. Any chance of rranning into my interlocutor’ ‘Tanzanian friend in the densely populated streets of Lagos seemed mathematically quite slim, if not possible except by chance. ‘This simple story makes point: itevokes stereotypes, generalizations, and im- ages frequently associated with the idea of Afica in the Western imagination, Perhaps not unsurprisingly in the rredia-conditioned perception of many peo- ple in the global norch, Afsica isa simple reality, albeit a reality riddled with complex and emergent situations cf conflict, diseases, and misery. In light ofthis simplistic perception of Africa, « preliminary caution seems necessary: Ido noe speak for Afica, My experience of the continent is limited abouthalfa dozen countries out of fifty-three, not counting the colorful and of- ‘tentimes confusing blend of culeures, peoples, and languages that constitute the reality called Africa. My first advice to anyone trying to understand something ‘of Aftia isto rethink whatever he or she has thought about the continent. Atica is not one thing; itis a million things compressed into a vast geopolitical entity Assuch, Africa lends itself a multiplicity of meanings interpretations, and con- troversies. This dimension of cultural, political, social, geographical, and reli- gious diversity should inform how we are to understand ethics and the moral T: following isa true story. ama Nigerian. Coming to North Amer- nlf te Soety of sin Ee 31,1 (2011: 2-18 4+ Agbonkhianmeghe E. Orobstor, 5J questions confronting ethicists and layzeople alike in Aftca. Like Aftica, ethics brewed in an African pot deals with the often puzzling extremes of life and death, humanity and depravity, civilization and stagnation. Talking about ethics in Africa as a trew offers usa fitting figure of speech, ‘The imagery ofa brew evokes the procssses oF concocting local heer in several parts of Africa. Any kind of brew is never made of one ingredient onlys i is a mixture of many clements. Whether i is cbibukw in Zimbabwe, burukueu in Nigeria, or cbanga’a in Kenya, the process always involves a variety of ingredi- ents. This variety notwithstanding, there remains a basic element that forins the core of the brew—sometimes itis banana, or millet, ot maize, or honey. Ia this sense the imagery ofa brew typifcs how ethics works in Afvia. ‘What the core of ethics brewed in an African pot? What principle under- pins ethical and moral conscructs in Afica? In the ethics of this vintage, two ‘themes seem prominent asthe principal focus of ethical inquiry in Aftica. The firsc relates to the notion of life, the seeond to commnunity Amid a diversity of opinions, a consensus exists among theologians and ethi- cists that “the foundations and purpose” of ethics is summed up under the rubrie “Life.” Central to the systems of ethical reasoning in Afrien is the in- sight that “the strengthening and the growth oflife are the fundamental crte- ria. nthe realm of ethics,"* Asa general principle, in Africa ethies turns ‘on the notion of life. Speaking about the topical core of ethics in Aftica, the ‘Tanzanian moral theologian Laurenti Magesa, whose authority is considerable in Aftican thealogy, has argned that cverything is perceived with reference to this [i]. He is no wondes, then, [hat] Afcans quickly draw ethieal conclusions about thoughts, word’, and actions of human beings, or even of “natural” cosmological evens, by ask- ing questions such as: Does the partiealar happening promote lif? If, it is good, us, chica, desirable, divine. Or, does it diminish life in any wy? ‘Then itis wrong, bad, unethical, unjust, devestable... This most basic un- dersanding of morality in Afvcan Religion is incorporated systematically in the people’ way of life... .Teoonsicuts what Adicans perceive asthe rays. sigue of kif? In sum, across the variegated landscape cf ethical analyses and debates in Aftica, “all principles of morality and ethics are to be sought within the context of pre serving human life and its ‘power’ or ‘ferce.""3 ‘To grasp the fall meaning of this principle of life, we would need to think ofitas more dan just the biological perpetuation ofthe human species ot the fact of human existence. For those Africa ethicists who have written about this central principle, Life represents the ultimate common good, the shored pat- mony of the group, and the burden of care incumbent on each members Life isthe guarantee of wholeness and universal harmony within and berween the Ethies Browed in an Aftican Pot + 5 material and the spiritual realms. Furthermore, Life creates an unconditional daty or responsibility toward action. Thus, to be morally upright isto act de~ liberacely in favor of buon life. Akernately, che witch or the sorcerer is the person who undermines the collsctve life force of the group. ‘eis important to situate the principle of life or life foree asthe norm of be- havior and as a fondainental er:erion for moral jodgment in a larger, spatial context. The understanding of life 2s the “foundation and purpose” of ethics exends the universe of plants, animals, and nature. Within this ethical frame- ‘work, Life represents an expansive and inclusive experience. “The notion of expansiveness off relates to the fat that kifeis notconstrued only 28 a reality constituted by the Living; ic also includes the ancestors and the yet-unbom. Farthermore, the estegory oflife extends to and includes the natural universe In this sense, terefore, from an African religio-coltoral per- spective, the moral imperative to proteee human life also warrants the pro- tection of sacred forests, eees rivers, mountains, streams, and animals. This moral imperasive or duty to protect the physical environment is founded on the vital link berween the survival of human life and the environment. To pro tect the environment isto protect human lie, since the survival ofthe latter ultimately depends on the survival ofthe former. In connection with the principle of life as the core of ethical discourse in Altica, there are two somesshat surprising facts worth mentioning as paradox- feally 4 odds ids dhis principe, Fast, for all the enpleais var dhe holistic claims and inclusiveness ofan ethical tradition based on the concept of lf, ert- ical studies in ethics and the integrity of erontion remain strikingly scant. Con- ce for the integrity of creaticn is mentioned as a passing comment in the preparatory documents of the 2309 African Synod, although the final synodal propositions attempt to cover this lacuna.“ Second, the emphasis on life as the core of ethics in Aftica appears contradicted by human-instigated, large-scale descruction of life in various contexts. These two observations underscore the necessity of rethinking and of challenging the traditional idea of life as “foon- dation and purpose” of ethies ie Aftic, Life as the foundation and parpose of ethics in Africa forms part of wider claim concerning another monk category, namely, community. Community and ranednes are cena tote way in which most Aficans mademnd n- texpret, and judge their action ir socity.” In African ethics, community defines the spice where de moral agen is loomed and his or ber ection are astesed for their moral recivede vis-i-vis other members of the community. Because [ifeis conserued asa shared value or theultimate common good, ethics founded ‘on the notion of life as an “all-encompassing moral category” allows fora wide ‘parsicipacion by all members of a particular community in setting the criteria for acting morally and making ethical jadgments on whats right.$ 6 + Agbonkhianmeghe E. Orobator, Si Tn connection with the fundamental value of community and relatedness in assessing behavior and action, the literature on ethies in Africa speaks of “palave,* term that roughly translates as “dialogue,” ‘participatory discourse,” or “consensus building.” As Congolese ethicist Bénézet Bujo las phrased it, palaver is a means of establishing “an ethieal authority.” Palaver allows every member of the community to exercise aa active voice in examining the viabil- ity of particular traditions “so thatalltheethical norms canbe either confirmed or changed. The ethical norms confirmed or newly established and justified in the palaver obligate everyone, and this means that every individual member and the whole funy... [or community] are esponsible for keeping these norms.” Ordinarily, in the content of palaver, norms and values would not be the ob- ject of categorical deisions and impositons foisted on the community by the leader, Accordingly, some African ethicists, such as Bujo, have argued that the dictatorships and authoritarianism that have become widespread in African po- litical life since independence in the 1960s represent a relasvely recent devel- ‘opmentl0 Essentially, African palaver ethics claims to be inclusive since it gives ‘everyone, including “the invisible community of the ancestors,” a voice in the formulation of norms and judguments.21 argue that BujoS claim to a democntic and inclusive process of conduct- ing ethical discourse in Africa should be questioned for several reasons. Tbe lieve there are assumptions here that arc in need of more ertical examination than those who argue the inclusiveness cf palaver ethics in Africa have seemed “willing rnin Tete give one example, cbvioue to me and other, that explains my reservation, ‘Actors and Voices—“Not Counting the Women and Children” For all the variations that a survey of the landscape of ethies and moral ques- tions in Africa reveals, there isa methodclogical limitation common to the var- ious approaches. This limitation concerss the gender composition of the con- ‘nent’ cast of ethicists and moral theologians. On this issue T see no risk of generalization, Speaking from the perspective of Roman Catholic ethics, the definition, study, and debate of moral issves in Afiica continne to be determined by a patriarchal hierarchy, dominated by the ordained clergy, and confined al- ost exclusively to the setting of semina-y training, This state of afsirsis also tmue for other Christian denominations and their schools of theology in Aftica. ‘Wornen’s voices remain exceptionally rare in a domain where “men possess the tools of power es the main dispensing agents of God."! Like formal theology in Africa, the boundary, questions, and nature of ethics are delineated by a pow erful cat of religious and clerical elites." The rarigy of literature on ethics au- thored by Aftican women isso patent ard definitive that it needs io justifica- Ethics Srowed in an African Pot + 7 tion. However, supposing that my observation is correct, the question arises: ‘what happened and continues to happen to women’s voices in the domain of ‘African ethics? I offer here some beginnings of a response from my perspec- tive as an official member ofthe derical east. “The nature and structure of onl theology as taught in many seminacy con- ‘texts with which Iam familiar is largely scholastic and heavily overlaid with tra- ditions steeped in medieval metaplysis and philosophical discourse. This pen- chant fora purely academic undersanding of ethics and moral theology explains in part the abseace of women’s woiees. Sal, it ignores the vast materials for cthical discourse contained inthe untapped nacratives of African women. These are wornen who are not professional theologians but who confront on a daily basis many pressing moral issues inthe contexts of diseases, human trafficking, hhuman rights violations, ecological degradation, armed conflict, and climate change. In church as well ss in society, African women live atthe frontier of a variety of moral issues and questions affecting the quality of human life in Africa. Ghanaian Methodist woman theologian Merey Amba Oduyoye hes ar- gued the uniqueness of theology cr ethics understood from the particular per- spective of African women. For Oduyoye, this theological echies is “dynamic and vigorous, not easily trapped between the covers ofa book."!5 Women’s ap- proaches to moral questions existin the narratives of life experienced and ex- pressed in multiple contexts. A broader methodology is required to turn these. ‘arratives into coherent ethical syntheses. Oduyoye summarizes the formida- ble challenges African women face in elaborating a eheological and ethical dia course that honors and includes their voices: “By the time a woman has spent her energy straggling to be heard, she has barely the energy left to say what she wanted to say.” perceive a significant ethical issue in Oduyoye's remars that confirms my reservations on the inclusive nature of palaver ethics in Africa. ‘The absence of conuibations from women ethicists and moral theologians in ‘Aftica implies that balanced, hclistic, and just ethical debate will remain an clusive proposition in a cultural and religious setting that enshrines the dom- inance of male authorities while it restricts the education of its women. Jn regard to women and ethics in Aftia, I draw attention to a ray of hope in the domain of ethics in Africa. In 2009 Catholic Theological Ethics in the ‘World Church pioneered an unprecedented Scholarship Program for the Ad- vanced Training of Aftican Womes in Theological Ethics17 Thanks to this pro- gram, seven African women are in various stages of graduate and doctoral stud- ies in Kenya, Uganda, Cameroon. and D.R. Congo—all of them in the field of theological and applied ethics. This unprecedented initiative is led by James Keenan, SJ, chair of Catholic Theological Rehies in the World Church, T describe this initiative as unorecedented because I believe that the most promising impulse for renewing ethics in Aftica will come from the hitherto ‘missing but now emerging reposiry of narratives and voices that have largely 8 + Aghonkhianmoghe E, Orobator, SJ ‘seaped the cooptation by dominant hierarchical and politcal forces while smaining faithfol to the practical isoucs that shape everyday life om the conti- nent, These narratives and voices belong in large measure to African women. A farther consequence to the patracchal and hierarchical dominance of eth- ical discourse in Africa is due to the rather heavy bias toward the preservation ‘of venerable moral traditions, assumptions, and presuppositions. As a result, responses to moral questions tend to follow a familiar trajectory. First, these responses appear reactionary, with the emphasis on preserving traditions and safeguarding ecclesiastical authority. Second, they make categorical claims and deontological statements rather than a critical reexamination of the bases and foundations of mora cheology. Thicd, they appear to be obsessed with ex val morality. Given the urgency of moral issues confronting the continent, it is both morally irresponsible and reprehensible to continue brewing ethics in Arica using only a limited set of fossi ized principles, yielding thereby only a Dicterhy spotled brew. ARoman Catholic Affair ‘Contentious asthe claim may sound, in several parts of Aftic, ethics as 2 sys- tematic elaboration of moral principles that shape human action in social, eco- nomic, political, eultaral, or religious milieus seems a largely Roman Catholic affsin, Obviously, Cotholiciam enjoys along tradition af esa seflevion eu the benefit ofa generalized codification ofits traditions in a long documentary history, a catechism, and, more recent in its Compendium of the Social Doc- tsine of the Church.!* The approaches t0 moral questions in Afica reveal a pat- tera ia which most mainline Protestart churches focus primarily an social is- ‘sues while the burgeoning Pentecostal chorches and African Independent Churches carefully circumvent these issues. Characteristcally this latter group of churches continues to promote the gospel of economic prosperity and ‘the strict incompatibility of religion and polities 28 Concerning ethics in Aftica, Protestant contributions of outstanding impor- tance exist as periodic joint statements suffused with biblical references used often, unfortunately, asa substitute for critical analysis, Ia cis regard, instica- tions such as All Africa Conference of Churches hold the pride of place in Protestant ethics. Their preferred means of pronouneing on moral questions are ecumenical covenants, charter, and declarations, which focus on a wide but disparate spectrum of issues, encompasing globalization, luman rights, gov- cxnance, gender justice, environmental conseevation, the death penalty, forced displacement, disability rights, and others?! Despite these contributions, the consistency and scope of Roman Catholic literature outstrips the collective output of Protestant and other churchss’ attempts ar doing ethics in Aftica, Ethics Browod in an African Pot + 9 Tina related context, as mentioned earlier regarding the centrality of the prin~ ciple of life, although there is much interaction between the traditions of ‘African religion and Christianity on elaborating ethical discourses, the same cannot be said about the second-most dominant religion in Africa, Islan, Icis a daunting task to find systematically articulated ethics from the perspective of Iblam in Africa, Without indulging a lengthy parenthesis on Tlamic ethics in Africa, the concert between African region and Chuistianity on a variety of ioral issues reveals another interesting aspect of ethics in Aftica: both the African religion and Christianity adopt elements of taboo and denial as a means ‘of controlling ethical discourse. ‘Taboos and Denial “There are some issues in ethics that frequently have been distorted when viewed through the twin lenses of African culture and Christian ethics. L use the no- tion of taboo within the cultural reality of Africa to illustrate the fact that in surveying the ethical landscape ie Africa, whether in church or in society, the space for a credible, critical, and publie moral discourse appears severely con- stricted, This situation stems from. the tendency to impose prohibitions on the debate of some mora issues erroneously considered os “Western” and, there- fore, “on-Afvican.”® Culture collades with dominant orthodoxies in Christian cechles to create a furuidable wllawce Unt denies the existence of a scr of moral issues even in the face of multiple manifestations. The danger here is for African ethicists to consider Christian etaics as simply an extension of culture modi- fied pechaps only by its biblical input. Furthermore, the denial of certain moral issues is rarely substansited by force of critical cthical analysis. On the con- trary, the norm is to stifle debate. In this context, the moral heologian is rarely free to conduct an open debate oa issues that carry the pejorative label “West- em,” My poincis not to suggest thatthe controversies surrounding these moral issues are peculiar to Africa, but in many parts of Aftica the approaches to these issues are largely constrained by a culture of taboo and denial. Interestingly, on some of these ethical taboos, church and state in Africa find common ground in their atempt to preserve what is considered pristine ‘Afvican religious values and cultural heritage while prohibiting open debate ‘on contentious moral issues. Given the evangelical fervor with which taboos and denials are promulgated, doing ethics in certain contexts of Africa exposes professional ethicists to multiple dangers and the perils of sanction, silencing, “To take but one example, the denial, demonization, and critninalization of same-sex relationship enjoys the blessing of ecclesiastical authorities and car~ ries the sanction of several Affican governments but not the benefit of an open, 10 + Agbonkhianmeghe E. Orobator, SJ credible, and honest ethical debate. Those who angue the nonexistence of same- sex relationship asa matter for ethical discourse in Africa prornote a pervasive and authoritative denial of same-sex relationships with a “culture of silence,” ‘unsupportble by evidence, reinforced and “imposed by force of coclesiastcal anathemas” and draconian legislation by the state? My intention is nat wo pro- ounce on the morality or immorality of questions regarding the morality of same-sex relationships, Rather, the sdiene point i the absence or the suppres- sion of evidentiary investigations and a healthy ethical discourse and debate in she ame of Afviean religion, culture, and Christianity. Again, this situation re- veals another consequence of an ethival diseoorse dominated and regulated by the hierarchy and clergy-ethiists—while the former sets the agenda, the lat- ter lose their integrity and freedom to conduct «credible moral discourse. The fine old English saying, “He who pays the piper dictates the tune,” is applica ble here. a A League of Moral Issues: The “Big Five” ‘The suppression of debate notwithstaading, nnmerous issues are in need of sus- tained ethical analyses and debates icross Africa, In Kenya, where [ live, a country that thrives on tourism, we speak of the “Big Five—a list of must-see big game: ion, elephant, rhino, buffalo, and leopard. Urefer here to what I con- sider as the cp fve pressing saoral sues brewing in Africa today, using this liscas metaphor. 1, The Lion, greece. The lion of governance isthe root ofall evil. Since their independence, most African countries have struggled with the challenge of establishing stable and fnetional systems of governance ‘The rate of success remains generally unimpressive. A long list of ethi- cal issues ean be linked directly to the failure of governance and leader~ ship endemic to most African nstions—poverty, human rights violations, social inequities, corruption, impunity, wars, displacement of peoples, and so on. 2, The Elephant, integrity of ereaton. This elephant (in the living room) is ‘not anew problem. As mentioned earlier, the moral imperative to honor and presetve the environment appears innate to ethics and religion in Aftica, The continent enjoys the unprecedented reputation of produc- ing the first Nobel Peace laureate in the area of iateyriy of creation— ‘Wangari Maathai4 However, the present debate on the integrity of cre- ation lacks urgency anda critica e”ge on a continent already recing from the environmental hazards thatare directly or indirectly tied tothe eco ‘nomic growth, abundance, and consurnprion of Western 26 well as emerg- Ethics Brewed in an Aftican Pot + 11 ing Fastern economies. ’Te date and in spite of the moral imperative re~ garding the environment, limate change has atracted remarkably scant scholarly attention in Aftican ethics. Fortunately, the 2009 African Synod has corrected the glaring omission of this issue in its original agenda by acknowledging the “deleterious effects of climate change, global warm- ing, navural calamities” and the responsibility of Christian communities ‘0 “make the earth habitatle beyond the present generation and to guar- antee sustainable and responsible care of the earth . . . (by promoting] environmental education and awareness. Integrity of eration defines sn agenda for ethies in Attica alternative to the established tradition of oral discourse, . The Rhinoceros, genetienlh modified organiims. An herbivore, the hin is particularly vulnerable to *he unintended (or undisclosed) consequences sesulting from widespread use of genetically modified food. As one of the places on Earth where hunger remains endemic, the entire Aftican con- tinent now has to contend withthe challenges of genetically modified or- _ganismns, GMOs, With Aftica’s weak systems of governance, multilateral companies seem poised to hold the continent’s masses of poor and fran~ gry Tansom to profitlrivea biotechnological experimentations. The eth~ ical implications of this eechnology seem largely underresearched in ‘African ethics. The challenge is to devise an appropriate framework for addressing the ethical challenges of GMOs from an African perspective and in African contexts. ‘The Bullalo, resource extraction. Another herbivore that is widespread cover diverse terrain, the huffalo depend on a ready supply of water, one of the planet's most valuable resources. The twenty-first century is wit- nessing a renewed focus on Aftica asthe source of raw materials to pro- pel economic growth in both the West and the East This contemporary scramble for Africas natw-al and mineral resources marks another phase ‘of economic exploitation. From the scramble for coltan in Eastern D.R, Gongo to the illegal minng of “blood diamonds” in Sierra Leone and the exploitative drilling of “black gold” in Nigeria, the continent is lite ‘ered with the toxie repeteussions, particularly to scarce water supplies, of unethical quests for its matural resources. The data paints a picture of exploitation, violence, conflict, and political instability. This state of af- {airs closely linked wo theintegrity of ereation, isin urgent need of crit- ical ethical analysis. 5. The Leopard, domestic jucive. A popular mantra among ecclesiastics and smoralcheologians in Altea particularly in the area of social ethics, isthe claim that the Roman Catholic Church is the nonpartisan “conscience of society” and “voice ofthe voiceless.” Perhaps like the leopard—strong, 12. + Agbonkhianmeghe E. Orobator, SJ swift, and steady—the Church isthe official overseer of public morality. ‘The Church has played and continues to play this ole faithfully, using: its preferred means of pastoral ctters, communiqué, and public decla- rations. One consequence of this externalization of the ethical focus of ecclesia in Aftice is the inability to deal comfortably with internal or do- mest ethical issues, such as inequality in ministry, juse wages for pas- ‘oral workers, and various forms of abuse of ecclesiastical and clerical power and authority. The Church in Africa would benefit immensely fram an ethics that focuses on its domestic moral challenges. Let me make two observations regarding these “Big Five.” Firs, none of them is unique to Africa, nor do they exhaust thelist of questions, problems, and issues in African ethics. However, piven the present predicament of the con- tinent, taken a5 a whole and considered in their diverse aspects, these five is- sues constitute a matter of importance and debate, and pose sigaificant chal- lenges to social ethics in Africa and Christian ethics in genersl. Second, these "urgent moral issues generate questions that strain traditional ethical categories from seminary training and education and from che principle of ie and palaver. ‘Third, they go a long way in explaining the preference for social ethics in Africa compared to fandamental moral theology. ‘To give but one exainple, ‘om both personal knowledge and anecdotal evidence, most African Jesuit students who come to study theology in North America gravitate toward so- ‘al ethies ond the moral iseues in African politic, publie policy, developroent, Jhumaa rights, refugees, HIV and AIDS, and so on. I belive that Aftica’ most pressing challenges are politcal, economic, and religious. Understandably, then, there is an abuudance of publications by African Jesuit students and other students in social ethics. These publications outweigh seudics in the equally pressing need for foundational ethics cr fundamental moral theology in Aftica, for Altea, One conclusion suggest itself from a careful consideration of the league of moral issues. Across Africa, ethies will almost always be applied ethics. Popa lar titles would conceivably include “Pthics 6 AIDS in Afiien,” “Applied Ethics and Africa’ Social Reconstruction,” “Zthies and Public Policy in Aftica,” and soon. As argued earlier, foundations areas important as applied (socal) ethics, and so are sehools of ethical syntheses But on a continent where the majority is caught in what Jefltey Sachs has described as the “poverty trap,” too many people are “too ill, hungry, or destitite even to get a foot on the first rung of the development ladder.”2° The validity and coherence of any ethical construct will be tested and judged severely in dhe crucible of burning issues and ques tions that shape the systems of ethics in Afeica. Consider one illustration of this predominance of applied ethics in Africa, the proliferation of Justice, Development, and Peace Commissions (DPCs) on. Ethics Browed in an African Pot + 13, the continent. Different permutations of the constituent elements of JDPCs are vatiously known as Justice and Peace Commissions, Faith and Justice Cora- missions, and Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation.2”"The common thread ‘among these commissions is the eoncern for socioeconomic and political issues from a faith-based perspective. Geoerally, JDPCs and their variants ae eccle- sial-based institutions that seck toaddress a wide spectrum of social, economic, politcal, and development issues. Typically the guiding principles and eriteria for action are drawn from seriprare and, when Catholic, traditions of the ‘Church’ social teaching. While leaders of ]DPCs may not be trained ethicists, increasingly they rely on the inpet of moral theologians and ethicists to clar- iffy and understand the theoretical foundations of their direct involvement in issues of social concern, Although JDPCs also struggle with prevailing eccle- siastical and clerical control, che situation appears to be changing as many JD- PCs and similar institutions increasingly open up to the participation of lay faithful Suggestions for a Global Ethical Partnership According to an African proverb a chicken develops a headache when ic sees another chicken on the dinner table. The moral questions and ethical issues ‘hacbrew in Africa are global in ope; they should also provoke some headache among ethicists in other parts of the globe. ‘Lconelude by stressing the moral imperative to develop a global soldatity for a comprehensive ethical partacrship as one remedy for the headache that accompanies a bitterly spoiled brew. Let me suggest three priorities for action in addition to che example of the sponsorship of African women to advanced theological studies by the initiatives arising from Catholic ‘Theological Ethics in the World Church: + Along-term commitment to zender-sensitive collaboration in the training of African ethicists to aequirs specific, professional competence in diverse fields of fundamental and applied ethies appropriate to the needs of the ‘continent, «collaboration thet is beyond the traditional program of semi~ snary-based moral theology. + Carefully planned exchange of personnel across various fields of ethies to enable African ethicists to gain particular skills, broaden their experience, and enhance their confidence through international exposure. + Functional networks of interdscipfinary and cross-eultural scholarship, re- search, and publication in dealing with moral questions that are global in scope, albeit affecting Aftiea 'n a particular or unique way. 14 + Agbonkhianmeghe E. Orobator, SJ “The goal of ethics brewed in an Afvican pot isto reinforce and enhance the ‘moral traditions of abundant life for homanity. This Aftican brew is rooted in 4 spirituality of the fillness of life and promotes a celebration of lle, even in the midst of misery. In Africa, a brew isnever meant for mere inebriation; itis, a catalyst for colebration. Thar celebration, in turn, promotes palaver and the cocxistence of divergent or opposing views and personalities working together and in solidarity for an Afriean common good. My wish is tat this cslebration of life, tolerance of divergent opinions, snd commonality of purposes becomes constitutive of ethics brewed in an Affican pot Notes 1, Benézer Bajo, The Bhi! Dinter of Commi The Ai Made and te Dla b= _auos Neth and Seas (Naizobi, Kent: PalinesPablications Aiea, 1997), 27. 2, Laurent Magese, Anatomy of Iuaitaratiow Tramfrming tbe Church in Afrise (Nairobi, ‘Kenya: Paulines Publications Abies, 2005), 7, 3. Tha 4 Soe Bujo, atic Dimension of Commi: Robere Schecter, ed, Face of Fe fn Africa (Mayol, NY: Orbis, 1991} Chasis Nami, vst Our Ancors Chri om a Aan Pespeive(Gueru, Zimbabwe: Mano Press, 1984) and Laurent Mages, dficas ‘Religion: Te Moral Trains of Abundant Ife (Marytnol, NY: Orbis Books, 1997) 5. Aghonkhianmeghe E. Orobator, “Ethics of HIV/AIDS Prevention: Paradigns of « New Discourse from an Albcan Perspective," in lpliad Ecbis oy ce Wrld Church: The Padus (Confeens ed. Linds Hogan. (Marylin, NY: Orbis Books, 2008), 149. 6, The second Aftican Synod took place in Cember 2009 in Rome. During the Syed, ee lesastcal, eigioas ond lay represents of she church in Arica addressed peetinent Issues related wo jstice, reconcliaion, and peage m church and in society Adie, Kor ‘ropostions ofthe Synod, see “Il Cactus spedalis pro Aca” (Propositions ofthe 2d ‘Anan Synod”, “Elenchs finals propostiomum,” Resowoe forthe 1009 Second Aéicay Syaod (November 2009, huty//marybnolaica org/Documents Resourees!52010e%20 ‘he%202009%20Second%20ARn%20Syn0d btm. Alea available on the Vstcan web site, wwa-vaticansa/soman_cara/syood/iocanenty/esynod_

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