Our concern for Africa is shaped by long term relationsips between Maryknoll missioners and the people of Sudan and South Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Namibia. We honor their strength and wisdom and believe that African cultures and traditions often suggest solutions to seemingly intractable local and global problems.
In Africa our Global Concerns work is at times country-specific, focussing, for example, on the slow process toward peace between Sudan and South Sudan, or the genocide in Darfur; the political and economic collapse of Zimbabwe; the introduction of genetically modified seeds or the political situation in Tanzania; efforts to stop corruption in Kenya, among other issues. We also address transnational issues of great concern to all people in Africa: deep and endemic poverty; the HIV and AIDS pandemic; the call for the cancellation of illegitimate and overwhelming debt without conditions that worsen poverty; just trade agreements; the rights of women and children; and environmental degradation.
Maryknoll Lay Missioner Sarah Bueter reflects on striving to create God’s peace on Earth, here and now. Ask what violence looks like in our world, and we have myriad examples. In El Salvador, structural violence and interpersonal violence are visible: structurally, the poor majority fight for basic protections against an authoritarian regime, and interpersonally, in…
Maryknoll Sr. Kathleen Reiley reflects on Christ as the light of the world. “I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life.” In the midst of so much heartbreaking news these days, how uplifting to realize that Christ is the light of the world and…
In a significant push for continued international cooperation, the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns and a broad coalition of faith-based organizations are advocating for a reversal of the Trump administration’s decision to withdraw from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Churches for Middle East Peace will host the Joint Christian Advocacy Summit 2026 in Washington, D.C., from May 5-7, 2026.
Renewable energy technologies—solar, wind, bioenergy, hydropower, and geothermal—interact with land systems in complex ways, influencing land health and productivity, the provision of ecosystem services, and local socio-economic outcomes. The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) report “Natural Fit: Renewable Energy and Sustainable Land Management,” addresses this conundrum and offers achievable solutions.
Some African countries are bypassing the era of fossil fuels to pioneer decentralized renewable energy, a historic shift that highlights the growing economic dominance of green power and the urgent need for global climate equity.
The nations of Africa face numerous challenges, both internal and external, but the Brookings Institution’s annual Foresight Africa report highlights areas where the continent can overcome headwinds, at least to some extent.
As the final treaty governing the world’s largest nuclear arsenals expires without a successor, faith leaders and advocacy groups are calling on the United States to reject a new arms race and embrace a path toward disarmament.
In a definitive act of oversight, Congress restored billions in funding for global health and democracy, even as the traditional structures of U.S. foreign aid begin to dissolve. Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns Program Associate Fellow Mark Joyce reports.
The following is a summary of an article written by Maureen Meyer for the Washington Office on Latin America on Feb. 19, 2026.
The January 3 U.S. attack on Venezuela and capture of President Nicolás Maduro continue to have dramatic reverberations inside Venezuela and globally. The Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns (MOGC) has been following events together with partner organizations in Latin America and the United States.
On Feb. 10, a group of nineteen Theravada Buddhist monks completed a 108-day, 2,300-mile “Walk for Peace” from their center for meditation in Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., to share a message of peace, compassion and nonviolence. Stefan Andre Waligur, founder of Community of Peace in Louisa, Virginia, a Taize-style intentional community, wrote the following reflection on his experience accompanying the monks on their walk that day and participating in an interfaith service of welcome for the monks at the National Cathedral.
In early February 2026, Catholic bishops from the United States and the African continent met in Washington, D.C., to formalize a new era of spiritual and social partnership.
Maryknoll Lay Missioner Gabe Hurrish reflects on Jesus’s radical love and seeing Jesus in others, especially the marginalized. What was that woman doing collecting water at noon? I have lived in Africa for decades, and everyone knows that you collect water in the early morning and early evening. It is cooler, and that is when…
Maryknoll Sr. Teresa Hougnon reflects on embracing a courageous, honest peace. Our Lenten journey is a time to take a long, loving look at why we follow Christ. With prayer, scripture and reflection time, we go into the deepest part of ourselves where we connect with God. It is in this place where we find…
A friend of ours in Tanzania counted 46 killed by security forces among friends and neighbors since the election on Oct. 29, raising the alarm about the extent of the…
Maryknoll Fr. Frank Breen reflects on the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. Today’s gospel from Luke, about the rich man and Lazarus the poor man, is one of many passages that highlight a major thematic issue in Luke, namely the relationship between wealth and poverty. The gospels in general do not give a…
Maryknoll Lay Missioner Gabe Hurrish in South Sudan reflects on the Parable of the Unjust Steward. Today’s Sunday readings struck me right in the face. I live in South Sudan where almost everything written in the readings resonates with the current struggles of the people. The leaders of this extremely poor East African country have…
