Information evening on elections in the DR Congo

Information evening on elections in the DR Congo

08.09.2023 18.00 (CEST)

Please register via the registration form

Here you find the Invitation in French language

Elections for the parliament and presidency in the DR Congo are coming up at the end of 2023.
For years, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Congo (CENCO) has been known to critically follow the democratic development of the country. During the 2018 elections, for example, it deployed up to 40,000 election observers and was able to document that the election results, according to which Félix Tshisekedi was declared the winner, were obviously grossly falsified. The Protestant Churches (ECC), on the other hand, had so far been very reluctant to criticise the election.
In order to correct this situation, CENCO and the ECC, in cooperation with the Carter Centre, have set up the Election Observation Mission (EOM), whose task is to ensure the credibility of the electoral process.
What can we now expect for 2023? What is the current state of the Catholic Church's lobbying? And can clearer positions also be expected from the Protestant side this time? And last but not least: What can and should we do in terms of lobbying from Germany?
We want to explore these questions at this information evening.

You are cordially invited! The country seminar will take place online as a Zoom event. It is bilingual (German/French) with translation.

Programme (times CEST)

17.30  Opening
18.00  Introduction to the topic
18.15  Lobbying of the ECC and the Catholic Church in the DR Congo, presentation and debate, Rev. Eric Nsenga, Bishop Donatien Nshole
19.45  Break
20.00  Lobbying in Germany: Where can partnerships/churches and civil society become active, what is expected of them? Lecture and discussion, Martin Domke (requested) and Ciaran Wrons-Passmann (ÖNZ)
21.00  Evening blessing, Hans Jürgen Gärtner

Speakers:
Martin Domke is chairperson of the association "Ökumenisches Netz Zentralafrika e.V. (ÖNZ)"
Ciaran Wrons-Passmann ist coordinator of the ÖNZ
Rev. Eric Nsenga works for the Église du Christ au Congo (ECC) in Kinshasa as General Secretary of the Department for Peace, Justice & Integrity of Creation (JPIC).
Bishop Donatien Nshole is the General Secretary of the Bishops' Conference in Congo - CENCO.

Registration:
Registration deadline: 25 August 2023.

Donations are requested: Keyword "Elections in DR Congo 2023".

Find more information regarding donation here

Preparation Team:
Frauke Bürgers, Partnership Officer, UEM
Hans Jürgen Gärtner, Pastor, Regional Service of the UEM, Saar/Nahe/Mosel Region
Dr. Jean Gottfried Mutombo, Pastor, oikos Institute for Mission and Ecumenism of the EKvW

The information evening is an event of the UEM under the direction of Frauke Bürgers, Partnership Officer of the UEM.

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