CEPAS and JESUITS IN AFRICA

I met with one of DRC’s leading research organizations, CEPAS (Centre d’Etudes pour l’Action Sociale found at http://www.cepas-rdc.org/) today. Always inspiring to meet a really dynamic local person in such a challenging environment as this. The head of CEPAS is a Jesuit priest named Father Ferdinand Muhigirwa. In a place where most people don’t read, either because of lack of access to books or because of lack of a reading culture altogether, he and his colleagues at CEPAS crank out extremely useful research publications on topics ranging from challenges and opportunities associated with decentralization of the DRC to the review of contracts with multinational mining companies, including a special focus on Chinese contracts.

At moments like these, I lament greatly my inability to express myself completely in French. He is someone it would be great to connect with on a deeper level. One craves intellectual engagement in what is largely an intellectual wasteland dominated by money-grubbing anti-intellectuals.

I put the question to Father Ferdinand how can we reverse this intellectual downward spiral in the DRC in particular (although part of the challenge is that it is happening globally as well). We both agreed on the need to challenge young people in ways that will attract them to intellectual curiosity. As the US first lady exhorted students of an exclusive all girls’ school during her recent trip to England – “read, read, read!!!!” There is no better way to develop analytical abilities and the capacity to develop thoughtful solutions to some of the world’s most intractable problems.

We often criticize religion and the negative aspects of the role that missionaries and other religious influences have played in Africa and other developing countries, but the Jesuits, in particular have made extraordinary contributions to the intellectual development of locals in the countries they have targeted for assistance. CEPAS is just one outstanding example on the Jesuit emphasis on intellectual rigor as an essential element of national development. Bravo to the Jesuits!!!