#LaudatoSi

"An inspired group of young Africans are eager to meet the growing demand for eco-education. Now, all they need is a way to get moving." -- Catholic Ecology #LaudatoSi catholicecology.net/blog/gearing-go

"Concern for the #environment must be joined with a sincere love for our fellow human beings and a steadfast commitment to addressing the challenges of society." #GreenLent #LaudatoSi #StFrancisOfAssisi @CIDSE @Ecojesuit @VaticanIHD @SCEAM_SECAM @Amecea_Sec @CJPDKENYA

Happy birthday, Mikel ❤️

"When nature is viewed solely as a source of profit and gain, this has serious consequences for society. " #GreenLent #LaudatoSi #StFrancisOfAssisi @ZuluQueen6 @mosesdesdery @DandadziTafara @rozietriza @Danielciri61505 @rumbievk

"Nature cannot be regarded as something separate from ourselves or as a mere setting in which we live." @Ecojesuit @CIDSE @CatholicClimate @VaticanIHD @CatholicEcology @OttaroA

"Many things have to change course, but it is we human beings above all who need to change." #GreenLent #LaudatoSi #StFrancisOfAssisi @Danielciri61505 @OttaroA @ZuluQueen6 @Ecojesuit @rozietriza @mosesdesdery @DanielMastaki5 @rumbievk

"If we approach nature and the environment without this openness to awe and wonder, if we no longer speak the language of fraternity and beauty in our relationship with the world, our attitude will be that of masters..." -- Pope Francis #GreenLent #LaudatoSi #StFrancisOfAssisi

"The world sings of an endless love. How can we fail to care for it?" #GreenLent #LaudatoSi #StFrancisOfAssisi @mosesdesdery @ZuluQueen6 @Danielciri61505 @OttaroA @rumbievk @CharlesOdira @CJPDKENYA @jpeurope

Today in aviation history: On March 10, 2019, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 (ET-AVJ), crashed minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport en route to Nairobi. All 149 passengers and 8 crew members on board died. Investigators later found that repeated nose-down commands from the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS)—triggered by faulty angle-of-attack data—forced the aircraft into an unrecoverable dive. The tragedy led to the global grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX fleet and major changes to aircraft certification, pilot training, and system design.

The Madness of African Borders and Absurdities Of Its Air Travel A group of Congolese travellers recently experienced the surreal reality of transit on a continent where geography and logic rarely align. Starting in Livingstone, Zambia, they spent 8 hours at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport waiting for an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Addis Ababa. From there, they connected to Kinshasa for a total journey of nearly 10 hours. The absurdity of this route is clear when looking at a map because Zambia and the DRC share a border. A direct flight from Lusaka to Kinshasa would cover the 1,872 kilometre distance in under three hours, yet no such commercial route exists. This detour is a symptom of a wider crisis in African aviation. While Addis Ababa and Nairobi have successfully built massive global hubs, their growth often comes at the expense of regional connectivity. Reports from The EastAfrican highlight a fragmented network where it is frequently easier to fly to a different region or even a different continent than it is to visit a neighbouring state. Ethiopia is currently investing 7.8 billion dollars in a new airport designed to handle 100 million passengers, yet the focus remains on long haul transit rather than fixing the gaps between adjacent nations. Several factors contribute to this air travel madness. High ticket prices are driven by operational costs that sit 30% above the global average, while aviation fuel on the continent is up to 20% more expensive than elsewhere. Many governments also treat air travel as a luxury to be heavily taxed rather than a critical infrastructure for trade. Beyond the financial hurdles, geopolitical instability adds further complications. The conflict in Sudan has forced airlines like Kenya Airways to take lengthy and expensive diversions around closed airspace, adding hours to journeys that were already inefficient. Despite grand political promises of a single African air transport market, protectionism and restrictive bilateral agreements continue to clip the wings of regional carriers. Currently, only about 19% of routes within Africa are direct. In a continent striving for integration, the shortest distance between two points is still a zig-zag across the sky. theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/business-t…

What are the key messages of #LaudateDeum ? #GreenLent #LaudatoSi #StFrancisOfAssisi @VaticanIHD @CIDSE @SCEAM_SECAM @Ecojesuit @Amecea_Sec @CatholicClimate @UNFCCC

"We need a conversation which includes everyone, since the environmental challenge affects us all." -- Pope Francis #GreenLent #LaudatoSi #StFrancisOfAssisi @VaticanIHD @CIDSE @Ecojesuit @SCEAM_SECAM @Amecea_Sec @IMBISA @CRecowa

African leaders can hold all the summits they want, and sign all the protocols they can. But as long as they aren’t bothered with the actual work of connecting the region it will be all for naught. Summitry isn’t Pan-Africanism. Summitry isn’t work. Talk is cheap.

@cobbo3 Coalition of the Willing vibes

Pay Up or Pack Up, East African Community Says as Ruto Hands Baton to Museveni, And Bloc Finally Grows a Spine Kenya’s President Ruto deserved some kudos for ideas on “corporatising” the East African Community, as he handed over the rotating chair of the bloc to Uganda’s long-ruling President Museveni. At the 25th Ordinary Summit in Arusha, Tanzania, on Saturday, 7 March 2026, the gloves officially came off. The following reforms were agreed to ensure the bloc doesn't just evaporate into a cloud of unpaid bills: •NO PAY, NO PLAY: Countries in arrears or those failing to ratify the EAC Treaty are now barred from the "big seats." Their citizens can forget about holding the top five secretariat or judicial positions, including Secretary General and President of the Court. •THE EVICTION NOTICE: The Council of Ministers is finalising a "suspension and expulsion" framework. For the first time, there is a formal trapdoor for persistent "freeloaders" to be booted out of the bloc. •THE NEW BILL: A fresh contribution formula is in: 50% shared equally and 50% proportional to capacity. Crucially, you only get what you put in—benefits are now tied to contributions. •NATIONALISED PAYROLL: East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) members will now be paid by their own national parliaments rather than the EAC’s central budget. If your country is broke, your MPs might be working for "exposure." •THE DEBT ULTIMATUM: Chronic debtors were thrown a bone with a 50% waiver on arrears, but it comes with a catch: clear the remaining balance within two years or face the music. •MATHS OVER FEELINGS: To stop a single country from holding everyone hostage, decision-making has shifted from total consensus to a 65% majority vote for specific matters. Perpetual defaulters like Burundi, South Sudan, DR Congo, and Somalia are officially on notice.

"Young people have a new ecological sensitivity." #GreenLent #LaudatoSi #StFrancisOfAssisi @VaticanIHD @Ecojesuit @SCEAM_SECAM @Amecea_Sec @CIDSE @CatholicClimate @CatholicEcology @JENA_Africa

"We need a conversation which includes everyone, since the environmental challenge affects all." -- Pope Francis, LS.13 #GreenLent #LaudatoSi #StFrancisOfAssisi @CIDSE @Ecojesuit @CatholicClimate @VaticanIHD @CatholicEcology

BIG. BIG. WIN.

"The protection of the environment is in fact an integral part of the development process." -- Pope Francis, LS.13 #GreenLent #LaudatoSi #StFrancisOfAssisi @CIDSE @VaticanIHD @Ecojesuit @VaticanNews @CatholicEcology @CatholicClimate @HolySeeUN @SCEAM_SECAM @Amecea_Sec @CJPDKENYA