The Jubilee 2025, as outlined in Pope Francis’ Bull of Indiction “Spes non confundit” (Hope Does Not Disappoint), centrers around the theme “Pilgrims of Hope”. A pilgrimage is a symbol of the human quest for meaning in life, vis-à-vis the crises and suffering people experience. As the faithful set off for the holy places, they open their heart to Word and to the work of the Holy Spirit in them. Hence, for us the theme of the pilgrimage means also journeying along with the people in their quest for life, in their hope for the quality of life that the Risen Christ gives them. Spes non confundit invites us to prepare Jubilee itineraries that treasure the richness of different experiences and cultures in expressing the beauty of God’s grace in the life of the peoples, and to “lift up that beauty in prayer to God”. On this, I am going to propose an activity that we may take into consideration as a network.

“Hope does not disappoint” because nothing can separate us from God’s love. We are called to witness such love to the excluded, the marginalised, the downtrodden in Africa. In particular, we are called to witness to those who have lost their land, who suffer out of food insecurity, who are exploited because of unethical international business practices, that they are loved by the Church, who does not abandon them.

Spes non confundit underscores the importance of discovering hope in the signs of the times (SNC 7). These are not events as such or particular social conditions, but rather they are such because of relationship they have in relation to the Kingdom of God. Therefore the indications they give unveil the places where God’s action is taking place, bringing salvation. For example, the work of the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) – a broad alliance of different civil society actors that are part of the struggle for food sovereignty and agroecology, and our partner in Our Land is Our Life project – is bringing together the biggest peoples’ movement in the Continent, to influence policies and to promote African solutions for food sovereignty. It is crucial to recognize the immense goodness present in our world, lest we be tempted to think ourselves overwhelmed by evil and violence (SNC 7).

Advocacy Opportunities
The Jubilee 2025 proposes also some advocacy campaigns that relate closely to AEFJN’s work. Pope Francis underscores that “hunger is a scandal, an open wound on the body of our humanity, and it summons all of us to an examination of conscience” (SNC 16). Therefore he renews his appeal that “with the money spent on weapons and other military expenditures, let us establish a global fund that can finally put an end to hunger and favour development in the most impoverished countries, so that their citizens will not resort to violent or illusory situations, or have to leave their countries in order to seek a more dignified life”. (FT 262, SNC 16).

Concretely, such an appeal has been taken up by the Forum of Catholic NGOs with the Permanent Representative of the Holy See at FAO, and it is part of the Manifesto they launched at FAO on 10th October 2024, subscribed also by our International Secretariat from Brussels.

Secondly, Pope Francis asks affluent nations to “acknowledge the gravity of so many of their past decisions and determine to forgive the debts of countries that will never be able to repay them. More than a question of generosity, this is a matter of justice. It is made all the more serious today by a new form of injustice which we increasingly recognize, namely, that “a true ‘ecological debt’ exists, particularly between the global North and South, connected to commercial imbalances with effects on the environment and the disproportionate use of natural resources by certain countries over long periods of time”(LS 51, SNC 16). Pope Francis concludes by stating that if we really wish to prepare a path to peace in our world, we must commit ourselves to remedying the remote causes of injustice, settling unjust and unpayable debts, and feeding the hungry (SNC 16).

In this line, AEFJN has officially endorsed the call for Debt release for sustainable human development advanced by a group of Catholic economists and which is in the process of gaining support at all levels.

Itineraries of Hope
Pope Francis also invited to prepare Jubilee itineraries that may regenerate people in the recognition of God’s merciful love. In response to such a call, AEFJN has decided to collect and celebrate stories of hope from the Antennae and from our communities at the grassroots. Stories of change that can inspire and motivate the Network, strengthen relationships and solidarity among members, learn from one another, bring out the advocacy potential of our Antennae and local communities, and connect experiences at local level with the advocacy work of the International Secretariat.

Around twenty stories were shared, which are presented in this publication. Besides, based on some of such stories, members gathered at the Contact Persons meeting in March 2025 carried out an exercise of theological reflection to appreciate the graces that God bestows on the activities of AEFJN members, and to discern what invitations the Holy Spirit is making to the Network through such experiences.
This report presents the stories that were shared and briefly reflects on their significance for the work of AEFJN and on how they connect the daily struggles of local communities to the advocacy work at national and international level.

The stories have been freely chosen by contributors and are organized in 5 sections, according specif domains they are related to, namely: economic empowerment, land rights and food security, education for transformation, health care and social integration, and personal transformation. At the beginning of each section there is a brief introduction relating the stories to the advocacy perspective of AEFJN and bringing out the connections with the policy making dimension of AEFJN’s advocacy work.

ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
The focus of AEFJN is basically on economic justice and the theme of economic empowerment is a fundamental dimension of it. In the first place, it is well established that a minumum economic base is a necessary condition for being able to reclaim human and socio-economic rights and to engage in a commitment to liberation from oppressive structures. AEFJN believes in an African-led advocacy approach and that begins with the economic empowerment of people at the grassroots level and of local communities so that the may have a base to raise their own voices. As the stories shared demonstrate, economic empowerment breaks the cycle of dependency, affirms people’s talents and capacities, builds up self-confidence, and open new horizons: people start seeing that a different world is possible.

Secondly, economic justice demands an alternative global economic and financial system. People are not simply “poor”; rather, they are “impoverished” by a rigged economy, that creates evere greater inequalities and exclusion; that has created the socio-environmental crisis threatening eco-systems, bio-diversity, and life on the planet. We need alternatives to the neo-liberal or, today, national-security capitalism: new paradigms grow from margins of the system, based on circular models, solidarity, and sustainability. Ultimately, such alternatives start small, they make an impact on the lives of poor, and they bear witness that alternative systems can work: in fact, success stories are very important in advocacy work and they connect with the policy level when the focus goes on how to scale them up.

The work of AEFJN International Secretariat connects with economic empowerment by looking at trade relationships between Africa and the European Union, which have a significant impact on economic activities as manufacturing, agriculture, and commerce. AEFJN’s campaigns have consistently opposed the exploitative nature of the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs), which often undermine Africa’s economic autonomy and development aspirations. Trade justice, from AEFJN’s perspective, is about creating equitable terms of trade that prioritize Africa’s sustainable development over short-term gains for external corporations. Thus, AEFJN advocates for more transparent and accountable trade policies that protect Africa’s resources and human capital, rather than exploiting them for the benefit of more powerful economies.

The network’s role in international trade discussions has been crucial, particularly in advocating for policies that reduce Africa’s dependency on unsustainable foreign aid models. By building stronger, more just trade relationships, AEFJN continues to advocate for Africa’s rightful place as an equal partner on the global economic stage.

The stories presented in this section show different, complementary ways of nurturing hope. We see hope blossoming when people transition from dependency to self- reliance, an emancipation that liberates them both from economic contraints and from unjust social structures. Hope grows also when people can break out of their isolation and find new possibilities in sharing, collaboration, and transforming untapped resources in life changing opportunities. And when a simple economic model works well in a given environment, it can be scaled up and bring to life a new economic system. Above all, when people can link faith and social responsibility, they come to appreciate God’s transforming presence in the life of the community, building on fraternity and social capital.