Category: WM Special

Nairobi has a population of 4 million inhabitants, 2.5 million of whom live in over 200 slums – covering less than 5% of the whole urban area. Indeed, the towns of the world need to hear the liberating Good News of Jesus Christ, as well as see a committed Christian community taking charge of social change, such as in this city.

In 2015, Metro Manila will have 15 million people and much more problems. One way to solve them is to have governments listen to the voice of the lower-income groups and allow them to participate in important decision-making processes. The Church also has an important role: it can intercede on behalf of the poor and help them form their organizations.

The world economy, driven as it is by neo-liberal economists and politicians, excludes 80% of the world’s population from gainful and humanly meaningful employment. Only 20% of workers in the world take pride in and meaningfully gain from their work. As an agent of mission, the Church needs to address the issues of globalization and its effects on human beings, especially in the cities.

Half of the world’s population is already living in the cities, a big part in overcrowded and miserable slums. Urban poverty and exclusion are growing fast and will be worse in the near future. Even the Pentagon is worried.