Laudato si’ in Africa - The Songhaï Centre (VO with subtitles)

The encyclical Laudato si’ by Pope Francis, made the earth's cry echo throughout the world, an earth which has suffered from having its resources exploited by humans. Faced with this critical situation, an international agreement was signed by 195 countries in Paris at the United Nations conference on climate change in December 2015. They committed to taking measures to limit global warming. What is now at stake is nothing less than the future of humanity, which will be assured through a rediscovered harmony with Creation, imagining new ways of producing and consuming. In Africa, the cradle of humanity, a pilot initiative in this field was launched some thirty years ago: the Songhai Centre in Benin.

Father Godfrey Nzamujo and his team were able to restore apparently barren soil to fertile soil without using chemicals. This was done by listening to nature, taking it as a reference point and developing initiatives adapted to the local context. Helped by science, humans found both their capacity for innovation and communion with nature.

The Chapter meeting of The Community of Chemin Neuf in August 2016 voted in favour of a resolution which commits it to implementing agricultural solutions which respect humans, the environment and our planet's resources, particularly on the land which is farmed belonging to the community's abbeys and properties. This film is a first contribution to this process.

This film is made by the Chemin Neuf Community for the International Ecumenical Fraternity, 'Net for God'.