Newly completed entrance to UCBC campus |
2011 UCBC Graduation
 Saturday, July 30, was a grand and glorious day in Beni. Fog from the night's rain hung in the air, but spirits were high on the UCBC campus. A dais stood ready in front of the Academic Building veranda, orange and green tulle draped across the railing behind. Chairs for graduates, faculty, and special guests filled the veranda. Facing the stage from a distance, the University Chapel and Community Center stood proud-a continuing work in progress. In the foreground, a dozen or more white tents created a shaded perimeter where more than 300 guests would be accommodated. The newly built stone wall in front of the Welcome Center proclaimed, "Université Chrétienne Bilingue du Congo" in fresh green and gold paint.
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Book Spotlight: The Challenge for Africa  For those interested in a fairly recent and comprehensive survey of the major challenges facing Africa, Wangari Maathai's The Challenge for Africa is a clear, straightforward and bold account that is both accessible and provocative. Of the myriad issues Maathai addresses, her motif throughout the book is the crisis of leadership in Africa today. She explores the ways in which Africa has both inherited and perpetuates a kind of leadership that is all-too-often short-sighted and self-serving. (An indictment that could be easily made of leaders in other parts of the world as well!) Maathai's work highlights the need for ethical leadership that recovers the values of justice, equality and service to one's community. In this way, The Challenge for Africa is helping to make the case for why the work of Congo Initiative is so desperately needed.
Our vision: To train and develop strong, indigenous Christian leaders to transform their communities and their nation of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Read more . . .
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Board Chair Paul Robinson made this remark as several of us walked around the University Chapel and Community Center in the bright Congo sun three days before graduation. It was a stunning reminder of the diligent and hard work of many people and many hands that are bringing into reality the audacious vision that is Congo Initiative and Université Chrétienne Bilingue du Congo. . . .How fitting, then, that the first two honorees of the inaugural Rector's Award for Excellence in Leadership were Kavira Kirere and Delfin Kalonda.
