[WPA]hear Cecilia Asogwa

[Lysa Ringquist]

WPA members,

Here is a schedule to hear Cecilia Asogwa,

For those who have not had an opportunity to hear her speak yet. She has
an awsome story to share.

Cecelia works with primarily women in Nigeria because they are the most
affected by the abject poverty. The women work better in solidarity saying
"one stick in a broom will not clean your house as well as a whole broom"

Speaking from an organizing perspective she has fire in her eyes and
passion in her voice as she speaks. She says, if you want true change to
happen you have to go to the people, she says. And why would the poor come
to banks or businesses if they have been rejected and given no voice?
The people must have ownership in the  center. "If the Center closes who
suffers? Is it me? No!"

Cecilia believes if we expect people to get out of poverty that the women 
must be given an opportunity to do so by having access to money. She has
created a very elaborate and extremely sucessful micro loan business that
has accountability built in on all sides which has 100% returns.

If you get the opportunity to see her it is invaluable.


Cecilia has free spots open in her schedule if you are interested she may
be interested in speaking to a group that you have put together! Her
contact info is in the information at the bottom of this email.

She also has a website - www.decnigeria.org


Friends,
Here is a further updated version of Cecilia's schedule.

Arland

Sept. 22 - 11:30 to 1 p.m.  Attend luncheon for mentors of New Americans
at Riverview Place (Michelle McRae, host).

6 p.m.  Attend F/M Habitat for Humanity banquet (with Sr. Yvonne)

Sept. 23   Free

Sept. 24 to Oct. 1: Cecilia will be in Atlanta, GA visiting her sister and
family

Oct. 2 - Morning: preach at Lutheran Church of the Cross, West Fargo

Oct. 3 - 3-4:30 p.m.  Hold a discussion with graduate students on Peace
and Conflict Resolution at NDSU (Dr. Kathleen Slobin, host)

Oct. 4 - 2-3:15 p.m. Meet with Dr. Gary Goreham's class at NDSU

Oct. 5 - 9:50 to 10:20: Preach in chapel at Concordia(host: Pastor Phil
Holtan)Leave around noon for Collegeville (Donald Ottenhoff, Exec. Dir.,
Ecumenical Institute, Collegeville, host)

7:30 p.m. Meet with the Peace and Gender Studies group at the College of
St. Benedict (Don Ottenhoff, host)

6-7 - Meetings in Collegeville (Don Ottenhoff) and Minneapolis (Cindy
Kennedy, Minnesota Council of Churches)

Oct. 8   Free

Oct. 9 Morning: preach at Bethesda Lutheran Church, Moorhead

Oct. 11    Free

Oct. 12    Free

Oct. 13    Cecilia leaves for Nigeria via New York



Cecilia Asogwa, the executive director of the Development Education
Centre in Enugu, Nigeria is coming to Fargo-Moorhead this Saturday, and
will be here nearly two months. A social activist whose centre focuses on
poverty-eradication, she is also involved in other related issues,
including micro-credit for micro-enterprises, community banking, gender
issues, economic empowerment, AIDS, literacy, participation in democratic
governance, etc. The center deals mainly with women.

Cecilia has a B.A. in philosophy from the University of Nigeria; an
M.Ed. in Adult Education and Community Development from the University of
Ibadan; and a M.Th. in Theology and Development from the University of
Edinburgh. She gets around a great deal, serving on panels or speaking in
various parts of the world, including the US on previous occasions; I have
noted connections to the World Council of Churches. I think she has a lot
to offer! The work of her centre is quite amazing; you need to hear her
story.

The center is an NGO, with apparent church connections. I assume
that Cecilia is a Roman Catholic since she went to Catholic primary and
secondary schools.

Out of the blue last year, she wrote to me as director of the CHARIS
Ecumenical Center at Concordia asking to spend a sabbatical here. I
explained that we do not do sabbaticals, though we like to encourage them,
and (since I was very impressed with her credentials) I said I would do
what I could to make a sabbatical here possible. SHE WISHES TO LEARN FROM
PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS HERE, AND TO SHARE WITH THEM WHAT SHE IS
DOING--especially in areas related to poverty, gender concerns, etc. That
is the focus of her sabbatical.

Most of the time, she will be staying at the Presentation Sister
convent in Fargo. She is coming late Saturday afternoon (August 20) and
will be here until October 13; however, she will be visiting friends in
Atlanta Sept. 24 to Oct. 1.

This message is being sent to a variety of people, IN THE HOPE THAT
YOU WOULD LIKE TO VISIT WITH HER, HAVE HER SPEAK TO A GROUP OR CLASS OR
CHURCH, and/or that you have suggestions for her stay here. I WOULD
ESPECIALLY APPRECIATE DATES THAT YOU CAN PROVIDE. I will try to coordinate
her itinerary while here. You might simply wish to have her spend a day
with you and your organization.

Ann Burnette, chair of Women's Studies at NDSU, and Harvey Stalwick,
director the Call to Serve (Lilly vocation) Project at Concordia, have
been especially supportive and helpful in planning the visit. Sr. Yvonne
Nelson, director of the Presentation Sisters' Peace Studies Program, has
also been very helpful, and has arranged for Cecilia to stay with the
sisters. Cecilia will be participating in the Concordia symposium of AIDS
in the Global South Sept. 11-13, and she has a few other engagements
(including a visit to the YWCA battered women's shelter; she will also be
preaching at two churches). The sisters will not be able to provide all
Cecilia's transportation needs, so I need to ask you to do that. AND, if
you are able to provide an honorarium, it would be greatly appreciated.
She has a number of expenses related to the sabbatical, and her salary in
Nigeria would shock you because it is so meager. I would also appreciate
the names of other people or organizations that I might contact.

Thank you for considering this opportunity to be enriched by a
special person.

Arland


Dr. Arland Jacobson 218-299-3566
CHARIS Ecumenical Center
Concordia College
Moorhead, Minnesota 56562


Lysa Ringquist
Community Organizer
People Escaping Poverty Project
116 12th St. S.
Moorhead MN
Office - 218-236-5434
Cell - 701-866-3532
email - lysa@pepp.org

This movement we are building will not go away!