The 22nd of January marked a significant moment for EU-CORD as we gathered with our member organisations and MEPs to discuss faith and development cooperation within the European Parliament.
The event was the first time we had the opportunity to explore how Christian values – compassion, love, and selflessness – shape EU foreign policy in ways that promote justice and human dignity rather than division. In total, 13 MEPs and four Accredited Parliamentary Assistants attended, proving that while EU-CORD may be a small network, we have much to offer, and the themes we promote are highly relevant and timely.
‘We are the times, we shape the times’
Amid ongoing geopolitical tensions, climate emergencies, and economic instability, the discussions underscored the responsibility to engage with these global challenges. As highlighted in the opening devotional by Rina Molenaar, Director of Woord en Daad, we are not separate from the times we live in but actively shape them, making it crucial to ensure that policy decisions reflect ethical considerations and long-term sustainability. This time of multiple crises is a watershed that asks us to reflect on who we are and can be as Christians.
‘A green revolution for Europe, but a blood revolution for Congo’
One of the event’s core themes was the consequences of EU policies on partner countries. A striking example came from Bukavu, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the rush for critical raw materials (CRMs) – essential for Europe’s green transition – has led to severe social and environmental crises. The keynote speaker, researcher Alexandre Btitenga, highlighted the human cost of EU’s need for minerals: widespread sexual violence, severe health impacts from mercury exposure, and young men joining armed militias due to perceptions of foreign exploitation and wide environmental damage to land. The phrase “a green revolution for Europe, but a blood revolution for Congo” captured the gravity of the situation.
The discussions resonated beyond the event, prompting MEPs to seek further information and challenge the European Commission on whether agreements like the EU’s Memorandum of Understanding with Rwanda exacerbate instability in Kivu, DRC. Merely days after the event, the cruel effects of the rush for critical raw materials were witnessed as the M23 Rebel group, supported by the Rwandan militia, captured the city of Goma and Kivu province under control. As of Friday 7 February, the M23 Rebels, despite the ceasefire declared on Monday, 3rd February, are now close to Bukavu, having captured the South Kivu mining town of Nyabibwe. The humanitarian situation is dire.
‘Yet they are convicted to act and be a part of the solution’
Amid the catastrophic humanitarian situation in DCR, there is movement and will in the EU to act. Some of the MEPs who attended our event have requested information and input to help them take action and question the EU-Rwanda Memorandum of Understanding. Most of these MEPs are not on the Development Committee, yet they are convinced to act and be part of the solution, not complicit in the conflict.
The impact of our meeting was also evident in a subsequent Extraordinary Meeting of the Africa-EU Parliamentary Assembly on the 30th of January and another on 5 February, where similar concerns raised during our event were reflected in the parliamentary interventions of attended MEPs. The Strasbourg event reinforced several key lessons for those engaging in advocacy:
- Awareness cannot be assumed—We witnessed that policymakers may not fully understand even widely reported crises. Thus, awareness-raising must continue.
- Dialogue across political perspectives is possible. Faith can be a common denominator despite political positioning. Representatives from the left and right attended the event and engaged in encouraging dialogue.
- Firsthand narratives are powerful – direct testimony from affected communities is irreplaceable in shaping informed policy responses. Local voices should always be heard first.
- A small voice can significantly impact – even in the crowded Brussels policy space, faith-based perspectives from the EU-CORD offer unique and valuable insights.
The momentum from these discussions has reinforced the need for continued engagement, leading to a commitment to make this an annual event. With so much at stake, the question remains: Are Christian values still relevant, and how will we engage in shaping EU policies that affect the lives of our neighbours beyond Europe’s borders?
Authors: Tabeth Masengu and Heidi Saarinen-Azuara
