AFRICA/CAMEROON - LOCAL CATHOLIC CHURCH LAUNCHES EDUCATION CAMPAIGN TO STRIKE CORRUPTION AT THE ROOT

Yaounde (Fides Service) - The Catholic Church in Cameroon has begun a school programme to teach pupils respect for the common good in view of eliminating corruption in future. According to local Catholic News Agency DIA, Cameroon has twice been classified as the world’s most corrupt country by “Transparency International” an organisation which fights corruption.
The programme will be used in 209 Catholic schools in Cameroon’s 23 dioceses involving more than 90,000 pupils, their teachers and parents. “By way of the school we can reach the rest of society. In fact the period of education is the time in life when children adopt values and attitudes which will influence their behaviour as adults” the organisers say.
The Church campaign is promoted in collaboration with the National Office for Catholic Education and Catholic Relief Services (Caritas US).
In Africa, Cameroon and Nigeria take first place for corruption, whereas Botswana ranks as the least corrupt country on the continent.
(L.M.) (Fides Service 22/1/2004, lines 21 words 206 )