MY VISION
Father Peter Obele Abue, Ogoja, Nigeria
"I believe by becoming a Priest, I have been called to share my life with others in a more meaningful way because my efforts can add both spiritual and material value to the lives of those I serve. The society I live in is in dire need of change and any sincere effort can make a lot of difference. For a true egalitarian society to evolve in the developing world such as ours, an organized system of values based on qualitative and community based education must be put in place in rural and sub-rural communities, as this will enable long-term change to evolve. My doctoral research in Cornell University has convinced me that Churches in Sub Saharan Africa have the capacity to negotiate new growth paths in association with local communities to bring about change. I further believe that the impact of this change could be enormous if augmented by external resources, and so partnership with external agencies is the key to future development. My projects so far as underlined below are impacting lives at the local level. However, the problem is that we (CORAfrica) do not possess stable funding sources or a partnering body to work with and to whom we can be adequately accountable to. With a stable source of funding, we can fine tune our vision and plan ahead in terms of recruiting personnel and taking our programs to another level (micro or macro). With adequate sources of funding in the near future, I will further suggest an amalgamation of our programs and resources towards capital projects or what I refer to as Community Education Centers. Such centers will include model educational institutions with skills acquisition units, an agricultural station with micro-lending opportunities, and a healthcare facility with a special focus on the prevention of HIV/AIDS. In this regard, I look up to you friends and collaborators who have worked with me all these years to pray with me and negotiate bigger opportunities that will jumpstart this process.
Should there be such prospects , proposals await our future partners that will address this urgent need.
(For further information on my work please read my book: Participation and Social Learning in Church-based Organizations: A Third Approach to Poverty Eradication in Developing Countries. Available at HYPERLINK "http://www.amazon.com"www.amazon.com or visit our website: HYPERLINK "http://www.corafrica.com"www.corafrica.com )
Dip. Video Editing and Production, School of Telecommunication, Dallas, Texas, USA (1991)
B.D. Systematic Theology, Pontifical Urban University, Rome (1985)
M.A. Mass Communication, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania USA (1994)
Ph. D. Community and Rural Development, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York ,USA (2006)
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE IN PASTORAL MINISTRY: (1985-Present)
Assistant Priest: St Patrick’s Parish, Kakwagom, Ogoja Diocese (1986-1987)
Bishop’s Secretary, Ogoja Diocese (1987-1990)
Parish Priest, Mater Redemptoris, Sankwala-Obanliku, Ogoja Diocese (1990-1991)
Assisting Priest, St Augustine Parish Pleasant Groove, Texas, Dallas, Diocese, USA (1991)
Assisting Priest, Holy Sepulcher Parish, Butler, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh Diocese, (1993-1995)
Parish Priest, Holy Trinity Parish, Ogboja, Ogoja Diocese (1995-1997)
Parish Priest and Dean of St. Charles Deanery, Ogoja Diocese (1997-2000)
Member, Diocesan Consultors’ Board, Ogoja Diocese (1997-2003)
Chaplain, Catholic Charismatic Renewal of Nigeria, Ogoja Diocese (1995-2000)
Co Chaplain, The worldwide Marriage Encounter, Ogoja Diocese, (1996-1999)
Organizing Secretary, The 2nd Synod of Ogoja Diocese (200)
Founding Chaplain, The Noble Order of the Knights of St John, Ogoja Diocese (1989-2000)
Assisting Priest, Holy Cross Parish, Freeville, New York, Rochester Diocese) (2001-2003)
Assisting Priest, St Anthony Church, Groton, New York, Rochester Diocese (2003-2005)
Assisting Priest, Immaculate Conception Church, Ithaca, New York, Rochester Diocese (2006)
Chaplain, Catholic Women Organization, Ogoja Diocese (2007-Present)
Parish Priest, St Theresa’s RCM Parish, Ipong-Obudu, Ogoja Diocese (2007- Present)
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE IN EDUCATION: (1990-Present)
in collaboration with Abode for Children, Inc, USA, (1998) ( HYPERLINK "http://www.abodeforchildren.org/" www.abodeforchildren.org)
Facilitator: Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) workshop in Ogoja diocese in collaboration with Concern Universal, London; (2000).
Graduate Research Assistant: The Institute for Community College Development (ICCD), in collaboration with Cornell University, Ithaca NY, on ADAPTATION OF THE US COMMUNITY COLLEGE MODEL TO INTERNATIONAL EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITIES (2001)
Graduate Research Fellow: Children’s Defense Fund, NY , a Fellowship with Putting Children First, Columbia University Programme for Ivy league graduate students in the USA (2002)
Vice President: Cornell Education Society (CES), Cornell University, Ithaca, NY; Responsible for organizing the interaction of faculty and students in Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. (2003).
Founder: Little Flower Nursery/ Primary School, lpong- Obudu, in collaboration with CORAfrica(2007)
Coordinator: Collaborative Scholarship Programme between the State University of New York (SUNY) System and the Cross River University of Technology (CRUTECH), Calabar Nigeria (2007)
Founder: Cornell African School of Technology Education and Development (CASTED) (2010)
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: (1990-Present)
Founding Editor: The Message, a Newspaper of Ogoja diocese: (1990-2000).
Chairman: Ogoja Diocesan Development Committee (DDC) (1999-2000).
Coordinator: Justice Development and Peace for Ogoja diocese (JDPC); (1999-2000).
Conductor: Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) in 30 villages in Ogoja diocese (2000).
Co-Founder: Butro Abue Memorial Foundation (BAMF): a community-based NGO in Cross River State (1999-Present). ( HYPERLINK "http://www.bamfound.org/" www.bamfound.org)
Founder and Editorial Adviser of Newspoint, a Magazine of Ogoja Youths (1996-2000).
Founder and Chairman board of editors: Foodbasket- the voice of Agriculture: A Quarterly National Magazine (2004).
Chief Host in Kakaki: A National Program Broadcast in the Africa Independent Television (AIT) Abuja (November 2004)
Volunteer: Abode for Children Inc; a non-profit organization in Evans City, PA: providing technical advice on foreign missions. (1993-2006)
Founder and President: Children of Rural Africa(CORAfrica) a non-profit organization in the USA, (2006). (www.corafrica.com)
Coordinator:Micro-Credit Program for rural farmers in Ipong- Obudu, CRS, (2007)
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS: (2000-Present)
Abue and Baldeh (2000): VOICE OF THE POOR: Participatory Rural Appraisal in the Catholic Diocese of Ogoja, Abuja, Nigeria (33 pages).
Abue (2001): HIV/AIDS IN AFRICA: COMMUNICATION PERSUASIONS BEYOND FEAR AROUSAL, in The Oracle, an international Journal of Culture Religion and Society, Belgium. June 2001, (Pp. 43-57).
Abue (2002): The US COMMUNITY COLLEGE MODEL: Potentials for adaptations to international educational communities, a Research paper presented to ICCD, Cornell University, Ithaca NY (published in Eric Clearing House)
Abue (2002): SAVING COMMUNITY THROUGH CIVIC EDUCATION AND INDEGENOUS PARTICIPATION: A proposal for faith-based organizations in Nigeria, in The Search, St Joseph’s Major Seminary, Ikot Ekpene, Nigeria (pp. 73-86).
Abue (2004) STATE AND CIVIL SOCIETY COLLABORATIONS IN EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: Redefining the emerging role of Nigerian Churches as partners in development, in Koinonia, St Joseph Major Seminary Studies: Vol 2 No 1, Dec. 2004 (Pp. 119-136).
by HYPERLINK "http://www.worldcatlibraries.org/wcpa/search;jsessionid=BB6AD85A7793DBB4A2564057CB2C9C34.one?q=au%3AToyin+au%3AFalola&qt=hot_author" \o "Search for more by this author" Toyin Falola and HYPERLINK "http://www.worldcatlibraries.org/wcpa/search;jsessionid=BB6AD85A7793DBB4A2564057CB2C9C34.one?q=au%3ASteven+au%3AJ+au%3ASalm&qt=hot_author" \o "Search for more by this author" Steven J Salm (Pp. 173-187)
Abue (2005): OIL AND GAS EXPLOITATION AND NIGERIA’S FOREST RESOURCES: Stakeholder participation and collaboration in forest management as antidote, in Niger Delta, Rich Region poor people; St Joseph Major Seminary, Ikot Ekpene (pp. 117-142).
Abue (2007): PARTICIPATION AND SOCIAL LEARNING IN CHURCH-BASED ORGANISATIONS: A third Approach to poverty Aleviation in developing Countries ( HYPERLINK "http://www.amazon.com/" www.amazon.com)
Abue and Umoh (2010): Religion and Nation Building: Jubilee Reflections by Centenary Priest of Bigard 1985, Likas Press, Makurdi, Nigeria (332 pages)
MAJOR AWARDS (1991-Present)
The Leo F. Corrigan Award, Dallas Texas USA, Distinguished participation on Youth Community Programmes (1991)
Stem Von Afrika (Voice of Africa) Award, The Netherlands, Graduate Reseearch in Communications (1993-1994)
Institute for Community College Development (ICCD)
SUNY (Provost’s Diversity) Fellow, Doctoral Research in Development (2002-2005)
HOBBIES: Writing, Community Development, and Research
