As usual, the Synod Fathers submitted to the Supreme Pontiff for his consideration the documentation on "The Church in Africa at the Service of Reconciliation, Justice and Peace. You are the Salt of the Earth...You are the Light of the World". This documentation includes: the "Lineamenta", the "Instrumentum laboris", all the reports and the texts of the interventions, and the reports on the deliberations in the small groups. Moreover, They made some concrete proposals which they hold to be of capital importance.

Those regarding land and water are at the end in Propositio 29 and 30 of which we present here the most important extracts.

In the Propositio 29, named Natural Resources, after noticing " A strict connection exists today between the exploitation of natural resources, the trafficking of arms and a contrived insecurity" and that "Some Multinational corporations exploit the natural resources of African countries oftentimes without concern for populations or respect for the environment, with the complicity of many privileged local people", they " highly recommend to the Church Family of God in Africa to press our governments to adopt a suitable juridical framework which takes into account the interests of our countries and their populations."

Even more relevant the Propositio 30, named "Land and Water".

The first line are an urgent call to governments in place:

"Since large stretches of fertile land and water resources are unscrupulously exploited by foreign and local investors in many African countries, causing the displacement and dispossession of poor persons and their communities, who are often powerless to oppose this 'assault', this Synod urgently calls upon all governments to ensure that its citizens are protected from the unjust alienation of their land and access to water, which are essential goods of the human person."

Then the Synod Fathers make a list urging that:

- the Church in Africa seek information and learn about land and water issues in order to educate the People of God and enable them to challenge unjust decisions in these matters;

- all negotiations on land deals be conducted in full transparency and with the participation of the local communities who may be affected;

- land alienation deals should not be contracted out nor signed without the free, prior and informed consent of the local communities concerned, nor should people forfeit their land without proper compensation;

- agricultural workers be guaranteed a fair wage in light of the fact that investments promote the creation of employment;

- promote the professional formation of youth in farming and the raising of animals as a way to stem the uncontrolled flight from the village to the cities;

- the models of agricultural production respect the environment and not contribute to climate change, soil depletion and the exhaustion of drinkable water reserves;

- food production for export not endanger food security and sovereignty the needs of future generations;

- traditional land rights be respected and recognized by the law; and

- water not be exploited as a private economic commodity without due attention to people’s