1.1 In the socio-economic-political field

There have been radical changes for persons and for the mission. Every country has experienced the change from a colonial setup to a condition of independence. Political power has changed from the hands of foreigners to those of locals who form a new political class. The central unity of the state has had difficulty in reaching out to the periphery and has not always succeeded in overcoming race centered tendencies. The economic conditions of the masses have often worsened. Thus there has been a transition from the enchantment of independence to disillusion with the system, which it is often difficult to change.

The economy has changed from traditional subsistence to market economy and progressive impoverishment. At the time of independence most people were still living in a family economy. The market requires that products be monocultural and that brings profits to a limited class society while the majority become poorer. Economic management becomes more difficult as available resources become scarcer and are increasingly taken over by the authorities. The economy which, in the colonial era, was confined to the metropolis has become part of the global market but has not been sufficiently distributed among the masses.

These socio political changes have given rise to the need for a changed mentality on the part of the missionaries. A certain number have returned to their countries of origin. About half of the Belgian missionaries, for example, returned from the Congo after the disturbances in the 60s. The precarious condition of the people has caused the missionaries to be increasingly involved in social development.