The Dialogue with Nature is a short philosophical satire motivated by Dr. John-Okoria’s love for nature and concern over humanity’s role in the degradation of the environment.

This dialogue expounds the introspections of a socialite engaged in a transcendental experience that challenges her assumptions as a human being of a particular socioeconomic status. She is forced to reflect on values long imbibed through her education and socialization. Through those reflections emerged environmental issues and an inclusive organization of human society toward genuine development. Her revelations or insights are the product of profound interaction or engagement with both the plant and animal worlds. Despite the anthropocentric nature of our language, nothing in nature is indifferent to humanity.

Catholic University Education Today

To be a Catholic university today is to be catholic (universal) by engaging in conversations across disciplines and across contexts – national, cultural, social, political, religious or economic. This book represents the ideas of conversational partners from different contexts and institutions across Eastern Africa. The book calls for a process or system of sharing knowledge and resources towards advancing the intellectual progress and developmental agenda of Africa. It proposes specific ways of ensuring creative collaboration and imaginative networking among Catholic universities in the Eastern Africa (also known as the AMECEA) region.

According to an African proverb, “You can enjoy your gaze of the sun from your backyard, but you are only connected to others if you are able to recognize how they are gazing at the same sun from their distant and varied backyards.” Indeed, our common mission and vision as Catholic Universities compel us, not to monopolize the vision of the sun, but to collaborate in preparing our graduates to serve and to live the path to a more just and communal world.