Mali. The secret of the earth in the Bogolan fabric
Rediscovering the history of this fabric involves delving into a world of symbols. However, it also entails exploring much of Mali’s past and present, including the craftsmanship of Bambara women and men, contemporary art, and its impact on fashion. “Bogolan fabric is literally composed of the earth, forests, rivers, and sun of Mali.” This quote […]
The African perception of time
The elastic conception of time fosters relationships, nurtures patience, flexibility, and relaxation, while mitigating tension in African societies. However, as Africans become part of the global community, the need to rethink the concept of time is no longer optional, but obligatory. It is common knowledge that we, Africans, are not very punctual. In Africa, it […]
Vision Divina: Praying with Our Fingertips
As a way to revive the use of art in prayer, the author, Comboni Missionary Fr. Raul Tabaraza from the Philippines, explores the method of Visio Divina. “Paintings can transform our prayers into a personal dialogue with the Lord.” Lectio Divina, commonly known as “divine reading,” “holy reading,” or “spiritual reading,” was one of the […]
Kenya. Empowering the local people.
The Comboni Lay Missionaries (CLM) in West Pokot, Kenya, have started a project called the Community-Based Organisation (CBO) to empower families and promote sustainable livelihoods. Pius Oyoma, the local coordinator of CLM, talks about this initiative. West Pokot County, one of the 14 counties in Kenya’s Rift Valley region, is located in the North Rift […]
Advocacy & People. Maanda Ngoitiko. In defence of Maasai women.
Maanda Ngoitiko founded the Council of Women Shepherds (PWC) alongside ten other Maasai women. The organisation’s focus is on defending the rights of women and girls within their community, to change gender roles within a traditionally patriarchal society. “I am the daughter of a Maasai herder family from Olosirua, Kenya. My name comes from the […]
China. Brushstrokes of Ancient Wisdom
For the Chinese, calligraphy is an art in its own right, inseparable from painting and poetry. And young people practice it willingly. “In the beginning was the line!” This is how Chinese civilisation seems to have arisen, from the trace of a simple stroke on paper or silk, left by the brush that, for the […]
Cambodia. Buddhists and Christians on the path to peace.
The secret of this meeting “is to meditate and explore together the characteristics and profound relationships between ‘karuna and agape’ – the former Buddhist, the latter Christian – of compassion and selfless love.” There is a secret to the path of spiritual dialogue and the “dialogue of life” between Christians and Buddhists in Cambodia, a […]
Togo. “My life in the mystery of Voodoo”
Italian anthropologist and Comboni missionary Father Bruno Gilli recounts 50 years of study of Voodoo, a West African religion that permeates every aspect of life and transcends definitions. Beliefs that give rise to a complex religious system animated by forces that permeate every element of nature, mysterious witnesses to the connection between ancestors and the […]
Ethiopia. Walking with the Gumuz
The Comboni Missionaries have been working in the region for over 20 years. They operate schools in villages, teach agricultural methods, and assist those displaced by ethnic conflicts. They have transcribed the Gumuz language for the first time, creating a grammar that allows the Gumuz community to pass on their culture. In Gilgel Beles, a […]
Advocacy & People. Jani Silva. To protect the community and the land.
The Colombian environmental and peace activist has played a key role in establishing a protected area in the Amazon, providing small farmers with access to agricultural land and offering them an alternative to the war on drugs and violence, at great personal risk. Jani Silva was born in the heart of the Amazon. From birth, […]
