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Malawi: Gule Wamkulu – Dance of the Spirits

The ‘gule Wamkulu’ is both a secret cult and a ritual dance performed by people wearing character masks or disguised as animals, who represent the world of the spirits. This ritual performance, which is aimed at preserving traditional values, is practised among the Chewa people on various occasions. Among this population, as in many African societies, the …

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China: The Kirgiz Falconers

The majestic grasslands, rugged deserts, and snow-capped mountains of western Xinjiang have been home to China’s largest community of Kirghiz for centuries. A Muslim-Turkic people, China’s Kirghiz are the linguistic and ethnic brethren of the Central Asian Kirghiz who constitute the majority of the population of the bordering Kyrgyz Republic. Herding and hunting have always …

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Philippines: The Colourful Houses for Abandoned Children

Father Vincent Borno talks about his experience of going beyond the peripheries into ‘no man’s land’ – the dark corners of humanity, filled with abuse and exploitation – to reach out to the young who have been left to fend for themselves. Since Pope Francis’ arrival, it has become fashionable to speak of peripheries. But for …

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St Martin-in-the-Fields Church, London: ‘The violence of Peacemaking’

Pan pipe music from Bolivia filled St Martin-in-the-Fields Church at Trafalgar Square and brought a flavour of Latin America to the opening of the annual Romero service in London. The ecumenical service this year marked the 36th anniversary of the martyrdom of Archbishop Oscar Romero. The theme of the event was ‘The violence of peace-making …

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