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 …
A group of religious from different congregations risk their lives opposing the indiscriminate exploitation of natural resources and the violations of tribal rights in Mindanao. Sister Famita Somogod of the Missionary Sisters of Mary, 48, has been risking her life every day since she became coordinator of the Rural Missionaries’ project of the Philippines. Religious …
The traditions and customs of the Pa-O ethnic group are little known and gradually disappearing. Telling children that they are descendants of a father who was a weiza, a supernatural being, and a mother who was a dragon makes for a good story; but for the Pa-O it is more than a fable. Once upon …
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 …
Across the continent of Africa, there are thousands of myths. They are an attempt to answer the great questions that, sooner or later, we put to ourselves about the world, the past, life, death, happiness, and evil. There are questions and answers that every generation asks itself, and then passes on to the next. Myths are …
African Myths: A Door to the Mysteries of Creation Read More »
A Comboni Lay Missionary has just arrived in Mozambique. She has been called to work with the youth of the school run by the Combonis in Carapira, the Industrial Technical Institute. These are some of her first reflections. 130 young people study and live here. In working with these young people, we teach them professional techniques through courses; how to …
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 …
Philippines: The Colourful Houses for Abandoned Children Read More »
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 …
St Martin-in-the-Fields Church, London: ‘The violence of Peacemaking’ Read More »
The African harp with its thousand sounds and uses takes the listener into the magical world of the music of the African continent. Whether large or small, the African harp almost always carries within itself a fundamental paradox: It is both simple and complex. The strings of the African harp, originally intended to accompany singing, …
One day a group of young people gathered under a Baobab tree to listen to Kibaykita, one of the most respected village elders. The old man began to speak… Baobab trees stand sporadically on the sides of roads through the Africa. They tower like steeples, pagodas, or domes. The Baobab is a burly tree, growing …
