Church asylum: commitment to a humanitarian state of affairs
It is an ancient pre-Christian and early Christian tradition to grant asylum to refugees in holy places. In Europe, this tradition was revived by the Charter of Groningen, passed in 1987 by religious communities and grass-roots church initiatives. It says: “When we have good reason to assume that a refugee or asylum seeker, threatened with […]
The Niger River of all challenges: from drought to floods and pollution
The Niger River is the main source of life of large parts of West Africa. But owing to climate change and human activities, riparian populations face growing challenges. Sailing down the Niger River from the Fouta Djalon Mountains of Guinea to the sands of Timbuktu, the pearl of the desert and to the mangroves of […]
Shared Electrical Mobility
Asia is exporting the Tuk Tuk, tricycles, to Africa. Now for the electrical version. Growing urbanisation and increasing pollution in African cities demand a new approach capable of providing transport systems that are clean and cost effective. In order to understand how to respond to this problem creatively, it is useful to analyse the solutions […]
Commercial War and Side Effects to Africa
The commercial war between the USA and the rest of the world has only just begun and some voices point out that the current escalation of tariffs can last up to 20 years. Since Trump came to power he has not stopped sending signals that pointed to his disenchantment with the economic agreements of his […]
Brazil: Bringing hope to the inferno of Cracolandia
Living with the street people. Evangelising the “inferno” of drugs. Experiencing “Mission Bethlehem”. It is just a small plywood house with a few bits of furniture, a chair or two and a wooden bed that is always covered with things. In a corner there is a small kitchen with a few cooking pots. There are […]
The Senegal River: Threatened by drought, climate change and man-made disasters
The Senegal River is a main source of life and prosperity for three West-African countries. But its vital role is put in jeopardy by a number of threats. The 1,641 km-long Senegal River, which has two headstreams in the Fouta Djalon highlands of Guinea and one in Mali, is vital for the four countries of […]
Pastora Mira Garcia: Forgiveness without Limits
Pastora Mira Garcia is best known in Colombia for her example of forgiveness in the face of hatred and violence. In September 2017, when Pope Francis visited the country, Pastora was chosen to narrate her commitment to “love one another.” She tell us her story. On April 4, 1960, my father, Francisco Mira, was assassinated […]
The Sahara: The Kel Air and Kel Ahaggar Tuareg: There is life in ‘The Great Emptiness’
The desert is not a no man’s land but the land of nomads. The best known among these are the Tuareg, also called the ‘blue people’, in reference to the colour of the veil (tagelmust) with which the men cover their faces, or ‘desert warriors’, in reference to the sword (takuba) they carry. A glance […]
DR Congo: Miracles Happen
Despite having lost both legs in a bomb explosion, Sr. Present returns to her mission. A gesture of love and hope. The memory of what happened is still very much present not only in her mind but also in her body. A bomb blew off both her legs. Sr. María Presentación López of the Congregation […]
Ethiopia: Hope for a small People
The Menjas live in the south-west of Ethiopia. They are marginalised and discriminated by other ethnic groups. Two Catholic sisters stand up for them. In the shadow of the giant jungle trees, Kenito Atumo squats on the ground, plucking out every green stalk that sprouts from the ground near his little coffee plant. “Weeds are the […]
