No child soldiers: The next steps in Central African Republic
At least 12,000 children have returned from armed groups in CAR. Now what? Last September, Central African Republic became the 167th country to ratify the UN child soldier treaty, known by its acronym, OPAC. The government thus committed to outlawing the use of child soldiers. Yet, verified cases of child recruitment quadrupled in 2017 compared […]
A panorama of the Catholic Church all over the world
The latest edition of the “Church’s Book of Statistics” published (updated to 31 December 2016) regarding members of the Church, church structures, healthcare, welfare and education. To 31 December 2016, the world population was 7.352.289.000 with an increase of 103.348.000 units compared with the previous year. Population growth was registered on every continent including Europe: […]
Plants & People. Hibiscus Sabdariffa, a herb with medicinal and nutritional values.
It is an annual or perennial herb with leaves which are deeply 3-5 lobed and arranged alternately on the stems. The flowers are white to pale yellow with a dark red spot at the base of each petal and have a stout fleshy calyx at the base which becomes more enlarged, fleshy and bright red […]
Burkina Faso. Alphonsine Yanogo. Sister and mechanic
She is the first female mechanic in the country. She runs the Garage Saint Michel de Sic with 22 employees. A Sister who understands engines. From early morning, the traffic in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso with its 2.5 million inhabitants, is impressive. There is a concentration of vehicles including many motor cycles called […]
Panama 2019/WYD: A world meeting of indigenous youths
The World Youth Day (WYD) in Panama will also see the indigenous face of the Church. Over one thousand indigenous youths from world Countries are expected to attend the Indigenous World Youth Day (EMJI) that will take place a few days before the WYD (January 17 to 21) in Soloy, Comarca Ngäbe-Bugle, Diocese of David, […]
Bamboo Shoots: Nature’s Perfect Food
Bamboo (Family Poaceae) produces edible shoots, which sprouts from beside the main bamboo plant. It is known not only to be one of the fastest growing plants in the world but also the largest and tallest in the grass family. Every part of the bamboo plant is of great use in the communities where they […]
Uganda: A Traditional Karamojong Wedding
The Karamojong are an ethnic group of agro-pastoral herders living mainly in the north-east of Uganda. We look at their traditional wedding. Before a Karamojong can take a wife, he must first approach his parents and his brothers. Together they will decide how many cows they can spare for the dowry. If their herd is […]
Africa: Migration – Back Home
Returning from Libyan detention, young Gambians try to change the migration exodus mindset. Mustapha Sallah knows all about taking the “back way”, the Gambian expression for migrating to Europe, a journey that for many citizens comes to a brutal halt in a Libyan jail. Having experienced detention first-hand, 26-year-old Sallah he set up, Youths Against […]
Central America: Between Violence & Threats
War and conflict displace millions across the world, but in Central America, people flee violence, threats and organised crime. 10 things we should know about the violence in Central America. 1. Organised crime forces people to flee Criminal gangs exert heavy territorial control in urban areas in Central America, where poverty is rampant. In these […]
Philippines: A Voice For The Oppressed
Brother Karl Gaspar, an award-winning writer, respected socio-anthropologist, theologian, interfaith scholar, and missionary from Davao City shares with us the reasons for his passion for Indigenous Peoples (IPs) and his vocational option. He has been inspired by the simplicity, humility, and generosity of the IPs. “They are so welcoming to strangers and visitors to their […]
