People & Plants: Ekebergia Capensis – Highly Valued Plants
This plant plays an important role in various communities for the treatment of numerous diseases and disorders including heartburn, coughs and respiratory complaints. Ekebergia capensis (Meliaceae Family) is widespread in the sub-Saharan countries in Africa, including Senegal, Ethiopia, Angola, Botswana, Mozambique and South Africa. This plant plays an important role in the various communities in […]
India: Kashmiri – The Fine Texture
Kashmiri shawls are globally famous for their fine texture and embroidery. Woven on handloom from a rare variety of soft wool and embroidered by artisans who have perfected the needlework over generations, these shawls are considered to be a status symbol. The word shawl is derived from the Persian word shal and is worn folded […]
Peru: To Share Life With People Who Are Incredibly Wise
As we approach the Pan-Amazonian Synod, the importance the indigenous culture. Two Augustinians, who live in Iquitos (Peru) talked about their experience. When we first arrived in the Marañon River Valley, more than two decades ago, the first thing we experienced was miscommunication – we didn’t understand the way people talked. It first struck us […]
Uganda: ReachOut – The Best Practices
Started in a Comboni Parish Our Lady of Africa in Mbuya in the outskirts of Kampala, the ReachOut Ugandan Health Initiative has changed the lives of many people with HIV. We visited the project. When you step through the doors of ReachOut Mbuya, you know you are somewhere special. The walls are lined with accreditations […]
Africa: People’s Wisdom
With hundreds of ethnic groups, Africa is a haven of diversified cultures. It is also a mine for those who wish to explore the world of wisdom, often crystallized in proverbs. Here are some from around the continent. We are responsible for what we do, after all: A man cannot undo his past. Can zebras […]
Singapore: Towards A Vibrant & Missionary Church
The journey of the Catholic Church. Commitment to authentic interreligious dialogue. Social works. Education. An interview with His Grace William Goh Seng Chye, Archbishop of Singapore. “A City-State of South East Asia, Singapore is the fourth largest financial centre in the world with an important role in international trade and finance. Its port is one […]
Mexico: Maya Civilization – Between Corn & Cacao
Ancient Mayan cuisine was varied and extensive. Mayan raised-field systems and the fertilization techniques of the land show us that the Maya people were innovative farmers. Maize and cacao have marked their history. Several pre-Columbian peoples inhabited the Yucatan peninsula and the Mexican territory between 3,000 and 1000 BC. Cultures such as those of the […]
‘Mesoamerica’: Pizza With Savour Of Aztec Cuisine
Through the centuries, food and plants coming from America, and in particular from Mexico, have given a great contribution to the Mediterranean diet. The first people to bring back information about the food and plants of the Americas were early explorers and conquistadors, some of whom showed a special interest in the vegetation of the […]
Afro-Brazilian Spirituality/Candomblé: Life That Flows Within
Spirit, body and the psyche are to be helped grow together in a journey of maturation to reach equilibrium and interior peace. This is a journey into one of the more meaningful religions of black Brazil. Candomblé is one of the Afro-Brazilian religions underlying the black culture of Salvador da Bahia, perhaps the one that […]
Togo/Benin: Tata Somba
In the north of Togo and the north-east of Benin in the Atacora Range live the Betammaribe, also called Somba, a people with a history of great hunters and warriors. Here we take a brief look at the architecture of their houses, unique and original in Western Africa. Scattered throughout a green valley among the […]
