Philippines: Reaping What She Sowed
Having inherited the enthusiasm for farming from her late father, Cherrie Atilano has the welfare of farmers at heart. Social entrepreneur and recipient of several awards, her enterprise teaches farmers new rice-growing techniques, empowers women and educates children and youth on gardening. When Cherrie’s father died, when she was just three years old, he had […]
Africa: Neglected By The International Community
Armed conflicts, refugees, famine, food shortages and malnutrition, harsh weather conditions and unpredictable rainfall. An overview of different crises in Africa. Central African Republic (CAR) After decades of strife and stalled development, CAR plunged into crisis in 2013. The Seleka coalition overthrew the president in a coup d’etat. In response, self-defence groups known as Anti-Balaka […]
South Sudan: “Our Suffering Becomes Solidarity And Prayer”
Fr. Salvatore Pacifico, an Italian Comboni Missionary in South Sudan, will turn 81 in November. “Missionary in North and South Sudan for 40 years”, writes Fr. Salvatore, “I find it difficult to speak of what is going on in South Sudan. I would not want to contribute to that feeling of defeatism, already common when […]
El Salvador: He Was Still Wearing His Green Shirt And Purple Trousers
Each day, thousands of mothers search for their lost children in the hospitals, morgues and clandestine cemeteries. Some never lose hope, others have no more tears to shed. The last time Isela saw the face of her son was in a photograph. Denys was wearing a long-sleeved green shirt and purple trousers, the clothes […]
Nigeria: Giving Hope To Children
Zannah Mustapha, a champion for the rights of displaced children growing up amid violence in north-eastern Nigeria to get a quality education, has been named the 2017 winner of UNHCR’s Nansen Refugee Award. A former barrister turned property developer, Mustapha set up the school for orphans and vulnerable children in 2007. He was concerned by […]
Myanmar: Cruel Atrocities Against Rohingya
The hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees fleeing the attacks and burning of their villages in Myanmar are walking hundreds of miles across mountains, through jungles and in pouring rain, to escape the slaughter by the Myanmar armed forces. As many as 3,000 Rohingya have been killed according to some reports. The survivors, now numbering […]
The UN List of Child Killing Nations
Ali is a seven-year old boy. He lies with his head bandaged, a needle stuck in his arm and he is breathing with great difficulty. He is close to death, lying in a makeshift shelter that is an emergency field clinic in Yemen, where the last of the dextrose is running out. Flies buzz around […]
The Voiceless Woman Of Congo Has Gone Online
According to the United Nation, The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), is “the worst place to be a woman”. But, Neema Namadamu never questioned her faith, and became a source of inspiration. She tells us her story.. I was born in a very remote mountainous area of eastern Congo, in the village of Marunde, in […]
South Sudan: The President Of The Catholic Bishops’ Conference – “The Situation Is Tragic”
“We must summon all the parties involved in this war, the various ethnic groups and tribes, and gather around a table to talk about peace. The war that continues since 2013 shows no sign of ending. Nobody respects the outcomes of the peace talks, neither the government and nor the rebels. There is fighting in […]
The Art of Chinese Pottery and Porcelain
The origins of Chinese pottery and porcelain go back to distant antiquity. Four objective factors influenced the beginnings and development of Chinese pottery and porcelain: clay, fuel, river systems, and markets. Heavy clay and large quantities of fuel are required for pottery and porcelain making. Prohibitively high shipping costs made pottery production economically impractical in […]
