The World Social Forum 2016: Dialogue Between Cultures
Padre Dario Bossi is a Comboni Missionary based in Brazil. Amongst other activities, he is involved in the ecumenical network ‘Iglesias y Mineria’, which assesses the impact of large-scale mining on local communities. He recently participated in the World Social Forum (WSF) 2016 in Canada. The question I heard most often during the World Social […]
Radio Zapata, Mexico: Weaving Communities from the Heart of the Mountain
A community radio that tries to improve the living conditions of indigenous people through communication. The Popular Indigenous Council of Guerrero – Emiliano Zapata (Consejo Indígena y Popular de Guerrero – Emiliano Zapata, CIPOG-EZ), is a community organisation that from the heights of the Guerrero State calls on the world to join efforts to revive the community […]
Syria: Escaping War with the Bible Sewn Into A Blouse
Shoushan Chaghalanian, a Syrian woman of Christian faith, decided to leave her country, heading for Armenia with her family. A dangerous and dramatic journey followed – as recounted by Shoushan. “Making the decision is the most important step; from that moment on one does not think of anything other than the organisation of the escape, in […]
Ghana: The Ancestors’ Stool
The Akan live in Ghana and in the Ivory Coast, in the area bounded by the Volta and Kamoe rivers. The main object of their ancestors’ veneration is the sacred stool. It is in front of the stool that food, drink, and sacrifices are offered to the ancestors, and that the spirit of the founder of the […]
The Garo People in India: Culture and Dances
The Garos live in the northeast of India, in the state of Meghalaya. They are distributed over a hilly area — hence the name, Garo Hills. After the territorial partition that created modern India and Pakistan, over one hundred thousand now live across the border, in north-eastern Bangladesh. Those living in Bangladesh generally prefer to call […]
Niger: Migrants’ Dreams Buried in the Sand
A long preparation – then all the savings lost to the hands of smugglers. A dream that ended in the sand of the desert. Idrissa, 26, is sitting on a bed at the migrant centre in Niamey. The heat is oppressive. He looks out the window; he can hear noises from the street. Thoughts run through […]
The Abbey of Étoile Notre-Dame, Benin: The Faces of Hope
A community of 40 nuns from different nationalities; a melting pot of faith and prayers, where priests, religious and lay people can find the Benedictine monastic spirituality embodied in the African culture. In 1960, seven French nuns of Notre-Dame des Gardes arrived at the Apostolic Prefecture of Parakou, which was founded in 1948 in the […]
Japan: The Way of the Kami
The Japanese religions may be compared to a multi-coloured tapestry depicting diverse traditions with a history going back almost two thousand years — a journey towards others and towards nature. Japanese religious culture is composed mainly of Shintoism and Buddhism, both influenced by Confucian ideas and values and, to a lesser extent, by western Christianity. Historically, […]
India: Mother Teresa, A Message For Our Times
Having known Mother Teresa very well over a period of four decades, what has impressed me the most has been her visible sense of compassion, self-forgetful attention to others, bubbling enthusiasm, and unfailing resilience in the face of difficulties. I first met Mother Teresa as a young seminarian, in 1958 at Bandel Church. Her work was […]
Ghana: Ancestor Veneration
The world view of the Ashanti community is reflected in the ancestral worship ceremonies which are performed to ask the deceased for protection, and in those ceremonies that are held to pay tribute to the king. These ceremonies are held to reaffirm individuals’ membership to the group, and the Adae Kese festival is one of them. […]