Dijbouti: The Witness Presence
Being a missionary in Dijbouti means seeking a dialogue with Islam and being confronted with the situation of the migrants and refugees in the country. Djibouti is often quoted in the press because of its strategic and military relevance or, more recently, for its ambitions as a potential commercial and economic gateway for both Africa […]
Bolivia: Market Theology
The market is a world in miniature, not just because of the infinity of goods but because of the amount of people who go there. The market is a melting pot of races, cultures, languages, traditions, and religious rites. The market has a bit of everything – fruit and vegetables, rice, baby food, galoshes, vermicelli and pumpkins, as […]
Advocacy at the Core of Civil Society
The World Social Forum (WSF) is one of the most important successes of Pope Paul VI, the “New Areopagus” of evangelisation. This year, the 12th edition of the WSF took place from 9-14 August in Montreal, Canada. A group of Comboni Missionaries attended and tell us about their experience here. The date and place of this year’s WSF brought with it […]
African Languages in a Time of Globalisation
In Africa, there are a large number of languages, around 2,000, which makes up 30% of the languages spoken in the world. African languages have been classified in various ways. A generally accepted classification defines four main groups of interrelated languages. Afro-Asian This group covers about 200 languages, with some 175 million speakers. It is […]
China: The Sound Among the Mountains
Paika is a rural community of the Miao minority in the hilly Guizhou Province of south-western China. In the local language, the name refers to this mountain village, which produces the Lusheng, a reed instrument. The village, with no more than one hundred houses, has been known around the province for its Lusheng production over […]
Radio Monte Roraima, Brazil: Freedom of Speech
Rádio Monte Roraima aims to inform listeners in accordance with its standards of high quality, impartiality, and ethical reporting, focusing on human rights, the least fortunate, and the environment. The daylight is so bright: perhaps because the sky is clear, or because Brazil is an equatorial country. The premises of the radio station Monte Roraima are located […]
Dominican Republic: Network of Participation
Political and economic inequality, narco-trafficking and violence: the Church tackles some of these challenges facing the Dominican Republic by organising people using a Pastoral Plan. Father Lorenzo Vargas, the Archdiocese of Santo Domingo’s Vicar general, talks about the pastoral work of the Church. Visitors to the country will see big avenues, high buildings, beautiful houses. The city of Santo Domingo […]
Nicaragua: The Art of Pneumatic Tyres
His hands run fast over the grooves of a scrap tyre. He uses a heated knife to cut the rubber to be modelled. The motif is not a designed pattern, but it is inspired by shapes and colours drawn from his imagination. Slowly images, the faces of animals and geometric motifs, take shape. Francisco Josué […]
Mining in Colombia: A Social Disaster
Bishops denounce irresponsible mining activity, which is destroying the environment, human dignity and social life. In a recent statement, 12 Bishops of the ecclesiastical provinces of Medellín and Santa Fe de Antioquia (Colombia) said: “As pastors, we have repeatedly raised our voices and drawn attention to the harmful effects of the exploitation of natural resources, in […]
World Council of Churches: Towards a Missionary Ecumenical Movement
The World Council of Churches (WCC) has chosen Africa for the next World Mission Conference, to be held in Arusha, Tanzania, between 8-13 March 2018. One of its goals is the establishment of a missionary ecumenical movement. After sixty years, Africa will once again host the World Mission Conference, the most important ecumenical event on the theme […]