In the new geopolitical context that is developing worldwide, Africa is increasingly seen as a nerve centre of interests. Its natural resources and its strategic position have drawn the attention of Western countries (especially that of the combined efforts of the USA, Israel and France) and have provoked the interest of new actors such as…
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Pope Francis in a new book is calling for an alliance between the young and elderly: “Young people need the dreams of the elders so they can hope in a future. Older people and young people move forward together, and they need each other”. In his Preface, Pope Francis writes: “Only the testimony of the…
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Congolese doctor Denis Mukwege and Yazidi human rights activist and survivor of sexual slavery by Islamic State in Iraq, Nadia Murad, have won the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize for their work and commitment to fighting sexual violence in conflicts around the world. The award, which will be presented at a ceremony in Oslo on December…
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Many years ago, a local district officer gave a small plot for a non-formal school in the Mukuru slums of Nairobi. The Mukuru Promotion Centre (MCP) started and along the years has become an important place for thousands of people giving them a future and dignity. We visited the Centre. Mukuru is one of the…
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A ‘no deal’ Brexit could mean a temporary interruption of the diamond trade on the London diamond hub, affecting African and Indian diamond exporters. The departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union on the 29 March 2019 will bear consequences on its participation to the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) and on the…
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Syria has defeated the bulk of Jihadists and rendered ineffective US plans to domesticate it. Now it needs reforms and justice, also for the Kurds. The Syria of 2011 no longer exists. The Syrian crisis, begun seven years ago, no longer makes the headlines. Nevertheless, Syria continues to be in a difficult situation due to…
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Over the years, President Putin has attentively observed the political, economic and military strategy of the United States and China in Africa. For the United States, Africa represents one of its geostrategic priorities for two sorts of reasons: the first is connected to the control of energy and mineral resources and the second is of…
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The comfort of political correctness to the detriment of ecumenical dialogue. In an Egyptian context where Christians have a loose sense of belonging in their original ecclesial communities. A Comboni Missionary, who has spent twenty-five years in the country and attended ecumenical meetings said: “When religion has meaning and gives meaning to life, it can…
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Seventy-year-old Father Michael Bossano’s solemn declaration sounds resolute. His streaks of white hair tell tales of many years spent travelling the world. For now, however, the soft-spoken Catholic priest has found his place in Malakal, a long way from the comforts of the city he used to call home, New York. “I always felt I…
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It is a fact that Libya is of fundamental importance for the Russian Federation since it is geographically embedded between the Mediterranean and the Sahara and also between Egypt and Algeria, historical Russian allies in the region. On the Libyan chessboard, despite the reigning chaotic situation due also to the interests of multiple actors, Russia…
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The Christmas cycle begins with a long period of fasting, corresponding to Advent in the Latin rite. It begins around November 15 (Hedar 6 in the Ethiopian calendar). The feast of Christmas or Ledet (the Birth of Jesus) is invariably celebrated on January 7 (28 or 29 of Tahsas in the Ethiopian calendar). If we…
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The security of the continent has now become a ‘private affair’ of the Americans, the French, the Russians, the Ukrainians and the Chinese. The countries that need muscle power turn mostly to Ukrainian or Russian companies. Peking provides low-cost solutions together with massive sales of arms. Muscle power, arms and intelligence. This is the formula…
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Faced with the violence of criminal gangs that have overwhelmed the lives of many children, the Kenyan activist opened the doors of her home, giving…
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The ltzaes, a brave and peaceful group of Maya have been in these lands since time immemorial. They were led by a priest named Zamna, and while…
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More than one and a half million people took part in World Youth Day (Lisbon, 1- 6 August). Fragments of the Pope's speeches. “You are not here…
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