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Yearly Archives: 2020

Philippines. Make a difference.

Boys collect plastic bottles on the streets while others take them from the polluted waters of Manila Port. Families that live by collecting rubbish. A Priest and a Sister are trying especially to help the children to live with dignity. The bigger lads are always faster than little Charles in grabbing the best bits of…

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The Church in Northeast India. Building Bridges.

From being a tiny minority, the Church in the Northeast region of India has grown exponentially since the beginning of last century. Today, it comprises about two million Catholics with 15 dioceses. The first missionaries in North-eastern India adapted themselves to the people and their culture amidst hardships and difficulties, and their words had persuasive…

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Somalia: Endless War.

The country has been struggling with extreme weather changes, violence and disease for nearly 30 years and is increasingly subject to severe climate shocks that are worsening a prolonged humanitarian crisis. Here are seven things we should know about the crisis in Somalia: 1. It’s a complex crisis The humanitarian crisis in Somalia is one…

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Saving the Planet and Ourselves.

Australia, Philippines, California and Central and South Africa have been recently hit by severe drought and endless forest fires.  Thousands are suffering. Plants and animals perish. This we must and can stop. The experts and advocates saving the planet call it an “ecocide” where the ecology and environment is being destroyed before our eyes. There…

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The Atlantic Ocean.

In ancient times, the Atlantic Ocean was believed to be a mysterious extent of water that could not be crossed, until Columbus came up with the idea, as foolish as it was ingenious, of sailing across it. The discovery of the Americas, together with all the historical vicissitudes that occurred during the following centuries, encouraged…

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Brazil. Frevo, infectious joy.

If the samba is the sound of Rio de Janeiro, the frevo is that of Recife in North-East Brazil, where it began towards the end of the nineteenth century: a rhythm inseparably tied to the exuberance of the Pernambuco carnival, which, in 2012, became part of the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage. The word itself expresses…

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Zimbabwe. Street children in Harare.

Hundreds of street children roam the centre of Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, living in subhuman conditions. Many of them are second generation victims: their poverty is a consequence of their orphanhood. Their parents died from HIV and now they are all alone without family, living on the street and, in some cases, in a…

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Why the Hippo lives in the Water.

Many years ago the hippopotamus, whose name was Isantim, was one of the biggest kings on the land; he was second only to the elephant. The hippo had seven large fat wives, of whom he was very fond. Now and then he used to give a big feast to the people, but a curious thing…

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The Pacific Ocean.

The Pacific, almost twice as big as the Atlantic, with an area of 161 million square kilometres, is a single body of water covering about one third of the planet. The sudden ascent of China has transformed this area into a theatre stage where a great confrontation is taking place between the great powers that…

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Illicit financial flows. The Big Business.

It is a fact that the tax systems of developing countries are severely constrained by lack of adequate legislation, deep-rooted weak democratic institutions and pervasive corruption. Tax systems’ collection shortfalls are mainly due to low Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita, poverty and illicit financial flows (IFF). Therefore, in order to increase the tax revenues…

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Who controls the Oceans?

Besides having always been that part of the world where the most of commercial interchange takes place, the sea also has a central role for society, influencing – directly or indirectly – most aspects of daily life. The movement of the geo-economic axis towards the maritime environment is more easily understood if one considers that…

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Middle East on Fire.

What are the implications of the assassination of Qasem Soleimani. U.S. Forces in Iraq at risk. Conflict with Iran. Instability in all region. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, commander of the elite Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IGRC) had just arrived on a flight from Syria. Seconds after he went through the exit, the…

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Advocacy

Maria Ressa. Information that gives hope.

“We want to create a federation of international journalistic organisations that collaborate in this effort, starting from the global South,” says Filipino journalist and 2022…

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Baobab

The Leopard, the Dog and the Tortoise.

Once upon a time, there was a leopard. He had a huge walnut tree that was full of nuts. Stingy as he was, however, he forbade…

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Youth & Mission

Mission. In the school of life and humanity.

Three young Comboni missionaries from three continents share their vocation stories and missionary experiences. Fr Victor Cunanan Parungao from the Philippines reflects on 15 years of…

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