For the Quechua, death does not mark an end but a transition from this life to another different experience. Dying means to be reborn to continue living a new life, a new beginning. Death therefore is considered as part of life, its continuation in the Janaj pacha (the world beyond). Quechua peoples see death as…
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There is no place in Mexico where the cult of the dead is not celebrated with feasting and ritual. Among the indigenous peoples, the encounter with the dead is feast, ceremony, identity and reflection. A journey through some celebrations of the country. In the heart of the land of the Tsotsil people stands San Pedro…
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In a small town near the heart of the Brazilian Amazon region, two Sisters help support the poor agricultural workers in their struggles for land and better living conditions. In a simple wooden house on an unpaved street in the violent town of Anapu, near the heart of the Brazilian Amazon region, live Sr. Jane…
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Every town and city has its own tales, myths, and legends that make up part of the culture of Nicaraguans. Those who appear to be the simplest folk, all the while guarding the treasure of the traditions of their ancestors. León is the second largest city in Nicaragua, after Managua. It was founded by the…
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The agricultural and metal products of Amazonia are exported on a large scale. For example, in 2012, the income of Brazilian exports of soya and meat produced in Amazonia amounted to around $9 Bn. Chinese demand has been the driving force behind this expansion: today and Brazil exports around 70% of its soya production to…
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For Amazonia, in the defence of the sacredness of life and of its people, there have been many who gave their lives in the struggle for justice. These include religious, lay people, priests and even bishops. Their blood has become for many the seed of hope and courage. On 15 July 1976, the German Salesian…
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The Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon region will be held this month in Rome. It will be an important event not only for the Christian communities in the Amazon Region but for all Churches. Amazonia consists of an immense alluvial plain that lies between the Guyana Highlands to the north and the Brazilian plateau…
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The defense of the environment and its peoples. New ministries for the Christian communities. The role of women. Ahead of the Pan-Amazon Synod to be held in Rome in October, we speak with Mons. Evaristo Pascoal Spengler, Bishop of Marajó. “Some of the aspects that cannot be omitted during this synod: the prophetic and daring…
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A special Synod on the Amazon called by Pope Francis to be held in Rome this October. The difficulties and opportunities that this important ecclesial event implies. The first difficulty is that many people, both outside and inside the Church, do not know what a synod is, nor do they know what the Amazon is, nor have they heard that a…
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The maras are characterized by their particular ritualism, their violent initiation rites and the tattoos that proclaim their own members that make them very similar to the members of the Japanese Yakuza. In the initiation ritual of the mareros or pandilleros, the neophyte is approached and placed at the center of a circle composed of…
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The first country to produce 90% of its energy from green sources. The development of the electricity sector of Costa Rica began in the nineteenth century when, in 1884, the first public service generator, producing 50 KW, was installed to supply the needs of San José. During a process of amalgamation of several private companies,…
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The wise man of the Andean communities, who has the task to pass down the wisdom and knowledge to future generations. The yatiri can be called in different ways, such as jampiri (healer), yachaj (the one who knows), aysiri, shaman, and other names depending on the region and the community. Yatiris are the continuators of…
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Advocacy is a strategy used around the world by NGOs, activists, and even policy makers themselves, to influence policies. Advocacy is about creating reform of…
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0nce upon a time there was a colony of little fishes who lived together in their own small pool, isolated from the rest of the fish…
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The world is afire again, the flames heartbreakingly consume shrubs, trees and forests in Australia, Portugal, Brazil, and recently in California and Siberia and elsewhere too.…
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