Marriage involves a series of rituals, and four essential stages among the Quechua people of the Bolivian Andes: coca leaf reading, verbal commitment, asking for the bride’s hand and the official celebration of marriage. The preparation for marriage among the Quechua and Aymara peoples starts during adolescence, when a Waynuchu (young man) and an imilla…
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The ancestral rituals that accompany the birth of a Quechua and Aymara child. The role of the midwife. The great joy of the family and the community. The birth of a baby is preceded by several preparations among the Quechua and Aymara communities. During her pregnancy, the expectant mother makes diapers, clothes, and a new…
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After thirty eight years of impunity, the process of identifying the assassins and those who sent them is reopened. People again speak of the “Argentine Connection”. Some days before the canonisation which took place on 14 October in Rome, a march was held ending in front of the Palace of Justice in San Salvador. The…
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Ecuador and the Dominican Republic have become the new drug routes in collaboration with the Mexican drug barons and the Colombian paramilitaries. The increasing role of Guayaquil, in Ecuador, especially in cocaine trafficking, reflects the changeable dynamics of the drugs trade between Colombia and Ecuador and demonstrates how anti-drugs trade politics have failed. El…
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The indigenous created the quitapenas many generations ago as a remedy for worrying and sadness. Guatemalan artisans create these tiny dolls by winding cloth and yarn and use scraps of traditional colorful woven fabric to make their costumes. They place a set of 6 dolls (generally representing three women and three men) in tiny wooden…
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Bishops and priests threatened with death. Churches profaned. Nevertheless, the Church has become a sign of hope and strength for many. They broke down the door of the presbytery to get in, those six hooded and heavily armed men. They held Father Alfredo Garcia, parish priest of San Cristobal in Managua, at gunpoint while shouting…
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The Comboni Missionaries have established the Centre for Rural Innovation and Agroecological Development of Açailandia (CIRANDA, by its Portuguese acronym), which promotes family farming in order to guarantee a dignified life to people and respect for the environment. We, the Comboni Missionaries, have been offering our pastoral services in the city of Açailandia since 1992.…
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On the theme: “America on a Mission, the Gospel is joy”, the Fifth American Missionary Congress was held in Santa Cruz de la Sierra (Bolivia). A moment of encounter, of reflection on the challenges to be found in the society and Church of the American Continent today. How can the Church strengthen its identity and…
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The arts of crocheting and fishing narrate the stories of the beaches of northern Peru. Peru has always been a land of weavers since pre-Inca times. The finest varieties of cotton such as tanguis, pima and native cotton are cultivated in the north of the country. But Peru is also a land of fishermen, who…
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As we approach the Pan-Amazonian Synod, the importance the indigenous culture. Two Augustinians, who live in Iquitos (Peru) talked about their experience. When we first arrived in the Marañon River Valley, more than two decades ago, the first thing we experienced was miscommunication: we didn’t understand the way people talked. It first struck us in…
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The history of these indigenous people of Mexico, who have survived modernity and changes, is hidden among the threads of their weaving. The Mazahua textile craftsmanship is the bearer of an identity that finds its origin in the pre-Hispanic past. Little is known about the history and traditions of the Mazahua people. According to some…
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It is not so much immigration as clandestine arms trafficking that renders the Mexico/USA border highly dangerous. The Mexican cartels are famous for all the wrong reasons and their incalculable determination is a fact that no longer causes surprise among the public. Nevertheless, not all the groups involved in selling drugs adopt the same strategy…
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Money is what hurts the most. Popovic, the founder of Otpor (Enough), a student movement that played a key role in toppling Serbian dictator Slobodan…
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A long time ago, both thunder and lightning lived on this earth, among all the people. Thunder was an old mother sheep and Lightning was her…
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A faith-based youth apostolate movement, committed to the principles and values of evangelisation, formation, social justice and advocacy, wants to expand in Africa In Africa, the YCS…
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