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Monthly Archives: August 2024

Malawi. Mount Mulanje: ‘The island in the sky’.

In southern Malawi, on the border with Mozambique, an imposing granite massif with sheer walls, Mount Mulanje, captures the humidity of the winds coming from the Indian Ocean, creating mists and rains that nourish lush forests and green tea plantations. With an altitude of 3,002 meters, Mount Mulanje is the highest mountain in southern Africa.…

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Tensions between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea.

The Navy (PLA Navy) of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army has expanded its presence near the Spratly Islands, an archipelago located in the South China Sea, at the centre of bitter territorial disputes. Although they fall within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines, China claims sovereignty over these islands and this has caused the…

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African ecological spirituality. Drinking from the wells of tradition.

In Africa, there is no separation between the sacred and the profane. According to common African spirituality, all life is sacred, and the entire creation is sacred, as it is an expression of divine force. African spirituality is rooted in the belief in a mutual interdependence – indeed, a oneness – of all creation, in…

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Herbs & Plants. Ageratum conyzoides. A remedy for myriads of disease conditions.

It is an erect, branching, soft, slightly aromatic, annual herb with shallow fibrous roots. The plant has a goat-like smell and hence the common name “goat weed”. The genus name Ageratum is derived from the Greek words ‘a geras’, meaning non-aging, referring to the longevity of the whole plant. Ageratum conyzoides (Family Asteraceae) is a…

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Australia. Murrawah Maroochy Johnson.

She blocked the development of the Waratah coal mine, which would have accelerated climate change in Queensland, destroyed the nearly 20,000-acre Bimblebox Nature Refuge, added 1.58 billion tons of CO2 to the atmosphere over its lifetime, and threatened Indigenous rights and culture. Murrawah’s case, which overcame a 2023 appeal, set a precedent that enables other…

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Lula’s global strategy.

The G20 finance ministers will meet in Brazil on 16 and 17 August. The summit of the group’s presidents will take place in November. On these two occasions, Lula will present his ambitious plan to tax 3% of the income of the world’s 3,000 richest people. Approval for this project will not come easy, but…

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Syria. The courage to make a fresh start.

A journey to the last Christian village in the mountains of Syria where the language of Jesus is still spoken. Islamists almost wiped out the pilgrimage site during the war. Now there is hope again. Thanks also to a courageous nun. As Ilias tells his story, he repeatedly strokes a wooden beam with his hand.…

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The Thieving Frog.

Why does the frog croak? Why are its eyes always bulging out of their sockets? And why does it live only in ponds? This story from the ethnic group of the Birrwa-Limba (Sierra Leone) will explain it all to us. The sun was setting and all the animals had gathered around the pond to drink.…

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Brazil. Resistance and Resilience of a People.

Two young lay Comboni missionaries talk to us about their experience among people fighting for their rights and dignity. About 25 minutes have passed since the last whistle of that endless train with 300 carriages and 4 km long, and now another one is already arriving. As time goes by, we pay more and more…

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Montenegro between Russia and the European Union.

Montenegro is a small but strategic Balkan state, a member of NATO and a candidate for entry into the EU, with dependence on the Russian capitals of oligarchs close to the Kremlin. Will the country be able to reduce Russian economic influence and support the reforms needed by the European Union? Montenegro obtained independence from…

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From Baby Doc to Aristide.

The occupation of the country implemented by Washington opened the way for big US capital eager to extend their control over the sugar cane plantations and other sources of wealth. Washington, in particular, took care to secure its investments by establishing an impressive police force with the task of guaranteeing order and peace but above…

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Between Environmental Catastrophes and Poverty.

The year 2017 saw the end of the MINUSTAH special mission made up of around 7,000 soldiers belonging to an international force provided by 19 states  most of them Latin American. In addition to the failure to obtain the results it should have achieved, it was tainted by serious scandals linked to episodes of sexual…

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Advocacy

Sister Rosita. Four Decades of Refugee Advocacy.

When asked how a farmer’s daughter who became a Catholic nun ended up as one of Brazil’s most influential refugee advocates, Sister Rosita Milesi, 79,…

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Baobab

Kalulu and the Great Spirit of the Forest.

Vusi was an honest man and a hard worker. He had cleared a large piece of moorland and turned it into a beautiful fertile field. He…

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Youth & Mission

Towards World Youth Day 2027 in Seoul with the courage…

On 24 November, the Solemnity of Christ the King, on the occasion of World Youth Day in the Particular Churches, in St. Peter's Basilica the traditional…

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