Tag: Justice and Peace Page 2 of 7

JPIC/ED Bulletin and Antislavery Campaign

Apresentacao No 25 dos Jurnais – Mozambique

REFLEXAO 25 logoDestaques

  1. Mussumbuluku e chineses interceptam nossas comunicações

Está em marcha a implementação de um tenebroso projecto de intercepção de comunicações para espiar cidadãos. O Governo quer ouvir as nossas chamadas telefónicas, ler as suas mensagens (sejam por sms, e-mail, watsap, viber).

Armando Guebuza entregou o projecto à empresa do seu filho Mussumbuluku Guebuza, denominada “Msumbiji Investment Ltd”, que por sua vez, chamou a empresa chinesa ZTE para fazer o trabalho.

O projecto esta orcado em 140 milhoes de dólares. Mussumbuluku cobrou à ZTE comissão de 8%.

  1. Depositados em vala comum na região de Canda
    • Descobertos mais de 100 corpos humanos na Gorongosa

A Policia e o Governo de Sofala desmentem as informações, alegando que são tendenciosas.

Forcas de Defesa e Segurança impedem acesso de uma delegação do MDM à vala comum.

NOSSA REFLEXÃO

Ontem, o Estado da Nação não era satisfatório. Mas hoje, o real Estado da Nação é péssimo. Tenção político-militar na ordem do dia, Dívidas ocultas, valas comuns, parcerias público-privadas camufladas.

A tenção político-militar continua a degenerar-se a passos alarmantes um pouco por toda a região centro do país. E o povo continua mergulhado em incertezas profundas e sem claras evidências de solução, isto porque a vontade política dos beligerantes parece estar muito longe de se unir para uma mesa redonda. As crianças que são o garante do futuro da nação, vêem os seus mais preciosos direitos a saúde e a educação adiados ou mesmo relegados para a prateleira do desconhecido.

As últimas informações indicam que a nossa divida pública atingiu os níveis mais alarmantes de todos os tempos a nível de toda África. E agora? Estas dívidas contraídas em nome do Estado, enquanto na verdade era para enriquecer um grupo de pessoas, será que os nossos impostos conseguirão amortizar toda essa desgraça? Afinal, quem mesmo deve pagar por este escândalo? O Povo? E Guebuza? Chang? Nyusi? (Este último era na altura Ministro da Defesa Nacional).

Em Canda, numa das regiões da Gorongosa, soaram a dias a existência de uma vala comum com corpos humanos. Mas o governo do dia parece estar a encobrir tudo alegando como sempre, trata-se de uma invenção. Será? Se se trata de uma invenção como alegam, porque há tanta forca no local para impedir o acesso ao local? Ou é mentira, ou é verdade.

Por favor: Devolvam-nos o sossego, a concórdia, harmonia, a tranquilidade, a liberdade e a Paz que são os únicos garantes da dignidade de um Povo por um lado e por outro são estas, as sementes que possibilitam a construção de uma sociedade moderna democrática de direito e de justiça social.

Só nos resta PEDIR A DEUS PAI-TODO-PODEROSO QUE NÃO ABENDONE O SEU POVO. PAI, TENDE MISERICÓRDIA DE NÓS, TE IMPLORAMOS SENHOR.

A luta continua…. “Enquanto não encontrarem-se a misericórdia e a fidelidade, enquanto não abraçarem-se a paz e a justiça”, não calaremos….

O Secretário: João Dambiro      –     O Coordenador: Fidel Salazar   

REFLEXAO 25

A Dangerous Divide. The State of Inequality in Malawi.

Please find a report from OXFAM on the growing and worrying inequality in Malawi. This was published in November and give a very good picture of the divide between the rich and poor. Bill Turnbull, M.Afr

Malawi inegality Dec 2015 02

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By Oxfam in Malawi’s Country Director, John Makina

Economic inequality has worsened significantly in Malawi in recent years. In 2004, the richest 10 percent of Malawians consumed 22 times more than the poorest 10 percent. By 2011 this had risen to see the richest 10 percent spending 34 times more than the poorest. Yet even this shocking statistic is likely to be a significant underestimate1. Anyone who has seen the many large mansions springing up on the edges of Lilongwe and Blantyre, and the plethora of new shopping malls being opened, knows that conspicuous consumption amongst the richest is dramatically growing. Malawi’s Gini coefficient, the key measure of inequality, also shows the extent to which robust economic growth is benefiting the rich whilst leaving the poor behind. In seven years of impressive growth, the Gini has leapt up from 0.39, on a par with Cameroon, to 0.45, on a par with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Malawi inegality Dec 2015 05This study modelled the link between inequality, growth and poverty in Malawi over the next five years. In 2015, 8 million people – 50 percent of the country’s population – live in poverty. Yet if inequality continues to rise as it has in recent years, by 2020 1.5 million more Malawians will be poor3. Even if inequality stays broadly at the level it is now, there will still be 400,000 additional people living in poverty in Malawi by 20204. Unless Malawi acts now to reduce inequality, even rapid economic growth will fail to reduce poverty in the country.

Conclusion

Inequality is not an accident, nor is it inevitable; it originates from policy choices. Consequently, some policy choices can worsen inequality while others reduce it. As is aptly pointed out by UNRISD, ‘Without deliberate policy interventions, high levels of inequality tend to be self-perpetuating. They lead to the development of political and economic institutions that work to maintain the political, economic and social privileges of the elite.

This study has identified a number of factors driving inequality in Malawi, and made clear that poverty reduction in Malawi will be faster if inequality decreases. But reducing inequality will not be a benign by-product of growth under trickle down assumptions. It will only happen as a result of deliberate joint policy efforts, which all Malawi’s government and civil society must unify behind.

Africa: Religious Sisters Posing As Prostitutes to Save Sex Slaves Eye Expansion

Thomson Reuters Foundation

Africa: Religious Sisters Posing As Prostitutes to Save Sex Slaves Eye Expansion

By Ellen Wulfhorst | Thomson Reuters Foundation (London) | London, 18 November 2015

An army of religious sisters who rescue victims of human trafficking by posing as prostitutes to infiltrate brothels and buying children being sold into slavery, is expanding to 140 countries, its chairman said on Wednesday.

John Studzinski, an investment banker and philanthropist who chairs Talitha Kum, said the network of 1,100 sisters currently operates in about 80 countries but the demand for efforts to combat trafficking and slavery was rising globally.

The group, set up in 2004, estimates one percent of the world’s population is trafficked in some form, which translates into some 73 million people. Of those, 70 percent are women and half are aged 16 or younger.

Thomson Reuters Foundation (London) chair“I’m not trying to be sensational but I’m trying to underscore the fact this is a world that has lost innocence … where dark forces are active,” said Studzinski, a vice chairman of U.S. investment bank The Blackstone Group.

“These are problems caused by poverty and equality but it goes well beyond that,” he told the Trust Women Conference on women’s rights and trafficking hosted by the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Detailing some cases involving trafficking and slavery, Studzinski said the treatment of some victims was horrific.

He told of one woman enslaved as a prostitute who was locked up for a week without food, forced to eat own her faeces, when she failed to have sex with a target of 12 clients a day.

In another extreme case, one woman was forced to have sex with a group of 10 men at the same time.

Studzinski said the religious sisters working to combat trafficking would go to all lengths to rescue women, often dressing up as prostitutes and going out on the street to integrate themselves into brothels.

“These sisters do not trust anyone. They do not trust governments, they do not trust corporations, and they don’t trust the local police. In some cases they cannot trust male clergy,” he said, adding that the low-key group preferred to focus on their rescue work rather than promotion.

“They work in brothels. No one knows they are there.”

The sisters were also proactive on trying to save children being sold into slavery by their parents, setting up a network of homes in Africa as well as in the Philippines, Brazil and India to shelter such children.

He said the religious sisters of Talitha Kum raised money to purchase these children.

“This is a new network of houses for children around the world who would otherwise be sold into slavery. It is shocking but it is real,” he said.

Studzinski said the network of religious sisters, that was in the process of expanding, also targeted slavery in the supply chain with sisters shedding their habits and working alongside locals for as little as 2 U.S. cents an hour to uncover abuses.

He said Talitha Kum, which translated from Aramaic means arise child, was now being hired by companies to see what is going on with respect to the supply chain and expanding globally would help address this issue.

“You can’t generalize about trafficking and slavery as no two countries are the same,” Studzinski said.

December 2014 JCTR – BNB and Press Release – Zambia

JCTR LusakaBread basket November 2014Press Release 11th December 2014

Fuel Pump Price Reduction Insignificant Says the JCTR

The Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection has dismissed the recent fuel pump price reductions in the country as being insignificant and too marginal. Whereas the price of crude oil on the international market has dropped significantly around 27 Percent during the last half of the year on account of oversupply originating from international stock build-up from the steady increase in fuel self – sufficiency of the United States as the highest international consumer.

READ MORE ON THIS PDF FILE

Death of Tony Cosmos Mokheseng, Justice and Peace activist and personal friend of Raymond McQuarrie, M.Afr

Raymond McQuarrie 2014 copieFrom Raymond McQuarrie, M.Afr, Episcopal Vicar for Justice & Peace, Johannesburg, South Africa, 15th December 2014.

We have truly lost a real Justice and Peace activist, and, for myself personally, trying to run the Department of J&P in the Archdiocese of Johannesburg, I am particularly sad and at a loss at Tony’s passing!!  It is a real tragedy!

Our department is now down to only three staff – from five!  And these simple few must see to the organising of the justice and peace ministries in the entire Archdiocese of Johannesburg!  An immense and breathtaking task.

PREVIOUS LETTER OF RAYMOND SENT ON THE 9TH DECEMBER 2014

My Dear Friends in Justice Peace,

It is with the deepest sadness that we share the news of the passing of our brother Tony Cosmos Mokheseng this weekend past.  We had thought, and we had prayed, that Tony would win this battle with cancer, but this was not to be!  I know too that many of you will have heard this news by now.

Ray2bOver the past three months, not one day passed when Tony wasn’t with family, friends and colleagues from within the Archdiocese. On one occasion when I visited with J&P members from the department in Johannesburg, we were over 20 people all waiting for our turn to sit with Tony and talk, pray, and give our love, support and encouragement in his painful struggle.  Tony would try to explain the painful procedures he was undergoing and enduring in an effort to eradicate this terrible affliction in his body.  He had been diagnosed with lymphatic cancer, and was now basically resident in Baragwanath hospital in Soweto.

Our days were filled with WhatsApp messages flying backwards and forwards between Tony and all of us in the department. Even though ill and in hospital, Tony was always a part our team, and with us daily as we did our business, held meetings, consultations, workshops and planned our justice and peace activities for the years ahead.  As we opened a workshop, Tony would inevitably send his encouraging WhatsApp message wishing us all the best and for a good meeting.  There were days too when we would call him for some advice or direction in one matter or another – despite his suffering and struggle, he seemed to enjoy this interruption, and to know that he was still a valuable part of our justice and peace team.  When Charmaine lost her grandfather some days ago, Tony, in his usual charm, was offering his words of comfort and encouragement.

When we visited him in Baragwanath hosptial, and as we chatted by his hospital bed, Tony’s spirit would rise then fall – he would be the one consoling us in our sadness to see our brother so ill, joking with us to pull ourselves together and not to worry so much. Then we would try to console him as his emotions got the better of him and his tears slowly welled in his eyes and his strength of spirit now waned!  We prayed together – we prayed that God would guide the doctors and nurses caring for our brother. We prayed that God would comfort and console Tony and be his constant companion in this struggle. We prayed for his family and friends, and we prayed for ourselves too, trying to imagine things without our brother – God forbid!

Two days ago, the battle was finally over, and our brother’s struggle finally ended!  We are all filled with disbelief and a deep sadness.

Yesterday, some of us from the Department of Justice & Peace went to Tony’s home in Naledi, Soweto.  We met with some family members and some neighbours and parishioners who had also come to pay their respects.  We prayed there, and chatted about Tony and the funny and charming things about him.  Despite the deep sadness, we were also able to smile as we recalled Tony’s charm, his calm assuring way with people, and his passion for justice and peace.  Tony’s family told us that his mother will arrive today from the Free State – we pray God gives her all the comforts and consolations she needs at this time, as she prepares to bury her dear son.

RayAs we prepared with Tony the IEC trainings for the elections, sat with him in the Koinonia Centre in Johannesburg at our Chaplains and Coordinators workshops, listened to his inspiring talks for the Training of Trainers for our activists, and worked with him in our offices in the Chancery, we never once imagined or considered for a single moment that by Christmas he would be gone.

We have truly lost a real and passionate justice and peace activist. Our department, our Archdiocese and justice and peace in South Africa is wounded by the passing of our brother, and we are at a loss.

When we chatted with Tony’s parish priest, Fr. Bernard Sompane, SCJ, he reminded us that even though we are deeply saddened by this loss, we ought too to celebrate Tony’s life – his invaluable contribution, through his passionate dedication to Justice and Peace, to South African society and our Church.  This is the memory and spirit of Tony I believe we ought to contemplate and sustain as we prepare to say a final goodbye to our brother.  This is the spirit and celebration of Tony’s life that we also carry through into 2015 in the J&P ministries of our Archdiocese – that ‘can do’ spirit, and charm and dedication to transform our world into a just and peaceful society that Tony was so passionately and unquestionably committed to.

Comrade Tony, rest in peace.  Lala ngoxolo Comrade, lala ngoxoloTill we meet again!

The funeral service took place on Saturday 13th December.

Happy Mary Immaculate Conception! Happy feast Day

JPIC-ED Ghana - Nigeria LogoHappy feast day! Mary Immaculate Conception. JPIC-ED sends to you greetings on this special day for us Missionaries of Africa. 8th December the Feast of the Mary Immaculate Conception, our Patron Feast day. We also share you very interesting news from JPIC-ED desk through the attached newsletter. May God bless your work.

Clenerius M. Chimpali

Click here for the PDF file

Launching of St. Bakhita Day 2015, A day of prayer for an end to human trafficking around the world.

St. Josephine BakhitaBy Fr. Raymond McQuarrie, M.Afr., Episcopal Vicar for Justice & Peace

Following the first planning meeting for the launching of St. Bakhita Day 2015, and the Renew Africa 2015 Planning meeting this morning, I will like to inform you of the following event being planned by the Anti-Trafficking Department of the SACBC, under the care of Sr. Melanie O’Connor: Event:Launching of the Feast of St. Bakhita (Actual Feast Day on 8th Feb). As Human Trafficking Awareness Day for South Africa

Date: Sunday 15th February 2015. Venue: Regina Mundi Catholic Church, Soweto. Time of Procession: 08:00am – To Moroka Police Station. Time of Mass: 09:00am – At Regina Mundi. Please put this date in your diaries and inform your colleagues, parishioner and friends.

As the Department of Justice and Peace, in collaboration with the SACBC Trafficking Department, we appeal to other Archdiocesan Departments, and all parishes and parishioners, to join our Bishops in making our voices heard, and taking a public stand against trafficking of human beings.

Join us in our procession from Regina Mundi Church to the Moroka Police station to deliver a memorandum on Trafficking.  Join us as we celebrate the Holy Mass, honouring St. Bakhita, imploring her intercession, guidance, protection and inspiration, especially for the many millions of men, women & children trafficked around the world, in Africa, and especially in South Africa.

In the spirit of Renew Africa, which we have just celebrated in our Archdiocese, let us work together and collaborate as diocesan departments, in serving our people – whether we serve with Health/HIV-AIDS, Youth, SPRED, Evangelisation, Liturgy, Communications, Vocations, Catechesis, etc, for His greater glory and the coming of His Kingdom. More information will be made available in early January, or please contact Sr. Melanie (SACBC) directly or the Dept. of Justice & Peace at the Chancery.

With every good wish and God bless.

JPIC-ED Bulletin December 2014 – January 2015

Bulletin JPIC-ED logo-No. 11-January-2014All things to all. By Richard Nnyombi, M.Afr

Christmas is already looming on the horizon! A joyful feast indeed not only for Christians but also for others who are not adherents to the Christian faith. According to one of the websites, Christmas is the second most popular annual feasts worldwide after New Year, followed by Eid al-Fitr, Eid-al-Adha, Valentine, Diwali, etc. Surprisingly, different people have different reasons for celebrating this day and not all Christians celebrate it because of its Christian understanding of ‘God’s incarnation in Jesus-Christ’. The key message that seems to be appealing to many in this feast is that of peace and good-will echoed in the message of the angels to the shepherds: “…….and peace on earth to all people of good will.” (Lk. 2: 14). Wouldn’t this feast, therefore, in a way be an expression of humanity’s longing for the incarnation of peace and good-will on the earth?

The Christian understanding of Christmas was the foundation of Cardinal Lavigerie’s preference for and recommendation of the tout-à-tous (making ourselves all things to all) to his missionaries as the apostolic method par excellence of witnessing to the Gospel and Kingdom values. Inspired by St. Paul (cf. 1 Cor. 9: 22; also Phil. 2: 1-11), he sees in the tout-à-tous “God’s way of doing things, the divine way.” How relevant but also how demanding is this instruction of our Founder in the multi-cultural and multi-faith globalised world of today? And to what extent does it urge us to purify our intentions so that we do not use it as a tactic to convert others to our faith community! How are we transmitting this divine way of doing things to our spiritual sons and daughters who are members of the Christian communities of which we are so proud to be the spiritual parents and founders through our predecessors?

When our spiritual sons and daughters in the local churches show hatred and aversion to the ‘different-others’ especially those of different faith communities, e.g. Islam and ATR, is it not a sign of failure on our side for not having passed on to them this spiritual and apostolic divine way  essentially enshrined in the Christmas message? A Luganda proverb says that: “Ennyonyi enkulu y’eyigiriza ento okwonoona mu kisulo.” (The old bird teaches the young ones to foul the nest). Would this mean that we ourselves have fallen short of living out the depth and breadth of this divine method?

May this Christmas season be yet another privileged moment of prayer and reflection and may it help us to rediscover the divine wisdom hidden in this instruction of our Founder, a tradition which we are so proud to name as a constitutive element of our missionary identity and our way of doing mission.

I wish each and everybody a very Happy Christmas and a blessed and fruitful new year.

FULL TEXT IN PDF FILE

November 2014 JCTR – BNB and Press Release – Zambia

JCTR LusakaGreetings from JCTR,
We are happy as always to share with you the end of October 2014 Basic Needs Basket for Lusaka and accompanying Press Release. We hope this information is helpful for you.
Mwiinga Shimilimo (Miss), Media and Information Officer
Press Release, 7th November 2014
PROMOTION OS SOCIAL JUSTICE MUST LIVE ON SAYS JCTR
As Zambia mourns the passing of the late president H.E Michael Chilufya Sata, it is important to acknowledge the strides made by the late president and the PF government in the area of infrastructure development and efforts to enable workers afford a decent cost of living by implementing the minimum wage and raising the tax free threshold. It goes without saying that the efforts made will go a long way in boosting the positive economic growth that the country has been experiencing for the past 10 years. However for this growth to have lasting benefits it must significantly translate into poverty alleviation for the majority of Zambians that are living in poverty. The high poverty levels of 60.5% living below the poverty line indicate the extent of hardships currently being experienced by households in accessing basic needs and these hardships are much more severe in the rural parts of Zambia where 77.9% of the population are living in poverty.
FULL TEXT
JCTR BASIC NEEDS BASKET: LUSAKA

BNB and JCTR Press Release on the Proposed 2015 Budget

JCTR Website LogoGreetings from JCTR,
We are happy as always to share with you the 2014 September Basic Needs Basket for Lusaka and accompanying Press Releases about our pre and post 2015 budget position. We hope this information is helpful for you.
To get more on this and other JCTR activities, please visit our Website. We also invite you to visit our well stocked resource room for your research and other information needs.
Do not hesitate to contact us if you have questions, requests or comments. We always appreciate your feedback on how you are using the Basket.
Mwiinga Shimilimo (Miss)
Media and Information Officer
Basic Needs Basket for Chipata
Basic Needs Basket for Kasama
Basic Needs Basket for Kitwe
Basic Needs Basket for Mongu
Basic Needs Basket for Ndola

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