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The Holy See says malaria is still a major threat to human security – someone dies of it every 30 seconds – but the solution is helping the poverty-stricken prevent and treat the disease. This was the observation made by Archbishop Celestino Migliore, permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, at the 63rd U.N. General Assembly.
‘The World Food and Agriculture Situation of 2008’ studies the consequences of the rapid growth of the production of agrofuels based on crops. The boom in liquid agrofuels has been widely favored by policies adopted in the developed countries that saw this new form of energy as capable of reducing the negative effects of climate change and of contributing to energy security and agricultural development. The growing demand for crops destined for fuel production has significant implications for agricultural markets.
The human being is not a threat to the environment, but rather its steward, says the Holy See. This was affirmed by Archbishop Celestino Migliore, permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, before the Second Committee of the 63rd session of the U.N. General Assembly. “It is often said that we have to defend the environment,” the Archbishop said. “The term ‘defense’ could mislead us to see a conflict between the environment and the human being. In this forum, we speak of ‘protection’ or ‘safeguarding.’
Benedict XVI says world hunger has its roots in a variety of issues that can be summarized by a false perception of the values that should regulate international relations. The Pope affirmed that national selfishness, unbridled speculation, corruption, consumerism and arms races are consequences of this false perception. He said this in a message for World Food Day ‘08, sent to the director-general of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). This year’s theme for the U.N. day was “World Food Security: The Challenges of Climate Change and Bioenergy.”
The situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is at risk of turning into a humanitarian catastrophe, unless further reinforcements are given to the UN peace-keeping troops so that they can protect civilians, Amnesty International warned. “We urge the Security Council to send immediate assistance to UN troops in the form of additional troop numbers, air support and other equipment. Only then will they be able to disrupt armed group attacks against civilian populations and enforce the UN arms embargo on the DRC, in line with their existing mandate,” said Tawanda Hondora, deputy director of the African Program.
World Mission has been granted two prizes by the Catholic Mass Media Awards (CMMA) on October 29. Our magazine was distinguished as the Best Local Community/Parish Newspaper, repeating last year’s feat; and it won for the Best Special Feature – a prose authored by Frs. José Rebelo and Dave Domingues titled A Farm of Hope and published in its issue of April-May 2008. It was a reportage made in Masbate Island, in a farm belonging to the Fazenda da Esperança chain where, through work, community life and prayer, Filipino youth are being rescued from drugs, alcohol and other self-destructive dependences.
Mathis Wackernagel knows better than most of the threats our planet is facing. The executive director of Global Footprint Network believes it is possible to study and solve our ecological problems. His non-profit organization, which works with everyone interested in sustainable development – from governments to corporations and NGOs like the World Wildlife Fund – has no magical solutions, just a well developed tool that is still being perfected. It aims to measure humanity’s demand on the Earth’s resources and the capacity of the planet to deal or not to deal with human activities.
The only real growth registered in the current financial crisis has been “the commissions, profits of the banks and bonuses for the managers,” Italian economist Ettore Gotti Tedeschi says in an article in Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano.
A Korean Catholic parish has donated over $100,000 or 15% of its annual income to build houses in Bangladesh and to provide food for people in Burundi. Pungam-dong Church in Gwangju (Kwangju), 270 kilometers south of Seoul, made the offer through Caritas Coreana. Fr. Thomas Koh Eul-sik and three of his parishioners went on purpose to Seoul to deliver the funds.
Caritas Internationalis president Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga has told the United Nations that a lack of leadership is delaying the achievement of Millennium Development Goals and appealed to leaders of industrial nations to lower carbon emissions. The Cardinal was addressing the summit on development and climate change at the invitation of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. The Cardinal urged the world leaders to make “courageous decisions and fulfill past promises,” so as to achieve the development goals by the original deadline of 2015.
