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AM - World Cup: An Opportunity to Bring Serious Issue to Light

amworldcup1 In early May, just before the Fifa World Cup kick-off, the newly ordained priests of the South Africa Province -- Fr. Joshua Mpiti, SCJ and Fr. Ntsikelelo Bambatha, SCJ -- held a workshop with youth to educate them on the issue of human trafficking and smuggling. Lay Dehonian Ms. TRC McKenzie also helped plan the weekend gathering.

One hundred and eighty-seven young people from St. Teresa Mission took part in the workshop and vowed not to become another statistic in this tragic situation. Events that draw large numbers of tourists are prime grounds for human trafficking. Many religious leaders in Africa have raised the issue in the months leading to the World Cup.

Soccer fever is everywhere in South Africa. The Vuvuzela -- the horn blown by soccer fans -- is heard night and day. In the midst of this, Frs. Joshua and Ntsikelelo, along with Ms. McKenzie, spearheaded a program to "form the consciences and hearts of the youth and children who fall prey to human trafficking, sometimes even through the greed of relatives and neighbors looking for quick money," said Fr. Joshua. Perpetrators can even be the people children know best.

Young people were encouraged to see their own self-worth and dignity and not give in to the temptation of easy money.

"Though our people here in St. Teresa live in a poverty-stricken rural area, we urged our young people to think twice about offers of easy money," said Fr. Joshua. "They need to be critical."

The workshop was successful not only in discouraging young people from becoming susceptible to human trafficking but also by encouraging them to look out for each other, serving as whistle-blowers when necessary.

Young people ended the weekend workshop by signing a resolution that stated that "I will not be caught off-guard; I will not be trafficked or smuggled. Let the FIFA World Cup games begin!"

Source: www.dehon.it - 08.06.2010

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ASIA/PAKISTAN - The odyssey of the forgotten refugees, prey for the Taliban

Peshawar (Agenzia Fides) Â– The Â“luckiestÂ” refugees today in Pakistan have no problem finding access to water, food, and tents. However, the effort of the government and humanitarian agencies cannot reach all the displaced persons. Over 8 million out of 17 million people have been affected by the disaster. Thousands, steeped in the deepest misery as a result of the floods, are struggling to survive, wandering in search of a place they can call home, often dying of starvation. This is the fate of displaced persons who live mainly in the more remote districts, like those in the province of "Khyber Pakhtunkhwa," until a few months ago known as the Â“Northwest Frontier Province,Â” in northwestern Pakistan. As Fides learns from NGOs working in the area, the humanitarian effort is now concentrated in the large cities and refugee camps that have already been established. Thousands of refugees in remote areas are without any assistance and thus become the privileged recipients of aid and proselytizing of Taliban groups. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, refugees are crowded in the districts of Charsadda, Nowshera, and Peshawar, where programs of government assistance have been set up and many NGOs are operating. Flood victims in the districts of Dir, Kohistan, Chitral, and Shangla, however, do not receive the same attention. Â“In the district of Kohistan, families in the villages of Dassu, Qabar Valley, Dong Nala, Harban Basha, and Kandian are dying of hunger, because infrastructures such as roads and bridges have been washed away by the floods,Â” a local NGO reports. Joseph Masih is one of the volunteers of the Church World Service, Christian-based NGO that has been present in Pakistan and Afghanistan for over 50 years and is now active in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In an interview with Fides, he said: "We take care of the forgotten refugees, those far from the towns, and those who have been turned away by refugee camps. We assist over 10,000 families in this area, especially with food, water, and tents. The government cannot meet all the humanitarian needs. However, our work is a little help in comparison to the great need." The province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is one of the high risk areas for terrorism: "There are still ongoing military operations against terrorist groups," says Masih. "We are in an area of conflict and, after the latest attacks, we are on alert. Terrorism wants to take advantage of the fact that the army is occupied with rescue operations." In the area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, note the NGOs, the lack of aid from the government creates more discontent among the population. This increases the risk of their affiliation to terrorist organizations or Islamic groups that have started aid operations. According to observers, there has now been a welding of two terrorist organizations, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LEJ) and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), who have claimed responsibility for that the latest attacks in Quetta and Lahore and who are also active in northwestern Pakistan. According to official data, 79 districts of the country (out of 124 total) were affected by floods: 24 in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, 19 in Sindh, 12 in Punjab, 10 in Baluchistan, 7 in Kashmir, and 7 in Gilgit-Baltistan (also known as FANA, Federally Administered Northern Areas). (PA) (Agenzia Fides 09/07/2010)

EUROPE/ITALY - Conversion as the source for the Â“new missionÂ”: 35th General Chapter of the ...

Rome (Agenzia Fides) Â– On Wednesday, September 8, the XXXV General Chapter of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) will open in Rome, to focus on conversion. As the outgoing Superior General, Fr. William Steckling, who has led the Oblates for 12 years, writes in his report on the situation of the Congregation, (online at www.omiworld.org), Â“Our Chapter theme is, surprisingly, not mission but conversion. Centered on the person of Jesus Christ, we commit ourselves to a profound personal and communal conversion for the sake of our Oblate Mission. Our precapitular process was guided by the motto 'Conversion: A new heart - a new spirit - a new mission.'Â” It was the 2007 Interchapter meeting in South Africa that identified this theme, says Fr. Steckling. The Congregation saw a growing consensus on our identity as missionary Oblates. Â“The one missing element was a change of heart. Intellectually and theoretically we may often be clear about concepts and ideals, models and action paths, but the heart is not fully engaged. We realized that our whole life style as missionaries had to change so that we could live together more harmoniously, be more consistent in prayer and reflection, and then cross the borders to witness to Jesus Christ to the poorest and most abandoned in more creative ways. In the Chapter, with St. Eugene, we should explicitly unite conversion to the missionary needs of today.Â” The General Chapter will last four weeks, ending on October 8, and will take place in Rome's Casa La Salle. It will be attended by 89 Oblates, including members of right and elected members, from: Africa-Madagascar (17), Asia - Oceania (14), Canada-United States (15), Latin America (11), Europe (20). In addition to these are the members of the General Government (12). The Chapter will focus on developing guidelines that are applicable internationally and can help to embody the religious missionary life in concrete cultural contexts. Moreover, among the main issues are the structural adjustments "in a changing world and a changed Congregation," the election of the new Superior General and his Council, the discussion on some changes in the Constitutions and Rules in order to better respond the present reality, and the situation of temporal goods. The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate - founded by the French Saint Eugene de Mazenod (1782-1861) - are currently 4,354 in 1,083 communities throughout the five continents. Their motto is: "He has sent me to bring the Good News to the poor," which they carry out through all the different aspects of the mission: first evangelization, the new evangelization, interreligious dialogue, reconciliation, justice and peace ... (SL) (Agenzia Fides 09/07/2010)

ASIA/CHINA - Consecration of the Parish of Jesus the Good Shepherd: a moment of communion in ...

Bao Tou (Agenzia Fides) -Â The consecration of the parish of Jesus the Good Shepherd, in the Diocese of Bao Tou, in the Province of Inner Mongolia in mainland China, was not only a moment of communion for the local faithful, but it has also been an important landmark in ecumenism and interreligious dialogue. According to a report from Faith in He Bei, the main Catholic website on the mainland, Bishop Du Jiang, Bishop of the Diocese of Ba Meng, who was installed on April 8, and Bishop Meng Qing Lu, Bishop of the Diocese of HuHeHaoTe, consecrated on April 18 of last year - both with the approval of the Holy See - presided over the solemn consecration of the Church of Jesus the Good Shepherd on September 1. Forty priests concelebrated the solemn ritual with the two bishops. The Mass was also attended by 3 deacons, 12 religious, and more than 1,500 faithful. In his homily, Bishop Du Jiang said, "we gather at the feet of Our Lord to be his good flock." The ceremony was also attended by representatives of the Protestant and Buddhist communities. Also, as many Catholics came from other places for the consecration of the church, the Protestants have offered them accommodation and Buddhists offered cooking oil, as a sign of tribute to the Catholic community. According to a Catholic priest, it was a strong sign of respect and harmonious coexistence among the local religious communities. The previous day the two bishops also administered the Sacrament of Confirmation and presided over a prayer vigil on the theme of Communion in the Lord. Over one thousand faithful attended the extraordinary event. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 07/09/2010)

AFRICA/SOUTH AFRICA - Public workers strike ends after keeping the nation on hold 3 weeks

Johannesburg (Agenzia Fides) Â– After 21 days of strike, hundreds of thousands of South African public sector workers have returned to work. However, this is only a suspension of the strike, civil servants' unions said, refusing the government's offer to increase employee salaries 7.5% and give a grant of 800 rands to cover housing costs. The unions demanded a wage increase of 8.6% and a 1,000 rands in housing subsidy. The unions have given themselves 21 days to finalize an agreement in principle with its members to end the dispute over wages that has caused massive disruption of public services. The union protest has paralyzed schools and hospitals, particularly amongst the poorest families who cannot afford private transport. There were also incidents of violence to prevent workers who do not join the strike from going to work. In some cases, even the hospitalized were left unattended. It is a situation that has caused deep concern in the Catholic Church of South Africa (see Fides 21/8/2010). To overcome the lack of personnel, the government sent 4,000 soldiers into the country's 62 public hospitals to provide medical assistance, security, and cleaning. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 09/07/2010)

ASIA/PAKISTAN - Floods and terrorism: a nation on its knees

Lahore (Agenzia Fides) Â– "We are doing our best in this extremely difficult time for the nation. The fury of floods is intensified with the nightmare of terrorism: two disasters that strike us to the heart. There is great suffering in the population on account of these two evils. As Christians, we continue to work to care for displaced persons, to offer a word of hope, and to pray." These were the words of Archbishop Lawrence Saldanha of Lahore, President of the Pakistani Bishops' Conference, in an interview with Fides, following the new attack that has taken place in northwestern Pakistan. "There is a clear strategy: to take advantage of the tragedy that the country is suffering. The government is at a weak moment and has to respond to this emergency, as well as the controversy and discontent. The army is working to contribute to relief operations and civil protection. The terrorists want to take this opportunity to stand up and lead an attack on a nation that is already devastated" Fides was told by Fr. Mario Rodrigues, National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Pakistan, after the third terrorist attack to shake the nation in a matter of days. Fr. Mario describes the situation: "The expanse of water seen covering the fields is impressive. Refugees are desperately calling for help; mothers mourn their lost children. Making aid reach the victims is very difficult, given the lack of roads. I think that the country will need at least two years in order to recover from this disaster. International aid, on all levels, is more necessary than ever as the internal forces alone cannot cope with all the urgent needs and necessities." Recounting the efforts of rescuers, Fr. Rodrigues said: "Efforts are being made to bring the refugees to safety in big cities like Karachi and Lahore. I am not a pessimist: Christian hope is never lacking and I see so many hands involved in the solidarity effort, without placing limits and without borders. We count on everyone's help and on the mobilization of Christian communities throughout the world," he concluded. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 09/06/2010)

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