13.3 C
Brussels
Sunday, October 27, 2024
Home Blog Page 1170

Bishops voice concern over treatment of religion in Irish reopening plan

By
Newsdesk
-
0
Bishops voice concern over treatment of religion in Irish reopening plan

CNA Staff, Mar 4, 2021 / 05:30 pm MT (CNA).- As Ireland marks the first anniversary of the novel coronavirus arriving, local Catholic bishops are calling for the government to ease its restrictions on in-person worship services.

A pastoral message was released March 3 by the bishops of six dioceses in the country’s western Tuam Province – Archbishop Michael Neary of Tuam, Bishop John Fleming  of Killala, Bishop Kevin Doran of Elphin, Bishop Brendan Kelly of Galway, Bishop Michael Duignan of Clonfert, and Bishop Paul Dempsey of Achonry. 

The bishops compared the current situation to arriving at a false summit while hiking, and realizing there is more progress to be made.  

“Sometimes the last bit can be the hardest of all. We understand the experience of disappointment and frustration that many people feel, at the news of an indefinite extension of lockdown,” they said. 

COVID-19 cases in Ireland have declined steadily following a sharp spike in late December and early January. However, authorities are still urging caution. 

The bishops analyzed the five-state reopening plan for the country, published by the government last week. Under Level 5 restrictions, which will be in place at least until April, traveling more than 5 km from one’s home is prohibited, as is mingling with people from other households. Retail stores, bars, gyms and other businesses deemed non-essential must remain closed.

The bishops acknowledged the need for caution, saying, “we accept absolutely that now is not the time for a major reopening of society.”

However, they argued, funerals are limited to only 10 people at Level 5 of the reopening plan, while a 25-person limit would still allow for safe services and would “bring much consolation to grieving families.”

The bishops also objected to the fact that public worship is banned even at Level 3 of the plan to reopen Ireland. 

“[This] ignores the important contribution of communal worship to the mental and spiritual well-being of people of faith. The fundamental importance of Holy Week and Easter for all Christians makes the prohibition of public worship particularly painful,” they said.

“While, as Christians, we are obliged to obey these regulations, we believe that it is our responsibility as Church leaders to make the case for change. We will continue to make fair and reasonable representation and we encourage you to do likewise.”

The bishops also asked the government to provide clarification on when the public may return to sacramental life – particularly to the celebration of First Communion and Confirmation, normally held at the end of the school year. Without this clarification, they said, dioceses have decided to postpone the 2021 Confirmation class until fall, and parishes are encouraged to adopt a similar schedule for First Communion. 

“Should the circumstances change for the better, this decision can be revisited in each diocese.  In the meantime, we encourage young people and their parents to continue with their preparation. We have provided online resources to support what is being done through the Religious Education programme with the teachers in the schools.”

In their message, the bishops also challenged priests to do all they can to provide pastoral and sacramental care, especially the Sacrament of Reconciliation and sacramental care of the sick.

They expressed gratitude that children will return to in-person schooling, and emphasized the need to share the burden with those still struggling under the lockdown. 

“All of us appreciate the efforts and the sacrifices of those in our community who provide essential services,” they said. “For many people, however, the continued high level of restriction poses practical and emotional challenges. We want to say very clearly that, in the Christian vision of things, every person is essential and no person is more important or necessary than any other.”

“When we pray the Stations of the Cross, we celebrate people like Veronica, who wiped the face of Jesus and Simon of Cyrene who shared with Him the burden of the cross. None of us can say ‘I’m ok’ until we are all ‘ok,’” they said.  

Sophia Brown shares her religion

By
Newsdesk
-
0

Sophia Brown shares her religion

Thursday, March 04, 2021

Following her success last year with two romantic ballads, Sophia Brown strikes a more serious tone with Love is my Religion , her latest song, which features Duane Stephenson.Brown produced the single which she co-wrote with Joseph Dike. It is inspired by racism which had incidents of global proportions in 2020.

“We realise that we are going through a perilous time. Racism is at the forefront and we are able to speak about it more than before,” said Brown.

There was significant racial turmoil in the United States last year, triggered by the deaths of two black people — George Floyd and Breonna Taylor in Minnesota and Kentucky, respectively.

Their controversial killings by white police officers sparked outrage in the US, most of which were led by activist group Black Lives Matter. Protests also took place in Europe and Asia.

Brown hit US regional reggae charts with the easy-listening Baby When You Left and Stronger last year. The former earned her the Bright Star Award for Best Reggae Single in the United Kingdom, in January.

“I haven’t changed over from lovers rock. We just have to send this message across the world and Love is my Religion is all about that,” she said.

Now you can read the Jamaica Observer ePaper anytime, anywhere. The Jamaica Observer ePaper is available to you at home or at work, and is the same edition as the printed copy available at https://bit.ly/epaper-login

#ItsTheirLand: Unprecedented reaction makes voice of persecuted Bahá’ís in an Iranian village globa

By
BWNS
-
0
#ItsTheirLand: Unprecedented reaction makes voice of persecuted Bahá’ís in an Iranian village global | BWNS

BIC GENEVA — A global campaign in support of the persecuted Bahá’ís in Iran has generated an unprecedented outpouring of solidarity from officials at the United Nations and the European Union, statesmen, government officials, religious figures including Muslim leaders, lawyers, prominent human rights advocates, farmers’ associations, actors, and other prominent figures.

Campaign supporters called for an end to the persecution of the Bahá’ís in Iran and particularly for the return of ancestral lands belonging to the Bahá’ís in Ivel, a village in northern Iran, which were illegally confiscated by the Iranian government solely because of the landowners’ religious beliefs.

The wave of concern—outstanding in its diversity and geographic spread—reflects an ongoing outcry from the international community over the human rights abuses Iranian Bahá’ís have suffered for decades.

“In the past week, the voices of the Bahá’ís in a small village in Iran became global, thanks to the extraordinary support offered by governments, organizations, prominent figures, groups, and thousands of sincere individuals around the world,” said Diane Ala’i, Representative of the Bahá’í International Community to the United Nations in Geneva. “This exceptional support not only condemns Iran’s actions but shows the long-suffering Bahá’ís in Iran that the international community stands with them.”

The campaign comes after Iranian courts ruled to confiscate Bahá’í-owned properties in Ivel, leaving dozens of families internally displaced and economically impoverished. The Bahá’ís are Iran’s largest non-Muslim religious minority and have been the target of 42 years of state-sanctioned systematic persecution—documented extensively by the United Nations.

Ahmed Shaheed, the UN’s Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Religion or Belief, said he stood in solidarity with the Bahá’ís in Iran “who are facing systemic persecution [and] egregious rights violations.”

A webinar was held at the European Parliament on the situation in Ivel with participation from European Union officials and a former UN Special Rapporteur, Miloon Kothari. Additionally, the Chair of the European Parliament delegation for relations with Iran, Cornelia Ernst, called the Bahá’ís a “particularly vulnerable community” and condemned the Iranian government’s “disastrous policies towards the Bahá’ís.”

Brian Mulroney, a former Canadian prime minister, signed a high-profile open letter by more than 50 judges, lawyers, and former attorneys-general, addressed to Iran’s chief justice, Ebrahim Raisi. The letter stated that the court ruling departs “not only from international human rights standards but also from the text and intent of the Iranian constitution itself.” The open letter was widely publicized, including by The Globe and Mail newspaper and the CBC.

Global food systems and agricultural experts, including officials at the UN Development Programme, the World Bank, the Rockefeller Foundation, business figures, and academics at universities around the world, signed an open letter describing the Bahá’ís in Ivel as “hard-working, low-income agricultural workers with no other assets and means of earning a livelihood aside from their homes and farmlands” and expressing “alarm” at the confiscation of their properties.
The call was underpinned by a moving video message of solidarity on behalf of the farming community in Australia which called on the Iranian government and judiciary to “return the land and properties to their rightful owners: Bahá’í farmers in Ivel.”

Canadian Members of Parliament also added their voices to the campaign in a video in which they called on Iran to “return the properties of Bahá’ís and respect their human rights as citizens of Iran.”

The foreign ministers of Canada and Sweden, Marc Garneau and Ann Linde, each made statements on the situation in Ivel, expressing alarm at the ongoing discrimination and seizure of properties owned by Bahá’ís. Other government officials and parliamentarians from Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States also denounced the Ivel confiscations, urging Iran to stop persecuting the Bahá’ís.

Officials of two governments called for the recognition of the Bahá’í community in Iran. “Stop confiscating Bahá’í properties in the village of Ivel,” stated Jos Douma, the Netherlands’ Special Envoy for Religion or Belief. “And—at last—recognize Bahá’í[s] as a religious community.” The German Federal Government Commissioner for Global Freedom of Religion, Markus Grübel, also called for Iran to recognize the Bahá’ís and to end the “discrimination and persecution of Bahá’í communities.”

The US statement, issued by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, condemned the “alarming escalation” of the Iranian government’s “measures targeting Bahá’ís in Iran on the basis of their faith.”

Muslim leaders around the world also joined the campaign, calling on Iran “to address this injustice,” adding, “Islam does not permit a government to confiscate land from citizens just because they follow a different religion.”

The statements, coming from Muslim leaders in India (the All India Tanzeem Falahul Muslimeen and the All India Safi Association), the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, sent a powerful signal to Iran’s government that, contrary to its claims, their co-religionists do not see their actions as consistent with Islamic law.

In addition to this, fourteen prominent Iranian religious scholars issued a collective statement to “urgently request” that Iran’s government “end the brutal confiscation of Bahá’í property throughout the country” and to address the “persecution, animosity, and insults” suffered by the Bahá’ís. A prominent op-ed article was also published in The Wall Street Journal by Reza Afshari, an expert on human rights in Iran.

Civil society organizations in the United States, including the American Islamic Forum for Democracy, the Anti-Defamation League Task Force on Middle East Minorities, United for Iran, the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran, Freedom House, the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Institute, and others, signed yet another open letter addressed to the two judges who made the ruling, Mr. Hasan Babaie and Mr. Sadegh Savadkouhi.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide, the Raoul Wallenberg Center, Brazil’s National Council of Churches, South Africa’s Legal Resources Centre, and Germany’s International Society for Human Rights were also among the many faith and civil society groups that stood in solidarity with the Bahá’ís in Ivel.

Thousands of members of parliaments, human rights activists, actors, and ordinary citizens also joined a Twitter storm sharing articles and messages of solidarity about the land seizures in Ivel with the hashtag #ItsTheirLand. The social media push saw 35,000 tweets reaching some 52 million people around the world, at one point trending in Australia. The equivalent hashtag also trended in Persian-language Twitter.

Prominent Iranian academics, authors, activists, actors, and artists outside Iran, including Masih Alinejad, Max Amini, Nazanin Boniadi, Nina Ansary, Abbas Milani, Sina Valiollah, Omid Djalili, Maziar Bahari, Ladan Boroumand, and others, also joined the Twitter storm, as did the American actors Rainn Wilson, Justin Baldoni and Eva LaRue and the British novelist and comedian, David Baddiel.

“The show of support for the Bahá’ís in Ivel demonstrates that the Iranian government’s religious motivation for the persecution of the Bahá’ís has been exposed to the world. Iran’s treatment of its Bahá’í community is, more than ever, condemned by a growing chorus of governments, civil society groups, and individuals, not only in the international community but by Iranians themselves,” stated Ms. Ala’i.

“The freedom to believe is a fundamental right that cannot be taken away from any individual by a government. The world is watching Iran and demands that the government bring to an end the utterly baseless persecution of innocent Bahá’ís for their beliefs.”

European Parliament to sue the European Commission over US visas

By
Newsdesk
-
0
European Parliament to sue the European Commission over US visas

The President of the European Parliament, David Sassoli, has signed a decision of the Legal Affairs Committee, which brings before the Court of Justice of the European Union the European Commission for not acting against the United States for not respecting visa reciprocity. This was announced for BNR Horizon from the office of the MEP Sophie in’t Veld. 
US visas still apply to citizens of Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia and Cyprus. 
MEP Sofia in’t Veld described the Commission’s actions as “absolutely unacceptable“. These four countries must be treated like everyone else. The Americans do not follow the rules and this means that visa reciprocity must be abolished, the MEP from Renew Europe group stressed, BNR’s correspondent in Brussels Angelina Piskova reported.

Scientology Volunteers Help Clean Up After a Massive Oil Spill in Israel

By
Newsdesk
-
0
Volunteers from the Scientology Center of Tel Aviv help clean tar from a nearby beach after last week’s oil spill.
Volunteers from the Scientology Center of Tel Aviv help clean tar from a nearby beach after last week’s oil spill.

Scientology Volunteers Help Clean Up After a Massive Oil Spill—One of the Worst Ecological Disasters in Israel’s History

Volunteers from the Scientology Center of Tel Aviv join in the effort to remove tar from Israel’s Mediterranean beaches.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES, March 4, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ — With 14 kilometers of Mediterranean coast drawing surfers, swimmers, locals and tourists, Tel Aviv has been ranked by National Geographic as one of the top 10 beach cities in the world. But the beaches are in the news for a different reason this week. A serious oil spill has washed up an estimated 1,000 tons of tar onto the country’s shoreline. The Ministries of Health, Interior and Environmental Protection have asked the public “not to go [to the beaches] to swim, or do sports or leisure activities until further notice,” noting “exposure to tar could harm public health.”

Responding to a call from the Tel Aviv Municipality in Jaffa, volunteers from the Scientology Center of Tel Aviv took off to clean up a stretch of beach 20 miles to the north. Rough terrain makes the beach inaccessible to cars so they traveled by 4X4 SUVs. This beach will take them several more visits to complete and they plan to carry on there and in other sections of the more than 100 miles of the country’s Mediterranean coastline devastated by this environmental catastrophe.

Wearing their signature bright yellow T-shirts and protective masks and gloves, these volunteers have been active in the effort to help the city get through the COVID-19 pandemic, carrying out hundreds of hours of volunteer work each week to help the community.

It’s back. Resolution to make the Bible Tennessee’s official state book joins slate of religion legislation

By
Newsdesk
-
0
It's back. Resolution to make the Bible Tennessee's official state book joins slate of religion legislation

Holly Meyer
 
| Nashville Tennessean It’s back. 

Once again the controversial measure to make the Bible the official book of Tennessee is before the state legislature.

Rep. Jerry Sexton, R-Bean Station, recently introduced a house joint resolution, HJR 150, to add the Christian tome to the list of symbols and honors already in the Tennessee Blue Book. It is among a slate of religion-related legislation up for consideration this session.

It marks the third time such an attempt has been made, including the 2015 bill that resulted in one of former Republican Gov. Bill Haslam’s few career vetoes. Sexton, who declined to comment, has sponsored each effort. 

The previous attempts raised constitutional concerns about the state endorsing a religion. A national atheist organization objected as did Christians, like Haslam, who worried lumping the Bible in with the state bird, flower and rifle trivialized the sacred text.  

Similar to the explanation Sexton gave during a 2020 Bible bill debate, the new resolution emphasizes the role family Bibles have played in genealogy as well as the financial impact of Tennessee’s Bible publishing industry. 

The resolution also points out the religious connections of other items listed in the Tennessee Blue Book, which includes information about state government and history and is published by the Secretary of State’s office. They include the Christian symbolism associated with the passion flower, one of the state’s wildflowers, and the references to God in two of the state songs.

Another try: The Bible the official book of Tennessee? Four years after a failed effort, a Republican lawmaker tries again

Bible bill veto: 5 bills Gov. Bill Haslam has vetoed

Separation of church and state, but not religion and politics

So far this session, lawmakers have introduced other pieces of legislation that explicitly address religion. Some advocate for more religious protections amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic while others wade into the latest hot button societal issues.

Religious protections: Tennessee bill barring vaccination mandate with exceptions for health care facilities moves forward

COVID-19 reaction: How a flurry of Tennessee bills would reduce government control over masks, vaccines and gatherings

This is not new. State lawmakers regularly mix religion with policymaking. Sometimes it’s controversial. 

As examples, lawmakers have introduced measures advocating for more religious protections. Nationwide, the religious freedom debate often pits the rights of LGBTQ people against religious protections for conservative Christians. There has also been Islam-related legislation that advocacy organizations considered to be derogatory and some bills have been copycat legislation written by special interest groups and introduced across the country. 

“We have the separation of church and state — or at least we’re supposed to have the separation of church and state — but what that does not mean is the separation of faith and politics,” said the Rev. Clay Stauffer, a Nashville minister who teaches about the relationship between religion and partisan politics at Vanderbilt University. 

“What you have are a number of legislators who are bringing their faith into into the Senate and the House and are trying to push bills that will make their constituents happy.”

While Tennessee has religious diversity and an increasing number of people who are not affiliated with any faith tradition, the majority of the red state’s residents identify as Christian and so do its lawmakers in the Republican-controlled state legislature.  

People are concerned religious protections are being eroded, especially free speech issues, Stauffer said. But making the Bible the official state book could raise questions about whose freedoms are being protected and whose are not, he said. Stauffer, who agreed with Haslam’s take on the Bible bill he vetoed, wonders how giving the sacred text this special designation would make Tennesseans of other faiths feel.   

Other measures before the state legislature

Here are some of the religion-related bills and resolutions up for consideration this session: 

Senate Joint Resolution 55 proposes amending the Tennessee constitution to remove the ban on clergy serving in the state legislature. It is sponsored by Sen. Mark Pody, R-Lebanon. 

While still on the books, the provision is outdated. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1961 that religious tests for holding public office are unconstitutional. Currently, there are members of the state legislature that are also ministers. 

However SJR 55 does not address the state constitution’s ban on atheists serving in public office. In 2014, the national group Openly Secular pushed to have Tennessee’s ban and similar ones in seven other states removed. 

HB 1137/SB 1197 would prohibit public officials and government agencies from placing restrictions on churches and other religious organizations during a state of emergency or other disaster. It is sponsored by Rep. Rusty Grills, R-Newbern, and Sen. Janice Bowling, R-Tullahoma. 

Religious response: Vaccines, mask mandates and more: How religion motivates responses to COVID-19 crisis

First amendment debate: Nashville declines to issue charges after Sean Feucht ‘worship protest’ drew thousands

The Tennessee bill is similar to others being considered by state legislatures across the U.S., according to an analysis by the Deseret News. Restrictions on houses of worship became a contentious issue amid the pandemic. In recent court decisions, the U.S. Supreme Court has sided with houses of worship that challenged restrictions placed on religious gatherings amid the pandemic.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed an order preventing limitations from being applied to houses of worship in the state. Prior to that, a Chattanooga church sued the city’s mayor over a ban on drive-in style worship services, but the mayor reversed course.  

HB 588/SB 597 would provide a religious exemption for jury duty. It is sponsored by Rep. Kirk Haston, R-Lobelville, and Sen. Joey Hensley, R-Hohenwald.

On Tuesday, Haston told the House civil justice subcommittee that he brought the bill on behalf of leaders of a Mennonite community in his district. The subcommittee referred the bill for summer study, effectively delaying the bill’s passage for the year.

HB 372/SB 193 would prevent the government from requiring employees to participate in trainings and seminars that go against their morals, ethics, values or religious beliefs. It is sponsored by Rep. Glen Casada, R-Franklin, and Sen. Janice Bowling, R-Tullahoma. 

The Tennessee Equality Project, an LGBTQ advocacy group, has added the bill to its annual “slate of hate” list, raising concerns it would undermine inclusion training in the workplace. Diversity training for federal employees also became a target of former President Donald Trump’s administration.

Addressing racism: Top church leaders say divisions, including on race and politics, are detracting Southern Baptists from core mission

Critical race theory fight: Southern Baptist seminary presidents spur debate after denouncing critical race theory

HB 859/SB 695 would bar social media platforms from saying in their contracts they censor religious or political speech. It is sponsored by Rep. Bruce Griffey, R-Paris, and Sen. Frank Nicely, R-Strawberry Plains. 

Censorship on social media is receiving scrutiny. Trump and others have raised concerns conservatives are being unfairly targeted by the tech companies, according to a USA TODAY. But a recent report by New York University found there is no evidence to support that Facebook, Twitter or YouTube are doing so. 

Reach Holly Meyer at [email protected] or 615-259-8241 and on Twitter @HollyAMeyer. 

European Parliament delays vote on Brexit deal after UK ‘violation’

By
Newsdesk
-
0
European Parliament delays vote on Brexit deal after UK 'violation'

The European Parliament has delayed deciding a date for the vote to approve the Brexit trade deal with the UK after London “violated” the terms of the agreement.

The Conference of Presidents – a body consisting of the Parliament’s president and the chairs of its political groupings – agreed to postpone the decision until they meet next week, a source at the European Parliament told Euronews.

Parliamentary leaders were due to agree Thursday on a date for a final vote on the Brexit agreement, which is only provisionally in force until it is ratified by MEPs, but instead decided to hold back after Brussels accused the UK of violating the terms on Wednesday.

The UK unilaterally announced a grace period on border checks on agri-food products entering Northern Ireland, a move which has angered Brussels.

The EU argues that constitutes a “violation” of the Northern Ireland Protocol, a term of the Brexit agreement designed to maintain an open border on the island of Ireland.

Under the terms of the protocol, Northern Ireland would still be subject to some EU laws, which means that customs declarations and some checks on goods entering Northern Ireland from mainland Britain are required.

The protocol, agreed between the UK and the EU during the Brexit deal negotiations, has angered unionists in Northern Ireland and caused delays in supplies reaching supermarkets and shops in the country.

German MEP Bernd Lange, who sits on the UK Coordination Group in charge of relations with the UK, told Euronews after the Conference of Presidents’ meeting on Thursday, that MEPs are finding it consistently hard to trust the British government.

“We as a European Parliament have a long history of mistrust towards the UK government really sticking to their obligations. This, of course, leads to the situation that we are not really sure if we can under this condition ratify the trade agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union and therefore we postponed the decision to set a date for the ratification.”

Speaking on Thursday, Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney said the EU was now “negotiating with a partner it simply can’t trust”.

In an interview with Irish broadcaster RTE’s Morning Ireland programme, he said progress was being made on the Northern Ireland Protocol but the timing of the UK’s actions couldn’t have been worse.

“That is why the EU is now looking at legal options and legal action which means a much more formalised and rigid negotiation process as opposed to a process of partnership where you try to solve the problems together,” Coveney said.

Northern Ireland’s first minister Arlene Foster, whose party the DUP has launched legal action against the protocol, insisted on Thursday the decision to delay border controls was about helping local businesses rather than breaching international law.

“I believe in the rule of law, and therefore we will pursue every legal and political means to try and get through that this is not working for Northern Ireland and is causing real damage,” she said.

“I mean, I’m so disappointed to hear the reaction of the Irish government this morning. They say that they had no difficulty with extending grace periods, but yet they’re out saying that the UK government has broken international law which is simply not the case”.

Speaking on a visit to Middlesbrough on Thursday, UK prime minister Boris Johnson said: “We are taking some temporary and technical measures to ensure that there are no barriers in the Irish Sea, to make sure things flow freely between GB and NI and that’s what you would expect”.

“Obviously these are matters for continuing intensive discussions with our friends.

“I’m sure with a bit of goodwill and common sense all these technical problems are eminently solvable”.

Wasting food just feeds climate change, new UN environment report warns 

By
officialinstitutions
-
0
Wasting food just feeds climate change, new UN environment report warns 

Produced by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and partner organization WRAP, the Food Waste Index Report 2021 reveals that between food wasted in homes, restaurants and shops, 17 per cent of all food is just dumped.  

Some food is also lost on farms and in supply chains, indicating that overall a third of food is never eaten. 

The study represents the most comprehensive food waste data collection, analysis and modelling ever done, and offers a methodology for countries to accurately measure loss.  

“If we want to get serious about tackling climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste, businesses, governments and citizens around the world have to do their part to reduce food waste”, said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). 

Revealing picture 

Although food waste had been thought of as a problem mostly affecting rich countries, the report found levels of waste were surprisingly similar in all nations, though data is scarce in the poorest countries. 

The study reveals that households discard 11 per cent of food at the consumption stage of the supply chain, while food services and retail outlets waste five and two per cent, respectively.  

This has substantial environmental, social and economic impacts, according to the report, which points out that eight to ten per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions are associated with unconsumed food. 

“Reducing food waste would cut greenhouse gas emissions, slow the destruction of nature through land conversion and pollution, enhance the availability of food and thus reduce hunger and save money at a time of global recession”, said Ms. Andersen. 

Conserving across platforms 

In 2019, some 690 million people were impacted by hunger and three billion were unable to afford a healthy diet.  

Against that backdrop and with COVID-19 threatening to exacerbate these numbers, the study urges consumers not to waste food at home. It also pushes for food waste to be included in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), plans through which countries commit to increasingly ambitious climate actions in the Paris Agreement. 

Meanwhile, target 12.3 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aims to halve per-capita global food waste at retail and consumer levels and minimize food losses along production and supply chains.  

Reducing food waste would cut greenhouse gas emissions, slow the destruction of nature…and save money at a time of global recession – UNEP chief

“The UN Food Systems Summit this year will provide an opportunity to launch bold new actions to tackle food waste globally”, Ms. Andersen said. 

Comparable data lacking 

Of the growing number of countries measuring food waste, 14 have collected household data in a way that is compatible with the Food Waste Index, while a further 38 countries use methods similar to the SDG 12.3 compatible estimate. 

While the household breakdown between edible and uneatable food, like shells and bones, is available only in select high-income countries, there is a lack of information in lower-income countries where proportions may be higher.  

It is crucial to fill this knowledge gap, according to the report. 

UNEP will launch regional working groups to aid countries’ capacities to measure and record food waste in time for the next round of SDG 12.3 reporting in late 2022. It will also support these countries as they develop national baselines to track progress towards the 2030 goal, and design strategies to prevent food waste.


Regional and world church bodies urge respect for will of Myanmar people

By
officialinstitutions
-
0
Regional and world church bodies urge respect for will of Myanmar people
(Photo: Paul Jeffrey / WCC)Liturgical dancers during the session of the Asia Mission Conference in Yangon, Myanmar, October 2017.

The World Council of Churches and the Christian Conference of Asia have issued a joint statement expressing distress and concern over the disturbing trend of continued lethal action against the people by the Myanmar military.


“The death toll of civilians taking part in protests is increasing as troops and police open fire at demonstrators; at least 38 people were reported to be killed as the army unleashed a lethal campaign to suppress protests that have swept the country for more than a month,” read the March 4 statement.

“The brutal actions against civilians protesting against the military takeover and the killings perpetrated by the military indicate that the generals are returning to the same tactics they had used to crush people’s dissent during decades of military dictatorship in Myanmar.”

“The democratically elected civilian government reflects the aspiration of the people,” reads the statement. “The will of the people and the outcome of the elections have to be respected and democratic processes must be restored.”

The statement came on the day the head of the UN Human Rights office Miihcelle Bachelet delivered a withering criticism of the military junta’s crackdown in Myanmar, which is called Burma by the U.S. government.

Myanmar’s security forces must “halt their vicious crackdown on peaceful protestors,” the UN human rights chief said on March 4.

“Myanmar’s military must stop murdering and jailing protestors,” said Bachelet.

“It is utterly abhorrent that security forces are firing live ammunition against peaceful protesters across the country,” she added.

“The UN Human Rights Office has corroborated information that police and military officers have killed at least 54 people since the Feb. 1 coup,” said the statement, adding the actual death toll could be much higher as these are the verified figures.

The churches statement, meanwhile notes that citizens peacefully protesting against the military action have been confronted by armed forces using lethal force.

“In order to clamp down on what is essentially a people’s movement, the security forces have systematically targeted, detained, and arrested several political officials, activists, students, medical professionals, and even religious minority leaders,” say the churches.

“In Lashio city, four Kachin Baptist ministers were among 10 people arrested at a church where protestors fleeing the state-sanctioned violence had taken shelter.”

Large-scale participation in demonstrations in towns and cities across the country underscores the broad rejection of the military, the statement continues.

The statement denounces the Feb. 1 military coup which has now returned full power to the generals.

“The citizens of Myanmar possess the right to assemble peacefully and express their demands for the restoration of democracy,” reads the statement.

“The fundamental rights of people must be respected, and hence the military authorities must immediately halt all use of force against civilians.”

The statement also urges military leaders to refrain from repressive actions against the civilians.

The statement concludes with a call for prayers for the entire people of Myanmar and for peace and justice to prevail throughout the country. “May peace and a spirit of reconciliation return to Myanmar,” the statement concludes.

Buddhist account for some 88 percent of the country’s 57 milliojn people while just ocer 6 percent are Christians and more than 4 percent Muslims.

Pope Francis entrusts Iraq visit to protection of Our Lady – Vatican News

By
officialinstitutions
-
0
Pope Francis entrusts Iraq visit to protection of Our Lady - Vatican News

By Devin Watkins

As per his long-established tradition on the eve of trips abroad, Pope Francis traveled across Rome on Thursday afternoon to the Basilica of St. Mary Major.

He paused to pray for a moment before the ancient Roman icon of Maria Salus Populi Romani.

According to the Holy See Press Office, the Pope entrusted his upcoming visit to Iraq to Our Lady’s protection.

He is scheduled to depart Rome on Friday morning for his 33rd Apostolic Visit abroad, which takes him to Iraq on 5-8 March.

Devotion to ancient Roman icon

Pope Francis laid a bouquet of flowers on the altar below the ancient image of the “Salvation of the Roman people”, which is housed in the Borghese chapel.

Tradition holds that it arrived in Rome in the year 590 AD, during the reign of Pope Gregory the Great.

Maria Salus Populi Romani has twice received a canonical coronation.

Pope Gregory XVI crowned the image of Our Lady in 1838, and Pope Pius XII repeated the gesture of devotion during the Marian year of 1954.

The Vatican Museums cleaned and restored it in 2018.

1...1,1691,1701,171...1,546Page 1,170 of 1,546

© FRVS+MPCP 2022. The European Times® News is registered as an EU Trademark. All rights reserved. The European Times® and the logo of The European Times® are EU trademarks registered by FRVS+MPCP.

MADRID

Members/Partners of

GNS Press - The European Times

Google News

  

About Us

Popular Category

DISCLAIMER OPINIONS: The opinions of the authors or reproduced in the articles are the ones of those stating them and it is their own responsibility. Should you find any incorrections you can always contact the newsdesk to seek a correction or right of replay.

DISCLAIMER TRANSLATIONS: All articles in this site are published in English. The translated versions are done through an automated process known as neural translations. If in doubt, always refer to the original article. Thank you for understanding.

DISCLAIMER PHOTOS: We mostly used photos images that are readily available online, from free sources, or from the people promoting the news. If by any chance it happens that we have used one of your copyrighted photos, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will take it down without question. We do not make profits as this is a not for profit project to give voice to the voiceless while giving them a platform to be informed also of general news, and it is completely free.

Editor Picks