On this episode of Feudal Future, hosts Joel Kotkin and Marshall Toplansky are joined by Rev. John L. McCullough, President Emeritus of Church World Service. CWS is a global ecumenical organization specializing in Development and Humanitarian Assistance, Immigration and Refugee Services, Justice and Human Rights. Headquartered in NYC with primary offices in: Bangkok, Belgrade, Buenos Aires, Elkhart (IN), Hanoi, Islamabad, Jakarta, Miami, Nairobi, Phnom Phen, Vientiane, Washington, D.C. CWS is also branded as CROP Hunger Walks, and is a major sponsor of the Ecumenical Advocacy Days. Mission Statement: Church World Service works with partners to eradicate hunger and poverty and to promote peace and justice around the world.
[4:00] Marshall opens up the discussion asking Rev. John what the impact of covid has had on faith-based organizations
[6:45] Joel and Rev. John discuss how developing countries respond to crises without relying on the government
[22:15] Marshall and Rev. John dive into the effect COVID is having on refugees and resettlement across the world
[32:00] Rev. John ends the episode with how religion will reinvent itself through this pandemic
Faith-based organizations and religious institutions have been in the frontline mitigating the impacts of COVID19 and providing communities with much needed guidance and support. This page highlights some of the actions that have been taken and guidelines that have been issued by faith institutions. This is not an exhaustive nor a complete list, but some that were shared with Faith for Earth:
CNA Staff, Feb 1, 2021 / 07:01 pm MT (CNA).- A group of conservative scholars released a letter Sunday highlighting what they consider the most important goods for society that people of good will ought to work to conserve, citing a need for a “new consensus” among those who consider themselves conservative.
“Conservatives might disagree on many things, but disagreement is not something to avoid; in fact, a real and productive disagreement is an accomplishment,” the Jan. 31 letter from a group of scholars working with the Witherspoon Institute, a non-profit organization focused on moral reasoning in a free society, reads.
“Among conservatives, there is fragmentation and confusion. Some of this follows from the convolutions and intense debates about the last administration, but it goes beyond President Trump, revealing the fragility of the coalitions that defined the right during the Cold War and its aftermath.”
“A new consensus is needed, and we invite others to work with us toward shaping it…If we can establish the conversation partners of a post-Trump conservative coalition, then we can begin the hard work of engaging the most serious questions that face us.”
The scholars identify several “elements of our common life…central to human flourishing” that they believe ought to be focused on in public discourse.
Under the umbrella of “marriage and life,” the scholars identified same-sex marriage, gender ideology, abortion, pornography, contraception, and social isolation as some of the most pressing problems to be addressed.
The letter comes against a backdrop of several planned or enacted agenda items from the Joe Biden administration that are at odds with a Catholic view of human sexuality.
In one of his first acts in office, Biden on Jan. 21 signed an executive order to interpret sex discrimination in federal law to include sexual orientation and gender identity. On Jan. 28, Biden issued a presidential memorandum repealing the Mexico City Policy, allowing the U.S. to again fund international pro-abortion groups through family planning funding and global health assistance.
“How can we counter technology’s worst effects on our souls while preserving the freedom of expression that makes meaningful discourse possible? How will we help young people to see the emptiness of endless consumption—of both people and things—and its insufficiency as a source of joy?” the authors wrote.
“How can we help our fellow citizens overcome the fear of commitment and suffering and recover the belief that self-giving love is worth the cost?”
“However necessary the defense of religious freedom, such freedom in itself is insufficient for the promotion and flourishing of religion, particularly at a moment when religion in America is in decline in both adherents and substance,” it said.
“Too few religious leaders and intellectuals seem prepared to provide and teach thick, meaningful religious truths in a publicly accessible and winsome way. Like so much in our moment, contemporary religion appears trapped in decadence. How can we revive and restore it?”
In terms of education, the scholars identified school choice, local control, parental rights, and quality of education as some pivotal topics.
The authors noted that “Conservatism should be governed by a sense of the primacy of the person,” and that “no law or policy or institution destructive of the human person can be just.”
“Race, equity, justice before the law, fair business practices, unions, the dignity of workers, just compensation, civil rights, taxation, respect for the contributions of women, sexual identity—these are not topics to ignore or deride. The first task is to understand. Then, from the stance of understanding and compassion, we must clearly articulate the true conditions of human well–being, working through law, civil society, family, and individual action to bring about those conditions as we are able.”
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“There are still many countries with increasing numbers of cases, but at the global level, this is encouraging news”, saidWHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, speaking during the agency’s bi-weekly briefing from Geneva.
The development and approval of safe and effective vaccines less than a year after the emergence of a new virus is providing a much-needed source of hope. The challenge we face now is to ensure vaccines are a source of HOPE FOR ALL, not hope for some. #COVID19
“It shows this virus can be controlled, even with the new variants in circulation. And it shows that if we keep going with the same proven public health measures, we can prevent infections and save lives”.
While welcoming the development, Tedros recalled “we have been here before”, and warned against complacency.
“Over the past year, there have been moments in almost all countries when cases declined, and governments opened up too quickly and individuals let down their guard, only for the virus to come roaring back”, he said.
The WHO chief stressed that as vaccines are rolled out, people everywhere must continue to take measures aimed at keeping themselves, and others, safe.
“It is vital that governments enable people to make the right choices, whether it is making quarantine easier to adhere to, or making workplaces safer,” he said.
“Controlling the spread of the virus saves lives now, and saves lives later by reducing the chances of more variants emerging. And it helps to ensure vaccines remain effective.”
Lack of data undermines response
WHO has underscored the urgent need for better data to strengthen pandemic response and improve health outcomes, in a new report launched on Monday.
The SCORE Global Report provides a snapshot of the state of health information systems around the world and is the first study of its kind.
SCORE stands for Survey, Count, Optimize, Review and Enable, and the report covers 133 country health information systems and just under 90 per cent of the global population.
It reveals that globally, four in10 deaths remain unregistered, while only one in 10 deaths is recorded in the African region.
WHO said the lack of data worldwide limits understanding of the true mortality impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which undermines response planning.
Scoring a goal against COVID-19
The global football governing body, FIFA, is supporting the drive to make COVID-19 vaccines, treatments and diagnostics available to all countries.
FIFA has teamed up with WHO for the “ACT Together” campaign, which also promotes adherence to the everyday public health measures aimed at preventing coronavirus spread, such as hand washing and wearing masks.
Star footballers and competing team captains will participate in the campaign, which is being held in conjunction with the FIFA Club World Cup 2020, taking place in Qatar from 4-11 February.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino emphasized the importance of having a level playing field, whether in football or in health.
“Fairness and team spirit are key values of our sport,” he said. “And these same key values, fairness and team spirit are needed for today’s great challenge: overcoming COVID-19.”
It is important for football to address issues that affect society, 2001 Ballon d’Or winner Michael Owen told the briefing, reminding that vaccine access must be fair and equitable.
“This has been a global pandemic, and globally we need to give access to vaccination,” he said.
Update on Wuhan mission
Meanwhile, WHO Technical Lead on COVID-19, Dr. Maria Van Kerhkove, said the international mission on the ground in Wuhan, China, is having “very productive discussions” with counterparts there.
The 15 experts arrived in the city last month to study the origins of the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease.
Dr. Van Kerhkove reported that they have visited hospitals, as well as the market, and have met with officials from the Wuhan Centre for Disease Control (CDC) and the Chinese CDC.
“Their focus is on the early cases and they are having very good discussions around that,” she said.
The mission has attracted media attention and Dr. Van Kerhkove underscored that the team must be given the space to carry out its work.
Brussels – The European Union tightened its rules for visitors from outside the bloc on Monday, specifying that they would only be allowed in freely from countries with very few coronavirus cases and almost none of the more transmissible variants.
EU ambassadors agreed the new measure for travel from non-EU countries, including Britain, at a meeting in Brussels, an EU diplomat told Reuters.
Under the recommendation on non-essential travel, EU countries are encouraged to grant access without restrictions, such as mandatory quarantines, only under strict criteria.
The visitor would have to come from a country with no more than 25 COVID-19 cases per 100 000 people over 14 days, an infection rate lower than in all EU countries.
Travel curbs should also rapidly be reintroduced for countries where a high incidence of more infectious coronavirus variants is detected, the text says.
BERLIN: BioNTech and Pfizer said Monday they will ramp up their coronavirus vaccine deliveries to the European Union, pledging to send up to 75 million extra doses to the bloc in the spring. “Pfizer and BioNTech continue to work toward increased deliveries beginning the week of February 15, ensuring we will supply the full quantity of vaccine doses in the first quarter we contractually committed to and up to an additional 75 million doses to the European Union in the second quarter,” they said in a statement. The EU has ordered a total of 600 million doses of their Comirnaty vaccine. The statement came hours ahead of a national conference called by Chancellor Angela Merkel with vaccine manufacturers amid growing anger over the bloc’s sluggish inoculation campaign. BioNTech and Pfizer, which will take part in the meeting, said that improvements in their production capabilities would allow them to speed up supplies. These included the completion of modifications at Pfizer’s plant in Puurs, Belgium. “Now, we are back to the original schedule of vaccine dose deliveries,” they said. BioNTech’s manufacturing site in the German city of Marburg has meanwhile received a licence to start production this month, as the companies have expanded their network of European supply partners to 13. “We’re further strengthening this network, and are now in discussions with additional qualified partners on potential new agreements,” they said. Their announcement in mid-January that they would delay shipments of the jabs due to the necessary modifications at the Puurs factory sparked ire across the bloc. Germany at the time urged the European Commission — which undertook joint procurement for the bloc — to “seek clarity and certainty” for upcoming shipments. And six northern EU nations warned in a letter to the Commission that the “unacceptable” situation “decreases the credibility of the vaccination process”. The news was followed last week by an announcement from British-Swedish company AstraZeneca that it could deliver only a quarter of the doses originally promised to the bloc this winter because of problems at one of its European factories. In the face of a political firestorm, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said Sunday that AstraZeneca had now agreed to increase its coronavirus vaccine deliveries to the EU by 30 percent. An EU source said the first deliveries would start in the second week of February.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) has published a 24-page Reflection on the theme of its 11th General Assembly to take place in Karlsruhe, Germany, from 31 August to 8 September 2022. The text, which is the result of the work of an international group drawn from different regions and confessional traditions, is intended as a resource for Churches and Christians worldwide facing new pastoral challenges related to the current the COVID-19 pandemic, present world uncertainty, the ambivalences of the digital revolution, climate change, social injustice and rising xenophobia and racism.
The General Assembly meets every eight years in a different town and was originally planned in September in 2021 on the theme “Christ’s Love Moves the World to Reconciliation and Unity”, but due to the COVID-19 it has been postponed to next year.
During the 2022 event, world Churches are expected to continue the Pilgrimage of justice and peace they started in 2013 at their 10th assembly in Busan (South Korea) and to discuss the next steps of their journey, focusing for the first time on the “love of God, the Holy Trinity, a love revealed in Christ; and, through the power of the Holy Spirit, a love moving in and through all humankind and all creation”, the document explains.
Noting that the theme draws on the very heart of the Gospel and reminds us that the Church, as the body of Christ, is moved by Christ himself, the Reflection calls for an “ecumenism of the heart”: “Many people among the Churches are urging that our seeking for unity must not be only intellectual, institutional, and formal, but also based in relationship, in common prayer, and, above all, in mutual affection and love”, the text remarks.
According to the Wcc, this vocation to unity is all the more needed now in the current COVID-19 crisis, which has “exposed how the assumed self-sufficiency, independence, and individualism on which so many have come to rely are but illusions, that we human beings are not the masters of creation but part of creation and vulnerable within it and “also brought more clearly into the light the many inequalities in the world”.
Christian Churches called to set an example
In this context the Council says that Christian Churches are called, now more than ever, to set a leading example: “The Churches need now, together, in a renewed ecumenical movement for the sake of the world, to find a more public voice to speak a truer hope than the empty optimism of any faded political rhetoric: a hope that might build a better world than the one so deeply shaped by materialism, individualism, and consumerism, a world in which resources will be shared, inequalities addressed, and a new dignity found among us and for all of us”, the document reads. “Churches that live and pray only in hidden, private communities, separated from one another, are called by the risen Christ to be ‘sent’ into the very public and open spaces of the world, to reframe our corporate sense odf what matters, to make idols fall, and to be part of welcoming the kingdom of God in which the poor are blessed and the captives set free”.
“A world crying out for profound love, for community, for justice and hope needs Churches that are visibly in communion, longing for oneness where there is division and finding a new future for humankind and for all creation, as expressed in Revelation Christ’s Love Moves the World to Reconciliation and Unity”, the document concludes.
Last week, EASO carried out a targeted needs assessment mission to the Canary Islands in order to quickly begin implementing effective reception support to the Spanish authorities in the region.
On 1 February 2021, the Spanish State Secretary for Migration, Hana Jalloul Muro, accompanied by the Spanish Ambassador to Malta, Consuelo Femenía, visited the Headquarters of the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) in Valletta. During the visit, the State Secretary met with the Executive Director of the Agency, Nina Gregori, as well as with EASO’s senior management. Part of the discussions were also joined remotely by José Luis Escrivá Belmonte, Spanish Minister for Inclusion, Social Security and Migration.
During the meetings, discussions with the Spanish delegation focussed on EASO’s new operation in the country in support of the national reception system. The Agency’s fifth ongoing operation – together with those in Cyprus, Greece, Italy and Malta – was launched in January following the signing of the Operating Plan in December 2020.
The agreement was reached following a Joint Rapid Needs Assessment (JRNA) carried out by EASO and the Spanish Ministry for Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, between mid-September and the end of October 2020.
Commenting on the visit of the State Secretary, Nina Gregori stated: It was a great pleasure to welcome Ms Jalloul Muro to our premises today. The discussions built on the excellent cooperation we have fostered over the past months, allowing for the swift launch of a new EASO operation in Spain. EASO is wasting no time in quickly operationalising its plans to support the Spanish authorities in strengthening the reception system for asylum seekers.
Within the context of the new Spain operation, last week a multi-disciplinary EASO team carried out a needs assessment mission at six sites in the Canary Islands, which have received a high number of persons with international protection needs in recent months. The mission was carried out in order to enable the Agency to tailor its support to the specific needs in the region, and the results were discussed with the State Secretary during her visit.
In addition to providing enhanced capacity to the reception services in the Canary Islands, EASO’s operation in Spain will also support in the transition towards a new model for reception; enhance structural processes in support of the reception system; contribute to strengthening capacity within the reception system through professional development, tools and materials; and support the Spanish authorities in the area of resettlement.
Any further information may be obtained from the European Asylum Support Office on the following email address: [email protected]
Commenting on the visit of the State Secretary, Nina Gregori stated: 
