, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20201120IPR92124/
Frank Elderson recommended as member of European Central Bank Executive Board | News | European Parliament
, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20201120IPR92125/
Father Anselm Adodo: “Confusion about traditional medicine comes from religion; Christianity in particular…”
Father Anselm Adodo on Public Eye: “Confusion about traditional medicine comes from religion; Christianity in particular…” | WATCH
On Sunday, November 22, 2020, Funmi Iyanda had conversations about what should comprise primary healthcare in Nigeria, and the implications of a fusion of traditional and modern medicine with the founder of Pax Herbals Clinic and Research Laboratories, Father Anselm Adodo, The CEO of Quincy Herbals, Mrs Tobi Ayodele-Keeney, and The Head of the Centre for Research Complimentary Traditions & Alternative Medicine (CRTCAM), Dr O.O. Aina.
We were taken on a journey to Ibadan – the traditional medicine markets, Bode and Oopo-yeosa precisely. The bustle of the markets implied that many have begun to favour traditional medicine over synthetic medicine. At the markets, the Public Eye team interviewed three women who have practised traditional pharmacology and healing for decades.
Father Anslem Adodo, a Benedictine monk with a passion for pharmacology, in a discussion about why traditional medicine has been painted black by Nigerians stated, “The confusion comes from religion, Christianity in particular. Religion makes us throw away everything in our culture.”
He also criticised the current system of medicine practised in the country. “The current high-tech medical system is focused on waiting for people to fall sick so they can use high-tech machines to diagnose and treat them.”
Funmi Iyanda agreed wholeheartedly. “We live in a world that has to have an answer for COVID-19 and needs to develop alternative systems for these complex situations going on in the world.”
Tobi Ayodele-Keeney and Dr O.O. Aina dropped their two cents on the current COVID-19 pandemic. According to Mrs Ayodele-Keeney, “Drug-resistant malaria is more of a problem than COVID-19.” Dr Aina believes that a majority of Nigerians have the coronavirus but are asymptomatic.
In a follow-up conversation about the challenges of integrating traditional and modern medicine, Mrs Ayodele-Keeney revealed, “There needs to be research and development of African traditional medicine. We need to standardize the process and the people in the practice.”
You can watch the full episode here:
Public Eye airs every Sunday at 5 pm on TVC News. You can catch them on any of these television channels: DSTV (channel 418), Startimes (channel 307), GOTV (channel 45), or channel 572 on Sky.
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Author Elaine Pagels Discusses ‘Why Religion?’
On Saturday, December 5, at 4 p.m., St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in East Hampton will host an event with Elaine Pagels, author of numerous best-selling books about religion, such as “The Gnostic Gospels,” “Adam, Eve and the Serpent: Sex and Politics in Early Christianity,” “The Origin of Satan: How Christians Demonized Jews, Heretics, and Pagans” and “Beyond Belief.” Her most recent book, “Why Religion? A Personal Memoir,” is a departure from the others and one in which she tells her own story, and why she loves investigating the history of religion. Pagels will be interviewed by writer Jeffrey Sussman and the program available to all registrants via Zoom. To register for the discussion visit stlukeseasthamtpon.org
Pagels is a critically acclaimed historian of religion and the Harrington Spear Paine Professor at Princeton University and an Aspen Institute Trustee. She joined the Princeton faculty in 1982, shortly after receiving a MacArthur Fellowship. She is a recipient of the Howard T. Behrman Award for Distinguished Achievement in the Humanities for “her ability to show readers that the ancient texts she studies are concerned with the great questions of human existence though they may discuss them in mythological or theological language very different from our own.” In 2013, she received an honorary law degree from her alumni, Harvard University and, in 2016, the National Medal for the Arts from President Barack Obama.
European Parliament Members on November 21 Runoffs
Leading MEPs on EU-Georgia relations said in their statement regarding Georgia’s November 21 runoffs that “all the political forces represented in the newly elected Parliament must work now in a constructive fashion, keeping in mind the greater interest of Georgia’s chosen European path.”
The signatories of the November 23 statement – Chair of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee David McAllister (EPP, Germany), Chair of EP’s delegation for relations with the South Caucasus Marina Kaljurand (S&D, Estonia), standing rapporteur on Georgia Sven Mikser (S&D, Estonia), and Viola von Cramon-Taubadel (The Greens/EFA, Germany), EP’s lead member for democracy support activities in Georgia – called on Georgian parties “to show responsibility, restraint and maturity, to respect the democratic choice of the electorate.”
Regretting that the opposition candidates withdrew contests from the runoffs, lawmakers called on political actors “to find the necessary compromises, notably through the new dialogue facilitated jointly by the EU and U.S. Ambassadors to Georgia, in order to enable the smooth functioning of Parliament, an institution vital for democracy.”
The MEPs highlighted that they endorse evaluation by the international electoral observation missions following the first round of October 31, and added that after the runoffs too they “expect a fair, transparent and thorough handling of all substantiated appeals and complaints.”
The four MEPs expressed the European Parliament’s readiness to assist Georgian political parties “to further improve relevant legislation ahead of future elections.”
Opposition candidates boycotted the majoritarian runoffs for all 17 single-mandate constituencies, as all major opposition parties are rejecting the outcome of the “rigged” October 31 parliamentary elections and refusing to enter the new parliament. They are demanding snap elections, the resignation of Central Election Commission chair Tamar Zhvania and the release of alleged political prisoners.
The U.S. and EU Ambassador facilitated two rounds of talks between the ruling Georgian Dream and opposition parties to end the political impasse, but with no success so far.
BJP cries foul over ‘religion’ in Agency survey
– VISAKHAPATNAM: BJP MLC PVN Madhav on Monday took exception to inclusion of religion column in the household survey being conducted by ward volunteers in Agency areas of the district. Speaking to mediapersons here, he said in the column, an option was given to choose ‘tribal religion’. He questioned the rationale behind inclusion of the religion column in the survey. “It is against the Constitution to include religion. Tribals belong to Hindu religion and there is no religion called tribal religion. It is an attempt to divide Hindus by showing SCs and STs as people of separate religions,” the MLC said.
Stating that there is no such survey in any other State in the country, he demanded that the State government immediately suspend it. Meanwhile, BJP State vice-president and former MLA P Vishnu Kumar Raju said courts should function on Saturday and Sunday also.
He said the authorities were serving notices on Friday evening and demolishing the structures on Saturday and Sunday. Hence, the victims are unable to seek any relief from the courts. In view of this, a court bench should function on Saturday and Sunday, he demanded.
B.C.: Bestselling books for the week of Nov. 21
Article content
1. Takaya: Lone Wolf —Cheryl Alexander (RMB | Rocky Mountain Books).
2. When We are Kind —Monique Gray Smith, illustrated by Nicole Neidhardt(Orca Book Publishers).
3. Vancouver Exposed: Searching for the City’s Hidden History —Eve Lazarus(Arsenal Pulp Press).
4. The E.J. Hughes Book of Boats —Robert Amos (TouchWood Editions).
5. Raven Squawk, Orca Squeak —Robert Budd, illustrated by Roy Henry Vickers (Harbour Publishing).
6. Crossing the Divide: Discovering a Wilderness Ethic in Canada’s Northern Rockies —Wayne Sawchuk (Creekstone Press).
7. Balancing Bountiful: What I Learned about Feminism from My Polygamist Grandmothers — Mary Jayne Blackmore (Caitlin Press).
8. Edible and Medicinal Flora of the West Coast: British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest —Collin Varner(Heritage House Publishing).
9. Hope Matters: Why Changing the Way We Think is Critical to Solving the Environmental Crisis —Elin Kelsey (Greystone Books).
Kuwait PM holds talks with European Council chief
KUWAIT: His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah discussed Kuwait’s “distinguished relations” with the European Union in a phone conversation with European Council President Charles Michel yesterday. The two officials also reviewed aspects of the growing cooperation between the two sides under various fields and means of coordination and exchanged views on current regional and international developments. During the talks, the European Council chief expressed his appreciation for the active role of Kuwait in strengthening the bonds of cooperation with the European Union and its shared pursuit of global peace.
Meanwhile, His Highness the Prime Minister praised the two sides’ distinguished level of cooperation in the aim of achieving their interests, particularly regarding the coronavirus pandemic. He said he deeply appreciates the role played by the European Union in supporting just Arab causes and its keenness to promote stability in the Arab Gulf region.
The prime minister went on to express Kuwait’s solidarity alongside the European Union in facing the terrorist attacks that some European countries were victim to recently. He also stressed Kuwait’s firm opposition to all forms of extremism and terrorism and its support for various global efforts to eliminate this phenomenon that threatens the stability and capabilities of nations. – KUNA
Archbishop Gallagher: Pandemic solutions require science, humanism alliance – Vatican News
By Vatican News staff writer
Opening his speech at the Colloquium on Science Diplomacy on Monday, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States, thanked the Lincean Academy in Rome for organizing the invitation.
Speaking on the theme “Fraternity, integral ecology and Covid-19: The contribution of diplomacy and science”, Archbishop Gallagher spoke of the “test” that Covid-19 has been to the whole of humanity.
Describing it as an “epochal crisis”, the coronavirus, he said, has “exposed the radical vulnerability of everyone and everything”, raising numerous doubts and concerns and causing our securities to “collapse”. Suddenly, he said, “we find ourselves weak and full of fear”.
Era full of contradictions
“We live in an era full of contradictions” continued Archbishop Gallagher. “If, on the one hand, we are witnessing unprecedented progress in various scientific fields, on the other hand, the world is facing multiple humanitarian crises in different areas of the planet, each of which are strongly interrelated.”
He then went on to mention four crises that the coronavirus has brought to life. The first was the “health crisis” and the repercussions that it will have on all aspects of life: “economy, politics, nutrition and access to food.“
A food crisis, he continued, “is already underway.” Archbishop Gallagher explained that the pandemic will “further exacerbate” this crisis by compromising “production, distribution and access to food” both in the long and short terms – “especially for the most vulnerable”. The spectrum of famine, he continued, is “crossing our world once more.”
This final point, he continued, recalls us back to the environmental crisis. “Climate change represents a multitude of threats, with the potential to push part of the world’s population into extreme poverty in the coming years, nullifying the significant progress made in terms of development and that was achieved with great difficulty.”
Continuing, Archbishop Gallagher noted that “to all of this is added the economic and social crisis.”
The pandemic continues to have significant economic repercussions with substantial effects on the labor market. It revealed and amplified many of the vulnerabilities and injustices that were already present.
“The devastating consequences of inequality can no longer be ignored. For millions of workers, no income means no food, no security and no future. The poor, especially those working in the informal sectors, were the first to see their means of survival disappear,” he said.
“The health crisis, food crisis, environmental crisis and socio-economic crisis are all highly interrelated transversal crises, so much so that we can speak of a single and complex socio-health-environmental crisis.”
The possibility of starting over
Archbishop Gallagher noted that “the Covid-19 pandemic can, in fact, represent a real moment of conversion and give rise to the possibility of starting over, a second chance.”
This requires a clear vision of what kind of society and economy we want to build, said Archbishop Gallagher. This clear vision cannot fail to call for a careful evaluation and re-proposal of the concept of security. This, however, he continued, does not mean spending money to arm nations, as “weapons and armies will not guarantee greater security.”
“The international community is called upon to adopt forward-looking strategies to promote the goal of peace and stability and avoid shortsighted approaches to national and international security problems.”
Everything is connected
Making reference to Pope Francis’ Encyclical, Laudato Si’, in which the Holy Father describes everything as being related and connected, Archbishop Gallagher said, “Strategies for a solution demand an integrated approach to combating poverty, restoring dignity to the excluded, and at the same time protecting nature.”
Education, continued Archbishop Gallagher, is essential in order to “adopt an integral point of view that favours an intimate knowledge of nature and its processes”. He discussed the importance of “spaces for education and formation.”
“The transforming power of education in integral ecology requires the patience to generate long-term processes, aimed at shaping genuinely sustainable policies and economies which promote quality of life, in favor of all peoples and the planet, especially the disadvantaged and those in situations of greater risk,” he said.
The Covid-19 pandemic has revealed problems that already existed for years and that can no longer be avoided. “The world was relentlessly moving towards an economy that, thanks to technological progress, sought to reduce ‘human costs’; there were those who would have had us believe that freedom of the market was sufficient to keep everything secure.”
Contribution of diplomacy and science
Archbishop Gallagher continued explaining that “a new alliance between science and humanism is indispensable.”
He said the two must be integrated and not separated, and should not be opposed to one another. The health and the economic and social development of our community depend on them. Concerning the latter, we need “the development of a global community of fraternity based on the practice of social friendship on the part of peoples and nations calls for a better kind of politics, one truly at the service of the common good. Sadly, politics today often takes forms that hinder progress towards a different world,” he said.
Archbishop Gallagher went on to note that “often, in our technologically advanced world, there is the temptation to seek solutions to problems through science and technology alone.”
“An approach disconnected from the human person cannot reach a solid, just and human solution. It risks being partial, relative and ideological. In recent years, technological development has made it possible to achieve incredible progress for our societies, however it has also led to the belief that technology itself can predict all human activity using only data and algorithms. Instead, in order to face the consequences of the pandemic, I would argue that we must engage in innovative scientific and institutional models based on the sharing of knowledge and cooperation between different disciplines.”
“Life is bigger than science”, he added.
Archbishop Gallagher concluded by quoting Pope Francis: “We never emerge from a crisis just as we were. We come out either better or worse. This is why, at this critical juncture, it is our duty to rethink the future of our common home and our common project. A complex task lies before us, one that requires a frank and coherent dialogue aimed at strengthening multilateralism and cooperation between states. The present crisis has further demonstrated the limits of our self-sufficiency as well as our common vulnerability. It has forced us to think clearly about how we want to emerge from this: either better or worse. The pandemic has shown us that we cannot live without one another, or worse still, pitted against one another. The United Nations was established to bring nations together, to be a bridge between peoples. Let us make good use of this institution in order to transform the challenge that lies before us into an opportunity to build together, once more, the future we all desire”.
Religion redefined on transition to digital platforms
Religion becomes redefined for religious organizations as they transition to digital platforms
Many UC Davis religious groups find that students are having trouble adapting to virtual format as participation, faith and morale have decreased
When COVID-19 escalated in March, governors began instating statewide measures focused on restricting public gatherings and exposure. Shutdowns closed a majority of the country, and with them, religious institutions were forced to close too. Nearing the end of the year, certain restrictions have been lifted to allow for religious gatherings to take place under strict safety guidelines.
The Newman Catholic Center, the Muslim Student Association (MSA) and the Jewish Law Student Association (JLSA) are among many religious organizations that were initially banned from having in-person meetings and now have been permitted to host events according to county guidelines. Consequently, they are implementing a hybrid model with most meetings occurring online. Representatives from these organizations described shifts in their procedures as they were forced to pivot online.
According to Vince Nims, the director of the Newman Catholic Center, the organization has adhered to state restrictions as well as the University Religious Council’s COVID-19 guidelines. Nims stated that though county guidelines initially restricted all masses to take place online, overtime there was a shift to outdoor and indoor masses.
“As a student org, the Newman Center is not doing any activities, but as an institution of the Catholic Church we’re still operating, having mass and prayer events,” Nims said.
To allow for greater accessibility of their events, the Newman’s masses and weekly Newman Nights were streamed online through Zoom, according to Nims.
Similarly, Cenna Abboushi, a third-year neurobiology, physiology and behavior major and the external vice president of MSA, stated that the organization took similar precautions and shifted all meetings online. Currently, the MSA is completely digital and Abboushi stated that the organization has taken several steps to strengthen community bonds.
“We’ve been heavily relying on our Instagram,” Abboushi said. “Doing more interactive videos has been really important for us and advertising a lot on our Facebook and creating event pages.”
With no in-person meetings, the MSA has focused on strengthening their social media presence and producing an interactive online experience. Amidst the pandemic, the organization even created their own TikTok page which, Abboushi said, was used to invigorate involvement and excite the incoming freshman.
Alexander Watson, the treasurer of the JLSA and a second-year UC Davis law student, described similar efforts of redirecting all events to be online. Many were canceled, however, due to their inability to be successfully offered online.
Despite efforts to increase community interaction online, all three representatives mentioned that the digital atmosphere made it difficult to have a united community. Both Abboushi and Watson highlighted that, prior to the pandemic, offering food at meetings served an important purpose in attracting club members.
“Central to a lot of religions, and definitely Judaism, is food, […] but with our student funding we can’t use it on food whatsoever, even if it’s food being sent to people,” Watson said.
Ultimately, fewer incentives and a fully-online interface have led to a decline in participation and decreased morale among students from all three organizations. Moreover, all representatives emphasized that diminished spirits have led many students to face challenges in their faith.
“There have been dramatic changes,” Nims said. “We are really experiencing church in a long distance relationship. It’s harder to communicate. It’s harder to feel. It’s harder to experience. That’s the status. If you asked me, ‘Has there been a deflation of morale and enthusiasm?’ I would say absolutely, because it’s just not the same.”
With religion being heavily practiced online, the community aspect has been completely rewritten for the members of these organizations.
“Not being able to do things the way we usually do is […] spiritually fatiguing,” Nims said.
To counteract this depletion in participation and enthusiasm, the Newman Center will host a COVID-safe friendsgiving with individually-boxed KFC.
In response to similar issues, the MSA is looking to increase interaction with platforms like TikTok, include more speakers and collaborate with varying organizations and schools, Abboushi said.
For the JLSA, the community has turned to Zoom in order to follow the traditional community aspect, yet still follow COVID guidelines.
Though online efforts have made accessibility easier, the overarching issue remains that many students are unable to find sufficient motivation or connection to online religious platforms. All three representatives emphasized that the online system is inadequate at invigorating relationships as students experience disconnection. All anticipate, however, that online streaming will remain ingrained in the religious communities for years to come.
With online meetings becoming normalized, Abboushi said that “motivation is harder, but the access is easier.”
Written by: Farrah Ballou — [email protected]
