The Church marks the 106th World Day of Migrants and Refugees on Sunday.
Since the first observance of this annual celebration in 1914, this day has been set aside to express concern for vulnerable people on the move and the increasing awareness for them as they face challenges.
The Pope’s Message for this year’s celebration is themed: “Forced like Jesus Christ to flee.” His reflections are inspired by the experience of Jesus as a child with His parents as displaced refugees.
Pope Francis points out that “building the Kingdom of God is a commitment that all Christians share, and for this reason, it is necessary that we learn to collaborate.” He also prayed that we “may be perfectly united in mind and thought,” as St. Paul recommends.
This week, the Vatican’s Migrant and Refugees Section of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development released the sixth in a series of videos ahead of the annual day.
In the video, Lorena Margarita Pinilla Rojano—a 25-year-old woman from Chibolo Magdalena, Columbia—recounts her experience of becoming internally displaced.
“I arrived in the city of Bogotá in 2012. I have been here for 8 years,” she said. “I arrived here with my family, which was displaced because of violence.”
She recalls that her family had to flee Chibolo Magdalena in the middle of the night, leaving behind everything, including her father’s farm, which the guerillas burnt down.
Beginning anew
In 2015, Lorena moved to Soacha Cundinamarca, a suburb of Bogota, and was able to purchase a home.
Currently, she is one the beneficiaries of an initiative run by the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) in San Benito, and is one step closer to her dreams of becoming an entrepreneur.
“I had a business idea that I wanted to develop but I did not have the financial means to do that,” she said. “I am grateful to the Jesuits here in Columbia who supported me, trained me, and offered me this initiative opportunity. Thanks to them, I developed my business initiative and moved forward.”
Lorena gives some sound advice: She encourages everyone to “move on and fight for their dreams.”
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said there is no basis to fear what doomsayers describe as imminent loss of about 200,000 jobs for Filipino workers as a result of the possible Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) withdrawal.
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III (ROBINSON NIÑAL JR. / PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
In a statement, Bello said they are confident that the European Commission will find “no valid and convincing reason to withdraw such privileges.”
“We believe we have been compliant with the fundamental requirements and processes for the country to continue enjoying the privileges under the GSP+,” he said on Wednesday.
“We fared well in the country report to the European Commission which provides a scorecard of Philippine compliance with 27 international conventions,” added Bello.
The country report, he said, is an inter-agency effort, where DOLE actively participates in the process of providing updates and factual evidence, particularly on matters pertaining to the observance of labor rights.
Bello also revealed that the Philippines is the only country in the ASEAN that ratified eight fundamental conventions with respect to labor — Freedom of Association and Protection on the Right to Organize Convention, Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining Convention, Forced Labor Convention, Abolition of Forced Labor Convention, Minimum Age Convention, Worst Forms of Child Labor Convention, Equal Remuneration Convention, and Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention.
“Our government is doing its best to comply with all the EU GSP+ requirements in promoting the welfare of workers,” he said.
Bello said among them are the adoption of measures such as the Occupational Safety and Health Law, Expanded Maternity Benefit Leave, Anti-Age Discrimination in Employment.
“Our government recorded milestones in protecting and promoting the rights and welfare of our workers both locally and overseas,” he said.
“These are just some of the significant policies in support of the labor rights in the country and we will be relentless in this undertaking,” added Bello.
The European Parliament in a resolution called for the revocation of certain tariff benefits given to Philippines over concerns on the alleged deteriorating human rights situation.
Brussels [Belgium], September 24 (ANI): The Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have asked the European Union to reshape the EU-China relations framework after Beijing charged for personal protective equipment (PPE) given to European countries during the COVID-19 pandemic.
When China was facing the pandemic, the European Union came forward and sent tons of goods/equipment to China, spending millions of euros on the process. Germany, France and Italy were major contributors to the aid relief.
However, when coronavirus cases arose in European countries, Beijing did not donate the PPE to Italy, and charged for the very equipment Italy had previously donated to China.
Spain was forced to return faulty test kits to China, and the Netherlands had to recall 600,000 faulty coronavirus face masks imported from China.
“Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) Anna Bonfrisco, Matteo Adinolfi, Valentino Grant, Marco Dreosto, Luisa Regimenti, Alessandro Panza, Stefania Zambelli, Simona Baldassarre, Gianna Gancia and Francesca Donato of the Identity and Democracy Group have asked for reshaping the EU-China relations framework,” EU Chronicle reported.
In April, the Italian Identity and Democracy Group MEPs raised a parliamentary question to the European Commission asking that considering the EU-China investment agreement should be signed this year.
In July, High Representative/Vice-President Borrell responded that “the European Commission is working with the Member States and international partners on all fronts to tackle the COVID-19 outbreak” and that “the first priority is to guarantee the health and safety of all EU citizens: protecting people from the spread of the virus, supporting the health systems and health workers while maintaining the flow of goods, mitigating the effects on the economy and helping people get back to their homes”.
In an attempt to restore its humanitarian image following the crisis, China had projected in April to the world that it would donate PPE to Italy.
But later it was revealed, it was not a humanitarian gesture but a business- Beijing had actually sold, not donated, the PPE to Italy, several media reports claimed.
A senior Trump administration official was quoted by The Spectator as saying that it is much worse than that and China “forced Italy to buy back the PPE supply that it gave to China during the initial coronavirus outbreak.”
“Before the virus hit Europe, Italy sent tons of PPE to China to help China protect its own population,” the administration official explained. “China then has sent Italian PPE back to Italy — some of it, not even all of it … and charged them for it,” he added.
Spain had to return 50,000 quick-testing kits to China after discovering that they were faulty.
In some cases, instead of apologising or fixing the issue, China has blamed its defective equipment on others. It condescendingly told The Netherlands to ‘double-check the instructions’ on its masks, for example, after The Netherlands complained that half of the masks sent by the Beijing did not meet safety standards, the media reported. (ANI)
US President, Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he would be signing a “Born Alive” executive order “to ensure that all precious babies born alive, no matter their circumstances, receive the medical care that they deserve.”
Trump made this announcement in a video message during the 16th Annual National Catholic Prayer Breakfast, which was held virtually in observance of coronavirus precautionary norms.
He also announced an increase in federal funding for neonatal research “to ensure that every child has the very best chance to thrive and to grow.”
“We believe in the joy of family, the blessing of freedom, the dignity of work and the eternal truth that every child born and unborn is made in the holy image of God,” Trump said.
He also stated his commitment to protecting the vital role of religion, prayer and the right to life, calling the protection of children a “sacrosanct moral duty.”
The Church in service of society
The US president recalled growing up next to a Catholic Church in Queens, New York and seeing the impact of the Catholic Church in his community.
“Catholic schools give many underserved children the chance to reach their God-given potential,” he said. Catholics of all backgrounds share the love of Christ with the most vulnerable as they care for the elderly, the homeless and neighbors in need.”
“Our nation is strong because of Catholics and all people of faith,” the president added.
Trump recalled Pope St. John Paul II’s first visit to the US, repeating his words to a parish in Harlem: “let the Good News of Christ radiate from your hearts and the peace that He alone gives remain forever in your souls.”
He also expressed his gratitude to Catholics across America who live by the Polish saint’s words and who bring “hope and joy and light and grace to the world.”
WHO deploys help to refugees and migrants in Lesvos’s fire-burned camp in the midst of COVID19
WHO deploys help to refugees and migrants in Lesvos’s fire-burned camp in the midst of COVID-19 outbreak
In a catastrophic fire that broke out on 8 September 2020, the Moria reception and identification centre for asylum seekers and refugees on Lesvos, Greece, was burned to the ground. The world turned its attention towards the Greek island as some 12 000 refugees and migrants were left without shelter, food or access to health-care services. With 35 refugees and migrants having tested positive to COVID-19 a few days prior to the fire, the situation was particularly urgent, calling for immediate action and coordination.
WHO answered the urgent call for support. A few hours after the incident, a team from the WHO Country Office in Greece arrived on the island and started working at the forefront of the response, joining efforts with government and other health actors.
WHO visited the site of the fire to evaluate immediate health needs and set up the initial public health response. A new health working group was soon established, led by the National Public Health Organization (EODY) in close collaboration with WHO. Its immediate priority was to map existing resources and make the best use of them.
Supporting critical response activities
Over the following hours and days, Greek authorities established a new temporary accommodation site in the area of Kara Tepe, and initiated a relocation process for refugees and migrants shortly after.
On 11 September, the WHO team on the ground was joined by an expert from WHO/Europe. Together they began supporting the site planning for a central medical area. WHO then established a coordination cell to help with critical public health response activities. Preparations for the provision of essential health services to refugees and migrants started immediately. In coordination with the Greek Ministry of Health through EODY, WHO began to facilitate the deployment of an emergency medical team (EMT).
Working hand in hand with frontline health professionals
On 14 September, Norway’s EMT arrived on Lesvos. A few days later, they had established their presence in a tented structure at the entrance of the new site and begun to operate.
A total of 22 team members, including medical doctors, nurses and paramedics of diverse specializations, worked with local authorities and health professionals to triage, test, isolate and treat COVID-19 patients at the new site and to provide medical support to people in need.
The presence of the EMT was a game changer for the provision of health care on the ground. The EMT staff supported EODY health workers to address the needs of over 9000 refugees and migrants who had been relocated to the site by the evening of 20 September.
WHO’s background work to make this happen ranged from customs clearance for shipments of medical supplies and equipment, organization of their transportation and storage, coordination of initial briefings on security and public health, and provision of Farsi and Arabic interpreters.
Coordinating an ecosystem of partners
As numerous health actors were mobilizing on the ground, coordination remained key to maximizing the impact of their efforts. WHO has been meeting with several stakeholders, providing them with updates on the evolving epidemiological situation and helping to streamline access to essential health services for refugees and migrants.
The team has worked closely with the Greek Government, meeting regularly with the Greek Minister of Citizen Protection, the General Secretariat of Migration and Asylum, and the leadership of EODY while constantly briefing United Nations agencies, key nongovernmental organizations and donor agencies to help establish an ecosystem of collaboration.
Local health actors have also been part of this collaborative effort. During a visit to the general hospital of Mytilene on Lesvos, the WHO team was able to map health capacities to address the needs of the refugees and migrants in the new camp and of the resident population.
In a catastrophic fire that broke out on 8 September 2020, the Moria reception and identification centre for asylum seekers and refugees on Lesvos, Greece, was burned to the ground. The world turned its attention towards the Greek island as some 12 000 refugees and migrants were left without shelter, food or access to health-care services. With 35 refugees and migrants having tested positive to COVID-19 a few days prior to the fire, the situation was particularly urgent, calling for immediate action and coordination.
Joining efforts on the ground in no time
WHO answered the urgent call for support. A few hours after the incident, a team from the WHO Country Office in Greece arrived on the island and started working at the forefront of the response, joining efforts with government and other health actors.
WHO visited the site of the fire to evaluate immediate health needs and set up the initial public health response. A new health working group was soon established, led by the National Public Health Organization (EODY) in close collaboration with WHO. Its immediate priority was to map existing resources and make the best use of them.
Supporting critical response activities
Over the following hours and days, Greek authorities established a new temporary accommodation site in the area of Kara Tepe, and initiated a relocation process for refugees and migrants shortly after.
On 11 September, the WHO team on the ground was joined by an expert from WHO/Europe. Together they began supporting the site planning for a central medical area. WHO then established a coordination cell to help with critical public health response activities. Preparations for the provision of essential health services to refugees and migrants started immediately. In coordination with the Greek Ministry of Health through EODY, WHO began to facilitate the deployment of an emergency medical team (EMT).
Working hand in hand with frontline health professionals
On 14 September, Norway’s EMT arrived on Lesvos. A few days later, they had established their presence in a tented structure at the entrance of the new site and begun to operate.
A total of 22 team members, including medical doctors, nurses and paramedics of diverse specializations, worked with local authorities and health professionals to triage, test, isolate and treat COVID-19 patients at the new site and to provide medical support to people in need.
The presence of the EMT was a game changer for the provision of health care on the ground. The EMT staff supported EODY health workers to address the needs of over 9000 refugees and migrants who had been relocated to the site by the evening of 20 September.
WHO’s background work to make this happen ranged from customs clearance for shipments of medical supplies and equipment, organization of their transportation and storage, coordination of initial briefings on security and public health, and provision of Farsi and Arabic interpreters.
Coordinating an ecosystem of partners
As numerous health actors were mobilizing on the ground, coordination remained key to maximizing the impact of their efforts. WHO has been meeting with several stakeholders, providing them with updates on the evolving epidemiological situation and helping to streamline access to essential health services for refugees and migrants.
The team has worked closely with the Greek Government, meeting regularly with the Greek Minister of Citizen Protection, the General Secretariat of Migration and Asylum, and the leadership of EODY while constantly briefing United Nations agencies, key nongovernmental organizations and donor agencies to help establish an ecosystem of collaboration.
Local health actors have also been part of this collaborative effort. During a visit to the general hospital of Mytilene on Lesvos, the WHO team was able to map health capacities to address the needs of the refugees and migrants in the new camp and of the resident population.
High level of partnership exists between Azerbaijan and the European Union, President Ilham Aliyev said while receiving credentials of the newly-appointed Ambassador of Sweden Christian Kamill on September 24, Azertag reported .
“Sweden has always actively participated in cooperation between the European Union and the region. There is now a very high level partnership between the European Union and Azerbaijan and this partnerhship covers many areas. I hope the negotiations on the new agreement will continue successfully,” the president said.
The president said that the cooperation with the EU continues, despite disruption of some plans due to COVID-19.
Aliyev stressed that Azerbaijan has signed documents on strategic partnership with one third of EU member states, which demonstrates the high level of cooperation. In addition, he stated that two years ago Azerbaijan and EU also signed a document on partnership priorities, which is very important for further development of cooperation.
“We are very grateful that the European Union supported Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and sovereignty of its borders in this document. It is a very important sign of a fair and just approach to the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” the president emphasized.
“As for our bilateral relations, we want them to become more intense. I am confident that such opportunity will appear through the ambassadors’ activity,” Aliyev said.
In turn, Ambassador Kamill stressed that Sweden is ready to support the Azerbaijan-EU cooperation.
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 23, ARMENPRESS. Armenia is expected to sign a 30 million euro financing agreement with the European Commission envisaged for supporting Armenia’s judicial reforms.
The project is directed at supporting Armenia’s reforms in the justice sector in conformity with its obligations under the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement with the EU.
In addition, the Armenian Government is expected to sign a financing agreement with the European Union as part of the Armenia-EU 2020 annual action plan which will provide Armenia with 30 million Euros in support for the COVID-19 response and mitigation of the negative consequences in the healthcare and socio-economic areas.
The agreements are expected to be formally approved by the Armenian government at the September 24 Cabinet meeting.
The agenda of the Cabinet meeting also includes the signing of a grant agreement with the Asian Development Bank envisaging a 2 million dollar grant to Armenia for the COVID-19 response.
The first issue of Publishers Weekly en Españolwas published this week in Spain. The magazine, a creation of PW and Seville-based Lantia, will be published 26 times a year.
The inaugural edition features an interview with Jesús Badenes, CEO of Grupo Planeta; a profile of author Arturo Pérez-Reverte, where he discusses his his new book, La Línea de Fuego (Alfaguara, November); and articles covering audiobooks, bookselling, and children’s books in the Spanish-language market, among other topics. The magazine also offers more than fifty book reviews of Spanish-language titles.
The cover of the magazine was designed by artist Marta Bustos, and echoes a famous photo of Gabriel Garcia-Marquez, albeit updated for the times: he is holding a book, but using it as a mask.
“It is with great enthusiasm that we welcome Publishers Weekly en Español to the Spanish-speaking book world,” said Lantia CEO Enrique Parrilla said from his office in Seville. “With its lively mix of news, interviews, feature articles and book reviews, Publishers Weekly en Español is a long-awaited resource that Spanish-speaking booksellers, publishers, authors, agents and librarians can use every day in their professional lives.”
Cevin Bryerman, executive v-p and publisher of Publishers Weekly, added: “The debut of Publishers Weekly en Español brings publishing and bookselling news and reviews to Spanish speakers in Spain, the U.S., Mexico and beyond. With original and translated feature articles, author interviews and book reviews, Publishers Weekly en Español expands and enriches the book world to encompass the wider realm of Spanish-language publishing.”
Initially, the magazine will be available in Spain, as well as through El Sótano bookstores in Mexico. Distribution to the rest of the Americas is expected to follow shortly.
