Accra, Ghana, April 19, 2024. The central theme of the fourth Global Christian Forum (GCF) is taken from the Gospel of John: “That the world may know” (John 17:21). In many ways, the assembly delved deeper into this great text, where Jesus prays for the unity of his disciples by sending them into the world.
This forum had great logic. On the first day, we affirmed that Christ alone unites us. The second, with the visit to the Cape Coast fortress where millions of slaves passed through, we confessed our unfaithfulness to the will of God. On the third day, we recognized our need to be forgiven and healed before being sent. Sending is the theme of the fourth day.
Love is the cement of ecumenism
It is no coincidence that John 17 was chosen as the key text. Indeed, “if the Bible is a sanctuary, John 17 is the “holy of holies”: a revelation of an intimate dialogue between the Father and the Son made flesh,” says Ganoun Diop, of the Adventist Church in Senegal. It is a great mystery: Jesus loved us so that we would be reborn into a new life. GCF is a tool that God uses to bring His love. And love is the cement of ecumenism!
For Catherine Shirk Lukas, professor at the Catholic University of Paris, the ecumenical movement is a movement of love because Jesus prayed for divine love to be spread throughout the world (John 3.16). “That the world may know”: this promise is first and foremost for those who have been victims of violence and abuse. “We have to listen to them, see them and support them, being humble and repenting of our mistakes.”
The Ghanaian Gertrude Fefoame is involved in the network for the disabled of the World Council of Churches. She herself is blind and testifies that there are still many barriers to welcoming them into the community: “Forgiveness and healing given by Christ are a liberation. It frees from all discrimination and includes people with disabilities.”
For Coptic Orthodox Archbishop Angaelos, Jesus’ call to unity is a challenge that requires patience and kindness. “We must function as a body with Christ at our head. This means considering the other parts of this body in our decisions.” Jesus’ prayer in John 17 calls him to live the truth that the Son of God came so that we might have life in fullness. We are ministers of his reconciliation so that the world sees Him and not us.
The effective methodology of the Forum
What pleases Victor Lee, a Pentecostal from Malaysia, is the methodology of sharing paths of faith in the Forum. It allows Pentecostals to make Jesus known by collaborating with other Churches, through the power of the Spirit.
Theologian Richard Howell, from India, recognizes that these sharings transformed his life. “After my mom was miraculously healed when I was 12, I then became a Pentecostal. I thought only Pentecostals were saved. Hearing Christians from other churches share their faith at the Forum, I asked God to forgive my ignorance. I discovered brothers and sisters and that I was missing 2000 years of Christian heritage. It was a new conversion.”
Likewise, a leader of an independent African Church discovered the richness of listening to stories of faith. “I realized that we have the same faith in Christ. If we start to listen to each other, we will love each other and overcome our separations.”
The Forum’s methodology also combines presentations with times of dialogue between six and eight people around a table. This “knitting” is very effective for getting to know yourself better on a personal level. We were thus invited to share on these three questions: “What do you want the world to know? How did you know Christ? How do you make Christ known? » And, at the end of the meeting, this other question: “What inspiration have you received during these days and that you would like to pass on to your home”
A Road to Emmaus
The story of the two disciples walking towards Emmaus is at the heart of what the Global Christian Forum is looking for. For Archbishop Flávio Pace, secretary of the dicastery for promoting Christian unity, it symbolizes the Church on the move, joined by Christ. It is he who must be put at the center, and it is with him that we must open the Scriptures. Reflecting on the recent synod of the Catholic Church, he affirms that there cannot be a true synod without the ecumenical dimension. The prayer vigil at the Vatican “Together” gave a strong sign in this direction.
On two occasions, the delegates were invited to an “Emmaus Way” to get to know a person we did not yet know. As for me, I walked with Sharaz Alam, a young pastor, general secretary of the Presbyterian Church of Pakistan, in the park adjoining the conference center, then in the shade of large trees around a fresh drink. We shared the meaning of the Emmaus story. He also spoke to me about his evangelization work with the 300 young people in his parish and his doctoral project on the challenges that Islam poses to the Church in his country.
The story of Emmaus is also at the heart of Focolare spirituality, which emphasizes the importance of experiencing the presence of Christ among us. It is presented by Enno Dijkema, co-director of the Center for Unity of this great Catholic movement, open to members of other Churches. Indeed, its goal is to contribute to realizing the “testament of Jesus” in John 17. The Gospel is at its basis, in particular the new commandment of reciprocal love given by Christ.
Finally, the horizon of 2033 is like a road to Emmaus towards the jubilee of the 2000 years of the resurrection of Jesus. The Swiss Olivier Fleury, president of the JC2033 initiative, speaks with passion of the wonderful opportunity for witness in unity that this Jubilee represents… “so that the world may know” that Jesus-Christ is risen!
“Six months into the war, 10,000 Palestinian women in Gaza have been killed, among them an estimated 6,000 mothers, leaving 19,000 children orphaned,” said UN Women, in a new report.
“More than one million women and girls in Gaza have almost no food, no access to safe water, latrines, washrooms, or sanitary pads, with disease growing amidst inhumane living conditions.”
Echoing those concerns, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) issued a new ceasefire call so that humanitarian relief can be brought into Gaza to help rebuild hospitals including Al Shifa, which has been “basically destroyed” after a recent Israeli incursion. “The management is trying to get the emergency department cleaned (but) the work is just enormous to get just a cleaning done, let alone to get supplies,” said WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic, following a new UN health agency mission to the devastated medical facility in Gaza City on Monday.
Only a third of Gaza’s 36 hospitals remain functional meaning that it is essential to “preserve what is left” of the enclave’s health system, Mr. Jasarevic insisted.
But needs remain massive with more than 76,000 people injured, according to the local authorities, and several UN agencies have repeatedly warned that amputations and C-section births have gone ahead without anaesthetic.
“Once again we’re calling really for the deconfliction mechanism to be effective, to be transparent and to be workable,” the WHO officer said, referring to the approvals system used by humanitarians in conjunction with the warring parties to try to ensure that aid convoys are not targeted.
Concerns remain over the deconfliction protocol after seven aid workers from the NGO World Central Kitchen were killed in Israeli airstrikes on 1 April.
But “more than half” of planned WHO missions between last October and the end of March “have been either denied or delayed or face other obstacles so they have to be postponed, so we really need that access”, Mr. Jasarevic insisted, amid repeated dire warnings from humanitarians about impending famine in Gaza.
No relief for injured
A lack of staff, needles, stitches and other essential medical equipment have meant that “injured children often languish in pain,” in hospitals or in makeshift shelters, noted Tess Ingram, UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Communication specialist.
Speaking from Cairo after her latest mission to northern Gaza where her UN vehicle came under attack, Ms. Ingram told journalists that it was notable just how many youngsters had been injured during intense Israeli bombardment, launched in response to Hamas-led terror attacks in southern Israel on 7 October.
“Imagine for a second being strip-searched naked and questioned for hours, told that you’re safe and then you leave; you quickly walk down the street praying that you will be okay. But then you’re shot at, your father is killed and a bullet penetrates your naked pelvis causing serious internal and external injuries that are going to require reconstructive surgery. At a field hospital Younis told me this happened to him. He is 14.”
The UNICEF officer also highlighted how difficult it remains to evacuate desperately injured or sick patients for medical care outside Gaza. Less than half of all “medivac” requests have been approved meaning that only around 4,500 people – “most of them children” – have been able to leave Gaza at a rate of less than 20 a day.
Rights chief’s call
Highlighting the plight of those in Gaza, UN human rights chief Volker Türk on Monday urged “all States with influence” to halt the “increasingly horrific human rights and humanitarian crisis” unfolding there.
“Israel continues to impose unlawful restrictions on the entry and distribution of humanitarian assistance and to carry out widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure,” the High Commissioner for Human Rights maintained, before repeating calls for an immediate ceasefire and the release of all remaining hostages.
West Bank spiralling
The High Commissioner for Human Rights also expressed deep concern about rising violence and “waves of attacks” in recent days against Palestinians in the West Bank “by hundreds of Israeli settlers, often accompanied or supported by Israeli Security Forces (ISF)”.
Following the killing of a 14-year-old Israeli boy from a settler family, four Palestinians, including a child, were killed and Palestinian property was destroyed in revenge attacks, Mr. Türk said in a statement.
Citing information received by his office, OHCHR, the UN rights chief reported that armed settlers and Israeli forces entered “a number of towns” including Al Mughayyer, Beitin village in Ramallah, Duma and Qusra in Nablus, as well as the Bethlehem and Hebron Governorates.
Dozens of Palestinians were reportedly injured in the ensuing violence “and hundreds of homes and other buildings, as well as cars, were torched”, the High Commissioner said, before insisting that “neither Palestinians nor Israelis should take the law into their own hands to exact revenge”.
Regional ‘trigger’
In a related development in Geneva, the head of a high-level UN-appointed independent rights probe into the Occupied Palestinian Territory spoke of her “serious alarm” at the potential for military escalation between Israel and Iran and the risks of triggering a regional conflict.
In a briefing to Arab League States days after Iran launched a massive drone and missile strike against Israel, Navi Pillay highlighted the “unprecedented” scale of war sustained by Israel. To date, more than 33,200 people have been killed, according to Gaza’s health authority, Ms. Pillay said, with some 40 per cent of schools directly hit in attacks, and 1.7 million people displaced inside the enclave.
In an oral update to the Human Rights Council – UN’s paramount human rights body – Deputy High Commissioner Nada Al-Nashif said that DPRK (more commonly known as North Korea) was showing no signs of compliance.
“As there are no indications that the State will address impunity, it is imperative that accountability is pursued outside the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” she said.
“This should be achieved first and foremost through referral to the International Criminal Court (ICC), or national level prosecutions in accordance with international standards under accepted principles of extraterritorial and universal jurisdiction,” she urged.
The deputy head of rights office OHCHR noted that non-judicial accountability was important.
“Moving ahead in tandem with criminal accountability efforts, non-judicial accountability is essential if victims are to receive some form of justice in their lifetime.”
Ms. Al-Nashif said that in developing possible strategies, OHCHR had consulted widely in the past year with national and international judicial officials and practitioners, governments, civil society experts and academia.
Last month, for instance, the Office brought together experts in all aspects of accountability to a conference to discuss ways forward and best practices.
“This included criminal justice avenues and civil liability options as well as non-judicial forms of accountability such as truth-telling, memorialization, and reparations,” she said.
Raising awareness
The Deputy High Commissioner said OHCHR had dedicated extra resources in the past year towards raising awareness about the human rights situation in North Korea.
In April 2023, it published a landmark report on enforced disappearances and abductions, including of nationals from neighbouring Republic of Korea and Japan.
“The report illustrated the impact of the crime on victims and their families, and their demands and needs relating to accountability,” she said.
Protect escapees
Ms. Al-Nashif highlighted that those who escaped North Korea and victims of rights abuses are a vital source of information on the situation in the country as well as for any accountability processes.
“I continue to call on all relevant Member States to ensure that OHCHR has full and unhindered access to escapees,” she said.
She also urged all States to refrain from forcibly repatriating people to DPRK, and to provide them with protection and humanitarian support.
“Repatriation puts them at real risk of torture, arbitrary detention, or other serious human rights violations,” she cautioned.
Deputy High Commissioner Al-Nashif addresses the Human Rights Council.
A conference at the European Parliament to make the world better
The social and humanitarian activities of minority religious or belief organizations in the EU are useful for European citizens and society but are too often ignored by political leaders and media outlets.
This was the message sent by a wide range of speakers with various religious and belief backgrounds at the Faith and Freedom Summit III hosted at the European Parliament in Brussels on 18 April.
However, the work of these minority organizations with their awareness of climate change or anti-drug campaigns, their aid programs to refugees and homeless people, on the sites of earthquakes and other natural disasters, deserves to be highlighted, recognized and known in order to escape invisibility and sometimes unfounded stigmatization.
In the framework of this conference, I used the debate time to share some views and reflections from a human rights perspective that I summarize in a structured way hereafter.
Social and humanitarian activities of religious or belief organizations ignored and silenced
The numerous presentations by spokespersons of minority religious and philosophical organizations which enriched this conference highlighted the importance and the impact of their humanitarian, charitable, educational and social activities to make the world a better place to live. They have also shown that they are useful to the States of the European Union which cannot solve all social problems alone without the contribution of this segment of civil society.
However, there is practically no trace of their activities in the media. We may wonder about the underlying reasons for this situation. Social work is a form of public and visible expression of these organizations. Expressing one’s personal faith through contribution to these activities does not bother anyone. However, doing so in the name of a religious entity is sometimes perceived by secular movements and their political relays as competitive with their philosophical convictions and as a potential danger of the return of the influence of historic Churches which for centuries have dictated their law to States and their sovereigns. Media outlets are also permeated by this culture of secularization and neutrality.
In the shadow of this distrust, religious or philosophical minorities are suspected by these same actors, but also by dominant Churches, of using their social and humanitarian activities as a tool for public self-promotion and to attract new members. Last but not least, some minorities have found themselves for more than 25 years in blacklists of so-called harmful and undesirable “cults” which were drafted and endorsed by a number of EU states and widely disseminated by the media. However, in international law, the concept of “cult” does not exist. Furthermore, the Catholic Church should remember that the famous Mother Teresa in India, despite her Nobel Peace Prize, was accused of wanting to convert the untouchables, and others, to Christianity in her Catholic hospitals and educational institutions.
What is in question here is the freedom of expression of religious or philosophical minority groups as collective and visible entities, which are not hiding their identity in the public space.
These faith-based organizations are seen as “undesirable” in certain European countries and considered a threat to the established order and right-thinking. The reaction is then in political circles and in the media to keep silent about their constructive social and humanitarian activities as if they had never existed. Or, through activism hostile to these movements, they are presented in a completely negative light, such as “it is undue proselytism”, “it is to recruit new members among the victims”, etc.
Towards more inclusive societies in the European Union
Double standards must be fundamentally avoided in the political and media treatment of civil society actors to avoid any damaging tension and hostility between social groups. Segregation leading to fragmentation of society and separatism breeds hatred and hate crimes. Inclusiveness brings respect, solidarity and social peace.
Coverage of social, charitable, educational and humanitarian activities of religious and philosophical groups must be equitable. Justice must be done, at its fair value and without prejudice, to anyone who contributes to the well-being of the citizens of the European Union.
With the 2024 Paris Olympics fast approaching, a heated debate over religious symbols has erupted in France, pitting the country’s strict secularism against the religious freedoms of athletes. A recent report by Professor Rafael Valencia of the University of Seville warns that France’s crackdown on religious expression could lead to a two-tiered system at the Olympics, with French athletes facing tighter restrictions than their international counterparts.
The issue came to a head last year when the French Senate voted to ban the wearing of any “ostensible religious symbols” by athletes representing France (even if apparently not specifically for the Olympics), a move that would prohibit Muslim women from wearing hijabs or Sikh men from wearing turbans. While this law has not yet been finalized, the French government has made its position clear, with Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra declaring that French team members “cannot express their religious opinions and beliefs” during the Olympics. Professor Valencia argues that this stance contradicts the fundamental principles of the Olympic movement. As he writes, “the firm intention of the (French) political voices on religious symbolism puts in question the foundations of modern Olympism” – values like respect, human dignity, and commitment to human rights. Valencia warns that if the French restrictions are implemented, it would create an unprecedented situation where “we would find ourselves with Olympics in which we could appreciate a two-speed religious freedom, of greater breadth for non-French athletes, causing a comparative grievance of unheard-of precedents in a competition of these characteristics.”
Valencia criticizes France’s actions, stating that the country is engaged in a “new attempt (in the line of so many others registered in France in recent years) to eradicate religion from the public space, transgressing the limits of secularism and hovering over the fields of secularism.” This, quoting Maria Jose Valero, “would lead to a distortion of the intended state neutrality that would lead to a restrictive interpretation of the principle of secularism and, ultimately, a restriction of rights such as religious freedom.” The Olympic movement has made great strides in recent years in accommodating religious expression, with the International Basketball Federation and FIFA both relaxing rules to allow for religious headwear.
But France’s desire to enforce a strict secularism threatens to upend this progress, potentially excluding Muslim, Sikh, and other religious athletes from representing their country at the Paris Games.
As the world prepares to converge on the French capital, the debate over religious symbols looms large. If France does not change course, the 2024 Olympics may be remembered more for the battles off the field of play than the triumphs within it.
People who find themselves rummaging around in the refrigerator for a snack not long after they’ve eaten a filling meal might have overactive food-seeking neurons, not an overactive appetite.
UCLA psychologists have discovered a circuit in the brain of mice that makes them crave food and seek it out, even when they are not hungry. When stimulated, this cluster of cells propels mice to forage vigorously and to prefer fatty and pleasurable foods like chocolate over healthier foods like carrots.
People possess the same kinds of cells, and if confirmed in humans, the finding could offer new ways of understanding eating disorders.
The report, published in the journal Nature Communications, is the first to find cells dedicated to food-seeking in a part of the mouse brainstem usually associated with panic, but not with feeding.
“This region we’re studying is called the periaqueductal gray (PAG), and it is in the brainstem, which is very old in evolutionary history and because of that, it is functionally similar between humans and mice,” said corresponding author Avishek Adhikari, a UCLA associate professor of psychology. “Although our findings were a surprise, it makes sense that food-seeking would be rooted in such an ancient part of the brain, since foraging is something all animals need to do.”
Adhikari studies how fear and anxiety help animals assess risks and minimize exposure to threats, and his group made the discovery while trying to learn how this particular spot was involved in fear.
“Activation of the entire PAG region causes a dramatic panic response in both mice and humans. But when we selectively stimulated only this specific cluster of PAG neurons called vgat PAG cells, they did not alter fear, and instead caused foraging and feeding,” Adhikari said.
The researchers injected into mouse brains a virus genetically engineered to make the brain cells produce a light-sensitive protein. When a laser shines on the cells via a fiber-optic implant, the new protein translates that light to electrical neural activity in the cells. A miniature microscope, developed at UCLA and affixed to the mouse’s head, recorded the neural activity of cells.
When stimulated with laser light, the vgat PAG cells fired and kicked the mouse into hot pursuit of live crickets and non-prey food, even if it had just eaten a large meal. The stimulation also induced the mouse to follow moving objects that were not food — like ping pong balls, although it did not try to eat them — and it also prompted the mouse to confidently explore everything in its enclosure.
“The results suggest the following behavior is related more to wanting than to hunger,” Adhikari said. “Hunger is aversive, meaning that mice usually avoid feeling hungry if they can. But they seek out activation of these cells, suggesting that the circuit is not causing hunger. Instead, we think this circuit causes the craving of highly rewarding, high-caloric food. These cells can cause the mouse to eat more high-calorie foods even in the absence of hunger.”
Satiated mice with activated vgat PAG cells craved fatty foods so much, they were willing to endure foot shocks to get them, something full mice normally would not do. Conversely, when the researchers injected a virus engineered to produce a protein that dampens the cells’ activity under exposure to light, the mice foraged less, even if they were very hungry.
“Mice show compulsive eating in the presence of aversive direct consequences when this circuit is active, and don’t search for food even if they’re hungry when it’s not active. This circuit can circumvent the normal hunger pressures of how, what and when to eat,” said Fernando Reis, a UCLA postdoctoral researcher who did most of the experiments in the paper and came up with the idea to study compulsive eating. “We’re doing new experiments based on these findings and learning that these cells induce eating of fatty and sugary foods, but not of vegetables in mice, suggesting this circuit may increase eating of junk food.”
Like mice, humans also possess vgat PAG cells in the brainstem. It could be that if this circuit is overactive in a person, they might feel more rewarded by eating or crave food when not hungry. Conversely, if this circuit is not active enough, they could have less pleasure associated with eating, potentially contributing to anorexia. If found in humans, the food-seeking circuit could become the treatment target for some kinds of eating disorders.
The research was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health, the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation and the National Science Foundation.
Accra, April 19, 2024. The guide warned us: the history of Cape Coast – 150 km from Accra – is sad and revolting; we must be strong to bear it psychologically! This fortress built in the 17th century by the English received a visit from some 250 delegates to the Global Christian Forum (GFM)
We visit the underground passages, some without skylights, where slaves in transit to the Americas were crowded. What a contrast with the governor’s large room with nine windows and his bright bedroom with five windows! Above these dark places, an Anglican church built by the “Society for the Propagation of the Gospel”. “Where hallelujah was sung, while the slaves shouted their suffering below,” explains our guide!
Most troubling is the religious justification for slavery. In addition to the fortress church and the Methodist cathedral a few hundred meters away, here is this inscription in Dutch at the top of a door, in another fortress located not far from ours, shown to me by a participant who visited it: “The Lord chose Zion, he desired to make it his habitation” What did the person who wrote this quote from Psalm 132, verse 12 meant? Another door has the inscription “door of no return”: taken to the colonies, the slaves lost everything: their identity, their culture, their dignity!
To mark 300 years since the construction of this fortress, the African Genesis Institute placed a commemorative plaque with this quote from a passage from the book of Genesis: “(God) said to Abram: Know that your descendants will sojourn as immigrants in a country that is not theirs; they will be slaves there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. But I will judge the nation whose slaves they have been, and then they will come out with great possessions.” (15.13-14)
In the Cape Coast Methodist Cathedral
The question that was on my mind when entering this contemporary cathedral of the slave trade was asked by Casely Essamuah, the general secretary of the GFM: “where do these horrors continue today? »
A “prayer of lament and reconciliation” is then led in the presence of the local Methodist bishop. This verse from Psalm 130 sets the tone for the celebration: “From the depths we cry out to you. Lord, hear my voice” (v.1). The preaching is delivered by Rev. Merlyn Hyde Riley of the Jamaica Baptist Union and vice moderator of the World Council of Churches central committee. She identifies as a “descendant of slave parents.” Based on the book of Job, she shows that Job protests against slavery, with the defense of human dignity as a fundamental principle, against all odds. The inexcusable cannot be excused, nor the unjustifiable justified. “We have to recognize our failures and lament like Job, and reaffirm our common humanity, created in the image of God,” she said.
Next, Setri Nyomi, acting general secretary of the World Communion of Reformed Churches, with two other delegates from Reformed churches, recalled the Accra Confession published in 2004, which denounced Christian complicity in injustice. “This complicity continues and calls us to repentance today.”
As for Rosemarie Wenner, German Methodist bishop, she recalls that Wesley took a position against slavery. However, the Methodists compromised and justified it. Forgiveness, repentance and restoration are necessary: “The Holy Spirit leads us not only to repentance but also to reparation,” she specifies.
The celebration was punctuated by songs, including the very moving “Oh freedom”, composed by a slave from the cotton plantations in America:
Oh Oh Freedom / Oh Oh Freedom over me But before I’d be a slave / I’ll be buried in my grave And go home to my Lord and be free
Echoes from the visit to Cape Coast
This visit marked the meeting of the GCF. Several speakers subsequently expressed the impression it made on them. Mons Flávio Pace, secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity (Vatican), relates that during Holy Week he prayed in the place where Jesus was locked up, under the church of S. Peter in Gallicante, in Jerusalem, with Psalm 88: “You have put me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths”. (v. 6). He thought of this psalm in the slave fortress. “We must work together against all forms of slavery, bear witness to the reality of God and bring the reconciling power of the Gospel,” he said.
Meditating on the “voice of the good shepherd” (John 10), Lawrence Kochendorfer, Lutheran bishop in Canada, said: “We have witnessed the horrors of Cape Coast. We heard the cries of the slaves. Today, there are new forms of slavery where other voices cry out. In Canada, tens of thousands of Indians were taken from their families to religious residential schools.
The day after this unforgettable visit, Esmé Bowers of the World Evangelical Alliance woke up with a heartfelt song on her lips, written by a slave ship captain: “Amazing Grace.” He became an ardent fighter against slavery.
What most touched Michel Chamoun, Syriac Orthodox bishop in Lebanon, during these days of the Forum, was this question: “How was it possible to justify this great sin of slavery? » Every slave is a human being with the right to live with dignity and destined for eternal life through faith in Jesus. God’s will is that we all be saved. But there is also another form of slavery: being a prisoner of your own sin. “Refusing to seek forgiveness from Jesus puts you in a terrible situation because it has eternal consequences,” he says.
Daniel Okoh, of the organization of established African Churches, sees in the love of money the root of slavery, as of all iniquity. If we can understand this, we can ask for forgiveness and reconcile.
For Indian evangelical theologian Richard Howell, the enduring caste system in India leads us to forcefully reaffirm the truth of human beings created in the image of God, according to the first chapter of Genesis. No discrimination is then possible. This is what he thought about when visiting Cape Coast.
Dear readers, as we have been urged to recount what we saw in this horrible place and then experienced in the Cape Cost Cathedral, I have delivered to you this significant moment of the fourth global meeting of the Christian Forum, with the reflections that he aroused.
The UN-backed $3.24 billion humanitarian response plan for 2024 is only five per cent funded.
Organised by the UN along with the Governments of Ethiopia and the United Kingdom, the conference aims to hear commitments that will enhance life-saving aid to approximately 15.5 million people in 2024. An immediate funding of $1 billion is required to sustain aid delivery for the next five months.
The crisis has escalated due to recurring cycles of droughts, floods, and conflict. Food insecurity and malnutrition are anticipated to affect 10.8 million people during the lean season from July to September.
Around 4.5 million people have been displaced from their homes, raising concerns about public health and protection services. The El Niño phenomenon has worsened drought conditions in the northern highlands, leading to decreased water availability, parched pastures, and reduced harvests.
Malnutrition rates in many areas including Afar, Amhara, and Tigray continue to worsen, highlighting the critical need for funding.
“Conflicts have destroyed thousands of schools, health facilities, water systems and other community infrastructure. And that adds to the difficulty,” said Ramiz Alakbarov, UN’s Assistant Secretary-General and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ethiopia, adding that security and safety of humanitarian workers is still an issue in “many parts of Ethiopia”.
The Ethiopian government has recently endorsed a new national policy for disaster risk management and committed $250 million for food support in the coming months. Additionally, regional governments and the country’s private sector have allocated further domestic resources for emergency response.
Strength in numbers
UN Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Joyce Msuya, closed the event with an Amharic proverb that translates as “when spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion”.
“It suggests that when people come together, as we have done this afternoon, we can accomplish formidable tasks and overcome great challenges”, she added.
She praised the 21 cash pledges led by the United States which promised $253 million, and the UK with $125 million, saying it showed “the power of unity and collective effort in achieving shared goals” on behalf of the Ethiopian people.
WHO ‘cannot continue’ work without cash injection
Speaking for the World Health Organization (WHO) Dr. Mike Ryan told the conference a cholera outbreak was now in its 20th month with over 41,000 cases, and malaria cases are already over 1.1 million for the year.
These outbreaks are occurring where millions of people lack access to essential health services with drought and flooding make the situation even worse.
“WHO and our health partners are on the ground, providing life-saving health services”, he said, adding that “without urgent funding we cannot continue.
“So far this year, we have received only four per cent of the $187 million needed to keep operations going.”
Russia has instilled a pervasive climat of fear in the occupied areas of Ukraine, perpetrating egregious violations of international humanitarian and human rights laws in an attempt to cement its control, according to a new report from the UN human rights office, OHCHR, released on Wednesday.
Based on over 2,300 testimonies from victims and witnesses, the report details measures taken by Russia to impose Russian language, citizenship, laws, court system and education curricula in the occupied areas, while at the same time suppressing expressions of Ukrainian culture and identity, and dismantling its governance and administrative systems.
“The actions of the Russian Federation have ruptured the social fabric of communities and left individuals isolated, with profound and long-lasting consequences for Ukrainian society as a whole,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.
Although the Russian Federation initiated its annexation of Ukrainian territory in Crimea in 2014, the report concentrates on the aftermath of the full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Widespread violations
Russian armed forces, operating with “generalized impunity”, committed widespread violations, including arbitrary detentions often accompanied by torture and ill-treatment, sometimes culminating in enforced disappearances.
“While Russian armed forces initially targeted individuals perceived as posing a security threat, over time a wider net was cast broadly to include any person perceived to oppose the occupation,” OHCHR said in a news release accompanying the report.
Peaceful protests were suppressed, free expression curtailed and residents’ movements severely restricted, it added, noting also that homes and businesses were pillaged and Ukrainian internet and communication networks were shut down, severing ties with independent news sources and isolating the population.
“People were encouraged to inform on one another, leaving them afraid even of their own friends and neighbours.”
Children worst affected
According to the report, children bore the brunt of the impact, with Ukrainian curricula replaced by Russian curriculum in many schools and introduced textbooks with narratives seeking to justify the armed attack on Ukraine.
Russia also enlisted children into youth groups to inculcate Russian expression of patriotism.
The report added that residents of occupied areas were coerced into taking Russian passports. Those who refused were singled out, facing harsher restrictions on their movement, and were progressively denied employment in the public sector, access to healthcare and social security benefits.
A landmine warning sign behind a fence of a destroyed house in Posad-Pokrovske in the Kherson region of Ukraine. (file)
Collapsed local economy
The report also detailed the situation in areas recaptured by Ukrainian forces in late 2022, including Mykolaiv and parts of Kharkiv and Kherson regions.
“The invasion, occupation and subsequent recapture by Ukraine of these areas left behind damaged homes and infrastructure, land contaminated by mines and explosive remnants of war, pillaged resources, a collapsed local economy and a traumatized, mistrustful community,” the report said.
It added that the Ukrainian Government faced the challenge of rebuilding and restoring services in these areas, while having to contend with legacies of violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law during the occupation.
‘Overly broad’ Ukrainian legal provision
The report also expressed concern that an “overly broad and imprecise provision” of the Ukrainian Criminal Code led to people being prosecuted under charges of collaboration with the occupying authorities for actions that can be lawfully compelled by the occupying authorities under international humanitarian law, such as work to ensure essential services.
“Such prosecutions have tragically led to some people being victimized twice – first under the Russian occupation and then again when they are prosecuted for collaboration,” High Commissioner Türk cautioned, urging Ukraine to revise its approach to such prosecutions.
He further reiterated his call on Russia to immediately cease its armed attack against Ukraine and withdraw to internationally recognized borders, in line with the relevant UN General Assembly resolutions and international law.
The Faith and Freedom Summit III NGO coalition, concluded its conferences showing the impact and challenges of Faith-Based Organizations on serving the European community
In a welcoming and promising environment, within the walls of the European Parliament, a meeting was held last April 18th where nearly 40 participants with dignitaries from various religious movements, journalists, politicians and activists actively present on the social scene, were present.
The conference, the third one in a series that will number four in Panama next September, was organized by the Faith and Freedom Summit NGO coalition, and was hosted at the European Parliament by French MEP Maxette Pirbakas, who in addition to welcoming the participants, emphasized the attention that the European Parliament is giving to the role of religion in society, even if it has often been manipulated for speculative purposes.
Photo credit: Faith and Freedom Summit NGO Coalition – April 18th 2024 at the European Parliament in Brussels.
The summit aimed to explore the social action of Faith-Based Organizations (FBOs) within Europe and their crucial role in building a more resilient society. After all, FBO’s play a significant role in addressing societal challenges, promoting social cohesion, and advocating for the values of faith and freedom in the European Union (EU). The participants had the opportunity to use it as a platform to discuss the challenges they have, but also the opportunities and impact needed to make a more inclusive and sustainable society inside the old continent.
They gave interesting and educational speeches in which the words “making of this one a better world” and “practicing what we preach” echoed through the room several times, and willpower was a common denominator to the point that new alliances began to be defined on a lively and collaborative scene.
The event included Catholics, Hinduists from the Shiva tradition, Christian Adventists, Muslims, Scientologists, Sikhs, Free Mason, etc, and nearly a dozen of speakers of top level within the different religions and thought movements.
MEP Maxette Pirbakas at the Faith and Freedom Summit III – April 18th 2024 at the European Parliament in Brussels. Photo credit: Faith and Freedom Summit NGO Coalition
During her inaugural speech, French MEP Maxette Pirbakas aimed to promote dialogue and understanding around religious freedom in the EU. She called for finding a “middle way” between the French model of secularism and the Anglo-Saxon approach, affirming individual identities.
After the introductory and thought-provoking presentation by MEP Pirbakas, the wheel of the conference was taken by Ivan Arjona-Pelado, Scientology’s representative to the EU, OSCE and UN, who became the moderator of the session, swiftly bridging from one speaker to the next ensuring the timings would allow further discussion at the end.
Lahcen Hammouch (CEO BXL-MEDIA) at the Faith and Freedom Summit III – April 18th 2024 at the European Parliament in Brussels. Photo credit: Faith and Freedom Summit NGO Coalition
MEP Pirbakas was followed by Lahcen Hammouch, co-organizer and CEO of the Bruxelles Media Group. In a moving speech, community advocate and champion of dialogue and connecting people, Hammouch stressed the importance of unity, in a divided world, by emphasizing the concept of ‘living together.’ He encouraged individuals to move past biases and negative judgments towards fostering interactions and respectful disagreements. With a background in promoting peace, Hammouch committed himself to bridging gaps between people from diverse backgrounds and amplifying the voices of those marginalized. He criticized barriers set by countries like France on religious minorities, and called for mutual acknowledgment and integration without prejudice. Hammouch’s plea, for dialogue, shared values, and collective efforts to uphold coexistence struck a chord with many, underscoring everyone’s role in progressing towards a more inclusive and accepting global community.
Joao Martins, ADRA, at the Faith and Freedom Summit III – April 18th 2024 at the European Parliament in Brussels. Photo credit: Faith and Freedom Summit NGO Coalition
Arjona then gave the floor to Joao Martins, Europe’s Regional Director for ADRA (Adventists Development and Relief Agency). Martins, in discussing ADRA’s mission across Europe, emphasized the role of faith in driving their pursuit of justice. ADRA, a prominent faith-based NGO rooted “in Christian values of compassion and courage, employs a unique theological approach that integrates faith with proactive engagement in addressing societal injustices through church partnerships”. The NGO actively mobilizes church volunteers in disaster relief, refugee support, and community initiatives, transforming churches into shelters during crises and advocating for causes like education access. Martins highlighted ADRA’s enduring commitment to biblical principles of justice, compassion, and love, showcasing how religious convictions can empower advocacy for the vulnerable and human rights over the course of decades, while calling for cooperation with other faiths.
Bhairavananda Saraswati Swami, at the Faith and Freedom Summit III – April 18th 2024 at the European Parliament in Brussels. Photo credit: Faith and Freedom Summit NGO Coalition
Moving from Christianity to Hinduism, Arjona bridged then to Bhairavananda Saraswati Swami, President and Director of Shiva Forum Europe. The Swami, a Hindu spiritual leader from Oudenaarde, Belgium, emphasized interfaith unity, youth empowerment, and gender equality in his speech, drawing comparisons between Hindu beliefs and Scientology practices. Known as Bhairav Ananda, he highlighted Shiva’s teachings on introspection and spiritual growth, advocating for personal development and collaboration across faiths during crises. Embracing joint male-female energy and inspired by other faith’s initiatives, he stated wanting to establish an inclusive community, offer meditation workshops, and promote human rights.
It was then the turn of Olivia McDuff, a representative, from the Church of Scientology International (CSI), who discussed the work carried out by faith based organizations and emphasized the importance of religious unity. McDuff, who oversees programs for Scientology, highlighted the unnoticed volunteer and charitable activities undertaken by religious groups globally, calling for an increased focus on these efforts. She showcased various initiatives led by Scientologists, such as drug prevention programs, educational campaigns, disaster response operations and moral values education programs that involve collaboration between Scientologists and non-Scientologists.
Olivia McDuff, Church of Scientology International, at the Faith and Freedom Summit III – April 18th 2024 at the European Parliament in Brussels. Photo credit: Faith and Freedom Summit NGO Coalition
In quoting Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, McDuff stressed the role of religion in society and advocated for supporting other faiths to make a positive impact on the world. She concluded encouraging collaboration among faiths and highlighted Scientology’s commitment, to working together for collective advancement and joint humanitarian projects.
Ettore Botter, Scientology Volunteer Minister, at the Faith and Freedom Summit III – April 18th 2024 at the European Parliament in Brussels. Photo credit: Faith and Freedom Summit NGO Coalition
Arjona then gave the floor to Ettore Botter, representing the Scientology Volunteer Ministers of Italy, who showed a video of rapid response and impactful relief efforts of the Volunteer Ministers in times of natural disasters. Botter emphasized the core mission of service at the heart of the Volunteer Ministers’ work, highlighting their dedicated efforts in providing essential assistance following earthquakes, floods, and other crises across Europe and beyond. Through powerful visuals and firsthand accounts, Botter detailed the Volunteer Ministers’ hands-on approach, from aiding overlooked villages in Croatia to supporting flood-affected communities in Italy and delivering humanitarian relief in Ukraine. The bright yellow shirts of the Volunteer Ministers “have become a symbol of hope and hard work”, embodying their commitment to serving communities in need.
Thierry Valle, CAP LC, at the Faith and Freedom Summit III – April 18th 2024 at the European Parliament in Brussels. Photo credit: Faith and Freedom Summit NGO Coalition
Thierry Valle, President of the NGO CAP Freedom of Conscience, was next and enlightened the participants tracing the historical impact of faith-based organizations and religious minorities on European society. Valle highlighted the pivotal roles played by these groups from the Renaissance to the present day, emphasizing their contributions to peace, social equality, and individual rights. From the Catholic Church’s diplomatic efforts during the Renaissance to the Quakers’ advocacy for peace and justice in the 17th century, Valle illustrated how religious movements have championed human rights and social justice causes. He also noted the influence of newer religious movements in the 20th century, such as Evangelical Churches and the Church of Jesus Christ of the Later Day Saints, in shaping societal discourse and advocating for global issues like environmental stewardship and poverty alleviation. Valle’s speech underscored the enduring power of faith in promoting peace, justice, and social progress, highlighting the ongoing relevance of faith-based organizations in addressing contemporary challenges and shaping a more inclusive and compassionate future for Europe.
Willy Fautré, HRWF, at the Faith and Freedom Summit III – April 18th 2024 at the European Parliament in Brussels. Photo credit: Faith and Freedom Summit NGO Coalition
Willy Fautre, Founder of Human Rights Without Frontiers, introduced by Arjona-Pelado into the discussion, brought a unique perspective to the conference, focusing on the challenges faced by religious organizations when their humanitarian efforts are viewed as a guise for proselytizing or disrupting the status quo in certain regions. Fautre delved into the complexities religious groups encounter when conducting charitable work under the banner of a religious entity. He highlighted instances where humanitarian aid by religious groups was misconstrued as covert conversion tactics, leading to hostility and segregation. Fautre called for a nuanced discussion on granting religious organizations the freedom to carry out charitable activities without unwarranted suspicion or prejudice, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding religious expression in the public sphere.
(right) Eric Roux, EU FoRB Roundtable, at the Faith and Freedom Summit III – April 18th 2024 at the European Parliament in Brussels. Photo credit: Faith and Freedom Summit NGO Coalition
After that was the turn of Eric Roux, Member of the Executive Committee of United Religions Initiative (URI) (and Co-Chair of the EU Brussels FoRB Roundtable), who advocated for increased collaboration among faith groups through URI’s interfaith coalition.
Highlighting URI’s role as an international organization promoting interfaith cooperation and societal enhancement, Roux emphasized the importance of working together across diverse religious and spiritual traditions. Roux’s impassioned plea underscored cooperation as the key to combating religious extremism and fostering solutions to global conflicts, positioning URI as a platform to amplify the impactful work of various faith communities.
(left) Philippe Liénard, author and attorney, at the Faith and Freedom Summit III – April 18th 2024 at the European Parliament in Brussels. Photo credit: Faith and Freedom Summit NGO Coalition
As the last speaker before the discussion and the conclusion by the host of the event, the participants listened to Dr. Philippe Liénard, a lawyer, former judge, author and prominent figure in Freemasonry at the European level, who shared insights into the centuries-old organization during his speech at the conference. Liénard expressed gratitude for the event’s organization and highlighted Freemasonry as a diverse entity, with 95% adhering to theistic beliefs under the United Grand Lodge of England and 5% embracing liberal principles allowing for varying beliefs. He emphasized Freemasonry as a platform for free thought and moral improvement, promoting virtues like wisdom and tolerance to benefit humanity. Liénard underscored Freemasonry’s core values of respect for all religions and philosophies, emphasizing the importance of honesty, freedom of thought, and good character for membership. He called for the construction of bridges between diverse communities and philosophies, aligning with Freemasonry’s ethos of openness and service to others.
Others attending the summit and expressing their views were jurist and author Marianne Bruck, Khadija Chentouf from Kaizen Life ASBL, Raiza Maduro of HWPL, Prof. Dr. Liviu Olteanu, Refka Elech of Peacefully Connected, Patricia Haveman of MundoYoUnido, and others.
MEP Maxette Pirbakas expressed gratitude to attendees from various countries at the conference, emphasizing the importance of learning from each other’s religious perspectives. Pirbakas, who identifies as both Hindu and Christian, raised concerns about the politicization of religion in the European Parliament, noting a shift towards focusing on religious and immigration issues. She called for understanding and cooperation among different faiths, highlighting the need to combat stereotypes and promote unity. Pirbakas underscored the significance of sharing experiences and organizing seminars to foster dialogue and mutual respect, advocating for a more inclusive and harmonious society. Despite facing challenges as a female politician, Pirbakas remains committed to advocating for human rights, and peaceful coexistence.
