Monthly Archives: September 2021

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A meeting of foreign ministers of member-states of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), which was scheduled to be held on September 26 on the sidelines of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York, was called off over the question of the participation of the Taliban regime in the meeting. With most SAARC member states opposed to the Talibans participation and Pakistan unwilling to go ahead with the event sans the Taliban, the meeting was called off.

The question of extending recognition to the Taliban regime in Afghanistan is one that many countries across the world are grappling with.

In an interview with BBC Bangla, Bangladeshs Foreign Minister Dr. A.K. Abdul Momen laid out the principles that would determine Bangladeshs decision. A peoples government that comes through a political and democratic process where the peoples will and desires are reflected will have Dhakas full support, Momen said.

Bangladesh always decides its foreign policy independently and according to its interests, he added.

Historically, Bangladesh has sided with countries where political groups galvanized mass support for independence and freedom from oppression. For instance, Bangladeshi leaders have often reiterated support for Vietnams struggle for emancipation from the clutches of imperialist powers.

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Academic literature suggests that democratic states feel some kind of solidarity toward other democratic states. For instance, democratic countries might find themselves drawn to support and ally with Taiwan. Even though the Peoples Republic of China was recognized and secured U.N. membership in 1971, Taiwans allies see it as a flag-bearer of democracy in the region, as a counter to Chinese hegemony. Another study finds post-colonial solidarity to be a significant factor in diplomatic recognition.

Often states fear that recognizing a regime that came out of an armed struggle or an independence movement, even if in in another part of the world, might leave them vulnerable to similar demands at home. Following Kosovos call for independence in 2008, for instance, Spain, Armenia, and Indonesia were among several countries that refused to recognize the new state. Spains decision stemmed from concerns regarding its problem with domestic independence movements in Galicia, Basque, and Catalonia. Indonesia was one of 51 countries that voted against Kosovos bid to join Interpol. The archipelago has long struggled with problems of secession, the most notable case being the independence of Timor-Leste in 2002.

Get briefed on the story of the week, and developing stories to watch across the Asia-Pacific.

On the contrary, countries whose independence was preceded by protracted struggles for freedom have usually received recognition from Bangladesh. Dhaka was among the first to recognize South Sudan. Although it had good relations with Sudan Bangladesh was part of U.N. peacekeeping missions there it did not hesitate to support South Sudans emergence as an independent state. Bangladesh saw South Sudans arduous and protracted struggle for freedom as an important commonality between the two countries.

In the Middle East, the Palestinian struggle for an independent state is the main driver behind Bangladeshs longstanding relationship with the Palestinians and its international lobbying for Palestinian statehood. Their strong bond is based on their shared struggle against oppression, so much so that Dhaka is yet to extend recognition to the state of Israel.

In 1991, Bangladesh became the 13th country in the world to recognize Azerbaijan after it declared independence in October that year. Since then, Bangladesh has staunchly supported Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh war against the Armenians. When then-Foreign Minister of Bangladesh Dipu Moni visited Nabiyev in 2013, Bangladesh went so far as to stand by Azerbaijans position on the Khojaly massacre.

In all these instances, Bangladeshs support for independence movements fighting against tyranny and for inclusive freedom is strikingly clear. According diplomatic recognition to a country then boils down to whether or not a peoples government followed that protracted struggle whether the upheaval galvanized an inclusive government popularly backed by the nation.

What does this mean for the Taliban regime?

Wars of liberation and struggles for freedom open up space for the setting up new democratic governments, granting hard-fought rights, and consolidating support and recognition for a liberal democratic order. However, the Taliban, given their undemocratic outlook and ideology, are increasingly moving in the opposite direction.

The Taliban regime has not met the criteria laid out by the international community for diplomatic recognition. In fact, it has pushed back against global demands for the setting up of an inclusive government.

On September 17, the U.N. Security Council unanimously approved a resolution calling on the Taliban to establish an inclusive government that has the full, equal, and meaningful participation of women and upholds human rights. Taliban spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Information Zabiullah Mujahid categorically rejected the calls. No other country has the right to ask the Islamic Emirate to form an inclusive government, Mujahid said.

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In the context of the Talibans non-inclusive interim set-up and its continued use of violence to shut down expression, protest, and a free press, statements like the one issued by Mujahid will only make it more difficult for the Taliban regime to get international recognition.

Divisions between the political-moderates and military-hardliners in the Taliban have erupted to the fore. Apparently the political elements led by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar are in favor of establishing an inclusive government. It is apparent that the Taliban are still a long way from forming an inclusive, encompassing peoples government in Afghanistan.

Does this mean Bangladesh has closed the gates of diplomatic recognition on the Taliban? It is still too early to tell.

On August 17, the top European Union (EU) diplomat, Josep Borrell, called for dialogue with the Taliban to prevent crises. While clarifying that the EU isnt going to recognize the Taliban as yet, Borrell pointed out to a news conference after a meeting of EU foreign ministers that engaging the Taliban was inevitable. We have to talk with them for everything, even to try to protect women and girls. Even for that, you have to get in touch with them.

Talks with the Taliban have been initiated by the U.N. and the EU, and Bangladesh is joining in. The UN and EU have asked us if we want to be a part to the dialogue. We have agreed to it, Shahriar Alam, deputy minister for foreign affairs told reporters recently.

It does seem that Dhakas criteria for according diplomatic recognition are poised to expand. It can be expected to mirror the EUs definition of inclusivity.

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Will Bangladesh Recognize the Taliban Regime? The Diplomat - The Diplomat

PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif (File Photo)

Islamabad [Pakistan], September 26 (ANI): Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shahbaz Sharif on Saturday lashed out at Prime Minister Imran Khan-led PTI government over hike in gas prices and said the country has the "highest inflation rate and lowest income in the world."

Demanding to withdraw a proposed hike in gas prices, the Opposition leader said that rising gas prices are "unjustified" and "another foolish act" by the government, Geo News reported.

Terming the last financial budget as "the International Monetary Fund (IMF) budget", Sharif wrote on Twitter: "The government is only fulfiling the conditions set by the IMF." He said that the government lied to the nation about a "tax-free budget".

"People cannot bear more inflation; this oppression after oppression must be stopped," Geo News quoted Sharif as saying.

He said that gas and electricity prices have witnessed "historic" surges and censured PM Imran Khan for giving rise to "civil war-like conditions" with "one foolish decision after another".

"Rising electricity and gas prices will make people's lives more miserable while an increase in gas prices will make bread more expensive and consumer's monthly bills will go up further," the PML-N leader said.

Sharif stated that Imran Khan "should resign instead of pressuring the people with soaring inflation," Geo News reported.

"How long will Pakistanis suffer the consequences of Imran Khan's incompetence?" he questioned.

The government has already increased the price of gas by 141 per cent, he said, adding that gas companies have been destroyed "due to Imran Khan's incompetence".

The opposition leader said that Pakistan is buying the most expensive LNG in the world, while electricity and gas prices in Pakistan are also the most expensive in South Asia, Geo News reported.

"Pakistan has the highest inflation rate and lowest income in the world," Sharif added. (ANI)

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Pakistan has highest inflation rate in the world, says Shehbaz Sharif - Yahoo Singapore News

Aged 59 and serving a life sentence, Al-Singace has been on hunger strike since 8 July and has lost more than 20 kilos. His health in now in great danger.

RSF has learned that he is currently consuming only water and milk powder dissolved in water. As a result, his blood sugar level is dangerously low, and his blood pressure and white blood cell count have also dropped drastically. He was transferred to the Kanoo medical centre on 30 July.

Al-Singace is protesting against constant harassment by his prison guards, who eavesdrop on his phone calls with his family, often disconnect his phone line without any warning, keep him under constant surveillance in his cell, and prevent him from sleeping.

The research work he had been doing in prison was also confiscated from him without any justification. In 2015, he went on hunger strike for more than 300 days in protest against the way he was being mistreated.

In March, on the tenth anniversary of his arrest, RSF called on the authorities to release him because his health has worsened steadily in prison. He is not getting appropriate medical care for muscular problems that are the result of a polio attack in his youth, and he has difficulty walking because the rubber cushions on his crutches have worn down.

In a written response to RSF, the Bahraini government claimed that Al-Singace was receiving all necessary healthcare and treatment, and that it was proud of its human rights record.

We call on the Bahraini authorities to urgently release Abduljalil Al-Singace for the sake of the human rights that the kingdom claims to protect, said Sabrina Bennoui, the head of RSFs Middle East desk. It is deplorable and unacceptable that, to denounce his prison conditions. this blogger is being forced to resort to this extreme method that is putting his health in great danger.

ADHRB executive director Husain Abdulla urged the international community, especially allies of Bahrain such as France and the United Kingdom, to to apply serious pressure on the Bahraini regime to unconditionally release Dr. Al-Singace. He added that being detained for over 10 years shows the depth of oppression in Bahrain.

Five British MPs wrote to their government in July calling on it to intervene urgently.

Bahrain is ranked 169th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2021 World Press Freedom Index.

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What are the Bahraini authorities waiting for to release Abduljalil Al-Singace? | Reporters without borders - Reporters sans frontires

Though hes the fifth post-Reconstruction Republican to lead Mississippi, Gov. Tate Reeves is the first governor of either party to have been born (as I was) in the newness of the states post-civil rights era.

But despite his status as one of the Souths (and one of the countrys) youngest governors, Reeves is tearing the very first page out of the playbook drafted by old Southern Democrats and today's Southern Republicans: When your people are suffering unnecessarily, rile them with a sermon about the federal governments evil.

When your people are suffering unnecessarily, rile them with a sermon about the federal governments evil.

Mississippi has proved to be as fertile ground for the novel coronavirus as its black Delta soil has been for cotton. But the same state that mounted an aggressive response when the boll weevil threatened to chew through its cash crop is now standing idly by as Covid-19 tears through its population. Meanwhile, its governor calls it tyrannical that President Joe Biden is aggressively push for lifesaving vaccines.

If you look back through history, every single time tyrants have tried to place an emphasis on their individuals in their country, theyve always said, Oh, Im doing it because its in the best interest of our citizens, Reeves told a Jackson television station. If you look back in history, this is nothing but a tyrannical-type move by the president.

An NBC News/SurveyMonkey poll from 2019 found that a full quarter of Mississippians almost never trust the federal government to do whats right. Thats not surprising given that so many white Mississippians largely because of the federal governments enforcement of civil rights laws have been raised to see the federal government as a threat. The pervasive anti-Washington animus in Mississippi means Reeves decision to dial up the demagoguery will likely extend his political life even as it cuts short the actual lives of Mississippians. The state leads the nation in Covid-19 deaths per capita; if it were its own country, it would have one of the worlds worst death rates.

Biden, who leads a country where Covid-19 has killed 1 in every 500 residents, has responded with a muscular policy that requires businesses of a certain size to mandate vaccines or regular Covid-19 tests for their employees. Reeves, who leads a state where the same disease has killed about 1 of every 320 Mississippians, is responding with empty expressions about how tore up he is that so many have died on his watch.

Over 9,000 Mississippians have passed away with Covid, and every single one of them breaks my heart, Reeves told CNNs Jake Tapper during a Sept. 19 segment. The August death of 13-year-old MKayla Robinson, whose school started the year without a mask mandate after Reeves left the decision to individual school district, broke his heart so much that even as he claimed he was praying for her family and all Mississippians who're suffering, he referred to her only as the young kid in Smith County.

You can pray until you faint, Mississippis Fannie Lou Hamer famously said, but unless you get up and try to do something, God is not going to put it in your lap.

A full quarter of Mississippians almost never trust the federal government to do whats right.

Yet there Reeves sits: not only not doing anything but also refusing to consider doing anything.

Tapper appeared to have only one goal during his interview with Reeves: to get him to say Mississippis disproportionate death toll requires some action from the state.

But Reeves said that the question here is not about what we do in Mississippi. It's what this president is trying to impose upon the American worker. He called Bidens policy an attack by the president on hardworking Americans and hardworking Mississippians.

As Tapper kept asking if he or Mississippis lawmakers would do anything, Reeves said, In Mississippi, our Legislature is a part-time Legislature. Sometimes I wonder if in America, if our Congress was part-time, we wouldn't be in a better position.

Better position than what? Tapper asked.

Reeves: Mississippi and where we are with the virus.

Tapper: Your state is second worst, second worst in the world.

People unfamiliar with Mississippi or the South may have watched that exchange and believed Reeves made a poor showing. They may have laughed at his assertion that the U.S. should be looking to Mississippi for guidance and that counting the dead is the wrong way to judge the states response to the pandemic.

But I watched with the disgust of someone who knows that Reeves appearance wont hurt his standing with the states conservatives and that it is more likely to bolster it. I watched with anger and with a sick feeling in my stomach that Reeves policy of standing back and impugning the feds imperils the lives of people I love.

Is this what youthful leadership is going to bring to the South?

Is this what youthful leadership is going to bring to the South? The same state-vs.-feds nonsense that has never paid dividends for anybody but those politicians? Is it just going to be more of the same cynical orations that praise backward thinking and vilify progress as oppression?

Apparently. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is leading the South in anti-government antipathy, and hes four years younger than Reeves.

Attacking the feds may be good politics, but what counts as good politics in Mississippi also counts as good business for the undertakers. Residents are falling down dead around Reeves, and all he will promise is to feel sad.

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Covid deaths are highest in Mississippi but Gov. Tate Reeves does nothing - MSNBC

It is no accident that countries that have relatively peaceful societies make far more progress than those that are roiled in conflict.

September 21, the International Day of Peace, passed without any pause in the tensions and conflicts taking place across the world. The day that is intended to emphasise the importance of peace seems to have gone unnoticed. In contrast, the attack on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon on 11 September 2001 is remembered by billions of people whenever that date comes up. Conflict and tension seem to have a far greater magnetic hold on the attention of people than calls for their elimination. This may be because peace is not regarded as the natural order of society, nor even as an aspiration to be sought. That goal is regarded as a fantasy that exists only in words rather than in real life. This when universal peace is a fundamental human right. There remains much debate about concepts such as universal human rights, with some governments arguing in favour of this broad-brush term, while others claim that each government has the right to decide which rights are universal and should be safeguarded, and which not. This is a standard that can vary widely. Even in India, a country where universal suffrage was introduced at the beginning of independence from colonial rule, even the right to life was not for two years considered a fundamental right. The 20th century saw both debilitating wars during 1914-19 and 1939-45, as well as the subsequent liberation of several countries from colonial oppression. After the wars, there was a weakening of the repressive sinews of the colonial states caused by the Germans treating other European powers in much the same way as these powers themselves were treating colonies in Asia and Africa. The freedom movements to ensure freedom from colonial oppression grew in scale sufficiently after 1945 to lead to the withdrawal of the colonial power. In India, the first major colony to gain its freedom, the huge proportion of Indian soldiers, sailors and air personnel increasingly began to question their loyalty to a foreign flag, an emotion key to the setting up of the first free government of India and the Indian National Army by Subhas Chandra Bose during the 1939-45 war. The role of the tide of mutiny that swept over the armed forces in India after the 1939-45 war ended in 1945 has been largely ignored by historians, who prefer to remain embedded in a sanitised narrative that almost completely excludes the role of this factor in persuading even Winston Churchill that holding on to India by force of arms was no longer a viable option. The British divided and quit, convinced that in Pakistan it would have a reliable partner. Such an expectation was based on the vocal support expressed by M.A. Jinnah for the Allied cause, in contrast to senior Congress leaders, who preferred to be non-aligned. In 1942, during the peak of the tide of victory by Germany and Japan against the US-UK alliance, the Congress Party gave a call for the British to quit India. In contrast, Jinnah expressed no similar sentiment, thereby draining support for the Congress in the dovecotes of power in London and ensuring a substantial rise in the support given to the Muslim League and its plan to vivisect India into two states. For Mahatma Gandhi, a saint, the results of an action were not what mattered but the action itself. Which is why the Mahatma consented to Partition in 1947 after campaigning tirelessly for two decades against the irrational view of the Muslim League that Hindus and Muslims formed two separate nations. In fact, the DNA of both, whether cultural or biological, is the same, a fact that has recently been emphasised by RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat to the consternation of several of his detractors in India and elsewhere.Had the British and other European powers the wisdom to partner with, rather than seek to dominate, people in Africa, Asia and South America that they overran, both they as well as the rest of the world would have benefited. An India that was prospering would have been an attractive market for British goods, just as a vibrant Indonesia would have been for the Netherlands or Vietnam for the French. The quicksand of notions of racial supremacy (that showed itself to the European powers in the form of Nazi Germany during 1933-45) led to oppression and the consequent lowering of the possibilities for mutual benefit, the only kind that is both just and long-lasting. Hitlers genocide denuded Germany of some of that countrys best brains, and among other events ensured that the US developed the atom bomb before the tyrants own country did. Apart from universal suffrage, India also pioneered in ways of ensuring justice to long-suppressed communities, giving them opportunities in public education and government that they did not have until then. The way in which some of Indias best doctors, engineers and scientists have come from so-called backward classes highlights the truth of human society being horizontal (different but equal) rather than vertical (higher and lower). Had the European powers absorbed some of the lessons in traditional teachings in the countries they plundered, and transferred some of their own skills to the populations there, the results would have been much more beneficial than the way in which the enslavement of countries actually took place. There is much talk among military personnel in the PRC about a kinetic reversal of the independent nature of Taiwan. Even were such a forced union to take place, those Taiwanese who have been and would have in future been most helpful to the further development of the PRC itself would leave for more hospitable shores, and strengthen those countries against China, much the way those who took refuge from Nazi Germany ensured a scaling up of the capabilities of the UK and the US during the 1939-45 war. In the knowledge economy, progress comes through willing consent and not through fiat. To seek to enforce through police action the creativity and intellectual excellence needed to scale up Artificial Intelligence and other capabilities is to indulge in futility. Given the expansion in the military capabilities of Taiwan that has taken place under President Tsais watch, a forced union with the PRC, the kinetic solution being pushed by elements in the Central Military Commission seems impossible without an unbearable impact on Chinas own east coast. Which would be a blessing for the PRC, for any union created by the PLA would damage the PRC as much or more as it would Taiwan itself. In Indias case, border tensions since 2017 have finally resulted in a de-linking of trade with PLA moves to nibble away at Indias territory. It is no accident that countries that have relatively peaceful societies make far more progress than those that are roiled in conflict. The greater an appreciation of the utility of universal peace (and the mutual empowerment and sharing of capabilities that this denotes), the better for the world. Unfortunately, not just between countries, but between regions in a country, within groups in a nation, and even inside individual families, tensions and the conflict these create are commonplace. Recently some opined that a marriage certificate gave the right to the husband to violate the modesty of his spouse. Nothing should give such a right. The attainment of a situation where harmony and peace rather than conflict and force are omnipresent may seem distant. Alas, even more so than was air travel was in the past, or the debut this year of space travel with passengers but without an astronaut on board.

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Universal peace is a fundamental human right - The Sunday Guardian Live - The Sunday Guardian

By DAILY MONITOR

Ugandanopposition party supporters basedin the US at the weekend staged a peaceful demonstration outside the United Nations headquarters in New York, urging the international community to check on the excesses of President Yoweri Musevenis administration.

In Kampala, the government dismissed the protestors as busybodies, with visa issues, and justifying their stay abroad, and said they are not the first because we have had many people who pose as economic refugees in a way of mocking Uganda and they have never had any fruit from their actions.

Donning red T-shirts and berets, which are outlawed in Uganda as exclusive for use by military police, theNational Unity Platform (NUP)protestors shouted slogans and held placards with messages denouncing the government.

Masaka lives matter, Museveni must be investigated for crimes against humanity, read one placard, as another was written a government of dictatorship,.

The Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Mr Mathias Mpuuga, who was present at the protests, said: We want the whole world to see the level of injustice, oppression, and intimidation currently going on in Uganda.

The protests coincided with the 76th session of the UN General Assembly and were held a day after President Museveni addressed the Assembly.

Uganda reaffirms its commitment to implementing the 2030 agenda for sustainable development in its entirety and to achieving the sustainable development goals as we commence a decade of action and deliverable development, Mr Museveni told global leaders.

The 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) sets out a vision for global progress grounded in international human rights standards and equality centred around economic and social rights as well as civil, political, and cultural rights.

The protestors accused Musevenis administration of democratic and human rights abuses.

We want to show the world the injustices going on in Uganda. The world must know that blatant human rights abuses are being committed in Uganda by the regime and its security agencies, Mr Joel Semakula, the NUP coordinator in California, said.

The protestors were from NUP, a party led by Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine. Mr Kyagulanyis brother Fred Nyanzi Ssentamu, better known as Chairman Nyanzi, as well as Mityana Municipality Member of Parliament Francis Zaake were in New York.

Some of the demonstrators flew to New York from California and Seattle Washington.

In a rejoinder, Uganda Media Centre executive director Ofwono Opondo said: We do not need to be told by anybody outside that abusing rights is something wrong. It is the [ruling] National Resistance Movement (NRM) group that made a Constitution and the laws.

[In August] President Museveni himself, without being forced by anyone, came out and condemned the human rights violation within security agencies and made an undertaking to punish anyone who involves themselves in the acts, he said.

The demonstrators, according to Mr Opondo, are lazy, idle people in the diaspora who have failed to come back and develop their country.

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Uganda opposition supporters protest at UN offices over rights abuses - The East African

Bishop Robert Brennan| Special to The Columbus Dispatch

The recent canonization of St. Margaret of Castello is a moment of hope and inspiration for people all over the world, but it has local significance here in Columbus, where the parish of St. Patrick has long housed the shrine of St. Margaret visited by people nearby and from around the country.

Born with severe physical challenges -including but not limited to blindness and stunted growth and physical development -Margaret suffered terrible rejection from her own family even to the point where her own parents left her praying at a shrine in Castello, Italy, never to return to her.

Left on her own in a cruel society, Margaret became a source of strength and hope to many people in her calling as a Dominican sister. Her power to transform lives went far beyond what might be expected from her physical stature, especially in the 14th century.

Margaret, now St. Margaret, teaches us that the core of human dignity is not based on family status, physical appearances or strength. It is not granted by any government or agency. Rather it is bestowed on each of us by God who created us.

The first pages of the Judeo-Christian scriptures take us to the heart of human dignity. God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them (Genesis 1:27). What sets the human person apart from all of creation is the fact of being created in the very image and likeness of God.

Consequently, I need to look into the eye of every individual I encounter and see deep within the very image and likeness of God. You might call it the spark of the divine fire. This is an extraordinary claim and as such informs all the moral teaching, public witness and social services for the church in every age. Every person, created in the image and likeness of God, is of inestimable value and deserves profound respect. Such respect goes deeper and is more demanding than tolerance. It is rooted in truth and dignity.

This reality forms the foundation for the churchs defense of human life at its most vulnerable stage, its very beginning. The church witnesses to the inviolable dignity of human life at every stage from conception to its natural end. The pro-life stance of the church forms a foundation that frames all other moral stances.

This approach to human dignity requires an absolute rejection of racism, antisemitism and every prejudice based on ethnicity or religion. I cant speak to current theories on racial justice except to say that the Catholic approach will always be built on human dignity.

Similarly, the recognition of human dignity leaves no room for violence, oppression, human trafficking and other crimes against human life. It must inform the Churchs teaching on the human person, marriage and the family, immigration, violence in our community, capital punishment, care for the poor, the environment, respect for those who protect and serve us, the way we speak to and about one another, and now, even our response to a global pandemic.

These are not isolated issues but rather applications of the truth of human dignity. This witness sometimes means going against the grain of systems of thought that change with every generation, instead being rooted in the eternal truths. It means commitment to difficult truths. It means walking patiently with every person, meeting them where they are at a particular moment while speaking the truth in love. Indeed, people of good will may disagree on tactics, but the principle of the dignity of the human person created in the image and likeness of God, must be the core.

To be sure, the sad reality is that we dont always hit the mark, do we? Institutionally, the church, like every community and organization, frequently needs to examine its collective conscience, be honest about history and pursue reform. That is not to reject the past but rather to seek mercy and learn from mistakes.

At the same time, as individuals, none of us is perfect. I need always to admit my failures, confess my sins and seek mercy. Repentance and mercy involve new beginnings and resolving tomoveforward in the truth and love of God.

I look forward to visiting St. Patricks in Columbus soon to celebrate our newly named saint and pray at the shrine. St. Margaret teaches me -indeed she teaches all of us -that God can accomplish important things through every one of us and thus to open our eyes in amazement to the image of God all around us in what Pope Francis refers to as the saints next door.

The Most Rev. Robert Brennan is the bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus.

Keeping the Faith is a column featuring the perspectives of a variety of faith leaders from the Columbus area.

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Keeping the faith: Respect for human dignity must be at heart of actions, moral principles - The Columbus Dispatch

Its unprecedented the last major humanitarian effort like this was after the Vietnam War, said Jeff Kinney, with the Worcester-based Ascentria Care Alliance, which is working to bring about 400 evacuees to Worcester and Western Massachusetts.

But this one is massive because it happened so fast, and the resettlement is going to have to happen so fast, Kinney said.

The challenge facing Massachusetts has sparked what is being dubbed an all hands on deck response as cities like Worcester are organizing community-level efforts to provide temporary housing, line up volunteers to collect donations, and identify businesses willing to offer work to evacuees.

Meg Gallo, with the Refugee and Immigrant Assistance Center in Boston, said the effort has been a huge undertaking. The organization is working to bring about 150 to 250 people to the state between now and March, she said.

But they have been getting help, according to Gallo.

The people of Massachusetts have been absolutely phenomenal; there has been an outpouring of support, she said.

A family of three was the first to arrive in Massachusetts on Friday, followed by another family Sunday night, according to advocates.

The family that arrived Sunday was greeted with hugs and handshakes from Mariam Gas, founder of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance Center in Boston, and Mary Truong, director of the office of refugees and immigrants at the Department of Health and Human Services.

The family included a mother and father with three young children, a boy and two girls. Gallo asked that their names not be published out of concern for the safety of relatives still in Afghanistan.

Now that theyve reached Massachusetts, and are expected to resettle in Worcester, the father said he was looking forward to enrolling his children in school.

That is very important to me, he said, speaking through a translator. I [also] want my wife to be calm and not scared. We just want to start a peaceful life here in America.

Gallo said the father had worked with the United States while living in Afghanistan.

The father said he was living in fear as he watched the Taliban topple different areas of Afghanistan before they took the capital city of Kabul in August.

It was very scary for me and my family, he said. Im so grateful to the people that helped me get out of there with my family. Im so happy. And Im thankful to the people that are welcoming us here.

Those new arrivals are expected to join hundreds of Afghan refugees and Special Interest Visa holders who worked with the US government already living in the state. Massachusetts has welcomed more than 15,000 refugees from around the world over the past decade, according to advocates.

The new evacuees from Afghanistan include people who fled the Taliban-controlled country due to the threat of persecution, including the oppression of women, violence, and death.

Many of them assisted American military and government officials during the war, along with their families, said Tim Garvin, president and chief executive of the United Way of Central Massachusetts, which is part of the Worcester area response.

In their own way, they are American patriots, Garvin said. Im proud about what we are doing to support them.

Governor Charlie Baker, and other leaders, said they support efforts to bring evacuees to the state. Last month, Baker said in a tweet that the state would be ready to assist Afghan refugees seeking safety and peace in America.

In a statement released over the weekend, a Baker spokesman reiterated that support.

Massachusetts is pleased to welcome the first Afghan evacuees to the Commonwealth, and looks forward to working with the federal government and local nonprofits who serve these populations as additional evacuees arrive in the coming weeks and months, the statement said.

Daniel Pereira, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Immigrant & Refugee Advocacy Coalition, said Sunday that the United States has a responsibility to Afghans who seek to resettle here.

We fully support the right of these Afghan refugees to come to Boston, to Massachusetts and we hope that all of the organizations and the government here can help them build a new life here in the Commonwealth, he said.

Another challenge is a bureaucratic issue.

Many of the Afghan evacuees dont qualify for refugee status under US law, and are instead considered humanitarian parolees, said Jeffrey Thielman, the president and chief executive officer of the International Institute of New England. The difference means that many evacuees dont qualify for refugee benefits, making their transition to new lives in the United States all the more difficult.

Massachusetts officials are trying to address some of the shortcomings.

State lawmakers are working on legislation that would offer Afghan evacuees access to MassHealth coverage, advocates said Sunday.

State lawmakers are also considering a $12 million proposal to provide more financial aid to Afghan evacuees, and fund services, including more caseworkers to help them access essential services.

Thielman said the additional funding is vital to help people with the transition from learning English and job skills, to navigating school systems and health care and also to hire case workers and other staff to assist.

His organization is seeking to place about 200 people in Boston, Lowell, and New Bedford, plus 50 more in New Hampshire.

The funding proposal is backed by Ascentria, IINE, along with other resettlement groups working to bring Afghan evacuees to the state Catholic Charities offices in Boston and Springfield, Jewish Family Services in Metrowest and Western Massachusetts, and the Refugee and Immigrant Assistance Center.

The proposed funding would include $7.5 million to cover the cost of individual one-time $5,000 payments for each of up to 1,500 Afghan evacuees in Massachusetts, according to the organizations. Most of the money would help cover the costs of clothing, food, and housing, while one-quarter would support resettlement providers to aid them, according to the proposal.

Another $4.5 million would be allocated for legal assistance to help people with their immigration status and provide an eventual pathway to citizenship, the groups said.

Currently, the evacuees would receive a one-time payment of roughly $1,000 per person through a federal program, according to Thielman.

Evacuees left Afghanistan very quickly, and they have not had a lot of time to adjust for life in this country, Thielman said. If we want people to have an accelerated process of integration in our state, weve got to provide them with extra resources and it will come back to help us.

As the state prepares for the influx of newcomers, some communities are getting ready to greet the new residents.

Advocates said they anticipated those families arriving over the weekend would relocate temporarily in the coming days to apartments in Worcester, where the city anticipated taking in about 200 evacuees, according to Mayor Joseph Petty.

Petty said city officials have been preparing to address the needs of evacuees during weekly meetings with organizations like the United Way of Central Massachusetts, local businesses, and representatives with the offices of officials like state Senator Harriette Chandler, US Representative James McGovern, and US Senator Edward Markey.

The citys school department will play a key role in assisting evacuees by working with children and their families, Petty said. Worcester officials are also working with local landlords to find apartments that can serve as new homes for the citys new residents.

Worcester has a history of over 100 years of taking refugees... it makes us a welcoming community here, Petty said. It pays dividends in the long run by accepting people here, and making them feel wanted and part of the culture.

Globe correspondent Charlie McKenna contributed to this report.

John Hilliard can be reached at john.hilliard@globe.com. Nick Stoico can be reached at nick.stoico@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @NickStoico.

Here is the original post:

As the first Afghan families arrived in Mass. this weekend, the state faces a historic humanitarian challenge - The Boston Globe

The Tanintharyi Region in southern Myanmar is a beautiful and rich expanse of rainforest, ocean, and mangroves where we still have wild tigers and elephants, and where the forest provides all that we need in life. It is my home land. Our Indigenous communities depend on the forest for food, water, medicine, and our forests depend on Indigenous communities, who manage, conserve and protect them with great care.

The Myanmar military coup risks all our recent progress after 10 years of rebuilding our lives, following 70 years of civil war. Our people plan to fight to protect our lands and win back our lives. We want the rest of the world to understand why.

Our Territory and Our Struggle

Though it is a rich, green land, our territory and our communities have also been terrorized and traumatized by decades of armed conflict at the hands of the Myanmar military. In 1948, our Karen people began our fight for greater autonomy, for self-determination, and for our basic rights against fascist oppression by the Myanmar military. The resulting civil war saw villages burned, people were killed, raped and tortured, and over 80,000 were displaced into the forest and along the Thai-Myanmar border. Relentless oppression of our people and our Karen identity meant that we never had a chance to develop, to forge our own destiny, to manage and protect our territory.

In 2012, the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and the Myanmar military signed a ceasefire agreement, bringing to a halt 70 years of brutal civil war in our territory. During this time of relative peace, communities were able to re-establish their livelihoods, manage and protect their lands and forests, participate in political processes, and finally live and breathe without the fear of being shot, abducted, and tortured. We were able to mobilize our communities, develop new institutions, and create new ideas for a collective and peaceful future.

While the ceasefire stopped the bullets flying and the soldiers destroying our villages, we experienced a barrage of new challenges. Suddenly new laws, concessions, development projects, and national parks threatened to confiscate our lands the lands that we had already been displaced from so many times before. 1.7 million acres of land were handed to crony companies for oil palm concessions, 3.5 million acres were earmarked for the Ridge to Reef project, a large-scale conservation program funded by the GEF, and other parts of our region were taken for special economic zones, infrastructure development, and mining operations. For us, it felt like the rug was being pulled from under our feet, just when we could finally stand.

In response to these new challenges, Indigenous communities and civil society organizations started to create their own conservation areas proving their ability to conserve their own resources and protect their lands and forests from those who wished to destroy them. Communities across the region mobilized, strengthened their customary tenure systems, and documented their boundaries and land use systems. We showed policy makers how we govern our territories, and sought to have our rights recognized, and respected. We built networks with Indigenous communities throughout the country, creating new spaces of inter-ethnic solidarity, and started to join international platforms with other Indigenous activists from across the globe. We campaigned against mega projects with great success our campaigns halted mining operations, suspended palm oil concessions and cancelled conservation projects. We knew that united, we could win.

Together with my community, we developed new visions for what our territory should look like, and how conservation and development should be carried out. We developed a grassroots alternative to the Ridge to Reef Project, a Landscape of Life that proved that communities were best placed to protect and conserve our territory, and that a peaceful future would include harmony between our Karen people and their forests and biodiversity.

See related: Deforestation surge continues amid deepening uncertainty in Myanmar

Our futures are again uncertain

On February 1st 2021, however, the military staged a coup, arrested members of the elected NLD government, and brutally cracked down on resistance. According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma) site, over 1,000 people have been killed and nearly 7,000 have been detained or arrested, and the military has started brutal campaigns in ethnic areas once more, dropping bombs on our forests and burning down our villages.

Under the military regime, we cannot protect our land, forest and biodiversity those who attempt to defend their territories will be detained, tortured, or killed and we cannot protect ourselves. Environmental defenders have been targeted by the military for the work that they have done protecting their lands from theft and destruction by military companies and their cronies. Recently, Kyaw Min Htut, a forest defender from Sagaing region was arrested and beaten, along with his family, because of his leading role in organizing his community and protecting surrounding natural resources.

Further, in Tanintharyi Region the offices of many environmental civil society groups have been raided and many environmental defenders have had to flee, hiding from arrest or murder at the hands of the junta. Defending forests and the environment in Myanmar in 2021 is a crime punishable by death.

Despite attacks by the military and decades of destructive development, we still have a lot of forest in our Indigenous territories in Myanmar. Without forests, we cannot survive, and without us, our forests cannot survive. We contribute a lot to climate change mitigation internationally, and our efforts to protect our forests are clear. Attacks by the military on Indigenous peoples and environmental defenders means that the forests are at risk and for this reason we want to say to the world this coup doesnt just affect our country, but the future of the globe.

See related: Environmental activist well-hated by junta is latest to be arrested

Since the coup, our divided nation has become united. We have united in revolution against the military who has stolen our futures from us. We stand together to change the path of history, and until the end of the world we will not give up our efforts. Over 400,000 workers have joined the civil disobedience movement going on permanent strike, youth from across the country have joined the armed resistance, and ethnic armed groups are continuing the struggle to defend their territories together we cannot and must not lose. Our fight is for the future of our people, our nation, our forests, our world.

While our struggle has disappeared from international headlines, we call upon international governments, global social movements, international Indigenous organizations and the international community to stand in solidarity with us and help us to raise our voice the world depends upon it.

If we do not speak out, our futures will be lost, and our forests will be destroyed. Until the end of the world, we will not let it happen.

Esther Wah (real name redacted for safety) is an Indigenous Karen activist.

Related listening from Mongabays podcast: Indigenous land rights and the global push for land privatization, listen here:

See the original post here:

Following coup, Myanmar's Indigenous vow to protect forests 'until the end of the world' (commentary) - Mongabay.com