human rights
Serving in a hostile world
Did you know Christianity is the most persecuted religion in the world? If you don’t believe me, Pope Benedict XVI has said the same, and there’s also this study from Rome. That’s something to contemplate as we pray for our Cross Catholic partners in Vietnam, China, and Afghanistan – three countries where believers face persecution … Continue reading
Christ at the center
It’s not often that I hear someone ask whether they should have flown west instead of east to visit our office. But when you live on the opposite side of the world, it’s a valid question. Cross Catholic partner Ruth Callanta stopped in this week to promote her Christ-centered approach to promoting economic development among … Continue reading
Holy Week: A Time to Reflect On Sacrifice
Jesus’ joyous entrance into Jerusalem on that long-ago Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week, which we celebrated a few days ago. Now are we in the middle of the days preceding Christ’s crucifixion and subsequent resurrection on Easter Sunday. It’s amazing how the events of one week have had a colossal impact on … Continue reading
Reacting to Injustice
The recent conflicts in countries throughout the Middle East offer a glimpse of what can happen when people feel they’ve been treated unjustly. The result of perceived injustice can range from peaceful protests that bring about change to dangerous riots or clashes between citizens and the government. As it does on so many topics, the … Continue reading
Global Poverty: down but not out
Looking toward the future, there is some really good news for the developing world…but also some really bad news. First the good. The often-cited statistic of over 1.3 billion people in extreme poverty worldwide has been updated, and it’s gotten a lot smaller. Nearly half a billion smaller! Researchers from the Brookings Institution estimate a … Continue reading
Celebrating Human Rights
This week marks the 60th anniversary of Human Rights Day, a holiday celebrated internationally to promote human dignity and the belief that everyone deserves certain basic freedoms. Human Rights Day was created in 1950 to commemorate the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted two years earlier on December 10. The declaration … Continue reading
