Pax Christi International

Brussels, 27 December 2013 Dear Bishop Paride Taban, Dear friends of the Kuron Peace Village, Dear friends of Pax Christi in South Sudan and elsewhere, As members of Pax Christi International we want to assure you that we stand with the people of South Sudan at this critical moment. Two years ago, South Sudan became independent and many of you celebrated that new momentum as a historical step in the direction of freedom and democracy. Since mid-December of this year, violence has escalated which led to hundreds of deaths and the displacement of tens of thousands of people in the country. Today, we are deeply concerned about the future of the country. We mourn with those who have lost loved ones and are grieving. Innocent civilians are being targeted because of their ethnicity. This is a grave violation of human rights. Pax Christi International, together with Pope Francis, is calling for social harmony in South Sudan. Political leaders should settle their differences peacefully. We support the political mediation as given by neighbouring countries. We also support all efforts from religious leaders in the country to call for peaceful existence which should be restored as soon as possible. Meanwhile, we believe that all civilians should be protected and that the United Nations, the African Union and humanitarian agencies should be able to shelter all those who have become victims of this tragedy. The rights of vulnerable people should be ensured. We call all our Member Organisations worldwide, to pray and to stand in solidarity with all the victims of the violence in South Sudan and in the region as a whole. People all over the world will celebrate the World Day of Peace on 1 January, and we hope and pray that peace may prevail. In peace, Marie Dennis and Bishop Kevin Dowling, Co-Presidents Pax Christi International José Henriquez, Secretary General Pax Christi International www.paxchristi.net

An Australian Christmas Story

Not God's Work: Apocalyptic Humanity

Tom Engelhardt TomDispatch.com December 18, 2013 Since a nuclear weapon went off over Hiroshima, we have been living with visions of global catastrophe, apocalyptic end times, and extinction that were once the sole property of religion. Since August 6, 1945, it has been possible for us to imagine how human beings, not God, could put an end to our lives on this planet. Conceptually speaking, that may be the single most striking development of our age and, to this day, it remains both terrifying and hard to take in. Nonetheless, the apocalyptic possibilities lurking in our scientific-military development stirred popular culture over the decades to a riot of world-ending possibilities. ‘What is the worst that we could possibly face in the decades to come? The answer: a nightmare scenario.’ In more recent decades, a second world-ending (or at least world-as-we-know-it ending) possibility has crept into human consciousness. Until relatively recently, our burning of fossil fuels and spewing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere represented such a slow-motion approach to end times that we didn’t even notice what was happening. Only in the 1970s did the idea of global warming or climate change begin to penetrate the scientific community, as in the 1990s it edged its way into the rest of our world, and slowly into popular culture, too…….. Read more http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/12/18-1

Some dates and activities for your information

Friday 20 December: Radioactive Exposure Tour Organising Meeting. Plans are underway and there shall be an organising meeting on the 20th December in Melbourne, please get in touch (email gemromuld@gmail.com) if you'd like to come along and help organise this amazing trip to the heart of the nuclear industry in SA and all the way to Muckaty, NT! At this stage, the tour will run for two weeks in April 2014. More detail coming imminently! Sunday 11 May -18 May, 2014: Kanyini with the Mutitjulu community of Uluru. A rare opportunity to spend 7 days in Uluru with the Mutitjulu community as they share the wisdom and teachings of the spiritual philosophy, Kanyini. This course provides a privileged and personal experience of Aboriginal culture and its connection with the spirituality of the dreaming. Share in this life changing experience of land and culture travelling as a small group into the red heart of Australia. Cost: $2,200 + your transport there. For more info & to register, click here. Oases Graduate School, Community Learning and Research Centre, 2 Minona Street, Hawthorn, VIC 3122. The Tao of Sustainability: Expressions of interest invited now for 2014. This one week urban residential short course ran for the first time in October, with a wonderful group of participants and facilitators. In the wake of overwhelming feedback from those involved, and many others who wanted to be, we are happy to announce that we will be offering the course again in 2014. Sustainability awareness & rhetoric is everywhere these days, but in many ways we continue to worsen the problems we are trying to fix. This course creates the space, engages the experts, & introduces the tools for us to examine the most common misconceptions & pitfalls of sustainability, & develop a deeper understanding of how we can achieve truly sustainable societies. All backgrounds & levels of experience are welcome. $1,050 (inc. all accommodation, food, tours & materials); $950 early bird registration to be announced soon. For more info on the course, presenters & residence, & to express interest in next year's running, click here. Oases Graduate School, Community Learning and Research Centre | 2 Minona St | Hawthorn, VIC 3122. Thursday 6th February 2014, 6 pm to 8 pm (tea and coffee provided): Public Lecture: Multifaith Australia: Reimagining our Common Future. Emeritus Professor Joseph A. Camilleri OAM. At an RMIT Swanston Street venue. More details soon.