Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on September 14, 2021

The Middle East Institute (MEI) Art Gallerys Converging Lines show pays homage to the contributions of Arab-Americans and US-based Arab artists work to American art.

Curator Maymanah Farhat says that artists belonging to the Arab diaspora in the United States are rarely recognized as forming a vibrant artistic community that has long been contributing to American art.

In order to put things right, the Middle East Institute (MEI) Art Gallery in Washington, DC is holding an exhibition called Converging Lines: Tracing the Artistic Lineage of the Arab Diaspora in the US starting online on September 10 and open to in-person visits starting September 13, 2021.

The group exhibition aims to reveal the history of Arab-Americans while identifying the aesthetic threads that connect a diverse, multigenerational group of artists, thus offering a template for future scholarship.

Farhat adds that At the same time, Converging Lines is curated with a broader audience in mind with the hope that curators and scholars will begin to look at this community as part of the larger narrative of American art history.

A theme that is very significant to US-based Arab artists and Arab-American artists is migration, as many have had to leave their homes in the Middle East or are first-generation Americans, children of immigrants who have made a home in the US. The MEI website points out that the process of migration often leads to the state of in-betweenness.

The news release refers to the combined impact of multigenerational artists in the show, whose works allude to the complexities of the Arab diasporic experience, including experiences of invisibility, alienation, and intergenerational trauma. From mystical, symbolist drawings to disorientating mixed-media objects, the featured works range from reflections of longing and introspection to calls for new ways of seeing and cultural rebellion.

The exhibition features, among others, the work of Kahlil Gibran, the Lebanese-American writer, poet and visual artist who is hailed as a member of the earliest known Arab-American creative community.

According to the introductory text, the multi-artist exhibition explores how artists have used concepts like third spaces, community building, hybridity, and memory formation in works that allude to the complexities of migration, including invisibility, alienation, intergenerational trauma, and changing identities.

Also in the exhibition are works by 96-year-old pioneering artist Etel Adnan, whose retrospective in Istanbul was a great hit and who has an exhibition coming up at the Guggenheim Museum in New York; Sama Alshaibi, a conceptual artist who is Professor and Co-Chair of the Photography, Video and Imaging program at the University of Arizona, Tucson; Zeina Barakeh, a multidisciplinary artist based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Among others are the late Jerusalem-born Kamal Boullata who was an artist, writer and art historian, the late daughter of Lebanons first post-independence president Huguette Caland who started her art career when she was 39 years old; first generation Yemeni-American and multidisciplinary artist who uses mixed media collage, immersive installation and video, Yasmine Nasser Diaz; US-born Dahlia Elsayed who specialises in paintings, collages and installations.

There are more accomplished names like LA-based artist, Sherin Guirguis who uses site, text, and marginalized and contested histories, in particular those of women; John Halaka, who produces art for the sake of people in the areas of drawing, painting, photography and oral history, the late Lebanese painter Helen Khal, Sudan-born painter and printmaker Mohammed Omar Khalil, whose work, spanning over fifty years, has influenced two generations of Middle East artists.

Others featured in the exhibition are US-born Egyptian-Honduran artist Jackie Milad, who produces mixed-media abstract drawings and collages; multimedia artist, printmaker and book artist Zeinab Saab who is the youngest artist in the exhibition at the age of 31; Jacqueline Reem Salloum, an artist and filmmaker whose pop-infused work draws on her Palestinian and Syrian roots; Nazar Yahya, who relocated his family first to Amman then to Houston Texas because of the Iraq War; and Lebanon-born painter Helen Zughaib.

The exhibition Converging Lines: Tracing the Artistic Lineage of the Arab Diaspora in the US can be seen in person by appointment or online until November 17, 2021.

Thumbnail image: Sherin Guirguis, Untitled (pyramid)

Headline image: Kahlil Gibran, Twenty Drawings

Source: TRT World

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An exhibition showcasing the Arab diaspora in the US opens in Washington DC - TRT World

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Posted By admin on September 14, 2021

Illustration by Melissa Santoyo.

Hey yall!

Weve got the star-studded Kennedy Center 50th Anniversary Celebration Concert and the return of James Baldwins The Amen Corner to the DC stage.

I hope youre as pumped for ice hockey trivia as Gritty is about the Philadelphia Flyers.

Art of the diaspora: The Middle East Institute, a public policy think tank and culture center that works to promote U.S.-Middle East relations, is celebrating its 75th anniversary with a new art exhibition. Converging Lines: Tracing the Artistic Lineage of the Arab Diaspora in the U.S. explores themes of exile, changing identities, and memory formation through the work of Arab-American and Arab diaspora artists, including Etel Adnan and Hugette Caland. Monday 9/13 through November 17, 10 AM to 5 PM; Free, register here.

Family struggles: The National African American History and Culture Museum will unveil its new exhibition on the family history and legacy of famous conjoined twins Millie and Christine McCoy. Dubbed as Millie-Christine the Carolina Nightingale, the enslaved sisters were taken away from their family and shown off across the United States and Europe as circus and sideshow attractions. Millie Christine: The Life and Legal Battles of the Carolina Twins tells the story of the McCoy familys lengthy legal battle to regain custody of the twins after the Emancipation Proclamation. Tuesday 9/14 through August 2022; Free, find out more here.

A long-awaited return: To mark its 50th anniversary, the Kennedy Center is making a return to live, full-scale productions with a celebration concert. The star-studded event will be hosted by six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald and feature performances by the National Symphony Orchestra, kids author and illustrator Mo Willems, Glee star Darren Criss, and opera star Rene Fleming. Tuesday 9/14 at 8 PM; $69-$109, buy tickets here.

Hope in despair: James Baldwins The Amen Corner is returning to the Shakespeare Theatre Company for two weeks after much praise and a short-lived run in 2020. The three-act play tells the story of a pastor who searches for redemption after being ousted by her congregation for betraying her family and lying to her community. Tuesday 9/14 through Sunday 9/26 (times vary); $35-$120, buy tickets here.

Cool history: The Embassy of the Czech Republic is taking a look back in history to celebrate the countrys victory at the 1998 Winter Olympic Games ice hockey tournament. There will be a screening of the documentary film The Nagano Tapes, which tells the story of that 1998 Olympic win, as well as a trivia game to test your ice hockey knowledge. Attendees can also transfer their ice hockey trivia skills to the arena during a virtual reality hockey training session. Tuesday 9/14, 7 PM to 9 PM; Free, register here.

See ya later!

Thanks for reading! Let me know what youre up to by dropping me a line at dbaker@washingtonian.com.

Join the conversation!

Assistant Editor

Before becoming an assistant editor, Damare Baker started out as an editorial fellow for Washingtonian. She has previously written for Voice of America and The Hill. She is a graduate of Georgetown University, where she studied international relations, Korean, and journalism.

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Live Performances, Arab Diaspora Art, and the Kennedy Center's 50th Anniversary Celebration Concert: Things to Do Around DC, September 13-15 -...

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Posted By admin on September 14, 2021

VATICAN CITY (CNS) Pope Francis upcoming trip to Hungary and Slovakia, while seemingly standard as papal visits go, could prove to be among his most challenging visits at a time when distrust in government authorities and the looming threat of the delta variant are leading the headlines.

When he visits Slovakia Sept. 12-15, Pope Francis, who throughout his pontificate has strongly denounced corruption and organized crime, will be seen as an important advocate after several tumultuous years that saw massive protests in the country and a series of changes of governments. Since 2018, two governments were ousted because of corruption.

Most recently, at the beginning of the first wave of the pandemic, the government in Slovakia changed, said Jesuit Father Vlastimil Dufka, who will direct the choir at the popes Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows in Sastin Sept. 15.

The previous government was marked by many corruption cases, and the arrival of a new government brought new hope to our country, he told Catholic News Service.

But recent legislation requiring vaccinations sparked protests in the country, causing divisions and tensions, including within the Catholic Church.

Without any preparation, from one day to the next, the bishops conference ordered the receiving (of) Communion by hand, not by mouth, which was unusual in our country, Father Dufka told CNS. With the third wave of the pandemic coming, all who wish to attend the meeting with Pope Francis will have to be vaccinated, which is unacceptable to many.

Father Martin Kramara, spokesman for the Slovak bishops conference, told Catholic News Service Aug. 20 that the governments mandate for all participants of papal events to be vaccinated is no small challenge to organize.

People will have to be divided in sectors and not allowed to change them. We must keep their phone numbers and emails to be able to trace contacts in case someone in the sector later tests positive for COVID-19, Father Kramara explained.

We already see it is discouraging many from participation. But we live in conditions of the pandemic, and we have to adjust to the measures in order to protect lives, he said.

Despite the challenges, Father Kramara said the popes visit to the country, especially to a homeless shelter run by the Missionaries of Charity and to Slovakias Roma community, are a much-needed reminder of the churchs primary mission.

The pope, he said, wants to show the local church and religious communities sacrificial activities for the benefit of the poor and needy, those who are on the periphery of society, and he reminds us of the important truth that living faith must always be connected with active love in deeds.

Father Kramara told CNS that since St. John Paul II visited in 2003, Slovakia has changed both religiously, culturally and politically.

It is surely more secularized, he said. We are aware of these changes and strive to find correct answers to them, in faithfulness to Gods word. In spite of everything, I hope that the reverential respect and love for the bishop of Rome will continue to be very visible, and with Gods help we will experience it even now.

Long mired by accusations of corruption, the government of former Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico came to an end after the murder of Jn Kuciak, an investigative journalist, and his fiancee, Martina Kusnrov, in 2018.

Massive protests engulfed the country after the double homicide, with many believing that the young couple were murdered due to Kuciaks reporting of government corruption and connections between members of the ruling Direction-Social Democracy party and the Italian organized crime syndicate, ndrangheta.

Fico resigned that same year and his deputy prime minister, Peter Pellegrini, was appointed his successor. However, Pellegrini was ousted in the 2020 elections in which the Ordinary People party, an anti-corruption movement, won a majority of parliamentary seats.

For Father Dufka, Pope Francis presence at the Marian basilica in Sastin, an important place of pilgrimage for Catholics in the country, will help strengthen our own spiritual identity.

I believe that the visit of the Holy Father to Slovakia will be a new impetus for strengthening the unity of the ecclesial community, Father Dufka told CNS. I hope that this visit will strengthen the sensitivity to important accents of the pontificate of Pope Francis presented in his encyclicals, especially the sensitivity to the poor and to issues of ecology.

The popes trip begins in Budapest, Hungary, where he will preside over the closing Mass of the International Eucharistic Congress Sept. 12.

While the main purpose of the popes trip to Hungary is to celebrate the closing Mass, the pope will meet with Hungarian President Jnos der and Prime Minister Viktor Orbn, before flying out the same day to Bratislava, Slovakia.

That meeting with Orbn, as well as the brevity of his visit a mere seven hours was the subject of much speculation.

The Hungarian prime minister, who often has portrayed himself as the standard bearer for European Christianity, finds himself at odds with Pope Francis, particularly when it comes to immigration.

According to the Financial Times, during a 2017 speech to European center-right leaders, Orbn said migration turned out to be the Trojan horse of terrorism that threatened Europes Christian identity.

His views stand in stark contrast to those of Pope Francis, who has denounced growing anti-immigrant sentiment in Europe and abroad and said the exclusion of migrants was the result of the privileges of the few, who, in order to preserve their status, act to the detriment of the many.

This is a painful truth; our world is daily more and more elitist, more cruel toward the excluded, the pope said in 2019 during a Mass commemorating the World Day of Migrants and Refugees.

After meeting the two leaders in Budapests Museum of Fine Arts, the pope will meet with the countrys bishops, representatives of other Christians churches and Jewish communities in Hungary.

According to statistics published in the CIAs World Factbook, in Hungary, Catholics make up 37.2% of the population while 11.6% are Calvinist, 2.2% are Lutheran and 1.8% are Eastern Catholic.

The World Jewish Congress stated on its website that between 75,000 and 100,000 Hungarian Jews live in the country, making it the largest Jewish community in Central Europe.

Follow Arocho on Twitter: @arochoju

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Diaspora and disease: Pope will face pressing issues on next trip abroad - Catholic News Service

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Posted By admin on September 14, 2021

The final part of the yearlong Diaspora English series, Daniel Crasnow reports on a year spent teaching in Israel during the coronavirus pandemic. You can read other Diaspora English articles here.

Three days before I left Israel, I interviewed for a job with Hillel back in the States. The last, simple question of the conversation stuck with me. My interviewer asked me if there was anything else I thought she should know about me. I answered, realizing that this year has uncovered my own complexity in a way I could not even have imagined.

In the last 10 months, Ive taught English in Tel Aviv and Nazareth. I inserted myself into the Jewish and Arab community in a new way. I lived through a war, and toured the country, visiting some of the most underserved communities who called this place home.

For the first time, I really gained appreciation for the fact that the pursuit of a pro-peace ideology can be a dangerous thing not just on the interpersonal level, but on the communal and societal level as well. The 2021 Israeli/Palestinian conflict made me realize that, in order to build peace, Jewish people must be willing to put faith and trust in an Arab community that many Jews, even many liberal Jews, are unwilling to trust in any substantive way. Though my left-wing Jewish community fights for peace, their definition of peace in Israel and Palestine involves two countries, both of which should abide by our left-wing, Jewish narrative, priorities, and worldview. As such, when the conflict arose, most of the Zionist Jews I know (even liberal Zionists) still fell into the Israeli block and supported Israel in the conflict to varying degrees. Even as we refused to visit and fund settlements, the conflict between Zionism and pro-peace ideology was more on display than ever before.

Certainly this conflict wasnt universal, but now more than ever I continue to struggle with the task of identifying both as a strong Zionist, and as a left-wing, pro-peace activist. Many within Israel struggle with this as well.

To be honest, I am not sure what reaction I was expecting, but I was not expecting the American, liberal Zionist community I work with, and the pro-peace, collegiate-level activist community I care so much about, to so quickly fall into the Israel or Palestine, us-or-them divide. This wasnt just among the other teachers I taught with, but it expanded to the many friends I have on Facebook and beyond. For those weeks of the conflict, and even the weeks following it, my Facebook feed was covered by non-Jewish and/or anti-Zionist left-wing activists accusing Israel of genocide, followed by liberal Zionist Jews praying for Israels victory over the terrorist threat. There was no in-between, even though there needed to be an in-between, then more than ever.

Similarly, I found myself critical of everyone around me from the Left-wing Israelis who claimed they cared more about Palestinians Rights than the Palestinians did (which I certainly hope is not true), to my religious and conservative family members closer to Jerusalem who argue that Alternate Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid is antisemitic for how he stands against the religious community, to my Arab friends who argue that Zionism is Nazism.

I didnt participate in all of these arguments, but I found myself at odds with the vast majority of new opinions that I heard in Israel. Hearing, reacting to, and arguing against these opinions was a task that made my own opinions stronger and more aligned with the real-world implications of my goals. Ive undergone a process of realigning my beliefs so that my beliefs actually work to pursue the goals I care about.

Some would say that this is really what it means to be educated. I learned a lot of history and culture, tradition and conversation as well, but it was the contextualizing of these lessons within my own belief system that gave these lessons their value.

Friends and family have told me that they can see both in my writing, and in how I hold myself how much this year has changed me. But it wasnt COVID or lockdowns, it wasnt teaching, and it wasnt even the war that did it.

The moments that changed me were more particular. It was in Nazareth, when my students first learned I was Jewish, and they were amazed to know that not all Jews speak Hebrew and live in Israel. It was during the conflict, while I was safely stored away at Kibbutz Yagur, and my housemates posted Am Israel Chai or Long Live Israel on their Instagram feeds while I knew there were people dying in Gaza and Israel alike. It was going to Kiryat Arba and seeing the word holy on Baruch Goldsteins grave.

As I finished recounting these moments, my interviewer simply responded by reminding me that Israel means to wrestle with God.

I am proud to say that, through all of this, my worldview and my faith have only grown stronger and more refined. My beliefs stood up to the challenge of redefinition. My faith survived seeing so many different situations that should turn the faithful into atheists. I come out of this experience more knowledgeable of myself, and of the world around me. I come out of this experience rereading my own essays from earlier in this year, and being able to pick out moments where my own ideology fails itself because of how navely I represented the idea.

I find myself more and more amazed by the process of human growth. Within 10 months, the things I knew about myself were questioned and destroyed. By surviving, I grew to produce a stronger understanding of myself and the world around me. I think this is the first time Ive looked back on my year and seen this process so clearly.

Unfortunately, in the end, I didnt get that job. So now I am back in America tutoring English online and preparing my applications for Graduate School. In Israel, the next generation of MASA Teaching Fellows have already begun their own journey. There is a part of me that already misses being there the independence. The students. The opportunity to not only affect my world, but be proud of the world I was affecting. And there is a part of me that is happy to be home, with a chance to review my thoughts and the lessons I learned. I know Ill go back one day. And when I do, I hope to be better prepared to make a difference in a conflict that goes way beyond me, as part of a world that is far from my understanding. But until then, I have more essays to write, and a few more language lessons to take on Duolingo.

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Diaspora English: On A Year of War, Plague, and Turning - New Voices

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Posted By admin on September 14, 2021

RIGA - The large-scale migration of Latvians to Ireland has been a success story that must be used by both Ireland and Latvia, the Irish Minister of State for European Affairs Thomas Byrne told LETA in an interview.

"Latvians are doing well in Ireland," he said. "You know, we even teach Latvian as an optional language in schools with our final exams."

Asked if he would like to help Irish Latvians return home to Latvia, or rather keep them in Ireland, Byrne said with a smile that he would rather keep them in Ireland.

The Irish Minister pointed out that the Irish constantly work together with their diaspora around the world and this is very valuable, therefore Latvia should do the same. The network of Irish embassies is also designed to serve the interests of the diaspora.

"We also have programs to bring people home, but in reality we live in a global world, and people will move a lot more for work than we are used to. And that means they will leave for a limited time and come back with important skills. I understand that Latvia is probably at a different stage in this process, I think you will realize that there will be very valuable results if you keep in touch with the diaspora and invite the most successful of them to events, so that they can share in their experience," said Byrne.

The Irish minister also foresaw the negative effects of Brexit on Great Britain, which are already being felt. "In the past, there was a lot of talk in Great Britain about Latvian electricians and Polish plumbers, presenting this in a negative light. But we are already seeing a shortage of skilled labor in Great Britain, even a shortage of food in supermarkets. And part of the reason is Brexit. In Ireland, meanwhile, migration from the east has been very successful," he said.

"The idea of a European is something that we must not treat lightly. The British gave up this right, but I do not think it was thoughtful. Our strength, our rights, our economic success are much more important on the European table than on our own. Britain will understand this in the coming months and years. If they don't know it yet, they will know for sure quite soon," said Byrne.

Byrne was on a visit to Latvia this week, during which he met with Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics and Foreign Ministry Parliamentary Secretary Zanda Kalnina-Lukasevica.

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There is a need for active cooperation with the diaspora abroad - Irish minister - Baltic Times

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Posted By admin on September 14, 2021

Kenyans living abroad will access various investment solutions through Credit Bank following a deal with the Kenya Diaspora Alliance (KDA).

Under the agreement, the lender will provide a bouquet of solutions in order to empower Kenyans living abroad to invest back home as diaspora remittances continues to grow outpacing Foreign Direct Investments in what Credit Bank Chief Executive Officer Betty Korir attributes this to the tremendous shift towards digital transformation within the financial sector.

As Kenyans living abroad continue to invest locally, we seek to provide a seamless process, thus enhancing the customer experience and becoming the go-to bank when it comes to international money remittances, said Korir.

CBK data shows that remittances rose 20.3% in the 12 months to July 2021 amounting to Kshs. 376.5 billion compared to Kshs. 317.2 billion during the same period last year.

North America is the largest source and accounting for 58.3% of remittance inflows into Kenya.

I am delighted to seal this partnership today, noted Dr. Shem Ochuodho, Global Chairperson of the Kenya Diaspora Alliance. It heralds yet another milestone, exactly 25 years since the internet was unveiled in this country. The diaspora has undoubtedly become the new sheriff in town, as the highest foreign exchange earner for the country, said Dr. Shem Ochuodho, KDA Global Chairperson.

Ac-coding to Dr. Ochuodho remittances constitute 4% of Kenyas GDP; and in at least two African countries, it constitutes as much as 15-35% of the GDP.

African Americans alone have an estimated spending capacity of US$ 1.2 trillion, and a number of their business leaders have repeatedly said they want to do business with Africa, and invest some of it in Kenya. Partnerships like the one we are signing today will go a long way towards paving the pathways to attract and retain such investments, stated Dr. Ochuodho.

Data from the World Bank indicates that contemporary African diaspora remits at least US$ 80 billion every year.

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Credit Bank, KDA to provide Kenyan diaspora with investment platform - Kenya Broadcasting Corporation

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The William A. Douglass Center for Basque Studies in the College of Liberal Arts hosted an outdoor program and reception at the University of Nevada, Reno celebrating the Statue of the Basque Sheepherder on the Day of the Basque Diaspora, Wednesday, Sept. 8.

The celebration included traditional Basque music and dance as well as reflections from Michonne and Stephen Ascuaga. A brief program honored the memory of their parents, Rose and John Ascuaga, and the many Basques who emigrated to the American West. The statue of the Basque shepherd embodies their values, spirit and stories.

The Basque Diaspora does much of the same a celebration and acknowledgment of all the Basques who now live outside of the Basque Country. The Day of the Basque Diaspora occurs annually each year on Sept. 8.

The celebratory event was well attended with over 100 guests from the community. William A. Douglass was among those in attendance and acknowledged for his dedication to the Center and to the Basque community. Stories of love, courage and tears were shared by many recounting their time spent in the Basque Country and the arduous trek westward to find a better life outside of sheepherding. The Ascuaga family was praised as legends in the community while their son Stephen announced he was sure it was John and Rose from above ensuring the wildfire smoke cleared for the enjoyment of the event.

Guests enjoyed traditional dancing, reciting poems in Basque and community gathering after a long-awaited opportunity to come together. Its clear the statues presence on campus is one of great pride to the Basque community and University.

The life of a sheepherder was tough, Professor of Basque Studies, Sandra Ott said. They spent months alone in the hills with their sheep, often at the expense of physical and mental health. But the story of the Basque shepherd is incomplete without that of the Basque women who came out here and worked in the sheep camps.

Sept. 8, 1522, was when Spanish-Basque Navigator Juan Sebastian Elcano, from the Basque province of Gipuzkoa, completed the first-known, single expedition voyage around the globe, that began under the command of Ferdinand Magellan. After Magellan died in 1521, Juan Sebastian Elcano took over as commander of the ship Victoria sailing back to Spain. Nearly three years after the start of the expedition in 1519, Elcano returned to Seville, Spain on Sept. 8, 1522. Now every year on that day, we celebrate the hundreds of thousands of Basques who have migrated all over the world (nearly 60,000 of those living in the United States and over 5,000 residing in Nevada).

As the original owners of the Nugget Casino Resort in Sparks, the late Rose and John Ascuaga commissioned artist and Reno native Douglas Van Howd to sculpt the Basque statue for the opening of the casinos Basque-themed restaurant, Orozko, in 1998. Van Howd is well known worldwide for his wildlife and western creations. He also sculpted the wolves statue at the entrance of Mackay Stadium at the University. Although he sculpted the Basque statue years ago, he was still very much involved in its relocation and even visited campus once after its move to clean it.

For many years the striking bronze figure of the Basque sheepherder welcomed visitors to the Nugget. It was generously donated to the University and its Center for Basque Studies by the Nugget Casino Resort, now owned by Marnell Gaming, LLC, in 2017. On May 27, 2020, the statue was relocated to its new home, beautifully surrounded by the high desert Nevada landscape, where it now greets students as they walk past on the Universitys campus. (Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the statue was not properly celebrated until 2021).

The relocation and installation of the statue on campus were supported by the donated services of Artistic Gardens, Black Eagle Consulting, Clark/Sullivan Construction, Hyytinen Engineering, Northern Nevada Concrete, Inc., Frank and Scott Peterson, Q&D Construction, Reno Vulcanizing, Savage and Son and Sunstate Equipment Company.

Robert Laxalts much beloved memoir, Sweet Promised Land, and our celebration today speak not only to all first-generation immigrants who made their way west they speak broadly to the journeys and experiences of all immigrants from diverse cultures, ethnicities and religions who came to America, who toiled, endured countless hardships and contributed so much to the shaping of our country, Ott said.

It took a village to move the statue. And now the statue returns the favor by looking over its village. Similar to the Basques who migrated west seeking a better life, the students on campus too are seeking a better future, and the sheepherder statue will welcome all who strive.

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Celebrating the Basque Diaspora with the addition of a statue - Nevada Today

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Posted By admin on September 14, 2021

Remittances to African countries are expected to decrease by 5.4 percent from $44 billion in 2020 to a projected total of $41 billion in 2021, due to the effects of Covid 19 pandemic, according to findings of Continental Migration Report 2021.

The report titled, African regional review of implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, was produced by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in partnership with the African Union Commission (AUC). It builds from four sub-regional reports compiled by AUC and a summary from stakeholder consultations at the just concluded 2021 African regional review meeting on the Global Compact for migration (August 26 to September 1, Morocco ).

Although the COVID-19 pandemic was expected to lead to a decrease in remittances to Africa in 2020, findings of the reports show that by October 2020 remittances to Africa had reached approximately $78.4 billion, constituting 11.7 per cent of global remittances. Remittances have therefore demonstrated greater resilience and reliability as a source of capital in Africa than foreign direct investment flows.

It recommends that governments across the world should take effective action to facilitate and boost remittances in view of supporting the fight against COVID-19 and ultimately building a more sustainable post-pandemic world

According to the report, the costs associated with sending remittances to Africa are some of the highest in the world. Until very recently, average transaction costs were equivalent to 8.9 per cent of the amount being sent for a remittance payment of $200,

With respect to the cost of sending money, the report says Africa is still far from achieving the 3 percent target set out in Sustainable Development Goal 10.

The Addis Ababa Action Agenda of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development and Sustainable Development Goal indicator 10 provides that countries should, by 2030, reduce to less than 3 percent the transaction costs of migrant remittances and eliminate remittance corridors with costs higher than 5 percent.

Remittances are estimated to constitute approximately 65 per cent of the income of some receiving countries and senders spend an estimated 15 percent of their income on remittances.

For 25 African countries, all of which have large diaspora populations, remittances are the primary source of national income.

In response, a number of African countries have taken action to lower the costs of remittance transfers. Some countries also offer diaspora bonds to investors and have relaxed foreign exchange controls to allow for electronic and mobile money transfers at reduced costs.

It should be noted, in that regard, that the use of digital money transfer platforms reduces transfer fees in Africa by an average of 7 per cent, says the report.

Private financial institutions also offer incentives to encourage members of diaspora communities to use their services, including low transaction fees for remittances, and facilitate diaspora-initiated projects, especially in the real estate sector. These measures all promote the financial inclusion of migrants and their families.

The report recommends that member States should support migrants and their families through the adoption of laws and regulations to facilitate the sending and receiving of remittances, including by fostering competition among banks and other remittance handling agencies with a view to establishing low-cost transfer mechanisms.

African countries should also make every effort to reduce the transfer costs associated with remittance payments, inter alia, by making more extensive use of digital transfer solutions, such as MPESA, and by streamlining the regulatory constraints associated with international money transfers. African States should also engage with destination countries to identify ways to enhance the provision of basic services to migrants in those countries.

To achieve Global Compact objectives 1, 3, 7, 17 and 23, member States should implement steps proposed in the context of regional economic community-led dialogues on migration; and consider the increasingly important role played by diaspora communities in fostering development, including through remittance payments, skills development initiatives and the adoption of emerging technologies.

ECA projects that remittance inflows to Africa could decline by 21 percent in 2020, implying $18 billion less will go to the people who rely on that money. It is therefore critical to preserve this essential lifeline. As the world enters an economic downturn, remittance flows will be more important than ever for the poorest and most vulnerable people, espcially those without access to economic and social safety nets.

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Remittance to Africa Projected to Decrease in 2021 - Africanews English

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Posted By admin on September 14, 2021

By JUNNO AROCHO ESTEVES

Pope Francis upcoming trip to Hungary and Slovakia, while seemingly standard as papal visits go, could prove to be among his most challenging visits at a time when distrust in government authorities and the looming threat of the delta variant are leading the headlines.

When he visits Slovakia Sept. 12-15, Pope Francis, who throughout his pontificate has strongly denounced corruption and organized crime, will be seen as an important advocate after several tumultuous years that saw massive protests in the country and a series of changes of governments. Since 2018, two governments have been ousted because of corruption.

Most recently, at the beginning of the first wave of the pandemic, the government in Slovakia changed, said Jesuit Father Vlastimil Dufka, who will direct the choir at the popes Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows in Sastin Sept. 15.

The previous government was marked by many corruption cases, and the arrival of a new government brought new hope to our country, he told Catholic News Service.

Recent legislation requiring vaccinations sparked protests in the country, causing divisions and tensions, including within the Catholic Church.

Father Martin Kramara, spokesman for the Slovak bishops conference, told Catholic News Service Aug. 20 that the governments mandate for all participants of papal events to be vaccinated is no small challenge to organize.

Despite the challenges, Father Kramara said the popes visit to the country, especially to a homeless shelter run by the Missionaries of Charity and to Slovakias Roma community, are a much-needed reminder of the Churchs primary mission.

The pope, he said, wants to show the local Church and religious communities sacrificial activities for the benefit of the poor and needy, those who are on the periphery of society, and he reminds us of the important truth that living faith must always be connected with active love in deeds.

Long mired by accusations of corruption, the government of former Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico came to an end after the murder of Jn Kuciak, an investigative journalist, and his fiancee, Martina Kusnrov, in 2018.

The popes trip begins in Budapest, Hungary, where he will preside over the closing Mass of the International Eucharistic Congress Sept. 12.

While the main purpose of the popes trip to Hungary is to celebrate the closing Mass, the pope will meet with Hungarian President Jnos der and Prime Minister Viktor Orbn, before flying out the same day to Bratislava, Slovakia.

That meeting with Orbn, and the brevity of the visita mere seven hourswas the subject of much speculation.

The Hungarian prime minister, who often has portrayed himself as the standard bearer for European Christianity, finds himself at odds with Pope Francis, particularly when it comes to immigration.

According to the Financial Times, during a 2017 speech to European center-right leaders, Orbn said migration turned out to be the Trojan horse of terrorism that threatened Europes Christian identity.

His views stand in stark contrast to those of Pope Francis, who has denounced growing anti-immigrant sentiment in Europe and abroad.

After meeting the two leaders in Budapests Museum of Fine Arts, the pope will meet with the countrys bishops, representatives of other Christians churches and Jewish communities in Hungary.

CNS

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Diaspora and Disease: Pope Will Face Pressing Issues on Trip - Catholic New York

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Posted By admin on September 14, 2021

The Oath, by Greek painter Tsokos. Credit: Public Domain

The Filiki Eteria ( ) or the Society of Friends was founded on September 14, 1814, and played a crucial role in the uprising which led to the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire on March 25, 1821.

In the beginning of the 19th century, the notion that Greece had to be liberated after almost four centuries of Ottoman rule and a new Greek state should be established was ripe.

However, there were two camps: those who believed that the time for Greek revolution or war was here and now and those who believed that it was too early.

In 1814, three Greeks of the diaspora came together in Odessa, in present-day Ukraine, where a thriving Greek community lived. They formed a secret society with the purpose of initiating a Greek revolution to rid the country of the Ottomans.

The three founders were Nikolaos Skoufas from the Arta province, Emmanuil Xanthos from Patmos, and Athanasios Tsakalov from Ioannina.

Soon after, Panagiotis Anagnostopoulos from Andritsaina joined the organization.

The Filiki Eteria recruited mostly Phanariot Greeks from Russia, local chieftains from Greece, and Serbs.

Two of its early outstanding members were Alexandros Ypsilantis, a prince and high-ranking officer of the Imperial Russian Cavalry; Moldovan lord Michael Soutzos and the father of modern Serbia; and founder of the Karadjordjevic dynasty, Karageorge Petrovic.

Future leaders of the Greek War of Independence, such as Theodoros Kolokotronis, Odysseas Androutsos, Dimitris Plapoutas and the metropolitan bishop Germanos of Patras also joined the Filiki Eteria.

In 1818, the Filiki Eteria moved to Constantinople. The year was marked by the death of founding member Skoufas. Xanthos and Tsakalov attempted to find a major personality to take over the leadership of the secret society.

The other two founding members contacted Alexandros Ypsilantis and offered him leadership of Filiki Eteria, which he took up in April 1820.

Ypsilantis started preparations for an armed revolt and set up a military unit he named the Sacred Band.

Initially it was proposed to start the revolution in Constantinople, but the idea was dropped in favor of the Peloponnese.

The Filiki Eteria created a cash box where a large sum of money was collected to meet the needs for arms, ammunition and supplies for the revolution.

They even established an auditing system so that there was no abuse of the funds collected.

Ypsilantis recruited many untrained fighters while at the same time he called on Greeks living in other countries to contribute in any way they could to the liberation war.

Ypsilantis sent fiery letters to all centers of Hellenism, asking diaspora Greeks to participate in the fight.

In October 1820, Ypsilantis decided to start the Greek revolution in Iasi, Moldova. It was a catastrophic move, leading to the slaughter of thousands of fighters.

Nevertheless, the revolutionary seed of the Filiki Eteria was planted, and the slogan Freedom or Death started playing on the lips of Greeks. They were determined to fight to the death for liberty.

On February 24, 1821, Ypsilantis sent a prophetic letter to his Filiki Eteria colleagues asking them to start the fight or contribute by sending money and supplies for the armed struggle: Future generations will bless your names and they will praise you as precursors of their freedom and bliss.

His prophetic proclamation was verified by history. Filiki Eteria was the vehicle for the uprising and inspired the heroes who started the revolt a month later it was Freedom or Death indeed.

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Filiki Eteria: The Group That Sparked the Greek War of Independence - Greek Reporter

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