The news that matter in Europe
The news that matter in Europe
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In response to an invitation by the Electoral Commission, the European Union (EU) will deploy an EU Election Observation Mission (EOM) to observe the December 7, general elections.
Josep Borrell, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, has appointed Mr Javier Nart, Member of the European Parliament, as Chief Observer.
High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell said: “The deployment of this Election Observation Mission confirms our long-term commitment to supporting peaceful, credible, and transparent elections in Africa and elsewhere around the world.
Under the leadership of Chief Observer, Javier Nart, the EU EOM will provide an independent assessment of the electoral process and work together with Ghanaians to strengthen further the country’s democratic institutions.”
The Chief Observer, Javier Nart, said: “It is a great honour for me to lead this Election Observation Mission, which I assume with a great sense of responsibility.
“For the third time the EU accompanies the election process in Ghana and I trust that state authorities, political parties and all candidates will play their part in promoting a peaceful and credible process.”
The Core Team of the EU Election Observation Mission consists of 9 election experts who will arrive in Accra on 31 October and stay until the completion of the electoral process.
On 7 November, 40 Long-Term Observers will join the mission and will be deployed across Ghana’s 16 regions. Their capacity will be reinforced by up to 30 locally recruited Short-Term Observers on election day.
After election day, the mission will issue a preliminary statement and hold a press conference in Accra. A final report, including recommendations for future electoral processes, will be presented and shared with stakeholders after the finalisation of the entire electoral process.
This EOM is the EU’s third EOM to Ghana after two in 2008 and 2016, as well as an Election Follow-up Mission in 2019.
The EU has a long-standing partnership with Ghana. We share a broad common agenda to promote regional economic integration, peace and security, democracy, rule of law and human rights as well as to tackle global challenges.
COMECE Assembly to gather with Cardinal Parolin in light of Pope’s recent message on Europe
“I dream of a Europe that is a family and a community, a Europe that is a friend to each and all, a Europe that is inclusive and generous. Europe, find yourself! Be yourself!”, writes Pope Francis on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of COMECE and on the eve of the Assembly of EU Bishops which is starting today.
On the occasion of the 40th anniversary since the establishment of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE), Pope Francis returns to reflect on Europe once more in a letter addressed to H. Em. Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of His Holiness, who will be participating in the Autumn Assembly of the Bishops of the European Union to start today, Wednesday 28 October 2020.
The Holy Father calls on all of us to rediscover the path of fraternity that inspired and guided the founders of modern Europe. “Europe, find yourself! Rediscover your most deeply-rooted ideals. Be yourself! I dream of a Europe that is a family and a community, a Europe that is a friend to each and all, a Europe that is inclusive and generous”, states the Holy Father also referring to some of Europe’s most pressuring challenges.
H. Em. Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich SJ, President of COMECE, welcomes the words of Pope Francis and considers them “an encouragement to keep working in dialogue with the EU institutions to build a better world reflecting the dreams of peace and Common Good”.
In light of this new comprehensive message on Europe, COMECE Bishop Delegates will exchange on some of EU’s most pressuring challenges mentioned by the Holy Father, including the care for the most vulnerable members of our societies through just social and economic policies, migration and asylum policies and sustainable human development.
The COMECE Assembly will also discuss the contribution of the Catholic Church for a speedy and fair recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic through ecological, social and contributive justice.
Another crucial point in the agenda of the event will be the role of the Church in the EU and the implementation ofArticle 17 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), also in the context of Pope Francis’ call for“a healthy secularism, where God and Caesar remain distinct but not opposed, […] where believers are free to profess their faith in public and to put forward their own point of view in society”.
Due to the sanitary measures recently adopted by the authorities of the Brussels Region, the Mass for Europe has been cancelled. The dialogue session with Mr Margaritis Schinas, Vice-President of the European Commission, has also been removed from the programme of the Assembly. The Bishops of the EU wish him a prompt recovery from Covid-19.
The COMECE Assembly will take place exclusively in a digital format and Chatham House Rules will be applied. Journalists and media operators interested in covering the event are invited to contact the COMECE Communication Officer.
Photos: A. Tarantino & M. Migliorato
COMECE Communication Officer
Alessandro Di Maio
+32 (0) 2 235 05 15
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The European Union (EU) Delegation to the Philippines, along with its EU member states, will kick off tomorrow, October 31, the annual Cine Europa film festival to be presented at a drive-in theater setting amid the challenge posed by the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic.
Touted as Europe’s biggest and most exciting film festival, Cine Europa will feature in its premier night the German film “Sweethearts” at the SM MOA Drive-in Cinema along Seaside Blvd. in Pasay City.
Directed by renowned German actress Karoline Herfurth, “Sweethearts” is a comic-thriller about professional criminal Mel and her easily-panicked hostage Fanny. Forced together by fate and an ill-executed diamond robbery, the couple is trapped in a race against time. Soon pursued by a relentless detective and the greedy Berlin underworld, they are left with no other choice than to work together.
This year’s Cine Europa assembles 19 films from 20 European countries for 30 days and made accessible by signing up at www.cineeuropaph.com.
Despite the virtual environment, Cine Europa will maintain its strong relations with its loyal patrons including those from the various provinces across the country.
The unique feature in this 23rd edition of Cine Europa is the use of Festival Scope, the EU’s library of quality films, that will allow the Delegation to show films from countries not represented in the Philippines. The roster of films adds up to those individually provided by European embassies in Manila.
The EU Delegation, the European Union member states embassies and Embassy of Switzerland, cultural institutes including Goethe-Institut, Instituto Cervantes Manila, Philippine-Italian Association, continue to value the support of the Filipino movie-going public and have endeavored to curate a sample of films showing the diversity of the European film industry.
Also featuring in Cine Europa 23 are three animated films for families and children. These value-laden films are expected to share lessons that all viewers can relate with.
Rafael de Bustamante, First Counselor of the EU Delegation to the Philippines, said that Cine Europa aims at exposing the Filipino public to films that rarely make it to the commercial theaters. Cine Europa, he added, “wants to increase cooperation between, our creative industries and to maximize reach by the use of new platforms.”
Bustamante said that the “celebration of the cultural partnership between the EU and the Philippines continues with Cine Europa which is getting bigger every year”.
“The EU wants to sustain its tradition of providing highly-acclaimed European films to the Filipino moviegoers”.
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JCTR says it is deeply concerned with the rapidly weakening economy in Zambia now threatening the economic and social survival of ordinary citizens, especially the poor, the marginalised and the vulnerable. Speaking on the occasion of Zambia’s 56th Independence Day commemoration, recently, Jesuit priest, Fr. Alex Muyebe who is JCTR Executive Director, said the government needs to be more transparent about the debt crisis.
“The irony is that as we celebrate our country’s Independence Day, we cannot but lament the current shrinking fiscal space in Zambia. Zambia’s total external debt stock now stands at 27 billion dollars, which, literally is equivalent to the country’s GDP,” said the JCTR Executive Director. He advised the Zambian Government to put in place a transparent debt contraction mechanism and to stop further borrowing.
Fr. Muyebe said, “This is not the first time Zambia has found herself in a debt crisis. The Government must learn from these experiences and come up with a lasting solution to avoid finding ourselves in this same bad place over and over again. Government must pursue fiscal consolidation and stop further borrowing,” he said. Adding, “Government must put in place a transparent debt contraction mechanism and a robust and workable debt management and debt sustainability strategy.”
JCTR observes that from the 2021 national budget, it is evident that funds allocated to the social sector had decreased significantly, thereby affecting the ordinary person’s access to health, education, clean water and sanitation.
Political observers say the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened Zambia’s debt situation.
Another factor worrying JCTR concerns the increase in political violence and prevalent intolerance of divergent political opinion in Zambia.
“Over the last 56 years of Independence, Zambia has enjoyed the long-earned reputation of peace on the continent and beyond. However, JCTR is concerned with the rate of political violence threatening this long-earned reputation. The Centre implores government to take the lead in sensitising citizens to reject all forms of violence in our society,” said Fr. Muyebe.
This winter will present the unprecedented public health challenge of having to face the COVID-19 pandemic and the flu season at the same time. The colder months bring challenges for less affluent households to heat their homes adequately, thus increasing their exposure to health risks. On World Cities Day, 31 October, we take a moment to value our cities and communities, especially those most vulnerable in cold weather, and consider what can be done to reduce their risks.
In most countries in the WHO European Region, inequalities related to keeping a home warm in winter have increased in recent years, as have inequalities in the ability to afford heating costs. In almost all European countries, the poorest households are 4 to 5 times more exposed to cold homes than the most affluent ones, and in several countries more than 30% of low-income households are unable to keep their homes warm. The resulting fuel poverty is often associated with polluting and unsustainable fuel choices.
The use of polluting solid fuels for indoor heating and cooking is also unequally distributed and mostly seen in rural areas and low-income households. Solid fuel use may increase the risk of premature death due to long-term exposure to particulate matter from the burned material, and also due to acute poisoning caused by carbon monoxide exposure from poorly maintained heating devices and limited ventilation. The burden of disease due to indoor air pollution from household activities, such as heating or cooking, was estimated to be 55 000 premature deaths in the WHO European Region in 2016.
The topic of affordable and clean indoor heating is particularly important this year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Households need to anticipate possible restrictions on movement or lockdowns in addition to home schooling and home office work. This will increase the time spent in the home and further enhance the impact of low indoor temperatures as well as potential indoor air pollution, especially for low-income families.
Such increased exposure will especially affect population groups that are already more vulnerable, such as the elderly, children or persons with pre-existing medical conditions, if restricted to their home, and in households in which a family member is requested to go into home-based quarantine or isolation. The situation might be further exacerbated by the economic crisis that, in many countries, has resulted in job losses and furlough schemes, significantly increasing the number of people suffering from energy poverty and its consequences.
Finally, during the COVID-19 pandemic, extended presence in indoor, crowded and inadequately ventilated spaces may affect the risk of community transmission, as the virus spreads from an infected person’s mouth or nose in small liquid particles when they cough, sneeze, speak, sing or breathe heavily.
These transmission patterns further raise the importance of good indoor ventilation during the winter, despite a tendency to keep the house sealed to reduce energy consumption and keep it warm. This is most critical in large households with little floor space, as crowding and reduced possibility of maintaining physical distance increases transmission risk. Crowding is of concern predominantly for poor as well as single-parent households. For example, in some Eastern European countries, nearly 3 out of 4 single-parent households with a low income are affected by crowding.
At the individual level, we should continue washing our hands with soap, covering our cough, keeping safe distance from other people, and – where this is not possible – wearing a mask. We know that these measures are essential to breaking the chain of transmission, and – especially in winter – remain the most effective way to protect yourself and other household members. Good ventilation of indoor environments will also add to people’s protection, particularly at this time of the year.
Working with national governments, cities can play an important role in reducing these risks by supporting adequate and affordable energy supply for the coming winter and preparing support schemes for those who cannot afford heating. Preparing well in order to avoid local and national disruptions in supplying heating services and in infrastructure can further reduce risks and health effects related to heating shortages. Finally, local authorities can increase their awareness of the distribution of housing problems related to thermal comfort, energy use and crowding, all of which affect health and well-being for disadvantaged households and may contribute to increased transmission risk during lockdown periods.
By planning ahead, individuals and authorities can reduce the health burden on health care systems during the cold season, especially now when they are already severely stretched to treat COVID-19 patients.
World Cities Day on 31 October 2020 is an opportunity for WHO to draw attention to the major role urban communities are playing in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. Cooperation between ordinary city dwellers, local authorities and health professionals across the WHO European Region has helped countries respond to the disease while striving to minimize socioeconomic impacts.
COVID-19 has demonstrated to what extent a fast-spreading disease can change the life of a city, no matter how big or small. The disease is especially dangerous for older people and for people with a higher burden of noncommunicable diseases, who often also experience isolation and difficulty getting help. In these circumstances, cooperation among citizens has been vital to addressing problems stemming from the COVID-19 outbreak.
Urban communities organizing themselves in their own neighbourhoods are striving to keep countries healthy, sustainable, inclusive and economically active during times that are hard for everyone. In many cities of the Region, authorities, health professionals and local communities are working together towards creating a “better normal” of city life that will outlive the pandemic.
During the COVID-19 outbreak in Italy, an increasing number of Milan’s residents had reduced access to quality food due to imposed quarantine measures. The problem was particularly pressing for the poor, people with limited mobility and older people.
In response, the municipality of Milan collaborated with more than 30 non-profit organizations and private food companies to create Dispositivo di Aiuto Alimentare – The Food Aid System. More than 180 employees and volunteers delivered secure food packages to 6337 households – a total of 20 744 people – that had been identified as vulnerable.
The French city of Brest experienced a similar situation when the COVID-19 pandemic paralysed local markets. This was a challenge not only for consumers but also for local food producers. To solve this, Brest authorities came up with the innovative Projet alimentaire métropolitain – the Metropolitan Food Project – which boosted social protection programmes with a digital platform.
A referral system identified the most vulnerable residents and distributed food vouchers for them to use in grocery stores. An online map also allowed customers in Brest to easily find and contact local food producers that had kept their business open.
“The right to healthy food is something that all levels of government need to be working towards,” said Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe. “The city of Brest has taken proactive, effective measures to ensure food security to its residents. It is a good example of a government taking care of its people during a national crisis.”
Maintaining quality public transport services while taking measures to prevent the spread of the virus and strengthen the confidence of passengers has been a very difficult task for big and busy cities with high mobility.
To meet this challenge, the Russian Federation implemented a highly automated sanitizing system for the Moscow Metro that has been able to disinfect its 900 000 square metres of territory on a daily basis. Almost 50% of Moscow Metro’s fleet is equipped with ultraviolet lamps integrated into climate control systems, making disinfection up to 6 times faster than cleaning by hand. In addition, passenger zones, technical rooms and ventilation shafts are disinfected using antiseptic heat sprayers.
The municipality of Baku, acting in line with Azerbaijan’s national anti-pandemic measures, introduced a different measure. While suspending operation of the city’s metro, Baku’s authorities concentrated on ground transportation and swiftly started a programme to disinfect all buses, taxis and parking areas, as well as interchanges and stations.
Many cities were quick to introduce strict measures to control the COVID-19 outbreak. For Athens, it soon became evident that such measures can heavily impact vulnerable groups through isolation, disruption to treatment and rehabilitation services, and reduced access to social programmes.
To address this issue, Athens city authorities, together with the Hellenic Liver Patient Association “Prometheus” and the Greek Association of People Living with HIV “Positive Voice”, and with funding from the Partnership for Healthy Cities, strengthened support to get essential supplies and health information to marginalized communities during the pandemic.
Limerick, Ireland, established the COVID-19 Community Response Team to support older people facing isolation measures. The network of over 1700 volunteers maintains a daily free phone service for people in need, taking requests for help or proactively reaching out to older citizens.
These projects show how cities can offer new levels of support across all sectors and all urban communities. Cooperation can empower people and keep them safe, and this strong asset of cities will contribute to a better future for the WHO European Region and beyond.
The President of the European Council, Charles Michel again called on Turkey to stop unilateral actions and provocations, speaking on the morning show of LN24.
Mr. Michel emphasised that the EU was ready for a “dialogue” with a “positive agenda”, but said that this would only happen if Turkey “did not take unilateral and provocative actions”. In order to improve the EU’s relations with Turkey, Ankara “needs to change its behaviour,” he said.
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Regarding the coronavirus pandemic, a few hours after the teleconference of the leaders of the member states, the President of the European Council said that they hope that a vaccine will be available at the end of 2020, or the beginning of the new year.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 29, ARMENPRESS. The leading parties of the European Parliament urge to invest effective international mechanisms for the monitoring of the ceasefire in Nagorno Karabakh, ARMENPRESS reports, citing Ria Novosti, reads the joint statement of the European Parliament parties.
”We resolutely condemn the violation of the previously reached agreements. We urge to immediately and unconditionally cease the military operations. We also urge to invest effective international mechanisms for the preservation of the ceasefire”, reads the statement.
In 1991, the Star Wars universe changed forever. After a few years of quiet, the Expanded Universe exploded in scope and reach, kicking off with a series of novels from Timothy Zahn that brought us the story of what happened after Return of the Jedi. With it came the rise of Grand Admiral Thrawn and 30 years later, it’s time to celebrate him in style.
Heir to the Empire—the start of what is now known in reverent tones as the Thrawn Trilogy—kicked off a journey for the masterful Chiss tactician that quickly embedded him as one of the most beloved and important icons of the Expanded Universe. His popularity was such that, even when Disney acquired Lucasfilm and rebooted Star Wars continuity wholesale, they could not leave Thrawn out in the dark.
Thrawn returned through Star Wars Rebels, allowing his creator to usher in a new wave of Thrawn novels, first exploring the commander’s early days in the Empire, and then in the recent Thrawn Ascendancy: Chaos Rising, his days before that as part of the mysterious Chiss society. Now, as the 30th anniversary of Heir’s release approaches, io9 has artfully acquired a few details about how 2021 will be anything but blue for our good Grand Admiral.
On Star Wars day next year, May 4, 2021—30 years to the month Heir to the Empire hit shelves—Del Rey will publish the second novel in Zahn’s Thrawn Ascendancy trilogy, which io9 can exclusively reveal the title and first look at the cover of—Thrawn Ascendancy: Greater Good.
Diving further into the ramifications of the events of the first book in the series, Chaos Rising, Greater Good finds Thrawn at the heart of big changes coming to the Chiss Ascendancy. With no time to bask in the laurels of his victory, Thrawn and his allies in the Chiss Expansionary Defence Force must race against the clock to uncover a plot to tear their society asunder. Here’s the full description of what you can expect:
Thrawn’s latest triumph still rests newly on his shoulders. Despite leading the Chiss to victory and bringing glory to the House of Mitth, the true threat to the Ascendancy has not yet been extinguished. Their foes do not send threats or ultimatums, or mass ships on the edge of the Chaos. Their weapons come cloaked in smiles and generosity—gifts offered freely, services granted unconditionally.
Across the Ascendancy, seemingly inconsequential events could herald the doom of the Chiss. As Thrawn and the Expansionary Defense Fleet rally to uncover the enemy plot, they discover a chilling truth. Rather than invade Chiss capitals or pillage resources, this mysterious enemy strikes at the very foundation of the Ascendancy by widening the rifts between the Nine Ruling Families and Forty Great Houses below. As rivalry and suspicion sow discord among allies, each warrior must decide what matters most: the security of their family, or the survival of the Ascendancy itself.
But that’s not all! If you need to catch up in the fanciest way possible before you dive into Greater Good, to celebrate Heir to the Empire and Thrawn’s 30th anniversary Del Rey has teamed up with Out of Print to release a very limited edition of Thrawn Ascendancy: Chaos Rising. The new book comes encased in a foil-stamped slipcase and printed with a piece of Chiss iconography.
The book itself also has a brand new matching cover, created by illustrator Magali Villeneuve—depicting the young Thrawn as he appears in the series, wearing the uniform of an Expansionary Defence Force officer—and includes special Chiss-blue stained pages and similar blue accents throughout the novel.
If that wasn’t enough? Each copy is signed by Zahn, cementing at a piece of art that Thrawn himself would admire (and ultimately discern 17 ways to outsmart you through). You’ll have to act fast though: just 750 copies will be available, and it’ll set you back a hefty $150 if you snag one when preorders launch in November.
If you feel bad about missing out on it, however (or just want a cheaper way to celebrate 30 years of Thrawn), at the same time Out of Print will also release a new t-shirt featuring a piece of Chisstory. Depicting Tom Jung’s iconic original cover art for Heir to the Empire—including Han, Luke, Leia, Chewbacca, Thrawn himself, and the infamous Dark Jedi, Joruus C’baoth—on the front, the t-shirt also prints Heir’s original title crawl and cover blurb from its original release on the back:
You’re basically wearing one of the most beloved Expanded Universe novels ever! There’s no limited run on them either, and at $30, it’ll be less damaging on your wallet to wear your Thrawn pride with, err, pride.
Thrawn Ascendancy: Greater Good releases on May 4, 2021, and is available to preorder now. The limited-edition run of Thrawn Ascendancy: Chaos Rising, as well as the Heir to the Empire anniversary t-shirt, will go up for order on Out of Print at 11:00 a.m. EST on November 17.
PRESS RELEASE
30 October 2020
Respondents to the European Central Bank (ECB) Survey of Professional Forecasters (SPF) for the fourth quarter of 2020 reported point forecasts for annual HICP inflation averaging 0.3%, 0.9% and 1.3% for 2020, 2021 and 2022 respectively. These results represent downward revisions of 0.1 percentage points for both 2020 and 2021. Average longer-term inflation expectations (which, like all other longer-term expectations in this round of the SPF, refer to 2025) edged up to 1.7% from 1.6% in the previous round.
The expectations of SPF respondents for euro area real GDP growth averaged -7.8%, 5.3% and 2.6% for 2020, 2021 and 2022 respectively. These figures represent revisions from the previous round amounting to +0.5 percentage points for 2020, -0.4 percentage points for 2021 and +0.2 percentage points for 2022. Average longer-term expectations for real GDP growth were unchanged at 1.4%.
Average unemployment rate expectations stood at 8.3%, 9.1% and 8.4% for 2020, 2021 and 2022 respectively. These represent downward revisions of 0.8, 0.2 and 0.1 percentage points. Expectations for the unemployment rate in the longer term were revised down 0.1 percentage points to 7.6%.
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Table: Results of the ECB Survey of Professional Forecasters for the fourth quarter of 2020 |
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(annual percentage changes, unless otherwise indicated) |
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Survey horizon |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
Longer term (1) |
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HICP inflation |
||||||||
|
Q4 2020 SPF |
0.3 |
0.9 |
1.3 |
1.7 |
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Previous SPF (Q3 2020) |
0.4 |
1.0 |
1.3 |
1.6 |
||||
|
HICP inflation excluding energy, food, alcohol and tobacco |
||||||||
|
Q4 2020 SPF |
0.7 |
0.8 |
1.1 |
1.5 |
||||
|
Previous SPF (Q3 2020) |
0.8 |
0.9 |
1.1 |
1.5 |
||||
|
Real GDP growth |
||||||||
|
Q4 2020 SPF |
-7.8 |
5.3 |
2.6 |
1.4 |
||||
|
Previous SPF (Q3 2020) |
-8.3 |
5.7 |
2.4 |
1.4 |
||||
|
Unemployment rate (2) |
||||||||
|
Q4 2020 SPF |
8.3 |
9.1 |
8.4 |
7.6 |
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Previous SPF (Q3 2020) |
9.1 |
9.3 |
8.5 |
7.7 |
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1) Longer-term expectations refer to 2025. |
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2) As a percentage of the labour force. |
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For media enquiries, please contact Stefan Ruhkamp (tel.: +49 69 1344 5057).
SANTIAGO, Chile — In the lead-up to the vote this week in Chile to establish a new constitution, conversations about building an equitable society have taken greater focus throughout the country. Over the past year, the Bahá’ís of Chile have been contributing to these discussions by creating spaces at every level, from the grassroots to national, to examine with their fellow citizens the foundations for a materially and spiritually prosperous society.
“This is a historic time for Chile,” says Felipe Duhart, Secretary of the country’s Bahá’í National Spiritual Assembly. “We all have a rare opportunity to think collectively about the principles around which to organize our country.”
As part of its efforts to contribute to the national discourse on social progress, the Bahá’í community has most recently been working with a civil society organization, Ahora nos toca participar (Now is our turn to participate), to create discussion spaces across the country. A series of gatherings in recent months led to a national event involving thousands of participants. The Bahá’ís of Chile have given special attention at these gatherings—which are continuing alongside the constitutional process—to ensure that the voice of women and indigenous peoples is heard.
At a recent gathering, Veronica Oré, director of the Bahá’í House of Worship in Santiago, explained how certain assumptions need to be re-examined: “The historical moment in which we find ourselves, the impact of the pandemic, the awakening of a collective conscience, are driving our country to search for a new framework for society.”
“Beyond reforms,” Ms. Oré continued, “a profound transformation is required. … The proposal is that we do not look at progress only through the perspective of economic growth, but that we also consider spiritual concepts, such as justice and our essential oneness. When we think about educational policies, about constitutional changes, let us also rethink our assumptions about human nature, seeing the nobility of every human being.”
Luis Sandoval, of the Bahá’í Office of External Affairs of Chile, says, “The aspirations for change manifested in Chilean society—relating to issues such as the extremes of wealth and poverty, equality between men and women, the protection of nature, and the economy—have a common element: challenges in all these areas can be traced to a model of society that places material development at the center of life and of relationships. This is insufficient; we have to go beyond this and recognize the spiritual dimension of life.”
Mr. Duhart explains that underlying all these conversations is a call for justice. “This principle can guide a process for social change in a direction that will be beneficial to all people. The Bahá’í conception of justice places this as a pillar of a united society. Justice puts all people as one before God, and helps us understand how individuals, communities, and institutions form an interconnected whole. Spiritual principles such as justice provide pillars for a society where each of us, with our capacities, can develop and play our part.”
Ms. Oré, explains how the potential for achieving greater unity is realized through the House of Worship: “In the four years since its inauguration, the temple has received some two million visitors from all walks of life and backgrounds. Over the past year, the House of Worship has especially acted as a magnetic center where invitees to special gatherings have come, and after participating in devotions, have engaged in profound discussions about issues of national concern. It’s evident through the thoughtful interactions here that we can build a stronger society together.”
The World Evangelical Alliance says that Dr. Thomas Schirrmacher is to become its next Secretary General from March 2021 when he takes over from the current CEO Bishop Efraim Tendero.
Schirrmacher lives in Germany and studied theology in Switzerland and the United States.
In a letter announcing the appointment, Dr, Goodwill Shana, chair of WEA’s International Council, said: “He enjoys working with groups of diverse people and seeing people work together to advance the aims of the WEA.
“He is committed to building partnerships and seeing WEA contribute to the development of the global Christian community.”
After his appointment, Schirrmacher said: “Beside all my academic and socio-political involvement, the center of my convictions has always been the transforming power of the gospel of Jesus Christ for each individual and the whole world.
“And I see WEA as the best place to serve the Church.”
One of the first people to congratulate Schirrmacher was World Council of Churches interim general secretary Rev. Ioan Sauca.
“I have had the pleasure to meet and work with you and other representatives of the World Evangelical Alliance at several occasions as we explored possibilities of working together facing developments in society and churches,” wrote Sauca.
The relationship between the WCC and the World Evangelical Alliance has strengthened as the organizations have identified various ways of collaborating to respond to needs around the world, while stressing the significance of strengthening Christian witness, Sauca noted.
“In the light of the current global realities, we acknowledge anew the importance of joint actions and responses to a suffering and disrupted world,” Sauca wrote.
“God is calling us in many ways to give witness of his love for every human being and to bring healing, unity and reconciliation.”
Schirrmacher has served in various roles in the WEA since 1999, and is currently the WEA’s Associate Secretary General for Theological Concerns.
Prior to this, he was a member of the Religious Liberty Commission, developed the International Institute for Religions Freedom, built up WEA’s Office for Intrafaith and Interfaith Relations, is chair of WEA’s Theological Commission, and WEA’s Ambassador for Human Rights.
“Evangelicals emphasize the importance of an individual and personal relationship with God that is not defined by any political, cultural or social association, nor automatically given by way of nominal membership of any specific denomination,” says WEA on its website.
Tedero commented on Schirrmacher’s appointment, “I saw in him the charisma, competence and capacity that is matched by the character, conviction and calling from God that are needed for such a global task.
“I have full confidence that he will lead the WEA as empowered by the Holy Spirit in advancing the Good news of the Lord Jesus Christ to all nations, and effecting personal, family and community transformation for the glory of God.”
BRUSSELS: The European Union’s healthcare system are at risk of being overwhelmed by the number of coronavirus cases unless authorities act quickly, the head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen told a news conference on Thursday.
“The spread of the virus will overwhelm our healthcare systems if we do not act urgently,” she said after a video conference of EU leaders to coordinate the EU’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
She said the Commission made available €220 million to finance cross-border transfer of COVID-19 patients across EU countries to avoid healthcare systems in the most affected countries not being able to cope.
She also said the EU would work for the quick validation, at EU level, of rapid antigen tests.
Global COVID-19 cases rose by more than 500,000 for the first time on Wednesday, a record one-day increase as countries across the Northern Hemisphere reported daily spikes.
The global coronavirus tally stands at 44.7 million cases and about 1.17 million deaths.
Scientists said on Thursday a coronavirus strain that emerged in Spain in June has spread across Europe and now makes up a large proportion of infections in several countries.
The variant, which has not been found to be inherently more dangerous, was first identified among farm workers in the eastern Spanish regions of Aragon and Catalonia.
Over the last two months, it has accounted for close to 90 per cent of new infections in Spain, according to the research paper, authored by seven researchers with backing by Swiss and Spanish public-sector science institutions.
The strain has also crossed European borders and accounted for 40 to 70 per cent of new infections in Switzerland, Ireland and the United Kingdom in September, they found.
The World Health Organisation said in July that there was no evidence mutations of the virus had led to more severe disease.
The European Investment Fund, with the backing of the EU’s COSME programme, is extending a guarantee to a portfolio of up to ISK 3.26 billion (€20 million) worth of loans to Icelandic financial intermediary Byggðastofnun, to allow them to increase their lending to small and medium sized entrepreneurs in the Icelandic countryside. The guarantee allows Byggðastofnun to go beyond its credit policy and launch new products aimed to support SME clients currently underserved by the market, offering them new loans with more advantageous conditions.
With this European support, the independent Icelandic state agency will offer loans with improved terms to SMEs, including dedicated lines for female entrepreneurs, innovators, green loans (defined in line with the guidelines of the Icelandic Environmental Agency), loans to young farmers, and loans to fisheries in fragile communities around the Icelandic countryside. It is expected that around 100 Icelandic entrepreneurs will be able to benefit from this new financing programme.
Byggðastofnun focuses its activities on the entire island of Iceland, except for the capital and the municipalities around Reykjavík and has a specific policy goal of supporting SMEs in rural areas. By supporting what is often the only economic activity in a given settlement, this support enables the survival and the development of small villages and communities in Icelandic remote areas by enabling the diversification of sources of employment and income.
Arnar Már Elíasson, Deputy CEO at Byggðastofnun, commented on the signature by stating: “It is vital, especially in the aftermath of this global pandemic, that rural areas will have access to funds for the inevitable rebuild and restructuring needed. This agreement will enable Byggðastofnun to fulfil its purpose to strengthen and assist all rural communities.”
EIF Chief Executive Alain Godard, added: “The EIF is glad to be extending its support to SMEs in Iceland, one of Europe’s closest partners. As a result of the guarantee, Byggðastofnun will be able to increase lending to SMEs outside of the capital region, safeguarding small communities. Against the backdrop of the current crisis, it important that we work with our partners to unlock support for entrepreneurs in rural areas and other underserved areas of the market.”
EU Ambassador to Iceland Lucie Samcová – Hall Allen commented: “Iceland and the European Union are very close partners. I am pleased that through the EU’s Investment Fund we can give a boost to approximately 100 small Icelandic businesses in rural areas – including to fisheries in fragile communities, to young farmers, to innovators and female entrepreneurs. This kind of cooperation has lasting results, with concrete benefits in the years to come.”
Background information:
The European Investment Fund (EIF) is part of the European Investment Bank Group. Its central mission is to support Europe‘s micro, small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) by helping them to access finance. EIF designs and develops venture and growth capital, guarantees and microfinance instruments which specifically target this market segment. In this role, EIF fosters EU objectives in support of innovation, research and development, entrepreneurship, growth, and employment. Since its first project in Norway, in 1974, the EIB Group has made available over €6 billion to support projects in the EFTA region, about €5 billion through the EIB and €1,1 billion through the EIF. On the whole, in Iceland alone the EIB Group has made available nearly €1.2 billion euros throughout the years between EIB and EIF financing.
COSME is the EU programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and SMEs, running from 2014 to 2020, with a budget of €2.3billion. COSME will support SMEs by facilitating access to finance, supporting internationalisation and access to markets, creating an environment favourable to competitiveness, and encouraging an entrepreneurial culture.
Byggðastofnun is an independent investment agency owned by the Icelandic state. Byggðastofnun prepares, organizes and funds projects and provides loans with the aim of bolstering regional settlement, boosting employment and encouraging innovation in business and industry.
Press contact:
EIB Group: Tim Smit, +352 691 286 423, t.smit@eib.org
Byggðastofnun: Arnar Már Elíasson, +354 455 5400, arnar@byggdastofnun.is
European Commission: Flora Matthaes, +32 460 755148, flora.matthaes@ec.europa.eu
EU Embassy to Iceland: Klemens Þrastarson, +354 694 4205, klemens.thrastarson@eeas.europa.eu
By Stefan J. Bos
During a turbulent session in the Bundestag, Germany’s Parliament. Chancellor Angela Merkel warned Germans to expect a “difficult winter.”
Merkel explained that she and the governors of Germany’s 16 states agreed upon new, far-reaching restrictions to curb the coronavirus’s spread.
Chancellor Merkel says the nation faces a dramatic situation at the beginning of the cold season in Germany. But she warns of populist views against the lockdown measures calling them irresponsible.”
Under the restrictions starting Monday, restaurants, bars, sports, beauty parlors and cultural venues will be shut for four weeks.
Groups of at most ten people, from a maximum of two households, will be allowed to meet in public. And all non-essential journeys will be discouraged. Churches, schools, and kindergartens will remain open, compared to the more severe shutdown Germany saw in March and April.
Since the outbreak began this year, authorities and experts recorded nearly half a million COVID-19 infections and over 10,000 deaths on a population of some 80 million people.
Ahead of Germany, neighboring France prepared to resume life under a new lockdown. From Friday, people in France will only be allowed to leave home for essential work or medical reasons.
President Emmanuel Macron said the country risked being “overwhelmed by a second wave that no doubt will be harder than the first.”
“I have decided that it was necessary to return Friday to a lockdown that stopped the virus,” he added in televised remarks.
He said that under regulations for France, “nurseries schools, and high schools will remain open with strengthened sanitary protocols. Faculties and high education establishments must ensure online lessons. And everywhere possible, remote working will become generalized.”
Germany and France’s measures underscore broader concerns in the European Union and Britain about the raging virus.
The president of the EU’s executive European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen suggested that Europe will have a different Christmas this year. “We have been able in the first part of the year to reduce the spread of the virus effectively. But then we see that after the summer, the increase took place again partly expansionary,” she explained. However, “Now we can act with the experience of the first half of the year. So we will be in this for quoite a while,” Von der Leyen added.
The EU is coordinating plans for a possible vaccine, but distribution may take time. Italy, Spain, France, and Britain were among the worst-hit European nations, imposing strict national lockdowns.
Some experts claim that this brought cases, hospital admissions, and deaths down to a very low level over time, but critics point out it ravaged economies.
Restrictions started to lift in the early summer, with non-essential shops, bars, restaurants reopening, and travel restarting. But in August, cases began to rise again, with a significant acceleration in recent weeks that has alarmed policymakers.
Some experts have urged the Spanish government to take more aggressive action to curtail the latest infections there.
Countries that were not hit badly by the first wave – such as Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Poland – have not been spared this time. Officials warn of alarming infection rates across much of the continent.
Although for most people, COVID-19 causes only mild illness, it can make some people very ill.
More rarely, the disease can be fatal. Older people and those with pre-existing medical conditions (such as high blood pressure, heart problems, or diabetes) appear to be more vulnerable.
We, European Leaders, are shocked and saddened by the terrorist attacks in France.
We condemn in the strongest possible terms these attacks which represent attacks on our shared values.
We stand united and firm in our solidarity with France, with the French people and the Government of France – in our common and continued fight against terrorism and violent extremism.
We call on Leaders around the world to work towards dialogue and understanding among communities and religions rather than division.
The latest epidemiological data concerns us.
Europe is at the epicentre of this pandemic once again. At the risk of sounding alarmist, I must express our very real concern and convey our steadfast commitment to stand beside you and support you as best we can.
I convened this meeting to present an opportunity for you to express your most serious concerns and for us to collectively reflect and share experiences. I feel the seriousness of the situation warrants it.
Our partner, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), presented today to the 53 Member States of the WHO European Region projections for COVID-19 for the Region over the winter period. Although the projections are sobering, they also demonstrate modelling on the effectiveness of strategies that can help us to reduce the foreseen negative impact on our populations and our health systems.
The key question that many countries are asking is whether or not to lock down, and when does a lockdown become necessary?
We know that lockdowns, at the scale of those seen earlier this year, will cut community transmission and give the health system much needed space to recoup and scale up so that it can attend to severe COVID-19 cases and provide essential health services.
But we also know that full lockdowns will propel mental health-care demand and spur an increase in domestic violence while decreasing hospital attendance for chronic conditions, resulting in premature deaths from those conditions.
The indirect impact associated with people falling into financial hardship and turning to social security would result in further economic impact and extend economic recovery time. Given these realities, we consider national lockdowns a last-resort option because they bypass the still-existing possibility to engage everyone in basic and effective measures.
So-called lockdowns need not mean what they meant in March or April. As we collectively redefine what we mean by this rather unfortunate term, I would like to contribute some reflections and points that may serve to prompt our discussion.
First, there are several lessons we have learned.
We can take action that makes a difference and saves lives while maintaining livelihoods. Modelling by IHME suggests that the systematic and generalized wearing of masks (at a rate of 95% from now) may save up to 266 000 lives by 1 February across our 53 Member States in the Region.
The data also suggest that encouraging people to work from home where possible, restricting large gatherings and proportionately shutting down places where people gather can go a long way to preserve lives and livelihoods.
On the other hand, we are also confident that children and adolescents are not considered primary drivers of COVID-19 transmission. Therefore, school closures are not considered to be an effective single measure and should continue to be a measure of last resort.
Second, we cannot underestimate the impact that COVID-19 fatigue is having on the well-being of our communities and the effectiveness of our ongoing responses.
We need to engage citizens to help us create solutions. It’s important that we communicate to manage expectations in the coming season with empathy. Any actions that we take need to be viewed in terms of their effectiveness in slowing down transmission, but also in terms of their negative impacts. Effective communication using credible data projections and solutions based on science can help us to engage individuals, families and communities to support our efforts to control the pandemic as we head into a difficult winter.
Third, regarding our health workforce and system.
While in March the critical limiting factors were intensive care units, ventilators and personal protective equipment, today the single issue of greatest concern is the health workforce. Our health workforce is exhausted, people are burning out.
We have no COVID-19 response if we do not care for our health-care and essential workers: their needs and well-being must be prioritized.
These are exceptional times and they require decision-makers to go an extra mile in supporting the workforce, for example, by compensating their unused leave or allowing them to carry this leave to the next calendar year, and by providing additional support services to them and their families, including psychosocial support or child care.
Our systems require adaptation.
When we can no longer ramp up testing and tracing at scale, we need to assess where to focus our resources. Adapting testing and tracing so that they are used in a targeted way for maximum impact, focusing on the events that trigger highest spread within communities, may become necessary. But we cannot give up on these critical systems.
My last point is that while supporting an already-stretched health system, we must try to maintain a dual-track health system to minimize the effects of ongoing COVID-19 responses. Adequate resourcing (human and capital), stronger referral mechanisms and alternative service delivery platforms (digital) can all help us to achieve this goal.
We need to understand how close our health systems are to being overwhelmed, and here is where we need to improve the quality of the data available. In turn, this will enable us to improve the modelling scenarios.
It is time to draw on our reserves to communicate empathy and gratitude – gratitude to communities, to our health and essential workforce, to the general public, for their courage and resilience.
People need hope. At the heart of this is understanding, honesty and transparency.
We entered this pandemic together, we bear the hardship together, and there is no doubt in my mind that we will triumph together.
While such topic avoidance was common practice before the worldwide coronavirus pandemic, the recent corresponding massive social upheavals have now forced the subjects of religion and politics to fuse together in most of our public discussions. But we no longer discuss issues like racism, social inequality, crime, police policies, law and order, or protests in an open and frank manner. Instead we put an absolutist religious framework on our civil life. We have divided all of our politics into “good” and “evil,” “right” or “wrong,” “blessed” and “damned.”
There is no middle ground anymore.
The gloves are off, and the battle for righteousness has begun. If one of our family members or friends or neighbors shows the slightest disagreement with our political position, we are all over them. In social media, for example, many, many people have stated most clearly that support for a candidate or movement they disagree with will result in a blocking or banning of the offender: “I cannot believe you support that insane candidate. They want to destroy our country! You are no longer my friend or a member of my family.”
Elections are about leadership and direction, not absolute truth or destiny. But the pandemic has increased political and religious fanaticism amongst even the most rational of us. They take their favorite candidate and give them divine right while their opponent is impugned with the characteristics of Satan. The new norm among all pandemic politicians is: “If you are not with us, you are against us.”
If the pandemic has shown nothing else, it has shown how closely intertwined our destinies are with one another. Each of us is a traveler on the same small ship. What norms should we follow to make our collective journey manageable?
On Feb. 15, 1840, The Corsair: A Gazette of Literature, Art, Dramatic Criticism, Fashion, and Novelty in New York published a letter by John Stager, who suggested 18 maxims to follow when on a steamer voyage. Number 12 was: “Never discuss religion or politics with those who hold opinions opposite to yours; they are subjects that heat in handling until they burn your fingers.”
I believe John Stager had it right over 180 years ago. We know the folks who hold opposite opinions. Why purposely go out of our way to engage them and burn our fingers?
That being said, I do agree that we should discuss sensitive social justice issues — and we have not been discussing them. Given our divisions, we are screaming at each other instead, at the top of our lungs, talking way past one another.
We need to come back to the dinner table for polite and meaningful conversation, understanding social equality is possible, change is possible, and a more equitable world is possible. But these possibilities can only be realized if we can talk in a peaceful, respectful, and reasonable manner with our family, friends, and neighbors. Each conversation is an opportunity to improve ourselves and our society.
We must step back and try to recreate a norm of civility and even levity.
My fellow native Minnesotan, cartoonist Charles Schulz, was right to infuse humor into the old adage when he had Linus state in both a 1961 “Peanuts” comic strip and in the 1966 classic animated “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” that, “There are three things I have learned not to discuss with people: religion, politics, and the Great Pumpkin.”
Happy Halloween and happy Election Day, everyone!
Dave Berger of Plymouth, Minnesota, is a retired sociology professor who taught for nearly three decades at Inver Hills Community College. He wrote this for the News Tribune.
