Category Archives: Activism

Africa: Legislation Under Consideration by the Government of South Sudan

From: U.S. Department of State
Press Statement
Jen Psaki
Department Spokesperson
Washington, DC
October 3, 2014

The United States government urges the Government of South Sudan to engage in an inclusive consultation process on draft legislation aimed at regulating Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) operations and the National Security Services (NSS).

We are deeply concerned that the current NGO bill, as drafted, could restrict civil society space and hinder the formation and operation of NGOs. As the leading donor of humanitarian and development assistance in South Sudan, we are particularly concerned that this bill would further restrict the delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance and limit the important work that NGOs are doing to promote health, education, and overall development. We are also concerned that the NSS bill appears to curtail due process and is at odds with freedoms enshrined in South Sudan’s Transitional Constitution and international norms. Regulation and codification can be appropriate, but should be done in a manner that preserves freedoms of association, assembly, and speech and protects civil liberties.

We welcome previous engagement by the Government of South Sudan with civil society on the NGO bill, and urge it to continue the dialogue with the legislature and civil society on both draft bills. Strengthening the rule of law and ensuring that a vibrant civil society can contribute to social, economic, and political development, in partnership with the Government, will best ensure stability, prosperity, and peace for all of South Sudan’s people.
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vil Men, Evil Agendas!

From: ‘frank patrick materu’

GEOENGINEERING (Global Weather Modification) is threatening all life on earth.

Geoengineers deny having deployed aerosol programs for years, yet they are currently proposing to spray 10-20 million tons of aluminum oxide other toxic chemicals into our sky annually as stated in numerous geoengineering documents. Lab tests have disclosed extremely high levels of these metals in ground, water, rain and atmospheric tests worldwide. Blood and urine tests reveal alarming levels of aluminum, barium, strontium, cadmium, and other chemicals known to cause high blood pressure, cancer, asthma, Alzheimers, heart, kidney and liver damage, osteoporosis, chronic inflammation, headaches, skin disorders, severe lung, spleen and intestinal diseases, immune system decline, blurred vision, intense ringing in ears, muscle weakness, hear loss, etc. NO purpose justifies these consequences.

Chemtrials are we the experiment? What do you think about this?

Frank Materu

Geoengineering Affects You and Your Loved Ones

image

Geoengineering Affects You and Your Loved Ones
documenting the chemtrail-geoengineering coverup
View on www.geoengineerin…
Preview by Yahoo
http://www.geoengineeringwatch.org/

MEMORIAL FEAST OF SS ANDREW KIM AND COMPANIONS

From: joachim omolo ouko
News Dispatch with Father Omolo Beste
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 14

Today is Memorial of Saints Andrew Kim Tae-g?n, Priest, and Paul Ch?ng Ha-sang, and Companions, the Korean Martyrs who were the victims of religious persecution against Catholic Christians during the 19th century in Korea. Andrew Kim Taegon was first Korean priest. His father, Ignatius Kim, was martyred during the persecution of 1839 and was beatified in 1925.

All along Andrew had admired to become a priest. Shortly he was baptized at the age of fifteen he traveled thirteen hundred miles to the seminary in Macao, China. After six years he managed to return to his country through Manchuria. That same year he crossed the Yellow Sea to Shanghai and was ordained a priest, fulfilling his dreams of becoming a priest.

Andrew was arrested, tortured and finally beheaded at the Han River near Seoul, the capital. He worked closely with Paul Chong Hasang a lay apostle and a married man, aged forty-five. When Christianity came to Korea during the Japanese invasion in 1592 when some Koreans were baptized, probably by Christian Japanese soldiers, evangelization was difficult because Korea refused all contact with the outside world except for an annual journey to Beijing to pay taxes.

Also among the group of 103 Korean martyrs were three bishops and seven priests, heroic laity, men and women, married and single of all ages. They were canonized by Pope John Paul II on May 6, 1984 when he visited Korea in 1984. He canonized Andrew, Paul, ninety-eight Koreans and three French missionaries who had been martyred between 1839 and 1867.

Historically, Koreans lived under the influences of Shamanism, Buddhism, Taoism or Confucianism, Christian faith was therefore seen as an intruder. The situation is now calm because freedom of religion is now guaranteed by the Constitution in Korea.

Buddhism is a highly disciplined philosophical religion in Korea which emphasizes personal salvation through rebirth in an endless cycle of reincarnation, a religious or philosophical concept that the soul or spirit, after biological death, begins a new life in a new body.

The Buddha lived at a time of great philosophical creativity in India when many conceptions of the nature of life and death were proposed. Some were materialist, holding that there was no existence and that the self is annihilated upon death.

Korea must be unique in that the first seeds of Christianity were planted there by lay people. Today, there are almost 5.4 million Catholics in Korea. Recently Pope Francis celebrated a large open-air Mass to beatify 124 of South Korea’s first Catholics at a ceremony in the capital Seoul. He paid tribute to the Koreans, who died for their faith in the 18th and 19th Centuries.

The Pope called for reconciliation on the Korean peninsula, on the final day of his visit to South Korea. Koreans, Pope Francis said, should reject a “mindset of suspicion and confrontation” and find new paths to build peace.

There was no North Korean reaction to the visit, apart from a denial that a rocket launch on Friday was timed to coincide with his arrival.

Andrew Kim Tae-gon was born on 21 August 1821, in Chungchong Province, Korea. Paul Chong Hasang was born in 1795. He was the son of Augustine Chong Yakchong, one of Korea’s first converts to Christianity who was himself martyred in 1801 during the persecution of Shin-Yu.

The first reading of today is taken from 1 TM 6:2C-12: Beloved: Teach and urge these things.
Whoever teaches something different and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the religious teaching is conceited, understanding nothing, and has a morbid disposition for arguments and verbal disputes.

From these come envy, rivalry, insults, evil suspicions, and mutual friction among people with corrupted minds, who are deprived of the truth, supposing religion to be a means of gain.
Indeed, religion with contentment is a great gain.

For we brought nothing into the world, just as we shall not be able to take anything out of it. If we have food and clothing, we shall be content with that. Those who want to be rich are falling into temptation and into a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge them into ruin and destruction.

For the love of money is the root of all evils, and some people in their desire for it have strayed from the faith and have pierced themselves with many pains. But you, man of God, avoid all this. Instead, pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. Compete well for the faith. Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called when you made the noble confession in the presence of many witnesses.

The Gospel is taken from LK 8:1-3. Jesus journeyed from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God. Accompanying him were the Twelve and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their resources.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
Tel +254 7350 14559/+254 722 623 578
E-mail obolobeste@gmail.com
Omolo_ouko@outlook.com
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Water Supply and Sanitation Blue Book 2014

From: Yona Maro

Well-run water utilities play an important role in ending poverty and boosting shared prosperity. Consumers need reliable access to high quality and affordable water and sanitation services. To deliver these basic services efficiently and effectively requires high-performing utilities that are able to respond to urban growth, to connect with the poor, and to improve wastewater disposal practices. The IBNET Water Supply and Sanitation Blue Book 2014 summarizes the water sector status from 2006 to 2011. Since 2006, municipal water performance has improved despite accelerated urbanization and the impacts of triple crises (food, fuel, and financial). Overall coverage has increased and piped water and wastewater services became accessible to more people. An increasing number of utilities now actively handle the water billing, collection, and water management through metering. IBNET tools, such as data collection instruments and protocols, the IBNET database, and the IBNET tariff database, enable enhanced sharing of information on close to 4,500 utilities from more than 130 countries and territories.

Link:
<a href”https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/19811/9781464802768.pdf?sequence=5″>https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/19811/9781464802768.pdf?sequence=5</a>

IS YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT TO BLAME FOR CHAOS?

From: joachim omolo ouko
News Dispatch with Father Omolo Beste
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2014

Denis from Nairobi has raised very important issue about all that happened in Migori. This was not about Kenyan youths it is about Kenyan leaders. Much as the youth are at times paid to cause chaos they are also bought to attend rallies and make them appear well attended.

All in all, whether Uhuru stole the votes or not, he is the president of Kenya and he deserves all the respect. It is indeed and the president points out it is shameful for politicians to hire youth to cause violence and to heckle other leaders for some little money instead of helping them to aspire to achieve something meaningful in life.

Politicians should instead help resolve youth unemployment in Kenya which is a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. Today, unemployment in Kenya stands at 40 percent. This can be translated to mean that close to 16 million Kenyan youths have no formal employment. This is a very alarming trend, which can be disastrous if left to continue growing.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
Tel +254 7350 14559/+254 722 623 578
E-mail obolobeste@gmail.com
Omolo_ouko@outlook.com
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African rights court elect Judge Augustino Ramadhani as top judge

From: Abdalah Hamis

Judge Augustino Ramadhani of Tanzania was elected on Monday as the new President of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Right (AfCHPR).
http://www.african-court.org/

Ramadhani, former Tanzanian Chief Justice, win the votes of seven of the court’s 11 serving judges.

He replaced Sophia Akuffo of Ghana who led the Court for the past two years.

Apart from stepping down as court President, Akuffo and two other judges have completed their service at AfCHPR.

 

SECRETS OF GOOD MARRIAGE

From: joachim omolo ouko
News Dispatch with Father Omolo Beste
SATURDAY, AUGUST 30, 2014

Collette from Eastleigh, Nairobi writes: “Fr Beste I always like your articles on marriage and relationship, especially the current on how Emmanuel Kant defined marriage. Are there some philosophers who have made comments on marriage, especially one that explains what makes good and lasting marriage?

I was also touched by the life of St. Augustine and how he got converted. Did he also write on marriage, if so please can you share with us? Thank you Father and keep on the good work you are doing to educate us.”

Thank you for this interesting question Collette. Philosopher Hegel offers some secrets to your question. For good and lasting marriage he argues must be founded on true love. Love in terms the consciousness of unity with one another.

Marriage, as the immediate type of ethical relationship, contains first, the moment of physical life; and since marriage is a substantial tie, the life involved in it is life in its totality, i.e. as the actuality of the race and its life-process.

Secondly, in self-consciousness the natural sexual union — a union purely inward or implicit and for that very reason existent as purely external — is changed into a union on the level of mind, into self-conscious love.

For Hegel, sex union should just be the core of that love and not the primary reason for marriage. That is why you can still love and be faithful to your husband or wife even if sexual union does not take place for some reasons.

Marriage should be in essence an ethical tie. The ethical aspect of marriage in this case consists in the parties’ consciousness of this unity as their substantive aim, and so in their love, trust, and common sharing of their entire existence as individuals.

For St. Augustine union of male and female for the purpose of procreation is the natural good of marriage. Fidelity he argued is the very act in which married partners pay the debt they owe to each other. Fidelity must be kept even in the event of divorce. The strength of this bond is on account of the “sacramentum” of a greater reality.

I would also like to add here that the power of prayer is very important in marriage. Many of us give up on prayer when we don’t get the answer we want when we want it. For nearly two decades, Saint Monica prayed for her husband Patricius and son Augustine.

Patricius was known to be an abusive man with a volatile temper.  Monica continued to attend church services nearly every day and prayed for her husband with an undeniable fervor. Her love and devotion transformed Patricius.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
Tel +254 7350 14559/+254 722 623 578
E-mail obolobeste@gmail.com

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KENYA: LOOKING AT NEW CONSTITUTION AFTER FOUR YEARS

From: joachim omolo ouko
News Dispatch with Father Omolo Beste
THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

The report of the Ndungu Commission on illegal and irregular allocation of public land gives one of the major reasons why Kenyan people opted for the new constitution. Under the old law, it was only the President, who had the right to allocate unalienated government lands, with the new constitution, even though Jubilee government wants to return it back as it were, with the national land commission in place it is going to make this attempt difficult, especially after referendum.

With the new constitution the President cannot exercise his powers without paying regard to the public interest. In any process of allocation, a formal offer of sale is made to an approved purchaser by the Commissioner for Lands and not the president.

The issue of land has been an emotive and sometimes volatile issue in Kenya since independence in 1963, and has dominated political campaigns. The new constitution backs radical land reforms, as well as allowing women to inherit land.

Against the background the 2005 constitution was rejected by Kenyan people. It watered down clauses hammered out at the National Constitutional Conference of 2003-2004. The conference called for a strong prime ministerial role but the revised draft retains a strong presidency.

Those campaigning for a “No” vote argued that power needed to be shared out, so that one person could no longer dominate the country as in the past. This, they said, would help fight corruption – a big problem in Kenya.

President Mwai Kibaki led the “Yes” campaign under the symbol of a banana. The “No” camp claim the orange as their symbol. It brought together seven cabinet ministers and the official opposition party, Kanu.

Roads Minister Raila Odinga, Environment Minister Kalonzo Musyoka and opposition leader Uhuru Kenyatta were its most prominent members. Christian churches, Islamic leaders and civil rights groups back Orange.

The 2005 Kenyan Constitutional Referendum was held on 21 November 2005. The proposed new constitution was voted down by a 58 percent majority of Kenya’s voters. The main issues of contention throughout the drafting of the constitution were over how much power should be vested in the President.

After Kibaki was defeated he dismissed his entire cabinet and deputy ministers. The result was seen as a protest against Mr Kibaki, and there was speculation that ministers opposed to the draft would not be part of the new team.

Campaigners celebrating the “No” vote asked their opponents to join them in drafting a fresh constitution, hence the 2010 constitution.

Although land is still major issue, with the new constitution Kenyans have achieved a lot. Corruption has improved from ‘highly acute’ to merely ‘rampant’. Unlike before when too many of the new ruling elite were out to get rich, rather than govern, the new constitution has prevented this.

Kenya is probably somewhat better off than it was under old constitution. Several ministers involved in corruption scandals who were going unpunished can no longer do so.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
Tel +254 7350 14559/+254 722 623 578
E-mail obolobeste@gmail.com

Omolo_ouko@outlook.com
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FROM SEX ADDICTION TO SAINTHOOD

From: joachim omolo ouko
News Dispatch with Father Omolo Beste
THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

Today August 28, 2014, the Catholic Church celebrates the life of Saint Augustine of Hippo, the North African educator who converted from sexual addiction to sainthood. Sexual addiction is best described as a progressive intimacy disorder characterized by compulsive sexual thoughts and acts.

While it could be argued that Augustine used sexual activity to seek pleasure and avoid unpleasant feelings or respond to outside stressors, on the other hand, it could also be argued that he inherited his sex addiction from his father who was also an addict.

Research has found that sex addicts often come from dysfunctional families and are more likely than non-sex addicts. Sex addicts maintain that like eating, having sex is necessary for human survival. That is why it is very difficult for sex addicts to stop having sex.

Augustine became sex addict when he was only 17 years of age. Augustine entered into relations with a young woman with who conceived and bore him an illegitimate son, whom he named Adeodatus or “Gift of God”.

Augustine had to stop his addiction due to his mother, Monica, consistent prays, night and day. Miraculously, after reading St. Paul, Augustine had an instantaneous conversion. Since then he became an intrepid defender of the Faith he once scoffed and rejected

Augustine was convinced that it was the grace of God that he recovered from sex addiction. This can explain why he got interested in studying Grace, a subject he pursued up to Doctorate level. He then realized that God created humans and angels as rational beings, possessing free will.

He maintained that free will was not intended for sin, which means that it is not equally predisposed to good and evil. A will that has been defiled by sin is not considered to be “free” as it once was because it is bound by material things, things that can be lost and difficult to part with, thus resulting in unhappiness.

Sin he argued impairs free will, but it is restored by grace. Only a will that was once free can be subjected to the corruption of sin. He often believed that any can be saved if they wish. He further believed that the evil of sexual immorality was not in the sexual act itself, but rather in the emotions that typically accompany it.

He admitted that this is a difficult state to come out from, unless with the grace of God. Augustine contrasts love, which is enjoyment on account of God, and lust, which is not on account of God.

For Augustine, proper love exercises a denial of selfish pleasure and the subjugation of corporeal desire to God. His view of sexual feelings and erection were sinful. Anyone who had sexual feelings and erection even if he did not do the actual sex could not go to receive Holy Communion unless you went for confession.

He considered a man’s erection to be sinful, though involuntary, because it did not take place under his conscious control. His solution was to place controls on women to limit their ability to influence men.

Augustine’s sexual impulses were clearly a source of intense emotional pain for him, and this fact alone may account for the emphasis he places on his sexual sins. Throughout the Confessions, the language Augustine uses to describe his sexual impulses is negative, reflecting images of disease, disorder, and corruption.

Until his death, Augustine served as the Bishop of Hippo in North Africa. He led a religious order of men who lived in apostolic poverty without personal possessions. He also led the local Church through challenging times that included the breakdown of Roman imperial authority and widespread confusion about basic Catholic beliefs.

After his death, through the legacy of his writings, St. Augustine became the most influential theologian in the history of Western Christianity. Pope Benedict XVI, who once described the saint as his “traveling companion” in life and ministry, devoted six general audiences to St. Augustine’s life and thought since his election.

St. Augustine’s life, the Pope observed teaches all people – even those weak or challenged in their faith – “not to be afraid of the Truth, never to interrupt the journey towards it and never to stop searching for the profound truth about yourselves and other things with the inner eye of the heart. God will not fail to provide light to see by, and warmth to make the heart feel that he loves us and wants to be loved.”

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
Tel +254 7350 14559/+254 722 623 578
E-mail obolobeste@gmail.com
Omolo_ouko@outlook.com
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Tanzania: What’s wrong with Shikamoo?

From: Fakhi Karume

Youth in Tanzania face challenges because they are not taught to question, criticize and create. We have learnt from Richard Mabala that our education system is not functioning. Youth need to fight and advocate for their rights. We see social movement and the general youth taking different stances these days than past generation.

There is need to empower youth to take risks and fight the exploitation in the community, youth need to demand their local leader present information to them. Start a village/community discussion or newspaper.

image; Me caught on camera insists on something…

This can only be achieved if we change the nature of relationship between children/youth Vs adults/parents as it is well stipulated by Rakesh Rajani on one of his papers “What’s wrong with Shikamoo”- 1995 unpublished paper. Rakesh challenges among other things the way we salute our adults in Tanzania, usually young would say “Shikamoo” which means I am on your knee and the elder will respond by “Marahaba” that means “alright”. The salutation was brought by Arab Sultans during slavery in East Africa in 17th century to undermine our elders creating inferiority complex by making our elders feel small or be on their knees towards Arabs. Hence it was not an appropriate salutation for people with equal relationship unlike for the one who is a master and the other one as a slave.

This goes far, when a pupil/student “’Shikamoo” their teachers it means they surrender their equal participation/engagement in learning that’s why mostly when students challenge or ask questions most teachers get irritated and respond to their engagements by canning students.

Check the paper by Rakesh on the link: What’s wrong with Shikamoo?
<a href=”http://http//www.popline.org/node/295562″>http://http//www.popline.org/node/295562</a>

I was privileged to work with one of Rakesh’s initiative Hivos Twaweza in 2012-2013 I have learnt so much about education sector in Tanzania among other things and from himself as the head and thought leader in International Development will always impact my professional life. It is a relief to know that being persistence, challenging or asking questions doesn’t mean one is a naughty person.

It’s encouraging to have people such as Rakesh Rajani who encourages the culture of questioning, challenge and encourage citizen agency in making things happen. Tanzania would improve tremendously; empowered citizens develop the country through their agency. Imagine the teacher who encourage his/her students questioning, challenge and motivate them to imagine, imagine a teacher who don’t hold a stick while teaching? Imagine citizens who questions development plan of the local/central government that affect their life?

Stop listening and start doing… stop “Shikamoo”, create mutual relationship between young and adult

<a href=”http://thinklessandactmore.wordpress.com/2014/08/27/whats-wrong-with-shikamoo/”>http://thinklessandactmore.wordpress.com/2014/08/27/whats-wrong-with-shikamoo/</a>

UHURU IS NOT TO BLAME FOR THE SEEDS OF TRIBALISM IN KENYA

From: joachim omolo ouko
News Dispatch with Father Omolo Beste
THURSDAY, AUGUST 21, 2014

Now that President Uhuru Kenyatta has nominated Major-General Philip Wachira Kameru to head the National Intelligence Service (NIS), it answers the question many Kenyans have been asking the president was going to replace Michael Gichngi with another Kikuyu.

Uhuru is not to blame for tribalism and nepotism in Kenya. Immediately Mzee Jomo Kenyatta became president his administration started favouring the Kikuyu people. This favoritism manifested itself in greater government expenditures for social infrastructure in Kikuyu areas, corruption benefits to fellow tribesmen, privileged access to government and parastatal jobs.

Under the Mzee Jomo Kenyatta government, it was common to have many under qualified staff from the Kikuyu community placed in positions of higher authority than the qualified ones from other tribes. This led to the final falling out with government as the vice president Oginga (a Luo), was eventually pushed out of government and detained.

Former president Mwai Kibaki followed the same. He removed Boinett as head of Kenya’s National, replacing him with Michael Gichangi. The aim of Kibaki was to bring in someone from his tribe was to enable him stay in power and he could do anything to achieve his mission.

This is exactly why Arap Moi appointed his Kalenjin man, Boinett. NIS have been link by Cord to rigging alongside the electoral commission. If this is true then Uhuru had no any option but to appoint his tribesman. Pressure is already building up on 2017 presidential election. It suggests another closely contested election.

James Kanyotu for example, oversaw a smooth transition from President Kenyatta to President Moi in 1978. He also reportedly oversaw President Moi’s Succession Strategy during the 1992 General Election after helping crush political dissenters in the 13 years he served as spy chief in the Moi administration. Moi retained him because he stayed awake during 1982 coup.

They also work as cover ups. This was one of Kanyotu’s responsibilities during Kenyatta and Moi. During Moi he helped to cover up the body of rally driver Stephen Mbaraka Karanja who was killed and his body dumped in a forest in Eldoret. The case was never was never produced in court.

He also helped to cover up most Commissions of Enquiry into political assassinations in Kenya. Kanyotu was replaced by Wilson Boinett, who served as the first Director of the then National Security Intelligence Service. Gichangi took over from Boinett. Now Major-General Philip Wachira Kameru

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
Tel +254 7350 14559/+254 722 623 578
E-mail obolobeste@gmail.com
Omolo_ouko@outlook.com
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TOUCHED BY IRAQ’S TURMOIL

From: joachim omolo ouko
News Dispatch with Father Omolo Beste
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2014

Since we begun this debate on Islamic State of Iraq (ISIS) rebels’ war in Iraq many of our readers have been touched. Many questions and clarifications keep on coming in. Cynthia from Siaya County for example, would like to know why ISIS rebels are only targeting Yazidis, Christians, and Shia Muslims.

Bob from Car Wash, Kisumu City would like to know the number of Catholics and dioceses in Iraq and why Yazidis are the mostly targeted group. These are good concerns and it demonstrates how people can be in solidarity when conflicts arise.

Dolores from Kibera writes: “Hello friends, when you read this News Dispatch and see the atrocities committed, let us raise our hearts on a daily rosary crusade, either as an individual or a group for the christians in Iraq and Syria. Raise your rosary towards heaven when starting and say; “With this rosary, I bind all sinners and all nations to the Immaculate heart of Mary- Happy rosary day”.

The reason why ISIS rebels are threatening, attacking, and murdering Yazidis, Christians, and Shi’a Muslims is because their religious ideals do not conform to theirs. The rebels are particularly against Yazidis belief that God governs the world through seven angels.

There are no official statistics on their numbers in Iraq but Yazidis say their population in Iraq alone exceeds 560,000. Yazidis have throughout history confronted several challenges including the fact that areas in which they inhabit lie within the “disputed lands” between the central Iraqi government and the Kurdistan government.

Muslims are split into two main branches, the Sunnis and Shias. The split originates in a dispute soon after the death of the Prophet Muhammad over who should lead the Muslim community. The great majority of Muslims are Sunnis – estimates suggest the figure is somewhere between 85 and 90 percent.

Sunni Muslims regard themselves as the orthodox and traditionalist branch of Islam. The word Sunni comes from “Ahl al-Sunna”, the people of the tradition. The tradition in this case refers to practices based on precedent or reports of the actions of the Prophet Muhammad and those close to him. Sunnis venerate all the prophets mentioned in the Koran, but particularly Muhammad as the final prophet. All subsequent Muslim leaders are seen as temporal figures.

Meanwhile, the Shia claimed the right of Ali, the son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, and his descendants to lead the Islamic community. Ali was killed as a result of intrigues, violence and civil wars which marred his caliphate.

His sons, Hassan and Hussein, were denied what they thought was their legitimate right of accession to caliphate. Hassan is believed to have been poisoned by Muawiyah, the first caliph (leader of Muslims) of the Umayyad dynasty.

His brother, Hussein, was killed on the battlefield along with members of his family, after being invited by supporters to Kufa (the seat of caliphate of Ali) where they promised to swear allegiance to him. These events gave rise to the Shia concept of martyrdom and the rituals of grieving.

Estimates of the number of Shia range from 120 to 170 million, roughly one-tenth of all Muslims. They are in the majority in Iran, Iraq, Bahrain, Azerbaijan and, according to some estimates, Yemen. There are large Shia communities in Afghanistan, India, Kuwait, Lebanon, Pakistan, Qatar, Syria, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

In countries that have been governed by Sunnis, Shias tend to make up the poorest sections of society. They often see themselves as victims of discrimination and oppression. Some extremist Sunni doctrines have preached hatred of Shias.

Kurds are an Indo-European people of the Iranian branch. Ethnically and linguistically they are most closely related to Iranians and have existed in Iraq since before the Arab-Islamic conquest. They are possibly descended from the ancient Corduene.

The majority of Kurds are Sunni Muslims, with Shia and Alevi Muslim minorities. There are also a significant number of adherents to native Kurdish/Iranian religions such

There are over 300,000 Catholics living in Iraq, just 0.95 percent of the total population. There is the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baghdad. It has jurisdiction over three parishes of 2,500 Latin Rite Catholics who live throughout Iraq.

The diocese is immediately subject to the Holy See and operates alongside eleven Chaldean dioceses, two Syrian Catholic, one Greek-Melkite, and one Armenian Catholic diocese. The Archdiocese’s cathedral is the Cathedral of St. Joseph, located in Baghdad, Iraq, not to be confused with the Cathedral of St. Joseph located in Ankawa, Iraq. The ordinary is Bishop Jean Benjamin Sleiman, O.C.D.

The Chaldean Catholic Archeparchy of Mosul is an Eastern autonomous Catholic, located in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. Its followers are ethnic Assyrians and speakers of Aramaic. The territory is subdivided in 12 parishes. The diocese of Mosul was elevated to Archeparchy of Mosul on February 14, 1967 by Pope Paul VI.

The ordinary was Mar Paulos Faraj Rahho until his death in early 2008. He was succeeded in November 2009 by Archbishop-elect Emi Shimoun Nona, who until his election and ratification had been a professor of anthropology at Babel College and a pastor and vicar general in the eparchy of Alqosh. As of 2012 the Papal Nuncio was Archbishop Francis Assisi Chullikatt, whose Apostolic Nunciature is the entire state of Iraq.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
Tel +254 7350 14559/+254 722 623 578
E-mail obolobeste@gmail.com
Omolo_ouko@outlook.com
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A Message From Jane Goodall on World Elephant Day 2014

From: Abdalah Hamis

Happy World Elephant Day, Green Monsters! The Jane Goodall Institute has released a very special message from (you guessed it!), Dr. Jane Goodall herself in honor of this very special day.

According to Goodall, approximately 96 elephants die each day at the hands of mankind, and the destruction of elephant populations is occurring at an alarming rate. In fact, it is estimated that around 35,000-50,000 African elephants die each year for the ivory trade. And the current rates at which elephants are being slaughtered are greatly exceeding pachyderm birth rates, meaning if we don’t start cleaning up our act, our planet is at risk of losing these giants.

In the words of Goodall, “If we don’t all get involved, the time’s going to come when the elephants are gone.”

Luckily, there are ways to help! Goodall recommends that her fans get involved in any way possible, big or small. One example of a way to get involved is to participate in the Global March for Elephants and Rhinos. The march calls for bans on the trade of wildlife body parts and raises global awareness on wildlife trafficking. If you simply can’t attend, spreading Goodall’s message will allow you to educate the general public on elephant conservation.

Show us your celebratory spirit, and start helping our pachyderm friends!

http://www.onegreenplanet.org/news/a-message-from-jane-goodall-on-world-elephant-day/

WHY THE HOLY FATHER IS CONCERNED ON IRAQ WAR

From: joachim omolo ouko
News Dispatch with Father Omolo Beste
TUESDAY, AUGUST 12, 2014

Brian from Kahawa Sukari, Nairobi writes: “Fr Omolo Beste thank you for your article you posted yesterday about Jihadist war in Iraq. I am particularly touched by the concern of the Holy Father Pope Francis. Yet, I am worried with your headline that it is almost impossible to stop this war. What is the reason for this war and why US is so interested in it? Do you think by firing Iraq Prime Minister is going to stop the war?”

Thank you for the question Brian. The Holy Father is concerned, considering that this war is targeting innocent people including children. According to National spokesman for Iraqi Christians and Chaldean-American businessman Mark Arabo, the “evil” being carried out by ISIS militants in Iraq now includes shocking beheadings of children. This warning graphic raw photo courtesy Catholic online is quite disturbing-WARNING GRAPHIC, RAW PHOTOS — ISIS on Christians.

ISIS Jihadists are systematically beheading children, and mothers and fathers. The world hasn’t seen an evil like this for a generation. This is crimes against humanity. The whole world should come together to condemn it. After killing the men ISIS militants are taking over their wives and their daughters and making them into their wives.

Christian homes have been the target. This makes the situation not very far from a Christian holocaust. They are absolutely killing every Christian they see. This is because the terrorists that have taken over parts of Iraq have been especially brutal to religious minorities—rounding up families, executing men, enslaving women, and threatening the systematic destruction of an entire religious community.

Yes Brian, the reason why I said this is a war which is almost impossible to stop is against the background that the violence in Iraq is being carried out by Jihadists who are not only having global network, but also growing in number rapidly.

Furthermore, the fact that the violence go back to the divisive policies of Saddam Hussein’s regime which had laid the seeds for political tension between the Shiite majority and the Sunni minority just give more hints why it is not an easy war.

The situation was made worse by the catastrophic management of Iraq by the US-led coalition forces after the 2003 invasion, a free-for-all struggle for power between Iraqi political groups, and the emergence of Al Qaeda-linked Sunni extremists.

The US thought that by destroying the old order, and by enabling Shiite Islamist parties to claim through free elections Iraq would be peaceful. This has turned the opposite. Islamist extremists among the dozens of Sunni insurgent groups began deliberately to target Shiite civilians. A bomb attack on a Shiite shrine in the town of Samarra in February 2006 triggered revenge attacks by Shiite militias, leading to open conflict in religiously mixed areas.

Some Sunni leaders want equal participation in central government. Others want majority-Sunni areas to become a federal, autonomous entity within Iraq. A minority of extremists wants a total war against Shiites.

This answers your second question as whether Iraq would be peaceful after firing beleaguered Prime Minister of Iraq, Nouri al-Maliki. The Iraq President thinks that he is the cause of this war due to what he believes is his wrong policies, especially his alienation of the Sunnis and dictatorial style of governance.

The most significant factor behind Iraq’s problems is not the Prime Minister. It is in fact the inability of Iraq’s Sunni Arabs and its Sunni neighbors to come to terms with a government in which the Shias, by virtue of their considerable majority in Iraq’s population, hold the leading role.

This inability was displayed early on, when Iraq’s Sunnis refused to take part in Iraq’s first parliamentary elections, and resorted to insurgency almost immediately after the U.S. invasion and fall of Saddam Hussein.

Your third question why U.S. is interested in Iraq has several reasons. It goes back to days U.S believed Iraq had developed and may have possessed weapons of mass destruction. Another reason for the U.S. declaring war on Iraq is its repeated violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions.

The government justifies the war by saying that since Iraq has violated Resolutions 660, 661, 678, 686, 687 and 688, and is currently violating Resolution 1441, which was passed fairly recently by the U.N. Security council, the U.S. would simply be ‘enforcing international laws by going to war to remove its regime.’ There is another school of thought that U.S. is interested in Iraq’s Oil.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
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Africa’s Food Security: Bags2Bulk Project Will Enhance Zambia’s Food Security Through Improved Grain Storage and Reduced Post-Harvest Losses

From: News Release – African Press Organization (APO)
PRESS RELEASE

With 80% of Zambia’s maize produced by smallholder farmers, there is significant demand for improved grain storage facilities

LUSAKA, Zambia, August 7, 2014/ — AGCO (Your Agriculture Company, NYSE:AGCO) (http://www.agcocorp.com), a worldwide manufacturer and distributor of agricultural equipment, has launched a partnership with Feed the Future Partnering for Innovation (a US Agency for International Development-funded program) to reduce post-maize harvest losses and improve grain handling in Zambia.

Capture.PNGLogo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/agco.jpg

Photo 1: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=1283

Photo 2: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=1282

The new Bags2Bulk project will see AGCO and it partners, GSI Africa, Musika and Ybema Grain Services, introduce and sell 40 metal storage silos at grain trader level benefitting 12,000 smallholder farmers. In the first of several product demonstrations scheduled for Zambia’s Central and Eastern Provinces, more than 75 grain traders recently attended a roadshow in Mkushi to view the silos in action.

“With 80% of Zambia’s maize produced by smallholder farmers, there is significant demand for improved grain storage facilities,” says Nuradin Osman, AGCO Director Operations Africa and Middle East. “These producers primarily use recycled bags for storage, and it is estimated that 30% of grain is lost post-harvest as a result of rot, rodent and insect damage. The bulk silos, manufactured under AGCO’s GSI brand, will enable smallholder farms and traders to safely store larger quantities of maize in order to maintain grain quality. Added to this is the potential for them to make sales at a later date when prices may be more advantageous.”

Bags2Bulk is the first partnership between AGCO and Feed the Future, the US Government’s global hunger and food security initiative led by USAID. Feed the Future Partnering for Innovation, a program under this initiative, funds off-the-shelf technologies to increase smallholder productivity and competitiveness.

Along with the supply of 2.5-500 tonne capacity silos, the scope of Bags2Bulk includes provision of product training and demonstrations, marketing and the facilitation of finance.

AGCO’s consortium of operational partners for Bags2Bulk includes GSI Africa, distributor for GSI grain storage and handling technology in Zambia; Musika, a Not For Profit Company which works to stimulate private sector investment in the smallholder market, and Ybema Grain Services, an accredited grain trader.

Distributed by APO (African Press Organization) on behalf of AGCO Corporation.

Press contact:
Louisa Parker
Manager Institutional Funding & Stakeholder
Relations, Africa & Middle East
Tel: +44 02476852001
Email: Louisa.Parker@agcocorp.com

About AGCO
AGCO (NYSE: AGCO) (http://www.agcocorp.com) is a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of agricultural machinery. AGCO supports more productive farming through a full line of tractors, combines, hay tools, sprayers, forage equipment, grain storage and protein production systems, tillage implements and replacement parts. AGCO products are sold through five core machinery brands, Challenger®, Fendt®, GSI®, Massey Ferguson® and Valtra® and are distributed globally through approximately 3,100 independent dealers and distributors in more than 140 countries worldwide. Founded in 1990, AGCO is headquartered in Duluth, GA, USA. In 2013, AGCO had net sales of $10.8 billion. http://www.AGCOcorp.com

SOURCE
AGCO Corporation

BLAME GAME THAT GAVE BIRTH TO IMPUNITY IN KENYA

from: joachim omolo ouko
News Dispatch with Father Omolo Beste
THURSDAY, AUGUST 7, 2014

While Cord leader blames President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto for land grabbing scam, Jubilee majority leader Aden Duale blames Raila for Kisumu Molasses land grabbing.

Cord loyalists defend Raila: Raila acquired the said land legally. Former commissioner of Lands Sammy Mwaita cleared him to buy the 240 acres on which the Kisumu Molasses Plant is built to Spectre International on January 11,2001at a price of Kshs 3.6 million.

Jubilee loyalists: The land was sold at a time when Odinga started working closely with Moi. By June of the same year, Raila was appointed to the cabinet and made Energy Minister, that was when titles were prepared in favour of Spectre International on February 3,2002 for a 99-year lease backdated to September 1,2001.

Jubilee loyalists pause: How could 240 acres of land together with machinery be sold at Kshs 3.6 million when the land in question is located in prime/valuable area of Kisumu where ½ acre plots go for 2 million?

Aden Duale says: Because Cord is demoralizing Uhuru and Ruto I am now revealing that Cord Homa Bay senator Otieno Kajwang issued irregular work permits, citizenship and passports to foreigners during his tenure as immigration minister in the grand coalition government. Duale says there was documentary evidence that Kajwang benefited financially from the issuance of almost 500,000 vital national documents to illegal immigrants.

Lands Cabinet Secretary Charity Ngilu says: Because Cord former Minister for Land James has accused Uhuru, Ruto and Labour Cabinet Secretary Kazungu Kambi for acquiring land illegally, I am saying that Cord leader Raila Odinga and his Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) is the one who allowed the disputes allocation of 500,000 acres of public land in Lamu to 22 companies during the tenure of the grand coalition Government.

According to Ngilu Uhuru and Ruto, not even Kazungu Kambi grabbed land in Kenya. She is challenging Orengo to provide any evidence linking Uhuru’s family and Ruto to any illegal land acquisition in Coast or any part of Kenya.

Suba MP, John Mbadi answers Ngilu: Ngilu lacks moral ground to deal with land issues in the country because the ministries she served in were hampered with illegalities in procurements. Ngilu answers: When Raila was Prime Minister and I belonged to his party affiliation he publicly defended me against corruption allegations in my ministry.

Jubilee loyalists argue further: If Cord members insist on naming Uhuru and Ruto on other scam, we shall also reveal Raila’s scandals on Triton Oil corruption saga, Afri Global Ltd, a firm belonging to Raila Odinga’s elder brother Dr. Oburu Oginga, who was the Finance Assistant Minister, and which is run by Dr. Oburu’s son, Elijah Abonyo Oburu.

They want to reveal how after this scam Elijah Oburu bought a brand new showroom Mercedes Benz limousine valued at Kshs 24 million (US$320,000 by then) which he now drives around Kisumu City.

Jubilee loyalists threaten to reveal further how another firm, African Oils Ltd, which belongs to the Prime Minister’s son Fidel Castro Odinga also profitted from the scandal. And not to be out done was the Prime Minister himself with his company Bakri Ltd, operated by one Mr. Mike Njeru who joined the list of compliant firms that allegedly benefited from the tender pool sharing and in turn selling the same to the highest bidder.

All these demonstrate how impunity in Kenya is of the high class. It explains why people who were named in Goldenberg scandal cannot be prosecuted. Among those named are, Gideon Moi, Retired President Moi’s son, who was then the Baringo Central MP, Mr Philip Moi Retired President Moi’s son, Mr Moi’s lawyer, lthe late Mr Mutula Kilonzo, Mr Moi’s former personal assistant, Mr Joshua Kulei, former Central Bank of Kenya governor Erick Kotut and former Central Bank of Kenya deputy governor Eliphas Riungu.

Other names include former Central Bank of Kenya employee Job Kilach, former Central Bank of Kenya employee Tom Werunga, former Central Bank of Kenya employee Michael Wanjira, and Philip Murgo, former director of public prosecutions. Mr Murgor’s law firm represented the Central Bank of Kenya during the two-year public inquiry headed by Mr Justice Bosire.

Others are former Treasury permanent secretary Charles Mbindyo, former Treasury permanent secretary Wilfred Karuga Koinange, former Treasury permanent secretary Joseph Magari, the late Prof George Saitoti former Special Branch chief James Kanyotu, former commissioner of Mines and Geology Collins Owayo, Mr Arthur Ndegwa, senior mining engineer in the Commissioner of Mines Nairobi office, former commissioner of Customs and Excise Francis Cheruiyot, former Kenya Commercial Bank general manager Elijah arap Bii and former president Moi.

The same applies to Anglo leasing scam. The cast of officials potentially implicated in fraud or cover ups includes former minister of finance, David Mwiraria, Chris Murungaru, former minister of security; Moody Awori, vice-president; Kiraitu Murungi, minister of justice; Francis Muthaura, head of public service; and Dave Mwangi, permanent security for security among others.

By the 13th of May, 2004 conclusive reports into the Anglo Leasing matter had been received from both the KACC and the Controller and Auditor General and their conclusions were in the same vein to date.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
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TRANSFIGURATION OF THE LORD

From: joachim omolo ouko
News Dispatch with Father Omolo Beste
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6, 2014

Today is August 6, 2014 the Feast of the transfiguration of Christ. It is an annual celebration observed by Catholic, Anglican, and some Protestant ministries in Western Christianity. It commemorates what many consider to be the highest point of Jesus’ earthly life, when he was “transfigured” by a brilliant white light at the top of a mountain and proclaimed to be the well-loved Son of God from a heavenly voice.

Immediately after the Lord was recognized by his apostles as the Christ (Messiah), the Son of the Living God, he told them that he must go up to Jerusalem and suffer many things and be killed and on the third day be raised.

When Jesus went on to speak of his suffering, rejection, and death, his disciples did not understand him at first. Jesus went on to tell them that there would be a “cross” for them to bear as well, if they would follow him.

This is despite the fact that man’s perspective is that one must save his life in order to live, but Jesus taught that his followers must give up their lives for him, in order to live. Life, he said, comes out of death. On the other hand, those who would seek to save their own lives will ultimately lose them.

Transfiguration was therefore, part of his heavenly glory over sin and death. Christ underwent a dramatic change in appearance in order that the disciples could also behold him in his glory. Symbolically, the appearance of Moses and Elijah represented the Law and the Prophets:

“And his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as snow and behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is well that we are here; if you wish I will make three booths here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

He was still speaking when lo, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces with awe.

But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead” (Mt 17:1-92, see also Mk 9:1-9; Lk 9:28-36; 2 Peter 1:16-18).

God’s voice from heaven – “Listen to Him!” – showed that the Law and the Prophets must give way to Jesus. The one who is the new and living way is replacing the old – he is the fulfillment of the Law and the countless prophecies in the Old Testament.

John wrote in his gospel, “We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only” (John 1:14). Peter also wrote of it, “We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

In Greece and Romania the harvest season traditionally began on the Transfiguration. Grapes, in particular, were not eaten before August 6. In some parishes, the first grapes would be brought to church for a blessing and distributed to parishioners.

The blessing of grapes, as well as other fruits and vegetables on this day is the most beautiful and adequate sign of the final transfiguration of all things in Christ. It signifies the ultimate flowering and fruitfulness of all creation in the paradise of God’s unending Kingdom of Life where all will he transformed by the glory of the Lord.

This makes Transfiguration one of the greatest feats in Western Worlds. It reminds me of my days in the USA about 18 years ago while a student at Fordham University, celebrating mass on Transfiguration day at St Matthews Church in Brooklyn Diocese, Eastern Parkway. The feast was great, blessing fruits of different types.

In Kenya and many regions in the developing Worlds the fast is not given great importance, even though in recent centuries the event has come to be seen as an allegory by some Christians, with Elijah and Moses representing the Law and the Prophets, respectively, symbolizing the fulfillment of Jesus’ words in Mathew 5:17:

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” Yet still, for Christians around the world, the Transfiguration remains an important observance. It is a chance to reflect upon the glorious divinity of Christ made manifest in the material world.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
Tel +254 7350 14559/+254 722 623 578
E-mail obolobeste@gmail.com

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BREAST CANCER EMERGES AS THE FASTEST GROWING DISEASES IN KENYA

From: joachim omolo ouko
News Dispatch with Father Omolo Beste
TUESDAY, JULY 29, 2014

Remember Jane Frances in your prayers as she is battling with breast cancer. She welcomes you to a fundraising at Consolata Shrine in Nairobi, Westlands on August 3, 2014 so she can proceed to India for urgent mastectomy surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Those who can donate through M-Pesa can do so through her mobile phone +254 722369389. Jane Frances is currently pursuing her Doctorate studies at Kenyatta University. See her Preview attachment B Cancer Appeal Card JF A5 (1).pdf.

Jane Frances is diagnosed with breast cancer at the time the disease is emerging as the fastest growing diagnosed type of cancer among women countrywide. More women are dying from breast because the disease does not receive the attention it deserves.

Yet still, an alarming number of women do not bother to check their breasts, citing a general lack of awareness to perform self-breast examinations. It affects mostly women aged between 30 and 45.

Unfortunately, African women are more likely to die from breast cancer compared to white women partly because their tumours grow faster. Latest research also shows that women who have had no pregnancies or had their first child after the age of 30 are more at risk of breast cancer.

According to figures at the cancer association registry in Nairobi, 23 per cent of women suffer from breast cancer and 20 per cent from cervical cancer. The World Health Organization indicates that breast cancer is the top cancer in women both in the developed and the developing world.

Some experts argue that the incidence of breast cancer is increasing in the developing world due to increase life expectancy, increase urbanization and adoption of western lifestyles.

Generally, cancer is the 3rd highest cause of morbidity in Kenya at 7 percent of deaths per year, after infectious diseases and cardiovascular diseases. It is estimated that there are 39,000 new cases of cancer each year in Kenya with more than 27,000 deaths per year.

There are only few numbers of radiation centers in Kenya and all of them in Nairobi. They are Kenyatta National Hospital, MP Shah, Nairobi Hospital, and Aga Khan. Apart from Kenyatta Hospital, the rest are too expensive.

While cervical cancer is more common in the rural areas, breast cancer is common in urban areas, according to the Kenya Cancer Society.

Our First Lady Margaret Kenyatta, who was made the incoming chairman of the SCCA in Namibia recently

Concern over cervical cancer, experts say it has risen because 70 per cent of all cases can be prevented by giving girls aged nine to 13 years an HPV vaccine, which is not a case in Kenya currently.

With the First Lady initiatives, we hope that the government will roll out the vaccines countrywide. Kenya is among the countries picked by GAVI Alliance to receive heavily subsidised vaccines.

According to World Health Organisation (WHO) boss Dr Margaret Chan, cervical cancer is easily prevented and curable if detected early. She says that its early detection and treatment do not require sophisticated facilities and equipment or highly specialised staff.

WHO recommends the use of the commonly available vinegar to detect precancerous lesions that cause cervical cancer-The lesions are then frozen, and stopped completely, using liquid nitrogen. This procedure is widely available in Kenya for free or about Sh200 in some public facilities. The treatment takes about five minutes only.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
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Did The Pope Just Challenge The Church’s Position On War?

From: Abdalah Hamis

Pope Francis has a habit of saying things that are not necessarily in line with the established teaching of the Catholic Church, but his most recent appeal for peace in the Middle East may put him at odds with a centuries-old Catholic theology concerning the proper use of military force.

Speaking during his weekly Angelus address in Saint Peter’s Square on Sunday, the first Argentinean pope marked the 100th anniversary of World War I by breaking from his scripted remarks to make an impassioned plea for peace.

“Please stop!” he said, referring to war as his voice cracked with emotion. “I ask you with all my heart, it’s time to stop. Stop, please!”

His remarks appeared to be primarily directed at the escalating conflict in Israel and Palestine, with the pope speaking of how war injures, mutilates, and orphans children. He then made another bold proclamation: ”Brothers and sisters, never war, never war! Everything is lost with war, nothing is lost with peace. Never more war.”

The pope’s emotional remarks were no doubt moving for many Christians — especially those fighting to survive in the Holy Land — but few likely saw them as surprising. Appeals to pacifism and nonviolence are nothing new in Christianity, which is rooted in the biblical commandment “thou shalt not kill” and Jesus Christ’s instruction to “turn the other cheek” when confronted with violence. In fact, pacifism is cited as a foundational theological idea for entire Christian denominations, such as the Quakers, Mennonites, and Amish, groups whose devotees are regularly granted “conscientious objector” status during wartime because of their religious beliefs. For his part, Pope Francis has repeatedly prayed for peace in various war-torn regions, as has virtually every pope before him — including Pope Benedict XVI, his predecessor.

But Francis’ bold assertion of “never war” is a bit out-of-character for a sitting pope, because, technically speaking, the Catholic Church doesn’t actually think that people should “never” go to war. On the contrary, the Catholic Church has been an active participant in several violent conflicts, and pope Francis’ words appear to directly dispute an established — albeit controversial — Catholic theology known as “Just War Doctrine.”

At its core, Just War Doctrine — a distinctly Catholic subset of the larger conversation around Just War Theory — is essentially the belief that war can, in certain circumstances, be “just.” These circumstances are very specific, and the exact definition of what constitutes a “just war” has been disputed by various Catholic theologians over the centuries. The term itself originated with Saint Augustine of Hippo, a highly influential 4th and 5th century Christian leader who outlined a form of justifiable violence in his seminal work, “City of God.” In it, Augustine lamented the idea that violence should exist at all, but nonetheless argued that, “They who have waged war in obedience to the divine command…by no means violated the commandment, ‘Thou shalt not kill.’” This idea was expanded several centuries later by Saint Thomas Aquinas, a Dominican priest and theologian who lived in the 13th century. He penned a treatise entitled “The Just War” outlining tests for gauging the morality of a conflict, a list that was nuanced and enhanced a few centuries later by various Spanish and Portuguese monks as part of the philosophical “School of Salamanca.”

All of this culminated with the formal codification of a “Just War Doctrine” withinCatechism of the Catholic Church in 1993, where paragraph 2309 outlines four “strict conditions” that must be met for lethal force to be categorized as “just” by the church. They are:From: Abdalah Hamis
Date: Tue, Jul 29, 2014 at 4:36 AM
S

The damage inflicted by the aggressor on the nation or community of nations must be lasting, grave, and certain;
All other means of putting an end to it must have been shown to be impractical or ineffective;
There must be serious prospects of success;
The use of arms must not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated. The power of modern means of destruction weighs very heavily in evaluating this condition.

This theology has been claimed by the church on multiple occasions to justify war. The crusades are an obvious example of the church invoking several early forms of the Just War Doctrine, with Catholic leaders justifying the series of bloody engagements by arguing that Palestine needed to be freed from Muslim rule. Pope Francis called World War I a “useless massacre” this weekend, but during that conflict, prominent Cardinal James Gibbons of Baltimore issued a letter to U.S. Catholics that invoked Just War principles and implored all Catholics to support U.S. involvement in the war. The act lead to the creation of the U.S. Bishops’ “National Catholic War Council,” which was reportedly tasked with recruiting as many Catholics as possible for “war work.” The Catholic Church itself has been more hesitant to formally endorse a single war as “just” in recent decades, but that hasn’t stopped scores of Catholic theologians from sparring over whether or not intervention in conflicts such as the crisis in Syria constitute a justifiable use of military force.

And while the term was originally a religious idea, it has since been appropriated by various American political leaders. This is partially due to the influence of 20th century Protestant theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, who embraced just war and established the notion of “Christian realism” that multiple American politicians on both sides of the aisle still hold dear. Some have argued, for instance, that the War in Iraq was a just war, and the vast majority of Americans say the same about World War II. President Obama, who cites Niebuhr as his favorite theologian, discussed his own complex attitudes toward the idea when he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009. But as the sheer number of these so-called “just wars” have grown, more than a few have questioned whether the concept — even with its narrow definitions — is simply the rallying cry for anyone who engages in war, since virtually all warriors claim their cause is just.

Francis’ words on Sunday appear to echo these criticisms. By asserting “never war, never war” while lifting up the plight of dead or orphaned children, he hints the violence, however well-intentioned or sensibly executed, only leads to death and destruction, and thus cannot be moral. His remarks channel the frustration of millions caught up in conflicts in places like Syria, Ukraine, and Israel-Palestine, where thousands are killed or displaced simply for standing in the way of opposing forces.

Francis’ new anti-war stance may be catching on. Although his remarks are barely 24 hours old, writers already are using his words to make bold calls for radical peace.

http://thinkprogress.org/world/2014/07/28/3465008/did-the-pope-just-challenge-just-war-doctrine/

HAPPY RAMADHAN CELEBRATIONS

From: joachim omolo ouko
News Dispatch with Father Omolo Beste
MONDAY, JULY 28, 2014

News Dispatch with Father Omolo Beste wish Muslim fraternity in Kenya a successful end of the 30 days long fast. Ramadhan is e very important of the Islamic calendar. It is the month during which Muslims do not only observe fasting from morning twilight (Fajr Prayer) to the evening twilight (Maghreb Prayer), but also helping needy people.

The term Ramadhan is literally driven from al-Ramd which means ‘burning heat of the sun. By fasting therefore, Muslims burn the sin. That is why fasting is obligatory both on the poor and the rich.

In Mombasa, Chief Kadhi Sheikh Ahmed Shariff Muhdhar’s has urged Muslims faithfull to maintain peace and co-exist in harmony with fellow Kenyans. The government has already gazetted 29th July as a holiday to enable Muslim faithful celebrate and share with the needy people.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
Tel +254 7350 14559/+254 722 623 578
E-mail obolobeste@gmail.com

Omolo_ouko@outlook.com
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