(Vatican Radio) The opening ceremony of the Olympic Games kicks off Friday evening in Rio de Janeiro. And for the first time, a team of refugee athletes from around the world will compete in the Games.Listen to Devin Watkins' report: Just braving the dangers of escaping oppressive situations of conflict and persecution isn’t enough for some people. They want to show the world their resilience and untapped talent.And the United Nations refugee agency is giving them that opportunity by hosting the first ever team of refugee athletes to compete in the Olympic Games in Rio.Ten refugees were chosen from the more than 59.5 million people displaced from their homes around the world to form the Refugee Olympic Athletes team.The squad is made up of two Syrian swimmers, two judokas from the Democratic Republic of Congo, a marathon runner from Ethiopia, and five middle-distance runners from South Sudan.Former marathon world record holder Tegla Loroupe is the Mission Head for ...
(Vatican Radio) The opening ceremony of the Olympic Games kicks off Friday evening in Rio de Janeiro. And for the first time, a team of refugee athletes from around the world will compete in the Games.
Listen to Devin Watkins' report:
Just braving the dangers of escaping oppressive situations of conflict and persecution isn’t enough for some people. They want to show the world their resilience and untapped talent.
And the United Nations refugee agency is giving them that opportunity by hosting the first ever team of refugee athletes to compete in the Olympic Games in Rio.
Ten refugees were chosen from the more than 59.5 million people displaced from their homes around the world to form the Refugee Olympic Athletes team.
The squad is made up of two Syrian swimmers, two judokas from the Democratic Republic of Congo, a marathon runner from Ethiopia, and five middle-distance runners from South Sudan.
Former marathon world record holder Tegla Loroupe is the Mission Head for the Refugee Team.
“I’m seeing the champions here. I’m seeing world records among this people. We just started in October last year, and these people came from very difficult situations. To have refugee status is not easy: You are nobody. You are somebody but you are nobody in the eyes of others.”
One of the team’s swimmers, Syrian Yusra Mardini, saved her own life and those of 20 other refugees as their boat began taking on water off the Greek coast.
She and her sister jumped into the water and began pushing their boat towards the Greek coast.
Miz. Mardini said her participation in the Games represents hope for all refugees.
“I want to represent all the refugees because I want to show everyone that, after the pain, after the storm, comes calm days. I want everyone not to give up on their dreams.”
The Olympic Games run until August 21 and will see some 11,000 athletes participate from 205 countries.
(Vatican Radio) Here in Rome a meeting organized by the US Embassy to the Holy See in conjunction with the US Conference of Catholic Bishops focused on maritime trafficking and modern slavery at sea.The July meeting shone the spotlight on the global scourge that violates the human dignity of laborers at all stages of the seafood supply chain and aquaculture industries. Kari Johnstone, Deputy Director of the US State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons was at the Rome meeting to connect with the USCCB’s advisory group called Compass, which is a coalition of organizations and ministries promoting the abolition of slavery at sea.She told Vatican Radio’s Linda Bordoni that it was a wonderful occasion which brought together people from both Catholic and non-Catholic organizations who are working together to combat human trafficking at sea…Listen: Kari Johnstone says that she deeply appreciates the fact that the meeting brought ...
(Vatican Radio) Here in Rome a meeting organized by the US Embassy to the Holy See in conjunction with the US Conference of Catholic Bishops focused on maritime trafficking and modern slavery at sea.
The July meeting shone the spotlight on the global scourge that violates the human dignity of laborers at all stages of the seafood supply chain and aquaculture industries.
Kari Johnstone, Deputy Director of the US State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons was at the Rome meeting to connect with the USCCB’s advisory group called Compass, which is a coalition of organizations and ministries promoting the abolition of slavery at sea.
She told Vatican Radio’s Linda Bordoni that it was a wonderful occasion which brought together people from both Catholic and non-Catholic organizations who are working together to combat human trafficking at sea…
Listen:
Kari Johnstone says that she deeply appreciates the fact that the meeting brought together religious organizations, other civil society groups, government representatives as well as the private sector:
“it really takes a chorus of voices to try and combat this crime that seems to be growing and evolving. To be able to get ahead of it and stay ahead of it we need to work together which is one of the reasons we are so thrilled Pope Francis has brought his voice with such moral clarity to this issue that is indeed one of the most challenging of our time” she says.
She points out that not only has he used his voice and moral authority to draw attention to and to denounce the issue, but also his convening power to bring together leaders on at least three different occasions where he has hosted summits at the Vatican.
“We’re thrilled to see that very pro-active and visionary leadership” she says.
Johnstone speaks of the incredible and precious work so many nuns and religious do in combatting trafficking and in assisting the victims.
“They are in many places around the world, on the frontline, they are the service providers; they are often the first people trafficking victims have interaction with, they may be the ones who explain to them this is a crime […] and they provide critical services to trafficking victims in many places where there are no other people providing services to them” she says.
She also points out that they are also very useful in helping experts, judges, policymakers involved in fighting the crime to better understand the problem because they often have “unique insight and access to the victims”.
Johnstone points out that during this meeting of the advisory group of Compass focusing on trafficking at sea, it is largely through the pastorship at ports for example that many of the victims receive basic assistance and perhaps a sympathetic ear.
Johnstone says a distinction must be made between trafficking at sea and migration and between smuggling and trafficking.
“Smuggling, as defined by international law, is really an immigration crime: it’s a crime against a State and its immigration policies” she says.
Many people she points out will voluntarily pay smugglers to help them cross borders (usually out of desperation) and often, somewhere along the line, many of them will eventually become trafficking victims.
“Human trafficking is a crime against individuals, where they are exploited through forced fraud or coercion. It may be sexual exploitation, it may be labour exploitation through forced labour” she says.
She says that at sea human trafficking often takes place within the fishing and seafood industries.
“Fisherman are often lured through false promises or fraudulent recruitment practices, even if they voluntarily sign up to work on a fishing boat, once they get there they are stuck on the boat for months – sometimes years – at a time, and the abuses we hear about are very disturbing” she says.
Johnstone goes on to talk about the work the US State Department Office is doing to combat and monitor the trafficking of persons and also about the importance of awareness raising and what can be done by civil society – across the board – to fight this crime.
“Civil society, religious communities, consumers, the private sector and governments all have a role to play in combatting this crime” she says and she points out some indicators to look out for.
Trafficking, she says, affects a wide range of people throughout the world, and although the victims are prevalently poor and uneducated people, in fact “it can happen anywhere to anyone”.
Johnstone also speaks about the progress that has been made in the past years to fight trafficking but points out that it is a hidden crime so it is very difficult to measure. And she says so many victims are psychologically manipulated by traffickers and are afraid to speak to authorities about their situation and this makes it very difficult to bring the extent and the gravity of the crime to light.
“That’s one of the reasons we think it is so important to identify trafficking victims as ‘victims’ – recognize them as such – and it is very important that governments don’t penalize the victims for any non-violent crimes they may have been forced to commit” she says.
It's been good here in Rome, Johnstone concludes, meeting with the Advisory Council of Compass and seeing just how many people are bringing their voices to this so that the chorus of voices can get louder and stronger and raise awareness and improve all of our collective efforts.
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) -- Right after getting off the plane, sweat beads will start to gather on your forehead. That's just Rio de Janeiro's ever-present humidity saying "hello."...
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) -- Right after getting off the plane, sweat beads will start to gather on your forehead. That's just Rio de Janeiro's ever-present humidity saying "hello."...
(Vatican Radio) At the conclusion of his Thursday afternoon visit to Assisi for the Feast of the ‘Pardon of Assisi’, Pope Francis left a message on the refectory registry book of the Franciscan Friars with whom he spent a few moments.The short, hand-written message in Spanish reads:Let us bless the Lord, for great is His mercy.Thank you for your witness, I ask you to please pray for me.In brotherhood,Francis8/4/2016
(Vatican Radio) At the conclusion of his Thursday afternoon visit to Assisi for the Feast of the ‘Pardon of Assisi’, Pope Francis left a message on the refectory registry book of the Franciscan Friars with whom he spent a few moments.
The short, hand-written message in Spanish reads:
Let us bless the Lord, for great is His mercy.
Thank you for your witness, I ask you to please pray for me.
PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. (AP) -- U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz easily won her South Florida district six times, but a Democratic primary challenge from a Bernie Sanders-backed law professor is making her seventh bid less than a sure bet - and her recent resignation as Democratic National Committee chairwoman hasn't helped....
PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. (AP) -- U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz easily won her South Florida district six times, but a Democratic primary challenge from a Bernie Sanders-backed law professor is making her seventh bid less than a sure bet - and her recent resignation as Democratic National Committee chairwoman hasn't helped....
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) -- There's nothing like the unique Brazilian vibe - and the opening ceremony for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro will see no shortage of samba, culture, diversity and history as the South American nation proudly showcases its traditions and environmental wonders....
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) -- There's nothing like the unique Brazilian vibe - and the opening ceremony for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro will see no shortage of samba, culture, diversity and history as the South American nation proudly showcases its traditions and environmental wonders....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Young Americans are divided over Hillary Clinton's handling of her email account while she was secretary of state, with most young whites saying she intentionally broke the law and young people of color more likely to give Clinton the benefit of the doubt....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Young Americans are divided over Hillary Clinton's handling of her email account while she was secretary of state, with most young whites saying she intentionally broke the law and young people of color more likely to give Clinton the benefit of the doubt....
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) -- Malaysia acknowledged for the first time that one of the pilots of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 had plotted a course on his home flight simulator to the southern Indian Ocean, where the missing jet is believed to have crashed....
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) -- Malaysia acknowledged for the first time that one of the pilots of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 had plotted a course on his home flight simulator to the southern Indian Ocean, where the missing jet is believed to have crashed....
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- North Korea has fired a barrage of missiles, artillery pieces and rockets into the waters off its east coast, including a medium-range ballistic missile that fell near Japan's territorial waters this week....
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- North Korea has fired a barrage of missiles, artillery pieces and rockets into the waters off its east coast, including a medium-range ballistic missile that fell near Japan's territorial waters this week....
BEIJING (AP) -- In halting televised confessions and emotional courtroom testimony, Chinese lawyers and activists held in a government crackdown have voiced the same ominous message: Shadowy foreign forces are funding, directing and encouraging activities bent on destabilizing China's government and smearing its reputation....
BEIJING (AP) -- In halting televised confessions and emotional courtroom testimony, Chinese lawyers and activists held in a government crackdown have voiced the same ominous message: Shadowy foreign forces are funding, directing and encouraging activities bent on destabilizing China's government and smearing its reputation....
