2016 Annual Report

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

2016 Annual Report ANNUAL REPORT “Walking with the poor” “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you made me welcome, lacking clothes and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me. In truth I tell you, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25:35-36,40) Thanks be to God who has called us to become a Vincentian. All the Vincentians I know have one thing in common, that is, we do not count how much we have done to help the people in need; we take care for their needs both morally and financially. In Matthew 25:40, the Lord said, "in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me." In our service, we do not only see God in one of the least of our brothers and sisters, we often encounter Him during our visitations or delivery of services. I am convinced that this is truly the cause of why we love our service and where the source of power comes from. I thank the Lord for His care in the past year. I would also like to thank his Eminence Cardinal John Tong, Bishop of Hong Kong and our patron, for his support to our services; Rev. Dominic Chan, VG, our Spiritual Advisor, for his guidance and teachings; all clergies who offered their kind advice and encouragement during the year; the dear members of the Society for their untiring efforts in their charitable work at many different levels; and of course, the council officers and the senior members for their contributions and support during the year. I would also like to thank our donors for their unfailing support to our charitable work. Without them, we could not have delivered the various quality charitable works as smoothly as it has been over the years. New Activities and New Services during this Year We are honoured to be invited by the Diocesan Ad Hoc Committee for Jubilee of Mercy, led by Auxiliary Bishop Rev. Joseph Ha, to take part in the organization of two major events in this Year of Mercy. Love thy Neighbours from Afar – Care for Refugees: The event was designed for members of the faithful to better understand the refugee situation in Hong Kong and to arouse their concerns. The event took place in two days - the first day was a sharing session on 21 May 2016 and the second a visitation to refugee families on 25 June 2016. We were honored to have Cardinal John Tong, Auxiliary Bishop Rev. Michael Yeung, Auxiliary Bishop Rev. Joseph Ha and Rev. Dominic Chan, VG to take part in our visitation to some refugee families living in To Kwa Wan and Yuen Long, bringing blessings and caring to them. The Saint of Mercy – Mother Teresa of Calcutta Exhibition: The exhibition was held from 3 to 4 September 2016 at the Caritas Institute of Higher Education. We would like to extent our gratitude to the Hong Kong Diocese and the Missionaries of Charity for their full support in this exhibition by providing us with rich and valuable information about St. Teresa of Calcutta. The exhibition covered not only the details about the life and service of the Saint but also provided direct broadcast of Mother’s canonization ceremony, sharing with guests, film show, prayer service and spiritual development sessions. In the course of the preparation for the event, what we have gained from learning through the services and teachings of St. Teresa of Calcutta was far greater than the efforts we spent. Thanks be to God for giving us this valuable opportunity to serve. The Central Council Meeting The Central Council holds monthly meetings every Wednesday of the third week of the month. Conferences and Membership We have a total of thirty-four parish conferences and one youth conference, with over seven hundred members. Our Work and Activities In 2015 – 2016, all members worked very hard and delivered excellent services in their respective areas, like financial support to the poor and the needy, holding workshops and seminars for members in spiritual development, organizing retreat for members, collaborating with other organizations in delivering charitable work, etc. Charity Community (China) – During the year, the Group visited sixteen regions and districts in the Mainland, focusing on visiting and providing financial support to the poor and the needy with local parishioners. Members took part in a summer youth camp held in Boluo and joined a workshop in Lanzhou. Communication Management Group – During the year, the Group held six meetings and published four issues of the quarterly e-Newsletter. The Group also devoted tremendous efforts in revamping the SSVP HK web site to better meet the emerging needs of the Central Council and conferences brought about by the rapid advancement in information technology and the rising popularity of social media. The new web site which launched on 20 July 2016 adopted a new domain name (ssvp.org.hk), signifying a new page in the SSVP HK’s participation in on- line media. Members are welcome to visit this new web site which could be displayed responsively on various mobile devices, including desktop and tablet computers as well as smart phones. Documentation Management Group – The Group held meeting every two months at the Ozanam Centre. It aimed to develop and maintain an archive system for documentation relating to the establishment of the Society in Hong Kong, its history in the past years, including the set-up of conferences etc.; to retrieve information relating to the establishment of the Society, the registration under the Society Ordinance, the Inland Revenue Ordinance and the Community Chest, for instance; as well as to retrieve from various channels information relating to the history of the Society in Hong Kong especially charitable works in the past, Kung Kao Po, for instance. Recently, the Group visited the Hong Kong Central Library and Hong Kong Seminary to collect past materials in Kung Kao Po. The Group also documented information of major events for future reference. In addition, the Group also assisted in archiving relevant records of CGI. After all, we will try our best to make these precious historical materials good references in the future. Extension and Development Group - The Extension and Development Group consists of eight members. A major task of the Group is to visit parishes that have yet to establish a conference, and to introduce to parishioners the mission and the spirit of the Society. It is hoped that new conferences could be established in these parishes when parishioners gained a better understanding of the Society. During the year, the Group set up the “Walking with Conferences” what’s app groups with the presidents and vice-presidents of conferences. Conferences were welcome to report problems they encountered to the E&D Group at any time with the Group responding within 24 hours. Advices and support would be provided according to the guidelines and rules of the Central Council in real time. The channel was also an effective means for the Central Council to disseminate news and messages. In addition, monthly evening gatherings were held among core members of four to five conferences. Participating conferences revisited the mission, rules and the usage of various forms of the Society together, and discussed problems they were facing and areas of concerns. Conferences got to know each other better through sharing in these monthly gatherings. The Group also assisted conferences in recruiting new members by introducing the Society to other parishioners and catechumen at their parishes. As the parishioners and catechumen learn more about the Society and our services, they would be inspired to join our family to live out their faith through charitable work and serving people in need. For that purpose, the Group also updated and printed new leaflets for conferences’ reference and use. Financial Management Group – The Group held meetings during the year to discuss financial issues encountered by conferences and provide recommendations for their consideration. One of the main tasks of the Group is to appraise and recommend to the President, funding applications of charitable works exceeding HK$ 8000 per case from conferences based on the Funding Approval Guidelines. Ozanam Comprehensive Service Centre (the Centre) – The Ozanam Management Committee manages and oversees the operation of the Centre through quarterly meetings convened to assess, audit and align the directions for the operation of the Centre. The Centre also assisted the Society in communicating and coordinating charitable work and activities of parish conferences. The Centre provided a variety of services to the community in adhering to the teaching of love and care which Christ gave us. Throughout the year, the Centre had continued its services to the people in need, including: Tutorial Classes: We provided after-school homework tutorial classes for primary students. There were about 2,240 head counts enjoyed the services last year; Free Medication and Acupuncture: The Centre collaborated with teams of voluntary qualified Chinese medicine practitioners to provide high quality free medication and treatment. There were about 2,584 head counts received the services from the free clinic last year; Leisure and Cultural Services: The Centre invited experienced music teachers to provide harmonica and erhu classes for people of all ages. There were about 248 student-counts enjoyed the services last year; and Caring Elderly Neighbours: The Centre collaborated with Neighbourhood Advice-Action Council - Sham Shui Po to arrange visits for members of the Society of St.
Recommended publications
  • News Update on Religion and Church in China November 14, 2018 – March 29, 2019
    News Update on Religion and Church in China November 14, 2018 – March 29, 2019 Compiled by Katharina Feith, Isabel Friemann (China InfoStelle), Gregor Weimar SVD and Katharina Wenzel-Teuber Translated by David Streit SVD The “News Update on Religion and Church in China” appears regularly in each issue ofReligions & Chris- tianity in Today’s China (RCTC). Since the editorial staff learns of some items only later, it can happen that there are chronological overlaps between “News Updates” of two consecutive issues of RCTC. In these cases stories referred to in earlier “News Updates” will not be repeated. All “News Updates” can be found online at the website of the China-Zentrum (www.china-zentrum.de). – The last “News Update” RCTC( 2019, No. 1, pp. 3-19) covered the period September 29 – November 26, 2018. Politics, Human Rights February 19, 2019: An “app” for Xi Jinping’s teachings This app has the Chinese name “Xue Xi qiang guo,”学习强国 , which can be translated: “learn to strengthen the country.” The app was released by the Propaganda Department of China’s Communist Party in collaboration with Ali Baba. It quickly became a success and by mid-February was by far the most popular app on Apple China’s web store. According to The Standard [Hong Kong], this popularity can be attributed to a decision by local governments and universities to “encourage” party members to download the app. As of February 19, the app had been downloaded 43.7 million times, a number confirmed in April by MERICS (The Mercator Institute for China Studies).
    [Show full text]
  • John Patrick Publishing Co
    Lincoln Park Fr. Leonard F. Villa, Pastor Fr. Michael J. Morrow, Parochial Vicar Fr. George Valliamthadathil, M.S.F.S. Deacon Rudolph Teng • Deacon Thomas Barbagallo Sr. Eileen Treanor, P.B.V.M., Parish Minister Associate Masses Parish Website: www.stpaulyonkers.org Saturday 9:00 AM Sunday Vigil 5:00 PM E-mail: [email protected] Sunday 7:45 AM, 9:15 AM, 10:45 AM, 12:15 PM Latin Mass 1:30 PM, fi rst three Sundays 2:30 PM fourth Sunday of the Month. Parish Meetings Weekdays 9:00 AM Holy Days 6:45 AM, 9:00 AM, 7:30 PM Monday 6:45 PM St. Paul’s Folk Dance Monday 7:30 PM R.C.I.A. Rectory 602 McLean Ave., Yonkers, NY 10705 Tel: 914-963-7330 Tuesday 1:00-4:00 Leisure Club Fax: 914-963-1952 Tuesday 8:00 PM Charismatic Prayer 2nd Tuesday 7:00 PM Men’s Group Religious Education Offi ce Wednesday 9:30 AM Playgroup 77 Lee Ave., Yonkers, NY 10705 Tel: 914-965-9333 Thursday 7:00 PM A.A. Beginners Thursday 7:00 PM Al-Anon Beginners Sacrament of Baptism Sundays at 2:45pm except the 4th Sunday of Thursday 8:00 PM A.A. Closed Meeting each month by appointment Thursday 8:00 PM Al-A Teen 8:00 PM Al-Anon Sacrament of Reconciliation Thursday Saturday 4:00-4:45 PM. Anytime requested. 1st Friday 9:30-11:00 Adoration 1st Friday 7:00 PM Holy Hour Sacrament of Marriage Six months advance notice is mandatory.
    [Show full text]
  • Meniace Sa Postavenie Hongkongu V Otázke Sino-Vatikánskych Vzťahov Prípadová Štúdia Hongkonských Katolíckych Veriacich
    Masarykova Univerzita Filozofická fakulta Seminár čínskych štúdií Lucia Mydliarová Meniace sa postavenie Hongkongu v otázke sino-vatikánskych vzťahov Prípadová štúdia hongkonských katolíckych veriacich Magisterská diplomová práca Vedúci práce: Mgr. Bc. Magdaléna Rychetská, M.A. 2020 Prehlásenie o autorstve práce Prehlasujem, že som magisterskú diplomovú prácu vypracovala sama s využitím uvedených zdrojov a literatúry. ________________________ Bc. Lucia Mydliarová POĎAKOVANIE Na tomto mieste by som chcela vyjadriť úprimné poďakovanie v prvom rade vedúcej práce Mgr. Bc. Magdaléne Rychetskej, M.A.. Odbornosť, ktorá sa neprejavuje len rozsahom jej vedomostí, ale aj vlastnosťami ako precíznosť, cieľavedomosť a zmysel pre detail môže byť inšpiráciou pre mnohých akademikov a pedagógov. Neodmysliteľnou súčasťou procesu písania práce je i obdobie nespokojnosti, či bezvýchodiskovosti situácie a v tomto ohľade mimoriadne oceňujem školiteľkin ľudský prístup, v ktorom sa zrkadlila trpezlivosť, motivácia a pochopenie pre individuálnu situáciu študenta. Z celého srdca za ne ďakujem! Následne by som chcela vyjadriť poďakovanie Tomášovi, ktorý mi okrem štylisticko- gramatických korektúr pomohol najmä neformálnymi diskusiami o problematike prostredníctvom ktorých sa otvárali nové perspektívy možného nahliadania na tému. Ďakujem i Danielovi a všetkým respondentom jednak za ochotu spolupracovať a taktiež za ich otvorenosť a dôveru, ktorú voči mne prejavili. Veľmi si ju cením! V neposlednom rade patrí vďaka mojej rodine – najmä manželovi, bez ktorých podpory by som toto náročné obdobie nezvládla. ANOTÁCIA Predkladaná magisterská diplomová práca sa zaoberá meniacim sa postavením Hongkongu (HK) v otázke sino-vatikánskych vzťahov. Konflikt medzi hongkonským emeritným biskupom Josephom Zenom (Chén Rìjūn 陳日君) a Vatikánom eskaloval výraznejšie od roku 2018, kedy bola podpísaná dočasná dohoda o menovaní biskupov medzi Vatikánom a Čínskou ľudovou republikou (ČĽR).
    [Show full text]
  • Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Protesters Arrested in Catholic Church
    Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters arrested in Catholic church Pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong have continued to escalate into violence, with many apparent incidents of forceful police tactics, including at a Catholic church, caught on camera and uploaded to social media. A bystander video widely circulated on social media shows at least four riot police officers entering what appear to be offices at Holy Cross Church in Hong Kong and violently subduing a protestor. Another angle of the incident seems to show a police officer planting a hammer in the backpack of the prostrate protester. The police arrested several protesters at the church. Some social media users implicated Deacon Simon Chan, who works at Holy Cross Church, as having called the police to come and arrest the protesters, or at least having allowed the police to enter the church compound. The Diocese of Hong Kong released a statement Nov. 11 countering this narrative, saying that Deacon Chan hurried to the scene as soon as the police began making their arrests. “On his arrival, however, those protesters were already under arrest and shortly later they were escorted to the police car and taken away. Therefore, it was in fact not Deacon Simon Chan himself who allowed the police to enter the church compound,” the diocese said. In response to queries as to why the church allowed the police to enter to arrest the protesters, the diocese stated “there is no way for a church to guarantee that those who enter it will not be arrested according to the law. We deeply regret that the above incident has taken place.” “It is our earnest hope that the current turmoil in Hong Kong will come to an end and that the local situation will be back to normal as soon as possible,” the diocese concluded.
    [Show full text]
  • Bilinguals in Style: Linguistic Practices and Ideologies of Cantonese-English Codemixers in Hong Kong
    BILINGUALS IN STYLE: LINGUISTIC PRACTICES AND IDEOLOGIES OF CANTONESE-ENGLISH CODEMIXERS IN HONG KONG by Hoi Ying Chen A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Linguistics) in The University of Michigan 2008 Doctoral Committee: Professor Judith T. Irvine (Co-Chair) Professor Sarah G. Thomason (Co-Chair) Associate Professor Robin M. Queen Assistant Professor Babra A. Meek 雙語風格: 香港粵英語碼混合者的言語行為及意識形態 版權所有 陳海瑛 Katherine Hoi Ying Chen 2008 An exhibition poster outside the Hong Kong Museum of Art in 2007: “Chinglish” or “Chinese English”. The four large Chinese characters (with partial English cursive designs) read “Not Chinese, not English”. © Hoi Ying Chen 2008 To My Parents 陳保才 和 李月釵 ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The journey to earn this degree has been long and difficult, but it has also been the most fruitful of my life to this point. It would not have been possible, however, without countless wonderful people guiding and encouraging me along the way. I have found life-long mentors, friends, and family members. When I reflect on this experience as a whole, they are truly what I value most. I would like to express my deep gratitude to the Department of Linguistics at the University of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies, the Barbour Fellowship, and the Center for the Education of Women for providing funding and continued support for my research. Colleagues and friends in the Socio-discourse Group and the Linguistic Anthropology Lab must be thanked for their constant stimulation and constructive feedback. In particular, tireless brainstormers named Rizwan Ahmad, Anna Babel, Laura Brown, Lisa Del Torto, Sai Samant, Mark Sicoli, and Vanessa Will.
    [Show full text]
  • Cardinal Prepared for Arrest Under Controversial Hong Kong Security Law
    Cardinal prepared for arrest under controversial Hong Kong security law Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun has said that while he will remain prudent, he is prepared to suffer arrest and trials under Hong Kong’s sweeping new national security law. “If right and proper words were considered against their law, I will endure all the suing, trials and arrests. Numerous predecessors have endured similarly,” the 88-year-old cardinal said in a video posted on his Facebook page. His remarks were reported by ucanews.com. “Perhaps they are truly insane. Who knows? Let them be then. Isn’t there a saying, ‘Those whom God wishes to destroy, he first makes mad’?” Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, retired bishop of Hong Kong, pictured in a file photo, says he will "endure all the suing, trials and arrests" if he is targeted by a new security law. (CNS/Paul Haring) See HONG-KONG- SECURITY-LAW July 1, 2020. The controversial law was rushed through the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress June 30, the eve of the 23rd anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong from Britain to Beijing. Cardinal Zen’s fears that the new laws could affect religious freedom in the city contradict the view of Hong Kong’s apostolic administrator, Cardinal John Tong Hon, who in late June claimed the laws would have no effect on religious freedom. But in a late-June statement, International Christian Concern said that under the new law, “vocal Hong Kong clergy who have been supportive of Hong Kong’s democracy movement, such as Cardinal Joseph Zen and Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing, could be extradited to mainland China to be tried, since Beijing considers them to be threats to the regime.” Hong Kong Diocese’s Justice and Peace Commission also signed an open letter with 85 other social justice organizations, decrying the law ahead of its implementation, ucanews.com.
    [Show full text]
  • Mass Internment Camp Implementation, Abuses
    CONGRESSIONAL-EXECUTIVE COMMISSION ON CHINA ANNUAL REPORT 2020 ONE HUNDRED SIXTEENTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION DECEMBER 2020 Printed for the use of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China ( Available via the World Wide Web: https://www.cecc.gov 2020 ANNUAL REPORT CONGRESSIONAL-EXECUTIVE COMMISSION ON CHINA ANNUAL REPORT 2020 ONE HUNDRED SIXTEENTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION DECEMBER 2020 Printed for the use of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China ( Available via the World Wide Web: https://www.cecc.gov U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE 40–674 PDF WASHINGTON : 2020 CONGRESSIONAL-EXECUTIVE COMMISSION ON CHINA LEGISLATIVE BRANCH COMMISSIONERS House Senate JAMES P. MCGOVERN, Massachusetts, MARCO RUBIO, Florida, Co-chair Chair JAMES LANKFORD, Oklahoma MARCY KAPTUR, Ohio TOM COTTON, Arkansas THOMAS SUOZZI, New York STEVE DAINES, Montana TOM MALINOWSKI, New Jersey TODD YOUNG, Indiana BEN MCADAMS, Utah DIANNE FEINSTEIN, California CHRISTOPHER SMITH, New Jersey JEFF MERKLEY, Oregon BRIAN MAST, Florida GARY PETERS, Michigan VICKY HARTZLER, Missouri ANGUS KING, Maine EXECUTIVE BRANCH COMMISSIONERS To Be Appointed JONATHAN STIVERS, Staff Director PETER MATTIS, Deputy Staff Director (II) CONTENTS Page Section I. Executive Summary ................................................................................ 1 a. Statement From the Chairs ......................................................................... 1 b. Overview ....................................................................................................... 3 c. Key
    [Show full text]
  • July.Rtf (1).Pdf
    VATICAN-CHINA UPDATE July 2020 4 Updates 1. Can religion hold a dialogue with communism? ( Talking with communists about religious freedom is futile as they work to eliminate religion) 2. Vatican-China agreement: Catholics keep the faith in historic deal despite slow progress 3. Vatican hits stumbling block on road to rebuilding ties with China 4. Delicate Vatican-China pact negotiations likely next month 1. Can religion hold a dialogue with communism? 23rd July 2020 UCA News - www.ucanews.com Can religion hold a dialogue with communism? Talking with communists about religious freedom is futile as they work to eliminate religion By: Thomas Wang, Hebei An agreement China and the Vatican signed in September 2018 is nearing the end of its two- year term. Media reports suggest that the two sides will return to the negotiation table this month. The pact reportedly agreed on the terms of regularizing and appointing bishops in China with papal approval, but its content remains undisclosed to date. Exchanges between the two sides quietly resumed in mid-June. The Rome-based SEDOS (Latin acronym for service of documentation and study of global mission) held a webinar titled "China Mission Today." It invited several distinguished guests to share their views on the situation of the Church in China after the signing of the agreement. The overseas China experts at the conference were full of praise for the pact. One speaker mentioned that persecution of the Chinese Church still exists, but most guests lauded the agreement for bringing about the so-called renewal of the Church in China and even touted dialogue as the only effective way forward.
    [Show full text]
  • News Update on Religion and Church in China March 23 – June 28, 2016
    News Update on Religion and Church in China March 23 – June 28, 2016 Compiled by Katharina Wenzel-Teuber Translated by David Streit e “News Update on Religion and Church in China” appears regularly in each issue of Religions & Chris- tianity in Today’s China (RCTC). Since the editorial sta learns of some items only later, it can happen that there are chronological overlaps between “News Updates” of two consecutive issues of RCTC. In these cases stories referred to in earlier “News Updates” will not be repeated. All “News Updates” can be found online at the website of the China-Zentrum (www.china-zentrum.de). – e last “News Update” (RCTC 2016, No. 2, pp. 3-19) covered the period November 10, 2015 – March 24, 2016. March 23, 2016: 90 year old bishop of Wenzhou steps back from active leadership, but may not resign Bishop Vincent Zhu Weifang, who belongs to the ocial part of the Diocese of Wenzhou, has declared to his priests that he is stepping back from front line leadership due to his advanced age, and has instead named Fr. Ma Xianshi administrator of the diocese. As UCAN has explained, Bishop Zhu cannot resign outright from his post as bishop, since his coadjutor bishop with the right of succession, Bishop Peter Shao Zhumin, who heads the “underground” section of the Diocese of Wenzhou (around two-thirds of the 120,000 faithful), is not recognized by the government. UCAN reports that the government, before ocially recognizing any bishop of the underground Church, demands that they rst concelebrate a Mass with an illicit bishop who was ordained without papal mandate and also join the Catholic Patri- otic Association (UCAN April 11).
    [Show full text]
  • Florida Catholic Staff Concelebrating the 50Th HAINES CITY | Festooned with 50 Anniversary Bouquets of 50 Roses Each, St
    WWW.THEFLORIDACATHOLIC.ORG | June 21-July 11, 2019 | Volume 80, Number 16 ORLANDO DIOCESE PALM BEACH DIOCESE VENICE DIOCESE Happy 50th St. Ann Cemetery of peace Mission Possible Minnesota man: Praying rosary ‘will change your life’ JOE RUFF tied closely together, the Wie- Catholic News Service derkehrs said, by faith and by ap- pearances Mary is said to have ST. PAUL, MINN. | On Face- made in Kibeho from 1981 to 1989. book, he is “The Rosary Guy.” At The Seven Sorrows rosary, home, he is Matt Wiederkehr, 89, which marks the sorrows of Mary of St. Genevieve Parish in Center- including the Holy Family’s flight ville. into Egypt and Mary at the foot of And from the 1960s into the the cross, dates to the Middle Ages. 2000s, this former mechanical en- But it was particularly encouraged gineer was a pioneering national by Mary in her appearances to and international hot air balloon- several young adults in Kibeho. ist who got his start at balloon rac- Many people familiar with those es held during the St. Paul Winter appearances believe one of the vi- Carnival in St. Paul. He conducted sions warned about the Rwandan public relations tours and appear- genocide of 1994. A Dominican sister prays the rosary Sept. 18, 2018, in a campus chapel at The Catholic University of ances for Coca-Cola Co.; set world Stories about Mary’s appear- America in Washington. Matt Wiederkehr, 89, of St. Genevieve Parish in Centerville, Minn., and his family records for distance, duration and ances in Kibeho and their sig- promote praying the rosary regularly because, they say, “this will change your life.” (CHAZ MUTH | CNS) altitude; and led safety classes and nificance — approved as worthy seminars.
    [Show full text]
  • Shuttered Australia Is Becoming A
    Established 1961 7 International Wednesday, May 19, 2021 Shuttered Australia is becoming a ‘hermit nation’, warn experts Borders could remain closed for another year SYDNEY: Prime Minister Scott Morrison defend- Panel member Professor Marc Stears said the ed his “Fortress Australia” COVID-19 restrictions initial snap measures to keep the pandemic at bay yesterday, as experts warned that plans to keep the were understandable. “You have to remember there borders closed for another year will create a “her- really was terror,” he told AFP. “At the start of the mit nation”. “Everyone is keen to get back to a time pandemic the Australian public were inundated with that we once knew,” the conservative leader said in images from Italy and New York.” “There were the face of growing calls for international borders to strong demands for strong action, so the govern- reopen. “The reality is we’re living this year in a ment took the decision to close the border. I don’t pandemic that’s worse than last year.” think anyone really knew how effective a policy that Last March, Australia took the unprecedented would turn out to be.” But, Stears said, as much of step of closing its borders to foreign visitors and the world tentatively reopens, the costs of isolation banning its globetrotting citizens from leaving. That are mounting. “Not only have you got immediate prompted the first population decline since World economic and social costs, but you have the charac- War I, stranded tens of thousands of Australian citi- ter of the country in question here.
    [Show full text]
  • Hong Kong Taken Over by the National Security Law
    Hong Kong Taken Over by the National Security Law Gianni Criveller1 Sunday September 6, 2020, was another (yet again!) black day for Hong Kong. Three hundred arrests on the day of the postponed parliamentary elections. By means of the convenient alibi of contagion, which was clearly a pretext as fortunately the pandemic is definitely under control in Hong Kong, coronavirus provided the easy way out, function- ing as a subsidiary for anti-democratic policies. It was evident, after the administrative elections of November 2019, that the democratic parties would win all the directly elected seats available to them. In the meantime, some particularly controversial candidates had been “disqualified” and could no longer be included in the electoral roll. Moreover, Beijing froze the current parliament for another year. The majority of the seats therefore remain with the pro-China coalition. One wonders whether Hong Kong will ever again have a parliament in which people can elect at least part of the seats; or even if there will again be fair elections ... Hong Kong before July 1, 2020 … In the last few years, Hong Kong has proven to be a civil society of the highest quality, pluralistic and free. For decades, Hong Kong has seen the most peaceful and educated political demonstrations of the entire planet. I was there, I can testify. The aspirations of the people of Hong Kong deserve respect and recognition. Maybe the pan-democrats have made political errors (as some say), but I do not see how errors in political strategies can justify the suppression of citizens’ freedoms.
    [Show full text]