Reflections

COP27, the 27th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), is finally over. In late-night negotiations that ended in the early hours of Sunday, November 20, parties successfully reached a deal to establish a long-awaited and much-discussed mechanism for loss and damage finance. The agreement, which came after years of concerted effort on the part of civil society and developing countries, was “a real pinch-me moment,”according to Teresa Anderson of ActionAid. But this high-profile outcome was but one of the many decisions taken at COP27.

The COP27 Conference took significant steps to help countries currently fighting climate change’s impacts. The most prominent outcome of COP27 was the loss and damage fund that countries agreed to create. Without getting into all the technicalities, this fund is supposed to help prevent climate disasters, while supporting countries struggling with climate disasters. Some preventative measures include providing countries with early warning systems and emergency preparedness kits. Moreover, COP27 focused on two main themes: the time to act is now, and the biggest polluters must pay for their emissions.

Dedicated delegates met for the final outcome of COP27 in the early morning of 20 November, the last day of COP27, and officially closing after two weeks of negotiations with the adoption of the Sharm el-Sheikh Implementation Plan that establishes the funding arrangement for vulnerable countries for loss and damage. This process was shepherded through the dedication and integrity of COP27 President Sameh Shoukry, and final statements by countries and non-government organizations were heard and held sacred, especially that of human rights.

These past few weeks, the necessity for urgent action in responding to the climate crisis has become even more compelling. As the United Nations Environment Programme released their Emissions Gap Report for 2022 two weeks ago, one of the conclusions stated, “Without additional action, current policies lead to global warming of 2.8°C over this century.”

The theme of COP 27, the latest UN climate conference taking place in Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt, has been dubbed ‘implementation.’ Judging by the many speeches from heads of states, prominent climate activists, public actions and the negotiations behind the scenes it is clear that urgent action is needed today to affect a veritable climate catastrophe in the not-too-distant future.

Our mother Church today celebrates the World Day of the Poor. Initiated in 2017, the Holy Father wanted a day for paying particular attention to marginalised people through whom, in this world, Christ also manifests his presence. From the time of St. Ignatius to the present, the Society of Jesus never ceased to try walking with the poor at various times and contexts. And, on this day dedicated to the poor, we are invited to reflect on our mission of establishing justice and reconciliation and building bridges in this broken and divided world.

The distinct difficulties that Venezuelans have faced throughout the leadership of the past two decades directly contributes to the decreased of quality of life. The main way in which these leaders have contributed to this poverty is through the corruption within the government, leading to the mismanagement of many important aspects of a well-functioning country.

In this era of digital development, it’s not easy to minimize the status quo phenomenon of patriarchal culture in the Indonesian society, especially in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). The patriarchal culture in that province places women as second class and causes many unresolved injustices in the society. One of the various examples of injustice due to patriarchy that needs to be highlighted in this Province is the case of sexual harassment and human trafficking of women and children.

International Women's Day is an annual celebration to acknowledge women’s social, political, economical and cultural achievements. On 8th March 2022, this year’s celebration promotes the theme of “Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow.” This theme carries a lot of hope and optimism for a just and inclusive world for all gender types. However, when we look at multi-dimensional problems related to gender inequality that happen worldwide, we might question our self: is that vision attainable?

Madagascar is known for its exceptional biodiversity, home to species found nowhere else. However, the big island is very vulnerable to climate change; the local population is suffering from extreme weather events. Being at the center of the management of natural resources, women are not only victims, they can act for the safeguard of the Common House, and be indispensable actors of climate change.

There is no such thing as "the woman". There are real women of flesh and blood...from diverse socioeconomic locations, some with fewer opportunities than others; women who struggle every day to survive and those of us who struggle every day to conquer equal opportunities, making alliances with others to build a better society.

Christians believe that God is our Father and all are brothers and sisters, belonging to the one family of God. However, sinful discrimination of race, colour, caste, gender etc. continue to exist and perpetuate the misery and sufferings of millions of people inside and outside the Church. It is a major challenge for the genuine followers of Jesus to join the struggle of the discriminated millions towards liberation and strive to build an inclusive society.