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On a recent morning walk right before dawn, I could still see the stars. I saw the Polaris Star, or North Star, which is the brightest star in its constellation. It reminded me of the Underground Railroad and the network of people in North America who led Black people from southern bondage to northern freedom by following the North Star. 

Christine, 23, is from the West Bank. She met a young man from Jerusalem when she was studying at one of the Palestinian universities in the West Bank. As their emotions towards each other grew by time and a sincere love flourished into their hearts, they decided to get engaged. At this point, they didn’t think of any barriers that might stand in front of them. 

We mark 4 March as World Obesity Day. Overweight and obesity are defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a health risk. Obesity has more than tripled since 1975, and more than 1 billion people are obese in the world today. 

Gathered at a time when wars and conflicts have emerged one after the other, socioeconomic situations in various countries have deteriorated, and greed for power and wealth has manifested, putting people's and the planet's welfare in danger. Hate, discrimination, injustice, exclusion, and various forms of dehumanization have plagued society and put lives at risk. Faced with difficult situations, the assembly appears as a new garden plot where seeds and plants of all kinds are cultivated, seeds of hope, dreams, and visions for a better world.

As people of faith concerned about the climate crisis, there are two origin stories that may guide and concern us as we ponder how we ought to live in the world today. One is the Genesis story, which establishes our faith in the God of Creation, and our particular role in nature. Another, is the story that started years ago on the same soil and the same river where COP26 is taking place today.

Acknowledging the inspiration from Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, the recommendations of the World Council of Churches (WCC), the Laudato Si’ Encyclical by Pope Francis, the ecumenical season of creation movement and the ecotheology and ECOTHEE Conferences and the corresponding Cretan appeals since 2009.

Human trafficking continues to remain one of the most grievous assaults on the fundamental rights and inherent dignity of people. The crime, also known as modern-day slavery, is dehumanising in the sense that it corrupts one’s identity as being made in the image of God, instead reducing one to a mere commodity or object.

Nigerians, like the rest of the world, have had to battle the threat of COVID-19 since the beginning of the year 2020.

In a time of a global pandemic that has killed almost 200,000 Americans, civil unrest in the streets, and an economy in tatters, I have been blessed with the opportunity to share my thoughts with you during this unique time in history. I decided to contribute to this blog in the form of a personal letter to each of you.

"You can look into the sky and see the Seven Sisters still today. They are in the stars reminding us to be strong. We are always looking to the future and this story is remembering."

“Conflict-related sexual violence” is understood as “rape, sexual slavery, forced prostitution, forced pregnancy, forced abortion, enforced sterilization, forced marriage and any other form of sexual violence of comparable gravity perpetrated against women, men, girls or boys that is directly or indirectly linked to a conflict.”

An article on an interesting subject? No, not this time. I can only write from the deep crisis situation we are in at present. There is nothing else that keeps me more busy than the question of how to live with the anxiety and fear of the coronavirus and what to make of it.

As we continue our 16 Days Against Gender-based Violence, one of the fundamental messages that must be heard is to break the cycle of remaining silent. This is critical because at so many levels in our society we are repeatedly being told to be quiet.

"Sharing is caring" I hear my little granddaughter say. "Sharing is caring" children sing in nursery schools and on playgrounds. #SharingIsCaring in hundreds of thousands of tweets and social media posts. Sharing toys, sharing food, sharing joy, sharing love, sharing stories, sharing pain, sharing our lives, from our house to yours. “Sharing is caring” – it seems so simple, so logical.

This will be my last weekly posting of a news article from the past week related to violence against women and girls around the world. Following the 70th anniversary of the World Council of Churches a year ago, I decided to join the WCC movement of #ThursdaysinBlack, to speak out against violence and discrimination by wearing black and by posting on Facebook each week, for the duration of one year.

There is a saying that “people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots”. There are undoubtedly many things we could aspire to learn when it comes to the possibilities of learning from history and the people that left a legacy of their work, setting foundations for the future in which is now our present.

Highschool students are searching their path through an exhibition titled "Peace takes a different way“. They stop in front of a mannequin representing a black woman dressed in white. They are reading on a roll-up about the struggle of Liberian women for peace.