Pope Francis, who is known as “the pope of the peripheries,” has suggested the possibility of travelling to somewhere no pope has gone before — the South Pole. In a new interview published on Oct. 17, the pope said that he plans to visit his native Argentina, adding: “Somebody said that if I go to Read more
Posts Tagged ‘New Zealand’
Pope and NZ’s climate experts agree
Monday, September 5th, 2022
New Zealand climate experts’ advice is almost identical to the Pope’s. We have to modify our lifestyles. The earth is suffering. Excessive consumption of the earth’s resources has to stop. Or at the very least, change. Modify, says Pope Francis. A major new international report shows 2021 record-breaking greenhouse gas emissions. Despite that, international travel Read more
‘Socially irresponsible freedom’ commandeers Capital
Thursday, November 11th, 2021
An estimated 5,000 people, Tuesday, took to Wellington’s streets protesting their freedom, and distrust of the government and media. The vocally loud and unmasked protesters took over the Capital’s streets and pavements as they snaked their way from Wellington’s Civic Square, through Mercer and Willis Streets and down Lambton Quay to Parliament. At one point Read more
Life expectancy changes – Covid has stolen 28 million years of life from 31 countries
Thursday, November 11th, 2021The pandemic’s effects on mortality have been uneven as life expectancy dipped in most places last year, shaving 28.1 million years off the cumulative longevity in 31 countries. But residents of a handful of places that successfully kept Covid-19 at bay — including New Zealand and Taiwan — actually lived longer. Read more
Housing in New Zealand ‘a human rights crisis’, UN report says
Monday, June 28th, 2021Housing in New Zealand is viewed as a “speculative asset” rather than a home and has become a human rights crisis, according to a United Nations report. The report by UN special rapporteur Leilani Farha on adequate housing was tabled at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Tuesday, following her visit to New Read more
The Pakeha switch to the secular
Thursday, March 4th, 2021
What are the key markers of contemporary religious faith and practice in New Zealand? Unlike Germany, there is no state support for the churches here. Unlike the US, piety is not worn on one’s sleeve. Attend a funeral or a wedding in New Zealand these days and what springs to mind is the incredible variety Read more
The searing report linking popular NZ brands to sexual abuse and slavery
Thursday, November 26th, 2020
Some of New Zealand’s most popular cosmetic products are linked to severe abuse, sexual assault, and endemic health problems among Malaysian and Indonesian palm oil workers, according to a new investigation by the Associated Press. It’s the follow-up to another investigation in September which revealed that many of the same palm oil plantations made use Read more
Christchurch imam suggests France copy NZs post-terror attack response
Thursday, November 5th, 2020
A Christchurch imam wants France’s president to take a lesson from New Zealand’s response to extremist violence. Imam Gamal Fouda spoke out after two beheadings and the murders of three people at a Catholic church in Nice. The attacks are abhorrent and contradict “the tolerant teachings of Islam and all good human values,” he says. Read more
New Zealand ranked the most ‘Islamic country in the world’ in annual index
Monday, November 2nd, 2020New Zealand has been named the country that most fits Islamic ideals for the second year in a row, but the area of everyday finance is still difficult for Muslims, says a financial commentator. In the 2019 Islamicity index, released earlier this year, New Zealand is ranked first overall, followed by Sweden, Iceland, the Netherlands, Read more
Bad ideas ruined NZ’s once world-leading education system
Thursday, October 8th, 2020
There is a rot at the core of schooling in New Zealand. The Ministry of Education follows unscientific advice and is in thrall to a flawed philosophy. Education is awash with debates and dichotomies. Should schooling be about knowledge or personal discovery? Should teachers provide motivation for learning or nurture it intrinsically? Should schools provide Read more