Scotland: “no” to new nuclear warheads The Catholic Church of Scotland appointed a representative to the Sustainable Development Commission to envisage solutions that would halt the renovation of Scotland’s nuclear arsenal presently located in Faslane, Glasgow. The Bishops Conference of the Country always opposed a nuclear arsenal, a stand supported by many Scotsmen and by a large part of the government. The British government of Gordon Brown is determined in bringing forth the nuclear warheads review programme, regardless of opposition. The Church has always declared that using and accumulating nuclear weapons is a crime against humanity and against God. John Deighan, the bishops’ representative at the Scottish parliament, explained that the Commission he will take part in will be chaired by the Minister for Parliament Affairs Bruce Crawford and will include university professors, activists, lawyers, and trade-union representatives. His Eminence Cardinal Keith O’Brien, archbishop of St.Andrews and Edinburgh, declared his satisfaction for the anti-nuclear campaign supported by the bishops. “I am in favor of the removal of nuclear warheads from Scotland”, His Eminence said, “I would be even happier with total disarmament”. “It’s unacceptable – Prime Minister Alex Salmond affirmed – for the British government to spend 25 billion pounds, (17,5 billion euro) to replace the nuclear Trident”. Austria: the shame of poverty”Poverty is a shame”: this is the slogan of the seventh conference on poverty held in Salzburg on March 3-5. The conference is organized by the Austrian Network Against Poverty and Social Marginalization with the contribution of organizations like Caritas and Diakonie, the Catholics family association, the women’s Catholic movement, and the Austrian Catholic Social Academy, along with Austrian institutions. In presenting the conference, sociologist Martin Schenk highlighted the fact that the victims of poverty are ashamed of their situation. This shame “prevents many from asking for help. For this reason, only 40% of those entitled resort to social subsidies”. The Conference will probe into the topic of minimum subsidies, which will be enforced in 2009. This measure, according to Mr. Schenk, “will be significant only if accompanied by an active job market policy, apt at responding to the needs of poor brackets – mostly long-term unemployed”, he pointed out. For this reason, the Job Market Division (Ams) can no longer be viewed only as an intermediary. It must become a “social service centre”, since “the individual as a whole should be taken into consideration”. “The unemployed”, he explained, “have a series of problems also related to lodging, child-assistance, mental illnesses or debts. All of this must be taken into consideration and the formation of Ams workers is still insufficient”. According to data issued by the Poverty Conference, 420,000 people in Austria live in a state of extreme poverty and social marginalization: mostly women. In addition, approximately one million people are on the threshold of poverty: mostly single parents, large families, long-term unemployed, and immigrants. Children account for 96,000 people affected by extreme poverty. Portugal: National Caritas Week”Welcome diversity, open the doors to equality” was the slogan of the National Caritas Week 2008 which just ended. It was meant to highlight and spread information on the topic of cross-culture, developed within Diocese institutions though a series of initiatives. The Caritas of Leiria-Fatima focused on Alzheimer disease training. “The family environment has been identified as the main place where diversity and equality must be addressed”, declared the president of the local institution Ambrósio Santos: “we have tried to give concrete answers to families’ afflictions and to their daily mishaps by supplying consulting-rooms and mutual support groups”. In a region hit by human desertification, the diocese of Guarda is committed in helping and motivating the population. The president of the local Caritas division, Isabel Varandas, recalled that “an accurate survey was carried out to identify and characterize the dioceses’ poorest areas”, and added that: “we have also been facing child and youth indigence by organizing cross-generation meetings and targeted musical training”. The diocese of Setúbal planned a public meeting on “Educating our gaze to the reception of diversity” along with an exhibition organized by three different cultural associations: the African cultural centre, the Brasilian support Association, and the Association of Tzigane women within the Municipality of Seixal (Amucip). “Welcoming the other and viewing diversity as a richness enhances our humaneness”, declared Maria Madalena Cruz, member of the local Caritas.
