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Category: Europe

  • MIL-OSI Global: Pope Francis has died, aged 88. These were his greatest reforms – and controversies

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Joel Hodge, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Theology and Philosophy, Australian Catholic University

    Pope Francis has died on Easter Monday, aged 88, the Vatican announced. The head of the Catholic Church had recently survived being hospitalised with a serious bout of double pneumonia.

    Cardinal Kevin Farrell’s announcement began:

    Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father.

    There were many unusual aspects of Pope Francis’ papacy. He was the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Americas (and the southern hemisphere), the first to choose the name “Francis” and the first to give a TED talk. He was also the first pope in more than 600 years to be elected following the resignation, rather than death, of his predecessor.

    From the very start of his papacy, Francis seemed determined to do things differently and present the papacy in a new light. Even in thinking about his burial, he chose the unexpected: to be placed to rest not in the Vatican, but in the Basilica of St Mary Major in Rome – the first pope to be buried there in more than 300 years.

    Vatican News reported the late Pope Francis had requested his funeral rites be simplified.

    “The renewed rite,” said Archbishop Diego Ravelli, “seeks to emphasise even more that the funeral of the Roman Pontiff is that of a pastor and disciple of Christ and not of a powerful person of this world.”

    Straddling a line between “progressive” and “conservative”, Francis experienced tension with both sides. In doing so, his papacy shone a spotlight on what it means to be Catholic today.

    The day before his death, Pope Francis made a brief appearance on Easter Sunday to bless the crowds at St Peter’s Square.

    Between a rock and a hard place

    Francis was deemed not progressive enough by some, yet far too progressive by others.

    His apostolic exhortation (an official papal teaching on a particular issue or action) Amoris Laetitia, ignited great controversy for seemingly being (more) open to the question of whether people who have divorced and remarried may receive Eucharist.

    He also disappointed progressive Catholics, many of whom hoped he would make stronger changes on issues such as the roles of women, married clergy, and the broader inclusion of LGBTQIA+ Catholics.

    The reception of his exhortation Querida Amazonia was one such example. In this document, Francis did not endorse marriage for priests, despite bishops’ requests for this. He also did not allow the possibility of women being ordained as deacons to address a shortage of ordained ministers. His discerning spirit saw there was too much division and no clear consensus for change.

    Francis was also openly critical of Germany’s controversial
    “Synodal Way” – a series of conferences with bishops and lay people – that advocated for positions contrary to Church teachings. Francis expressed concern on multiple occasions that this project was a threat to the unity of the Church.

    At the same time, Francis was no stranger to controversy from the conservative side of the Church, receiving “dubia” or “theological doubts” over his teaching from some of his Cardinals. In 2023, he took the unusual step of responding to some of these doubts.

    Impact on the Catholic Church

    In many ways, the most striking thing about Francis was not his words or theology, but his style. He was a modest man, even foregoing the Apostolic Palace’s grand papal apartments to live in the Vatican’s simpler guest house.

    He may well be remembered most for his simplicity of dress and habits, his welcoming and pastoral style and his wise spirit of discernment.

    He is recognised as giving a clear witness to the life, love and joy of Jesus in the spirit of the Second Vatican Council – a point of major reform in modern Church history. This witness has translated into two major developments in Church teachings and life.

    Love for our common home

    The first of these relates to environmental teachings. In 2015, Francis released his ground-breaking encyclical, Laudato si’: On Care for Our Common Home. It expanded Catholic social teaching by giving a comprehensive account of how the environment reflects our God-given “common home”.

    Consistent with recent popes such as Benedict XVI and John Paul II, Francis acknowledged climate change and its destructive impacts and causes. He summarised key scientific research to forcefully argue for an evidence-based approach to addressing humans’ impact on the environment.

    He also made a pivotal and innovative contribution to the climate change debate by identifying the ethical and spiritual causes of environmental destruction.

    Francis argued combating climate change relied on the “ecological conversion” of the human heart, so that people may recognise the God-given nature of our planet and the fundamental call to care for it. Without this conversion, pragmatic and political measures wouldn’t be able to counter the forces of consumerism, exploitation and selfishness.

    Francis argued a new ethic and spirituality was needed. Specifically, he said Jesus’ way of love – for other people and all creation – is the transformative force that could bring sustainable change for the environment and cultivate fraternity among people (and especially with the poor).

    Synodality: moving towards a Church that listens

    Francis’s second major contribution, and one of the most significant aspects of his papacy, was his commitment to “synodality”. While there’s still confusion over what synodality actually means, and its potential for political distortion, it is above all a way of listening and discerning through openness to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

    It involves hierarchy and lay people transparently and honestly discerning together, in service of the mission of the church. Synodality is as much about the process as the goal. This makes sense as Pope Francis was a Jesuit, an order focused on spreading Catholicism through spiritual formation and discernment.

    Drawing on his rich Jesuit spirituality, Francis introduced a way of conversation centred on listening to the Holy Spirit and others, while seeking to cultivate friendship and wisdom.

    With the conclusion of the second session of the Synod on Synodality in October 2024, it is too soon to assess its results. However, those who have been involved in synodal processes have reported back on their transformative potential.

    Archbishop of Brisbane, Mark Coleridge, explained how participating in the 2015 Synod “was an extraordinary experience [and] in some ways an awakening”.

    Catholicism in the modern age

    Francis’ papacy inspired both great joy and aspirations, as well as boiling anger and rejection. He laid bare the agonising fault lines within the Catholic community and struck at key issues of Catholic identity, triggering debate over what it means to be Catholic in the world today.

    He leaves behind a Church that seems more divided than ever, with arguments, uncertainty and many questions rolling in his wake. But he has also provided a way for the Church to become more converted to Jesus’ way of love, through synodality and dialogue.

    Francis showed us that holding labels such as “progressive” or “conservative” won’t enable the Church to live out Jesus’ mission of love – a mission he emphasised from the very beginning of his papacy.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Pope Francis has died, aged 88. These were his greatest reforms – and controversies – https://theconversation.com/pope-francis-has-died-aged-88-these-were-his-greatest-reforms-and-controversies-229111

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Pope Francis tried to change the Catholic Church for women, with mixed success

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Tracy McEwan, School of Humanities, Creative Industries and Social Sciences, University of Newcastle

    Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, died on Easter Monday at the age of 88.

    On Easter Sunday, he used his message and blessing to appeal for peace in Middle East and Ukraine.

    Pope Francis will be remembered as a pastoral leader who cared deeply about the environment and those impacted by migration, poverty and war.

    During his Pontificate, he did make important changes to the patriarchal structure of the Catholic Church – but did he go far enough?

    A pope for all?

    Throughout his papacy, Pope Francis highlighted the struggles of women in society. He took important steps to expand opportunities for women in the church and address its patriarchal structure.

    This was showcased by his inclusion of women in the 2024 synod (a global meeting of the whole church, represented by bishops) and his granting of voting rights for 57 women out of a total of 368 attendees.

    His appointment of around 20 women to positions of authority in the Vatican is unprecedented.

    This includes the recent 2025 appointment of an Italian religious sister, Simona Brambilla, to lead a Vatican department.

    During his papacy, Pope Francis also strongly supported the ongoing involvement of women in positions of leadership in the Roman Curia (the governance body of the church).

    At local levels, in parishes, he made it possible for women to be formally appointed to the positions of catechist and lector – roles previously reserved for men.

    He also emphasised a need for more women to study and teach theology.

    An ‘urgent challenge’

    However, these changes barely scratched the surface of securing full equality for women in the Catholic Church.

    Pope Francis himself stated women still encountered obstacles, and opportunities for women to participate were under-utilised by local churches.

    In his autobiography, published in January this year, he wrote of the “urgent challenge” to include women in central roles at every level of church life.

    He viewed this move as essential to “de-masculinising” the church and removing the problem of clericalism.

    Importantly, the reasoning that underpins women’s limited role in the life of the church remains unchanged.

    In particular, Pope Francis referred to gender stereotypes and supported the theology of complementarianism (a view that women are different but equally valued, where their central contribution is to motherhood, femininity and pastoral care responsibilities).

    While Pope Francis was genuinely committed to dialogue about and with women, his legacy remains contradictory.

    Equality is still lacking

    Women have been appointed to administrative and management positions, but decision making and ministry still largely rest with clerical men.

    Pope Francis’ emphasis on the “feminine nature” women bring to roles, rather than their gifts and talents, limited women.

    And although he called out discrimination against women in broader society, he expressed opposition to contemporary feminism, which he titled “gender ideology” and “machismo with a skirt”.

    Moreover, despite ongoing discussions, Pope Francis appeared to be unresponsive to calls for a greater role for women in ministry.

    Women cannot preach during Mass or be ordained to the priesthood or deaconate, despite multiple attempts by Catholic reform groups to advocate for women’s inclusion.

    The 2023 International Survey of Catholic Women, which surveyed more than 17,000 Catholic women from 104 countries and eight language groups, found women across the world were keen for church reform that recognises women’s leadership capacities and ongoing contribution to church communities.

    More than eight in ten (84%) of the women surveyed supported reform in the church. Two-thirds (68%) agreed women should be ordained to the priesthood, and three-quarters (78%) were supportive of women preaching during Mass.

    The survey reported on the deep frustration and despair women experienced for not having their gifts and talents recognised.

    Women also stated they are dissatisfied with the burden of labour they carry in the church.

    In this regard, Pope Francis did not address the financial burdens and exploitation of Catholic women who work for the church without adequate recognition or pay. This leaves women, particularly those working in parishes, open to exploitation.

    More worryingly, decades after cases of abuse were reported to the Vatican, Pope Francis publicly acknowledged that women, particularly nuns, were significantly affected by spiritual and sexual abuse.

    While this recognition is important, church responses to abuse remain inadequate and more needs to be done to safeguard women in pastoral settings.

    With regard to sexual and reproductive decision-making, the International Survey of Catholic Women found the majority of respondents wanted more freedom of conscience around such issues. This is because when they are denied by church law, women’s agency was diminished and their vulnerability to situations of gendered violence increased.

    The papacy of Pope Francis has made no reforms in this area, leaving many Catholic women frustrated and disappointed.

    Hope for the future?

    More than 60 years ago, Vatican II generated hope for change among Catholic women.

    Pope Francis reignited that hope, and listened. But responses have been too slow and Catholic women are still waiting for genuine reform.

    Tracy McEwan receives funding from the Australia-Germany Joint Research Cooperation Scheme (DAAD) and Australian Research Theology Foundation Inc. (ARTFinc).

    Kathleen McPhillips receives funding from the Australian Research Theology Foundation, the Australia-Germany Joint Research Cooperation Scheme (DAAD) and the Ian and Shirley Norman Foundation.

    – ref. Pope Francis tried to change the Catholic Church for women, with mixed success – https://theconversation.com/pope-francis-tried-to-change-the-catholic-church-for-women-with-mixed-success-250911

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Pope Francis: why his papacy mattered for Africa – and for the world’s poor and marginalised

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Stan Chu Ilo, Research Professor, World Christianity and African Studies, DePaul University

    The death of Pope Francis in an Italian hospital on 21 April 2025 marks the end of a significant era for the Vatican and the global Catholic following of 1.3 billion faithful.

    The first pope from the Americas and also the first to come from outside the west in the modern era, Pope Francis was elected leader of the Catholic church on 13 March 2013.

    By the time the Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio was elected pope in 2013 there was a general feeling that the Catholic church was reaching the end of an era. At the time, the church was beset by crises, from corruption to clerical sexual abuse.

    Some of the challenges facing the church which the ageing Pope Benedict XVI could no longer handle included:

    Moreover, the church was reeling from the revelation of papal secrets of his predecessor Pope Benedict by the papal butler. A book detailing these secrets portrayed the Vatican as a corrupt hotbed of jealousy, intrigue and underhanded factional fighting.

    The revelations caused the church a great deal of embarrassment.

    It meant therefore that Cardinal Bergoglio was elected by the Catholic cardinals with a mandate to clean up the church and reform the Vatican and its bureaucracy. He was to institute processes and procedures for transparency, accountability and renewal of the church and its structures, and address the lingering scandals of clerical abuse.

    The Pope’s global legacy

    Three key things defined his papal role and legacy.

    First is concentrating on the core competence of the church: serving the poor and the marginalised. This is what the founder of the Christian religion, Jesus Christ, did.

    Francis focused the Catholic church and the entire world on one mission: helping the poor, addressing global inequalities, speaking for the voiceless, and placing the attention of the world on those on the periphery.

    He also chose to live simply, forsaking the pomp and pageantry of the papacy.

    Secondly, he changed the way the Catholic church’s message is communicated. In his programmatic document, Evangelii Gaudium, he called the church to what he calls “missionary conversion”. His thinking was that everything that is done in the church must be about proclaiming the good news to a wounded and broken world.

    His central message was that of mercy towards all, an end to wars, our common humanity and the closeness of God to those who suffer. The suffering in the world continues to grow because of injustice, greed, selfishness and pride. He also focused on symbols and simple style to press home his message, like celebrating mass at a wall that divides the United States and Mexico.

    Read more: Pope Francis: the first post-colonial papacy to deliver messages that resonate with Africans

    In 2015 he made a risky trip to Bangui, the capital of Central African Republic, during a time of war and tension between the fighting factions of the Muslim Seleka and the Christian anti-balaka. He drove on the Popemobile with both the highest ranking Muslim cleric in the country and his Christian counterpart and visited both a Christian church and a mosque to press home the message of peace.

    The third strategy was restructuring the church and reforming the Vatican bank.

    He created the G8 (a representative council of cardinals from every part of the world) to advise him, calling the Catholic church to a synod for dialogue on every aspect of the life of the church. This effort was unprecedented.

    He also overhauled the procedures for the synod of bishops, making it more participatory, and gave women and the non-ordained voting rights. He shook up the membership of the Vatican department that picks bishops to include women. He appointed the first woman (Sr Simone Brambilla) to lead a major Vatican department and to have a cardinal as her deputy. Another woman (Sr Raffaella Petrini) was named the first woman governor of the Vatican City State.

    Pope Francis and Africa

    The pontiff’s legacy will be keenly felt in Africa. Three things stand out.

    First, he reflected the concerns of people on the continent with his message against imperialism, colonialism, exploitation of the poor by the rich, global inequality, neo-liberal capitalism and ecological injustice. Pope Francis became a voice for Africa. When he visited Kenya in 2015, he chose to visit the slums of Nairobi to proclaim the gospel of liberation to the forsaken of society. He called on African governments to guarantee for the poor and all citizens access to land, lodging and labour.

    In a sense, Pope Francis embodied the message of decolonisation and was driven in part by the liberation theology that developed in Latin America. This theology tied religious faith with liberation of the people from structures of injustice and structural violence.

    Secondly, he encouraged African Catholics to develop Africa’s own unique approach to pastoral life and addressing social issues in Africa. Particularly, Pope Francis believed in decentralisation and local processes in meeting local challenges. He said many times that it is not necessary that all problems in the church be solved by the pope at the Roman centre of the church.

    In this way, he encouraged the growth and development of African priorities and cultural adaptation to the Catholic faith. He also encouraged greater transparency and accountability among African bishops and gave African Catholic universities and seminaries greater autonomy to develop their own educational priorities and programmes.

    Thirdly, Pope Francis had a very deep connection to Africa’s young people. He encouraged and supported initiatives and programmes to strengthen the agency of young people, to give them hope and support their personal, spiritual and professional development. For the first time in history, on 1 November 2022, Pope Francis met virtually with more than 1,000 young Africans for an hour. I helped organise this meeting. He answered their questions and encouraged them to fight for what they believe.

    A reformist agenda

    The reforms of Pope Francis could be termed a movement – from a church of a few where priests and bishops and the pope call the shots to a church of the people of God where everyone’s voice matters and where everyone’s concerns and needs are catered to.

    He quietly changed the tone of the message and the style of the leadership at the Vatican.

    Granted, he did not substantially alter the content of that message, which is often seen as conservative, Eurocentric, and resistant to cultural pluralism and social change. But he constantly chipped away at its foundations through inclusion and an openness to hearing the voices of everyone, including those who do not agree with the church’s position. In doing this, he shifted the priorities and practices of the Catholic church regarding such core issues as power and authority.

    Pope Francis opened the doors to the voices of the marginalised in the church — women, the poor, the LGBTQI+ community, and those who have disaffiliated from the church. Many African Catholics would love to see more African representation at the Vatican, and many of them also worry about the widening division in the church, particularly driven by cultural and ideological battles in the west that have nothing to do with the social and ecclesial context of Africa.

    Why his papacy mattered

    Pope Francis was the first pope from the Americas, the first Jesuit pope, the first to choose the name Francis and the first to come from outside the west in the modern era. He chose the name Francis because he wanted to focus his papacy on the poor, emulating St Francis of Assisi.

    In a sense, Pope Francis redefined what religion and spirituality mean for Catholicism. It’s not laying down and enforcing the law without mercy, it is caring for our neighbours and the Earth. This is the kind of religion the world needs today.

    – Pope Francis: why his papacy mattered for Africa – and for the world’s poor and marginalised
    – https://theconversation.com/pope-francis-why-his-papacy-mattered-for-africa-and-for-the-worlds-poor-and-marginalised-251059

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Statement from the Prime Minister following the death of Pope Francis

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    Statement from the Prime Minister following the death of Pope Francis

    Statement from the Prime Minister following the death of Pope Francis

    I join millions around the world in grieving the death of His Holiness Pope Francis. 

    His leadership in a complex and challenging time for the world and the church was courageous, yet always came from a place of deep humility. 

    Pope Francis was a pope for the poor, the downtrodden and the forgotten. He was close to the realities of human fragility, meeting Christians around the world facing war, famine, persecution and poverty. Yet he never lost hope of a better world. 

    That hope was as the heart of his papacy. His determination to visibly live out his faith inspired people across the world to see afresh the church’s teachings of mercy and charity. 

    With his death, we are reminded once more of his call to care for one another across different faiths, backgrounds, nations and beliefs.

    My thoughts are with Catholics across the world, and the Roman Catholic church. May His Holiness Rest in Peace.

    Updates to this page

    Published 21 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Half-masting of flags following the death of His Holiness Pope Francis

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Half-masting of flags following the death of His Holiness Pope Francis

    Flags will be flown at half mast on UK Government Buildings today until 20.00hrs on Tuesday 22nd of April 2025

    It is with great regret that we learn of the death of His Holiness Pope Francis,

    Flags will be flown at half mast on UK Government Buildings today until 20.00hrs on Tuesday 22nd of April 2025.

    Other organisations and local authorities may follow suit.

    Updates to this page

    Published 21 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: “How I’ll Spend This Summer”: Schools for Gifted Children “Grow with Vyshkoy” Open Enrollment

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

    HSE University invites students in grades 8–11 to spend their holidays usefully in a community of like-minded people who are passionate about economics, linguistics, entrepreneurship, philology or law. Applications can be submitted to five subject schools as early as April: FEN Economic School – “Voronovo”, Summer multidisciplinary school “Facets of Entrepreneurship”, Summer linguistic school, Summer Law School, Summer Historical and Philological School.

    Schools for gifted children “Grow up with Vyshka” introduce children to modern trends in the development of science and technology, and provide an idea of the skills that are most in demand on the labor market. This is a meeting place for high school students, students, and teachers at the HSE, as well as representatives of large organizations and companies from the business sector.

    To become a participant in any of the five summer schools, you need to pass a competitive selection: submit a motivation letter and an electronic portfolio, including certificates and diplomas of Olympiads that correspond to the profile of the school. The criteria for competitive selection are different in each school, but they are united by the main thing – the presence of a high school student’s motivation to study something new within the framework of the chosen subject area.

    Participation in all schools is fee-based, prices will be published towards the end of April.

    Economic School FEN – “Voronovo”

    The school introduces the basics of macroeconomics and macroeconomic policy. It is held for the first time within the city limits of Moscow. Senior students will meet with invited speakers involved in the development and implementation of fiscal and monetary policy, and lectures by HSE professors. The school’s mentors are the best students of the Faculty of Economic Sciences.

    Dates: June 18–22, 2025.

    Venue: HSE Voronovo training center.

    Participants: schoolchildren in grades 8–11 who are interested in economics and want to obtain an economics degree in the future.

    Online applications for participation in the competitive selection will be accepted from 21.04.2025 to 21.05.2025.

    Summarizing the results of the competitive selection: no later than 05/29/2025.

    Ask the organizers a question: economicsschool@hse.ru.

    Go to the school website

    Summer multidisciplinary school “Facets of Entrepreneurship”

    During the ten days of the school, each participant will discover new facets of creativity, creation and management, and will understand in which area of entrepreneurship they would like to develop their project. The guys will have a busy program: meetings with representatives of large companies, lectures by teachers of the Higher School of Business, analysis and solution of business cases, teamwork, practice and experiments in product development, sports, creativity and, of course, just relaxing in nature. At the end of the program, everyone will be able to present their projects to investors and experts from partner companies.

    Dates: July 1–11, 2025.

    Location: Buran sanatorium, Moscow region.

    Participants: schoolchildren who have completed grades 8–10.

    Electronic portfolio submission period: from 21.04.2025 to 23.05.2025.

    Publication of the results of the competitive selection: 03.06.2025.

    Ask the organizers a question: estrukova@hse.ru.

    Go to the school website

    Summer linguistic school

    A project for high school students interested in linguistics — the science of how language works. LLS participants will learn how to process language data using a computer, where linguistic expeditions go and how experiments with language are conducted, they will solve linguistic problems and discuss how language differs among different social groups. There will also be many intellectual games and warm-up conversations.

    Dates: July 17–27, 2025.

    Venue: HSE Voronovo training center.

    Participants: schoolchildren who have completed 8th–10th grade and are interested in linguistics.

    Acceptance of online applications from schoolchildren to participate in the competitive selection: from 01.04.2025 to 05.05.2025.

    Summarizing the results of the competitive selection and announcement of candidates for participation: no later than 11.05.2025.

    Ask the organizers a question: llsh-org@yandex.ru.

    Go to the school website

    Summer Law School

    One of the largest HSE visiting schools for high school students. For one week in the summer, the kids will find themselves in the very center of the jurisprudence universe. They will hear lectures from practicing lawyers of large companies and leading HSE professors, have informal conversations with students of the Faculty of Law, and, of course, make many new friends.

    Dates: August 1–8, 2025.

    Venue: HSE Voronovo training center.

    Participants: schoolchildren who have completed 8th–10th grades, who are interested in law or want to become lawyers.

    Acceptance of online applications from schoolchildren to participate in the competitive selection: from 12.04.2025 to 31.05.2025.

    Summarizing the results of the competitive selection and announcement of candidates for participation: no later than 12.06.2025.

    Go to the school website

    Summer Historical and Philological School

    LIFSH is a chance for high school students to temporarily find themselves in a dense environment of like-minded people interested in deep and attentive immersion in the humanities, in expanding their knowledge of history, philology and art history, in finding their interests. The experience gained in lectures and seminars will not only help in conducting their own scientific research, but will also be useful in Olympiads and other intellectual competitions.

    Dates: August 12–19, 2025.

    Venue: HSE Voronovo training center.

    Participants: schoolchildren in grades 8–11 interested in history, art history, philology, cultural studies and related disciplines.

    Acceptance of online applications from schoolchildren to participate in the competitive selection: from 10.03.2025 to 12.05.2025.

    Summarizing the results of the competitive selection and announcement of candidates for participation: no later than 15.06.2025.

    All information is published in the TG group LIFSH info and in the group in VKYou can also ask questions to the organizers there.

    Go to the school website

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: SPbPU became the driver of discussions at the international economic congress

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    The 10th St. Petersburg International Economic Congress was held. The main topic was “Labor and the Transformation of Society: Knowledge, Creativity, Noonomics.” The event was organized by the S. Yu. Witte Institute for New Industrial Development together with the Free Economic Society of Russia with the participation of the Economics Section of the Social Sciences Department of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Department of Global Problems and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and the assistance of the World Association of Political Economy and the International Union of Economists. This significant event brought together more than a thousand leading scientists, experts, and representatives of the business community from Russia and 12 countries, including China, India, Greece, Great Britain, Canada, Turkey, Austria, Hungary, and others.

    At the plenary session, the Director of the Witte Institute of Industrial Development and the President of the Free Economic Society of Russia Sergei Bodrunov noted that over 10 years of work, SPEC has achieved significant results – both theoretical and practical, and has become a provider of scientific thought into practice. SPEC-2025 received numerous greetings from scientists, public and government figures: the President of the Russian Academy of Sciences Gennady Krasnikov, the Governor of St. Petersburg Alexander Beglov, the head of the UN group in Russia Vladimir Kuznetsov, the President of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Alexander Shokhin. They all emphasized the high importance of such events for uniting the country’s intellectual potential and expert discussion of fundamental problems of economic science, the development of practical mechanisms for solving pressing problems.

    In his greeting to the participants of SPEC-2025, the rector of SPbPU and chairman of the St. Petersburg branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences Andrey Rudskoy pointed out the importance of consolidating the efforts of the scientific and expert community to solve the problems of Russia’s socio-economic development.

    “Traditionally, the congress brings together researchers from various fields – economists, sociologists, philosophers, lawyers, historians, education specialists and representatives of the exact sciences. Key issues of the global economy, social structure and problems of strategic development of Russia are discussed here. Today, the country faces difficult geopolitical tasks. The system of international relations and the structure of world economies are undergoing significant changes. In these conditions, it is especially important to develop theoretical and practical proposals for the transformation of national institutions, to consolidate the efforts of scientific communities in order to ensure the implementation of national development goals of the country,” Andrei Ivanovich noted.

    The congress was attended by Abel Aganbegyan (Corresponding Member of the British Academy, Honorary Member of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia, Vice President of the Russian Economic Society), Sergey Glazyev (current member of the Board for Integration and Macroeconomics of the Eurasian Economic Commission), Vladimir Okrepilov (member of the Presidium of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of St. Petersburg) and other renowned economists.

    The forum participants discussed key challenges of our time — from personnel shortages and digital transformation to technological sovereignty and the development of the creative economy. Plenary sessions and round tables featured reports on innovations in the agricultural and industrial sectors, the prospects of artificial intelligence, strategic planning, and new approaches to macroeconomic modeling.

    Polytechnic University was represented at the congress by the IPMET delegation consisting of representatives of the institute’s structural divisions. Our colleagues took an active part in the work of the forum. Some moderated sections, some made reports, and students had a unique opportunity to get acquainted with the latest research and discuss current issues with leading experts.

    Director of the Higher School of Business Engineering Igor Ilyin not only acted as a moderator of the section “Structural, Technological and Digital Transformation of Industry in Russia”, but also presented a report on the implementation of digital technologies in the process architecture of enterprises and organizations. As part of SPEC-2025, Igor Vasilyevich headed the section, which brought together leading experts, representatives of industrial companies and scientists. The main focus of the section was on discussing current trends, challenges and prospects for digital transformation in Russian industry.

    “Digital transformation is not just the introduction of new technologies, it is a change in the entire business logic, processes and approaches to management. And successful transformation requires a comprehensive approach, including both technological and organizational changes,” Igor Vasilyevich emphasized.

    In his report, Igor Vasilyevich presented an analysis of modern digital technologies and their impact on the process architecture of enterprises. He focused in detail on such relevant areas as artificial intelligence, blockchain, digital twins, the Internet of Things (IoT) and confidential cloud computing. The practical examples presented in the report included cases from the medical and energy industries, which are being worked on within the framework of close cooperation between the Higher School of Business and the Laboratory of Interdisciplinary Research and Education on Technological and Economic Problems of Energy Transition (CIRETEC-GT) headed by Igor Vasilyevich and business partners of the Institute of Mechanics and Electronics and Telecommunications.

    Teachers and students of the Higher School of Industrial Management also took an active part in the forum. Associate Professor Olga Ergunova and Senior Lecturer Andrey Somov made presentations. Also, student reports were presented by HSPM Master’s students Maria Belova and Diana Yakimenko, who demonstrated a high level of research training. The reports were presented in specialized sections devoted to the digitalization of the economy, intellectual work and the transformation of production and social practices.

    The report by Marina Yanenko, professor at the Higher School of Service and Trade, presented an analysis of the impact of artificial intelligence on the process of market transformation, changes in business requirements for the knowledge and skills of specialists, and the emergence of new needs for the content of labor. Marina Borisovna noted that the growing availability of artificial intelligence makes it a key tool in a wide variety of economic sectors and formulated recommendations for improving competitive strategies in the labor market in the context of the development of artificial intelligence.

    The Higher School of Engineering and Economics was represented by the Head of the Research Laboratory “Digital Economy of Industry” Professor Alexander Babkin, Professor Irina Rudskaya, Associate Professor Lyudmila Guzikova and Associate Professor Nikolai Dmitriev. Lyudmila Aleksandrovna participated as a moderator of the seminar “New and Old Challenges of the Russian Labor Market: Adaptation Strategies of Various Socio-Demographic Groups”, and also spoke at this seminar with a report on the topic “Implementation of the Principles of Noonomics in a Unified Interregional System of the Labor Market for Specialists with Higher Education”. Alexander Vasilyevich took part in the plenary session and also made a report on the topic: “Strategizing the Digital Transformation of the Intelligent Cyber-Social Industrial Ecosystem Based on Industry 6.0”, noting that in modern conditions, issues of developing strategic approaches to the integration of advanced technologies and the creation of sustainable, human-oriented production systems are relevant.

    This year, representatives of the Department of Economic Theory of the IPMEiT took an active part in the work of the congress: Associate Professor Elena Milskaya, Associate Professor Anna Strizhak, Associate Professor Ekaterina Afonichkina, Associate Professor Olga Naumova, as well as 47 students in the areas of “Economic Security”, “Economic Statistics”, “Customs”.

    “We really enjoyed the event, we learned a lot of new things, the ideas and topics of the speakers inspired us to study individual economic issues in detail. It was great that we could choose the literature ourselves and take it for study. I would also like to emphasize the relevance of each problem raised at the congress, this is what aroused special interest. It was interesting to listen to the reasoning of professors and prominent figures in economics. We thank the organizers and want to say a huge thank you to Elena Andreevna Milskaya, who gave us a chance to become participants in the congress. It is great that our educational program in macroeconomics goes beyond the university!” – noted student of group 3753801/40002 Yulia Arteyeva.

    SPEC-2025 has once again confirmed its importance as a leading platform for discussing strategic challenges and opportunities in the knowledge economy. The participation of IPMET representatives in such a large-scale scientific event emphasizes the university’s sustainable aspiration for scientific leadership, integration into the expert community and the development of young scientists.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Declaration of the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni

    Source: The Holy See

    Declaration of the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, 21.04.2025

    At 9.47 this morning, His Eminence Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, announced with sorrow the death of Pope Francis, with these words:
    “Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis.
    At 7.35 this morning the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His entire life was devoted to service to the Lord and His Church.
    He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage and universal love, especially in favour of the poorest and most marginalized.
    With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love the One and Triune God”.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Pope Francis tried to change the Catholic Church for women, with mixed success

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tracy McEwan, School of Humanities, Creative Industries and Social Sciences, University of Newcastle

    Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, died on Easter Monday at the age of 88.

    On Easter Sunday, he used his message and blessing to appeal for peace in Middle East and Ukraine.

    Pope Francis will be remembered as a pastoral leader who cared deeply about the environment and those impacted by migration, poverty and war.

    During his Pontificate, he did make important changes to the patriarchal structure of the Catholic Church – but did he go far enough?

    A pope for all?

    Throughout his papacy, Pope Francis highlighted the struggles of women in society. He took important steps to expand opportunities for women in the church and address its patriarchal structure.

    This was showcased by his inclusion of women in the 2024 synod (a global meeting of the whole church, represented by bishops) and his granting of voting rights for 57 women out of a total of 368 attendees.

    His appointment of around 20 women to positions of authority in the Vatican is unprecedented.

    This includes the recent 2025 appointment of an Italian religious sister, Simona Brambilla, to lead a Vatican department.

    During his papacy, Pope Francis also strongly supported the ongoing involvement of women in positions of leadership in the Roman Curia (the governance body of the church).

    At local levels, in parishes, he made it possible for women to be formally appointed to the positions of catechist and lector – roles previously reserved for men.

    He also emphasised a need for more women to study and teach theology.

    An ‘urgent challenge’

    However, these changes barely scratched the surface of securing full equality for women in the Catholic Church.

    Pope Francis himself stated women still encountered obstacles, and opportunities for women to participate were under-utilised by local churches.

    In his autobiography, published in January this year, he wrote of the “urgent challenge” to include women in central roles at every level of church life.

    He viewed this move as essential to “de-masculinising” the church and removing the problem of clericalism.

    Importantly, the reasoning that underpins women’s limited role in the life of the church remains unchanged.

    In particular, Pope Francis referred to gender stereotypes and supported the theology of complementarianism (a view that women are different but equally valued, where their central contribution is to motherhood, femininity and pastoral care responsibilities).

    While Pope Francis was genuinely committed to dialogue about and with women, his legacy remains contradictory.

    Equality is still lacking

    Women have been appointed to administrative and management positions, but decision making and ministry still largely rest with clerical men.

    Pope Francis’ emphasis on the “feminine nature” women bring to roles, rather than their gifts and talents, limited women.

    And although he called out discrimination against women in broader society, he expressed opposition to contemporary feminism, which he titled “gender ideology” and “machismo with a skirt”.

    Moreover, despite ongoing discussions, Pope Francis appeared to be unresponsive to calls for a greater role for women in ministry.

    Women cannot preach during Mass or be ordained to the priesthood or deaconate, despite multiple attempts by Catholic reform groups to advocate for women’s inclusion.

    The 2023 International Survey of Catholic Women, which surveyed more than 17,000 Catholic women from 104 countries and eight language groups, found women across the world were keen for church reform that recognises women’s leadership capacities and ongoing contribution to church communities.

    More than eight in ten (84%) of the women surveyed supported reform in the church. Two-thirds (68%) agreed women should be ordained to the priesthood, and three-quarters (78%) were supportive of women preaching during Mass.

    The survey reported on the deep frustration and despair women experienced for not having their gifts and talents recognised.

    Women also stated they are dissatisfied with the burden of labour they carry in the church.

    In this regard, Pope Francis did not address the financial burdens and exploitation of Catholic women who work for the church without adequate recognition or pay. This leaves women, particularly those working in parishes, open to exploitation.

    More worryingly, decades after cases of abuse were reported to the Vatican, Pope Francis publicly acknowledged that women, particularly nuns, were significantly affected by spiritual and sexual abuse.

    While this recognition is important, church responses to abuse remain inadequate and more needs to be done to safeguard women in pastoral settings.

    With regard to sexual and reproductive decision-making, the International Survey of Catholic Women found the majority of respondents wanted more freedom of conscience around such issues. This is because when they are denied by church law, women’s agency was diminished and their vulnerability to situations of gendered violence increased.

    The papacy of Pope Francis has made no reforms in this area, leaving many Catholic women frustrated and disappointed.

    Hope for the future?

    More than 60 years ago, Vatican II generated hope for change among Catholic women.

    Pope Francis reignited that hope, and listened. But responses have been too slow and Catholic women are still waiting for genuine reform.

    Tracy McEwan receives funding from the Australia-Germany Joint Research Cooperation Scheme (DAAD) and Australian Research Theology Foundation Inc. (ARTFinc).

    Kathleen McPhillips receives funding from the Australian Research Theology Foundation, the Australia-Germany Joint Research Cooperation Scheme (DAAD) and the Ian and Shirley Norman Foundation.

    – ref. Pope Francis tried to change the Catholic Church for women, with mixed success – https://theconversation.com/pope-francis-tried-to-change-the-catholic-church-for-women-with-mixed-success-250911

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Pope Francis has died, aged 88. These were his greatest reforms – and controversies

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joel Hodge, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Theology and Philosophy, Australian Catholic University

    Pope Francis has died on Easter Monday, aged 88, the Vatican announced. The head of the Catholic Church had recently survived being hospitalised with a serious bout of double pneumonia.

    Cardinal Kevin Farrell’s announcement began:

    Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father.

    There were many unusual aspects of Pope Francis’ papacy. He was the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Americas (and the southern hemisphere), the first to choose the name “Francis” and the first to give a TED talk. He was also the first pope in more than 600 years to be elected following the resignation, rather than death, of his predecessor.

    From the very start of his papacy, Francis seemed determined to do things differently and present the papacy in a new light. Even in thinking about his burial, he chose the unexpected: to be placed to rest not in the Vatican, but in the Basilica of St Mary Major in Rome – the first pope to be buried there in more than 300 years.

    Vatican News reported the late Pope Francis had requested his funeral rites be simplified.

    “The renewed rite,” said Archbishop Diego Ravelli, “seeks to emphasise even more that the funeral of the Roman Pontiff is that of a pastor and disciple of Christ and not of a powerful person of this world.”

    Straddling a line between “progressive” and “conservative”, Francis experienced tension with both sides. In doing so, his papacy shone a spotlight on what it means to be Catholic today.

    The day before his death, Pope Francis made a brief appearance on Easter Sunday to bless the crowds at St Peter’s Square.

    Between a rock and a hard place

    Francis was deemed not progressive enough by some, yet far too progressive by others.

    His apostolic exhortation (an official papal teaching on a particular issue or action) Amoris Laetitia, ignited great controversy for seemingly being (more) open to the question of whether people who have divorced and remarried may receive Eucharist.

    He also disappointed progressive Catholics, many of whom hoped he would make stronger changes on issues such as the roles of women, married clergy, and the broader inclusion of LGBTQIA+ Catholics.

    The reception of his exhortation Querida Amazonia was one such example. In this document, Francis did not endorse marriage for priests, despite bishops’ requests for this. He also did not allow the possibility of women being ordained as deacons to address a shortage of ordained ministers. His discerning spirit saw there was too much division and no clear consensus for change.

    Francis was also openly critical of Germany’s controversial
    “Synodal Way” – a series of conferences with bishops and lay people – that advocated for positions contrary to Church teachings. Francis expressed concern on multiple occasions that this project was a threat to the unity of the Church.

    At the same time, Francis was no stranger to controversy from the conservative side of the Church, receiving “dubia” or “theological doubts” over his teaching from some of his Cardinals. In 2023, he took the unusual step of responding to some of these doubts.

    Impact on the Catholic Church

    In many ways, the most striking thing about Francis was not his words or theology, but his style. He was a modest man, even foregoing the Apostolic Palace’s grand papal apartments to live in the Vatican’s simpler guest house.

    He may well be remembered most for his simplicity of dress and habits, his welcoming and pastoral style and his wise spirit of discernment.

    He is recognised as giving a clear witness to the life, love and joy of Jesus in the spirit of the Second Vatican Council – a point of major reform in modern Church history. This witness has translated into two major developments in Church teachings and life.

    Love for our common home

    The first of these relates to environmental teachings. In 2015, Francis released his ground-breaking encyclical, Laudato si’: On Care for Our Common Home. It expanded Catholic social teaching by giving a comprehensive account of how the environment reflects our God-given “common home”.

    Consistent with recent popes such as Benedict XVI and John Paul II, Francis acknowledged climate change and its destructive impacts and causes. He summarised key scientific research to forcefully argue for an evidence-based approach to addressing humans’ impact on the environment.

    He also made a pivotal and innovative contribution to the climate change debate by identifying the ethical and spiritual causes of environmental destruction.

    Francis argued combating climate change relied on the “ecological conversion” of the human heart, so that people may recognise the God-given nature of our planet and the fundamental call to care for it. Without this conversion, pragmatic and political measures wouldn’t be able to counter the forces of consumerism, exploitation and selfishness.

    Francis argued a new ethic and spirituality was needed. Specifically, he said Jesus’ way of love – for other people and all creation – is the transformative force that could bring sustainable change for the environment and cultivate fraternity among people (and especially with the poor).

    Synodality: moving towards a Church that listens

    Francis’s second major contribution, and one of the most significant aspects of his papacy, was his commitment to “synodality”. While there’s still confusion over what synodality actually means, and its potential for political distortion, it is above all a way of listening and discerning through openness to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

    It involves hierarchy and lay people transparently and honestly discerning together, in service of the mission of the church. Synodality is as much about the process as the goal. This makes sense as Pope Francis was a Jesuit, an order focused on spreading Catholicism through spiritual formation and discernment.

    Drawing on his rich Jesuit spirituality, Francis introduced a way of conversation centred on listening to the Holy Spirit and others, while seeking to cultivate friendship and wisdom.

    With the conclusion of the second session of the Synod on Synodality in October 2024, it is too soon to assess its results. However, those who have been involved in synodal processes have reported back on their transformative potential.

    Archbishop of Brisbane, Mark Coleridge, explained how participating in the 2015 Synod “was an extraordinary experience [and] in some ways an awakening”.

    Catholicism in the modern age

    Francis’ papacy inspired both great joy and aspirations, as well as boiling anger and rejection. He laid bare the agonising fault lines within the Catholic community and struck at key issues of Catholic identity, triggering debate over what it means to be Catholic in the world today.

    He leaves behind a Church that seems more divided than ever, with arguments, uncertainty and many questions rolling in his wake. But he has also provided a way for the Church to become more converted to Jesus’ way of love, through synodality and dialogue.

    Francis showed us that holding labels such as “progressive” or “conservative” won’t enable the Church to live out Jesus’ mission of love – a mission he emphasised from the very beginning of his papacy.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Pope Francis has died, aged 88. These were his greatest reforms – and controversies – https://theconversation.com/pope-francis-has-died-aged-88-these-were-his-greatest-reforms-and-controversies-229111

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Pope Francis dies: an unconventional pontiff who sought to modernise Catholicism

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Liam Temple, Assistant Professor in the History of Catholicism, Durham University

    From the moment of his election in 2013, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the man who became Pope Francis, proved himself to be unconventional.

    Shedding much of the formality of previous papal elections, he appeared for the first time on the balcony of Saint Peter’s Basilica in a simple white cassock without the red ermine-trimmed cape, known as a mozzetta, traditionally worn on such occasions.

    On his chest was the silver pectoral cross he had worn as archbishop of Buenos Aires, rather than the gold cross worn by previous popes. His early demonstrations of unconventionality went beyond his dress as he refused to live in the Apostolic Palace, residing primarily in the Domus Sanctae Marthae guesthouse.

    He was a pope of other firsts.

    He took the name, Francis, in honour of Saint Francis of Assisi, becoming the first uniquely named pope in over 1,000 years (the last being Pope Lando in 913). Many of his major teachings, known as “papal encyclicals”, echoed the wisdom of Saint Francis.

    For instance, Laudato Si (Praise Be to You, 2015) and Fratelli Tutti (All Brothers and Sisters, 2020), concerning care for the planet and care for each other respectively, drew their inspiration from the saint.

    “My roots are Italian, but I am Argentinian and Latin American,” he insisted in his recent autobiography. It was this background as the first pope from the southern hemisphere, and his upbringing in Argentina, that formed his role as a voice for those on the peripheries of society: migrants, the poor, victims of war and the helpless.

    Such an approach also reflected a diverse new reality within the church. The majority of the 1.36 billion Catholics around the world live outside Europe and North America.

    He made clear early on that representing this new reality was central to his papacy by making his first official papal visit outside of Rome to the island of Lampedusa in southern Italy, where many migrants and refugees fleeing warfare attempted to land as a route into Europe. Denouncing people trafficking and referring to the 2013 migrant shipwreck that killed over 300 people, Pope Francis would later describe the island as an “underwater cemetery for too, too many corpses”.

    A modernising pope

    Pope Francis was also the first pope to be formed entirely in the spirit of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), which brought about fundamental changes to how the Catholic church related to wider society and the “modern world”. This included the celebration of the Mass in vernacular languages, rather than exclusively Latin.

    Such formation shaped his attitude on such topics as the role of women in the church, technology and AI, the ongoing ecological crisis and the relationship between Catholicism and other faiths.

    While the pope had made clear his feelings that “Vatican II” had not yet been fully implemented, his adherence to its ethos has made him unpopular with Catholics who view the changes brought about by the council as misplaced.

    In 2021, he imposed new restrictions on the use of the older Latin mass, which had been commonplace before the council, now requiring priests to have the permission of their bishop for such a celebration. This reversed the allowances of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, who had permitted all priests to say Mass using the Roman Missal of 1962, without bishops permitting them.

    The move was unpopular among many traditionalists who saw the pope as distancing himself from historical tradition. In response, the pope had criticised “those who seek to ‘safeguard the ashes’ of the past” rather than concerning themselves with the future growth and progress of the church.

    In many ways, Pope Francis embodied a tension at the heart of Catholicism in the 21st century: too liberal for some Catholics and not liberal enough for others. As such, his attempts at reform necessarily became a fine balancing act. History will undoubtedly judge whether the right balance was struck.

    His papacy was not without controversy. In May 2024 he apologised for using a derogatory term for gay men in a private meeting with Italian bishops, the remarks splashed on headlines around the world. The episode was particularly shocking as he had previously indicated a shift in the tone of the church’s attitude on issues such as blessings for same-sex couples.

    In 2018, he admitted he made “grave errors” in his handling of clerical abuse cases in Chile. During a visit to the country, he had defended Bishop Juan Barros who stood accused of covering up sexual abuse. The pope cited a “lack of truthful and balanced information” and subsequently invited the victims to Rome to apologise.

    The pope’s funeral and burial will continue his unconventionality. He will forgo the traditional three interlocking caskets of cypress, lead and oak, instead requesting a simple, zinc-lined wooden coffin.

    He will also be the first pope to be buried outside the Vatican in over a century, asking instead to be buried at Rome’s Basilica of St. Mary Major. His funeral ceremony will also be simplified and shortened at his request.

    Such will be the last act of an unconventional pope, for as he states in his autobiography, “the bishop of Rome is a pastor and a disciple, not a powerful man of this world”.

    Liam Temple does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Pope Francis dies: an unconventional pontiff who sought to modernise Catholicism – https://theconversation.com/pope-francis-dies-an-unconventional-pontiff-who-sought-to-modernise-catholicism-251522

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Three ways Pope Francis influenced the global climate movement

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Celia Deane-Drummond, Professor of Theology, Director of Laudato Si’ Research Institute, Campion Hall, University of Oxford

    The death of Pope Francis has been announced by the Vatican. I first met the late Pope Francis at the Vatican after a conference called Saving Our Common Home and the Future of Life on Earth in July 2018. My colleagues and I sensed something momentous was happening at the heart of the church.

    At that time, I was helping to set up the new Laudato Si’ research institute at the Jesuit Hall at the University of Oxford. This institute is named after the pope’s 2015 encyclical (a letter to bishops outlining church policy) on climate change.

    Its mission is rooted in the pope’s religiously inspired vision of integral ecology – a multidisciplinary approach that addresses social and ecological issues of equality and climate breakdown.

    Originating from Argentina, Pope Francis, the first Jesuit pope, witnessed firsthand the destruction of the Amazon and the plight of South America’s poorest communities. His concern for justice for vulnerable communities and protection of the planet go hand in hand with his religious leadership.

    In his first papal letter, Laudato Si’, he called for all people, not just Catholics, to pay more attention to the frailty of both our planet and its people. What we need is no less than a cultural revolution, he wrote. As a theologian, I recognise that he inspired significant change in three key ways.

    1. At global climate summits

    It’s no coincidence that Pope Francis released Laudato Si’ at a crucial moment in 2015 prior to the UN climate summit, Cop21, in Paris. A follow-up exhortation, or official statement, Laudate Deum, was released in October 2023, just before another UN climate summit, Cop28 in Dubai.

    Did the decisions at these global meetings shift because of the influence of Pope Francis? Potentially, yes. In Laudate Deum, Pope Francis showed both encouragement and some frustration about the achievements of international agreements so far.

    He berated the weakness of international politics and believes that Cop21 represented a “significant moment” because the agreement involved everyone.

    After Cop21, he pointed out how most nations had failed to implement the Paris agreement which called for limiting the global temperature rise in this century to below 2°C. He also called out the lack of monitoring of those commitments and subsequent political inertia. He tried his best to use his prominent position to hold power to account.

    Promoting a general moral awareness of the need to act in ecologically responsible ways, both in international politics and at the local level is something that previous popes, Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI also did. But, Pope Francis’s efforts went beyond that, by connecting much more broadly with grassroots movements.

    2. By advocating for Indigenous people

    Cop28 marked the first time that close to 200 countries agreed to transition away from fossil fuels. Pope Francis’s interventions potentially helped shift the needle just a little in the desired direction.

    His emphasis on listening to Indigenous people may have influenced these gatherings. Compared with previous global climate summits, Cop28 arguably opened up the opportunity to listen to the voices of Indigenous people.

    However, Indigenous people were still disappointed by the outcomes of Cop28. Pope Francis’s lesser-known exhortation Querida Amazonia, which means “beloved Amazonia”, was published in February 2020.

    This exhortation resulted from his conversations with Amazonian communities and helped put Indigenous perspectives on the map. Those perspectives helped shape Catholic social teaching in the encyclical Fratelli Tutti, which means “all brothers and sisters”, published on October 3 2020.

    For many people living in developing countries where extractive industries such as oil and gas or mining are rife, destruction of land coincides with direct threats to life. Pope Francis advocated for Indigenous environmental defenders, many of whom have been inspired to act by their strong faith.

    For example, Father Marcelo Pérez, an Indigenous priest living in Mexico, was murdered by drug dealers just after saying mass on October 23 2023 as part of the cost of defending the rights of his people and their land.

    While 196 environmental defenders were killed globally in 2023, Pope Francis continued to advocate on behalf of the most marginalised people as well as the environment.

    3. By inspiring activism

    I’ve been speaking to religious climate activists from different church backgrounds in the UK as part of a multidisciplinary research project on religion, theology and climate change based at the University of Manchester. Most notably, when we asked more than 300 activists representing six different activist groups who most influenced them to get involved in climate action, 61% named Pope Francis as a key influencer.

    On a larger scale, Laudato Si’ gave rise to the Laudato Si’ movement which coordinates climate activism across the globe. It has 900 Catholic organisations as well as 10,000 of what are known as Laudato Si’ “animators”, who are all ambassadors and leaders in their respective communities.

    Our institute’s ecclesial affiliate, Tomás Insua, based in Assisi, Italy, originally helped pioneer this global Laudato Si’ movement. We host a number of ecumenical gatherings which bring together people from different denominations and hopefully motivate churchgoers to think and act in a more climate-conscious way.

    Nobody knows who the next pope might be. Given the current turmoil in politics and shutting down of political will to address the climate emergency, we can only hope they will build on the legacy of Pope Francis and influence political change for the good, from the grassroots frontline right up to the highest global ambitions.

    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 40,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Celia Deane-Drummond does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Three ways Pope Francis influenced the global climate movement – https://theconversation.com/three-ways-pope-francis-influenced-the-global-climate-movement-251430

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: In memory of journalist and writer Arkady Sosnov

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    On April 20, St. Petersburg journalist, editor and writer Arkady Yakovlevich Sosnov passed away.

    Arkady Sosnov was born on October 14, 1948. In 1971, he graduated from the Leningrad Technological Institute named after Lensovet, receiving a degree in chemical engineering. After graduation, he worked as a junior research fellow at the Research Institute of Petrochemical Processes.

    The turning point in his life was 1976, when he devoted himself entirely to journalism. Over the years, he collaborated with such publications as Smena, Poisk, Moskovskiye Novosti, Ogonyok and Literaturnaya Gazeta. In 1978, Arkady Yakovlevich joined the Union of Journalists of the USSR. Later, for many years, he was a member of the board of the Union of Journalists of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region. He was the initiator of the creation of the Guild of Correspondents and the celebration of “Maecenas’s Birthday” in the State Hermitage Museum. In 2008, he became the editor-in-chief of the almanac “Russian Patron”.

    The creative legacy of Arkady Yakovlevich includes the authorship of the books “Recovered Nature”, “Energy of the Earth”, “Natalya Petrovna’s Dreams Come True: From Conversations with Academician Bekhtereva”, as well as the compilation of the collection “Alferov Gate”.

    For his professional contribution to the development of journalism and culture, he was awarded many prizes, including the USSR Union of Journalists Prize, the St. Petersburg State University Christmas Prize “For Humanism in Journalism”, and the first prize in the Media Union competition “St. Petersburg. Revival of a Dream”.

    Arkady Sosnov was one of those outstanding journalists who professionally, with a full understanding of the subject and at the same time fascinatingly writes about science and scientists. Of course, this was facilitated by an engineering education, but also by an innate talent and a deep interest in the topic. Arkady Yakovlevich a lot of materials dedicated to the Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, wrote aboutresearch work polytechnics, the international activities of the university, about extraordinary events in the life of the university, for example, restoration of the estate of the first director of the Polytechnic Institute, Prince Andrei Gagarin, in Kholomki, did interview with outstanding scientists of SPbPU. Arkady Yakovlevich participated in the events of the Polytechnic University dedicated to in memory of Nobel laureate Zhores Ivanovich Alferov, was a welcome guest at the opening of the estate in Kholomki andDay of knowledge.

    “As a special correspondent for the RAS newspaper Poisk, Arkady Yakovlevich wrote a lot and enthusiastically about the development of higher education and the achievements of Russian scientists, and these materials will undoubtedly become a chronicle of modern Russian science and education,” wrote Andrey Rudskoy, rector of SPbPU, in his Telegram channel in memory of his friend. “Arkady Sosnov is a Name and a sign of quality in journalism. And it will always be so. I express my deep condolences to the family and friends of Arkady Yakovlevich.”

    The passing of Arkady Sosnov was a great loss for journalism and culture in St. Petersburg. The Polytechnic University expresses its sincere condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Arkady Yakovlevich.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Students presented projects for the renovation of the university’s museum and Military Glory Corner

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Competition projects

    From February 4 to June 30, SPbGASU is hosting a closed architectural competition, “SPbGASU History Museum and the Corner of Military Glory.” Third-year students majoring in “Architectural Environment Design” are participating in it.

    The defense of the competition works took place at the “Growth Point” of SPbGASU on April 15. As the Vice-Rector for Youth Policy and member of the competition organizing committee Marina Malyutina noted at the opening of the meeting, the work done by the students is a contribution to their professional growth and to the development of our university.

    The contestants presented projects for updating the interior and design code of the SPbGASU History Museum, as well as the Corner of Military Glory, located on the balustrade. An important condition was to include exhibition equipment for placing the “Book of Glory” in the interior.

    The Book of Glory was created for the 40th anniversary of the Great Victory. It is a massive metal frame filled with sheets of paper with biographies. The weight of the book is about 20-30 kg. Its creation was preceded by lengthy work on searching and collecting information about students, teachers, and university employees who went to the front and did not return from the war. The university archive contains two thick folders with responses to letters that employees sent to different parts of the country in search of relatives, fellow soldiers, and friends who had at least some information about the deceased. The result of this painstaking work was the Book of Glory, which contains a brief biographical note about each soldier.

    The authors’ collective, which included Natalia Rylova, Polina Buklinova and Irina Sherstneva, proposed dividing the balustrade into five zones and connecting them with a bridge. According to the project, the balustrade will house a recreation area, an exhibition space, a coworking space, a stage and a Corner of Military Glory, the creation of which was inspired by military paraphernalia.

    The museum has a storage area, a workspace for employees, and a multifunctional space for visitors. The authors protected the banners stored in the museum from light and mechanical damage with glass.

    In their project, Darya Antipina, Anastasia Gancheva and Anastasia Perlina sought not to overload the already small museum space, but to place a large amount of information there, to make the exhibition modern and focused on the younger generation. The route through the museum is designed in such a way that visitors can consistently follow the history of the university and not miss anything. In addition, the authors developed several exhibition stands and a vertical projector, which will help guides supplement their story with video material.

    “When developing the Corner of Military Glory, we faced completely different challenges: we had to rethink the historical interiors and breathe new ideas into them, creating a single functional space. We moved the Corner of Military Glory to the left balustrade, making it the main accent there. And on the right balustrade, we placed an amphitheater. Our concept is based on a single module, which allows us to set a design code for the entire space. And the highlight of our project is modular transformed furniture, thanks to which you can quickly change the scenario for using the room,” said Daria Antipina.

    Polina Ryabova, Arina Savelyeva and Anna Merzlyakova developed the identity (a set of elements in a single style that make the brand recognizable), based on associations related to the old name of the university – LISI, and also using current trends in design. The patterns they created can be used on furniture, in the development of posters and infographics.

    Upon entering the museum from the staircase, guests are greeted by a blue portal, which seems to invite them to look inside. The visitor puts on a helmet, thus immersing themselves in the professional theme of the museum. Introductory exhibitions introduce the early history of the university. Interesting elements include a media dome for demonstrating video footage, a blue corridor with authentic exhibits, and a large stand dedicated to the post-war years and famous graduates. The corridor leads to the cinema space. The final element of the museum space is a map of the surrounding university buildings. There are work spaces for a large number of students on the balustrade, and soft amphitheaters and chain poufs will make you feel comfortable and cozy. Transformable furniture makes the space mobile – coworking, an exhibition, or a buffet can be organized here.

    Symmetry and straight lines are at the core of the project by Ekaterina Kochergina and Alena Radkova. The designers sought to preserve history and support the existing classicism, while making it more modern and attractive to students. Their goal was to give the memory corner the appearance of a full-fledged separate space, while not competing in its function with the balustrade room, where a coworking space for students is organized.

    The balustrade space has two functions: a memorial and a recreation and work area for students. These two zones are separated from each other by partitions imitating a rock made of art concrete. The boards with the names of the heroes have been replaced by a wall of memory made of art concrete, the entire area of which is engraved with the names of the deceased.

    A large role in the interior design is played by the combination of natural materials: the accent table is made of solid wood with a glass block base, the imitation rock is made of art concrete, large-sized porcelain tiles are used, and the entire composition is complemented by greenery, which looks especially lively against the background of the artificial rock. At the end of the table there is a living tree, similar to the one that decorates the main entrance of SPbGASU.

    The museum also features symmetry, straight lines, and a clear division of space. The accent material is glass block, from which the columns and the base of the information stand are made. On one of the walls there are niches in the form of illuminated circles, inside which interactive screens are placed.

    Since the Book of Glory is quite old and fragile, the authors of the project decided to place its contents in a different way. The structure consists of cells, each of which contains a hinged plaque. On one side is a portrait of the hero, on the other – his biography, achievements and awards. Visitors will be able to approach and turn these plaques over. The book itself is displayed under glass in front of the exhibit. Another accent element is the black aluminum perforation on the ceiling with an asymmetrical pattern. To avoid overlapping with events on the balustrade and to improve functional zoning, Sofia Dolgova moved the Corner of Military Glory to another part of the balustrade. In the project, it is adjacent to the exhibition space.

    “The main task in the design was to fence off the memorial area. Thus, a kind of parallelepiped was created – part of the stand for the “Book of Glory”. The upper part is blind, finished with textured plaster. The lower part is glass, so that you can see the book itself and the far part of the exhibition. Thus, a visual connection is created that arouses interest in the exhibition, but at the same time, clear zoning is physically preserved. In this case, the lighting plays the role of navigation. Climbing the steps, we find ourselves in the exhibition area. Two key elements are the stand with the “Book of Glory” and the memorial plaques. What looks like a parallelepiped from the balustrade side, from the memorial side turns into a kind of niche, a portal. Here is a stand with a book and above it a screen where the contents of the book are broadcast (scanned sheets with information about students, teachers, employees of the university),” explained Sofia Dolgova.

    The main concept of the museum space in Sophia’s project is the connection between the past, present and future. The corridor is the first place we find ourselves when entering the museum, it kind of greets us and makes the first impression of the space. The light strips gradually increase towards the entrance to the museum, creating a reverse perspective effect, slightly distorting the proportions of the room and creating a wow effect.

    “A modern museum is interactive. And in this project, this was demonstrated not only in the use of media screens and modern technologies, but also in the configuration of the stands themselves. Stands of various shapes force visitors to look at exhibits from different angles and interact with them in different ways, which enhances the impression,” the author said.

    To ensure human interaction with the museum, Artem Lopatinsky included cabinets with pull-out shelves in the interior, where exhibits are located. The more valuable ones are covered with plexiglass. The stands located near the window openings are very easy to study due to natural light. It is also easy to place information on them due to the mesh material they are made of. At the end of the exhibition hall, there is an exposition with bricks. There is another zone in the museum, which can serve as both an extension of the exhibition space and a hall for methodological activities. This space is transformed by accent sliding partitions. Here, there is a large multimedia screen, a podium and exhibition stands located opposite the entrance to the hall.

    On the left side of the balustrade there are recreation areas for students, buffets are also held here, and the rest of the time there is a coworking space. On the right balustrade there are temporary exhibitions, the rest of the time there is also a coworking space. This is where the Corner of Military Glory is located. It is separated from the rest of the balustrade space during student and other events by an installation made of bent steel sheets. The Book of Glory is integrated into the installation, and the impression is created of pages of memory flying out of the book. Two lighting scenarios are provided – with an emphasis on the memorial and with an emphasis on the art object.

    The pixel became the main visual image in the project by Polina Tambova, Sergey Klechkovsky and Aslan Osmanov. The team of authors had three reasons for this. Firstly, a modern museum is an interactive, playful space, the theme of pixels refers us to this. Secondly, a pixel is a symbol of scientific and technological progress. Thirdly, a pixel is an analogue of a brick in the digital space.

    At the entrance to the museum space, the designers placed a visual accent – a book of memory and an inviting inscription. Light was let into the dark and cramped corridor through windows in the museum space and in the office. The main space of the museum was divided into two zones: exhibition and interactive. They symbolize the past and the future. The accent of the exhibition zone is a tree, referring to the Canadian maple in front of the main entrance to the university. Glass cubes hover around it, inside which are objects of memory. A tactile cabinet serves as a partition – a moment between the past and the future, which can be felt with the touch of fingers. The authors are sure: the interactive zone is necessary to bring new life to the museum, to create an opportunity for holding thematic events. The walls exhibit the works of modern architects. The balustrade clearly shows classical proportions, which the authors wanted to emphasize. At the same time, it was important for them to make the interior modern, corresponding to the general style of the university. Since the university does not have enough work space, coworking can be equipped on both balustrades.

    Different usage scenarios are proposed for the two balustrades: the western balustrade is closer to the dining room, so it can accommodate a buffet, or this space can be freed up for rehearsals before the “Golden Faculty” or “Macaroni Builder”; the eastern balustrade can be adapted for temporary exhibitions or small lectures.

    “The memorial plaques were moved from the western balustrade to the eastern one to avoid a conflict between the zones, and a photo zone with the university’s slogan was created in their place. The memorial zone was separated from the public areas by a glass installation with lighting. This will preserve the solemn spirit and create a visual barrier between the memorial zone and the place for work and rest. We preserved the memorial plaques and also supplemented the composition with a blank book, the information on which will be projected from above. This is a way to make information from the “Book of Glory” accessible to everyone, while preserving the original documents in the museum. All aspects of our project are formed according to this principle: we wanted to preserve the existing images and meanings in a new form,” said Sergey Klechkovsky.

    Yana Kiseleva visually expanded the museum corridor, added air and lightness by replacing blind doors with transparent glass ones and part of the wall with stained glass. In the main area of the exhibition hall, one of the walls is equipped with aliminocomposite panels inclined at different angles, the most convenient for the human eye to perceive – this is the “life line of SPbGASU”. The author preserved the exposition dedicated to the first rector of the university, developed fractional and glass exhibition stands located along the walls and in the middle part of the space without creating visual noise. In the center of the interactive zone, she placed an interactive table with touch screens for independent study and selection of the necessary information by students. The best projects of graduates with additional space for models are presented in the niche of the far wall.

    “From the museum, you can get almost directly through the rector’s building to the upper balustrade of the university, in one of the parts of which the Corner of Military Glory of SPbGASU is located. I decided to move the memorial zone to the adjacent part of the balustrade to avoid a functional conflict with the space for buffets/banquets. The Corner of Military Glory is located on the stage, its central part is reserved for a stand with the “Book of Glory”, separated from the main room by interactive screens, in the niche of the far wall there are preserved memorial plaques with carved names of the heroes of the Great Patriotic War, on the sides there are areas for additional glass stands. The leading materials are strict monumental textures, emphasizing the historical and cultural value of the memorial,” said Yana.

    Head of the Department of Architectural Environment Design and member of the competition’s organizing committee Maria Granstrem noted the excellent work of her department’s staff – Associate Professor Yan Korzhempo, senior lecturers Marina Khramova and Dmitry Fleisher. It was under their guidance that the students developed their competition projects.

    Marina Malyutina thanked the students for their work, noting their talent and potential. According to Marina Viktorovna, the task was difficult, but the students found interesting solutions. These solutions can be combined to get what the customer, the university, needs.

    The competition jury will announce the finalists after April 23. All ideas will be taken into account when designing the interiors of SPbGASU.

    Project by Natalia Rylova, Polina Buklinova and Irina Sherstneva

    Project by Daria Antipina, Anastasia Gancheva and Anastasia Perlina

    Project by Polina Ryabova, Arina Savelyeva and Anna Merzlyakova

    Project by Ekaterina Kochergina and Alena Radkova

    Project by Sofia Dolgova

    Project by Artem Lopatinsky

    Project by Polina Tambova, Sergey Klechkovsky and Aslan Osmanov

    Project by Yana Kiseleva

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Polytech developed a corporate identity for the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    The Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University summed up the results of the competition to create a new logo for the university. The organizers were the Higher School of Design and Architecture of the Institute of Civil Engineering of SPbPU and the Faculty of Architecture, Design and Construction of KRSU.

    In total, more than 50 applications from students of two universities were submitted to the competition. Four projects reached the final: one of them was presented by students of KRSU, and three others by students of the Civil Engineering Institute. The final presentations of the projects took place in Bishkek. The jury members awarded first place to the students of the Civil Engineering Institute.

    The best work was by 4th year bachelor’s student in Graphic Design Anna Panina, made in the style of arrows.

    “The project means a lot to me, as several generations of my ancestors lived and worked in Bishkek (Frunze). Their activities were related to science, art, design and development of education. Therefore, I was especially pleased to defend my work in person, in the homeland of my family. My concept of the corporate style of KRSU is based on the image of an arrow – a polysemantic symbol reflecting several metaphors. Directional arrows hidden in the space between the letters symbolize the two-sided vector of education: synthesis of East and West, cultural exchange, freedom of choice of students and graduates. In the pictograms of the faculties, arrows are used as a universal symbol, which through the dynamics of the form conveys the specifics of each faculty,” shared Anna Panina.

    The project of first-year student of the Master’s program in Communication Design Anna Kozlova, based on the infinity symbol, reflected the idea of continuous development and cultural ties between Kyrgyzstan and Russia.

    “KRSU unites two cultures – Russian and Kyrgyz, linking the heritage of the past and the development of the future. The basis of the logo is the abbreviation of the university, made in a font that is a modern stylization of Slavic ligature. The key image is the infinity sign, which is derived from elements of two cultures. It personifies endless development, the desire for knowledge and perfection,” said Anna Kozlova.

    The second place in the competition was taken by the work of SPbPU student Maria Dracheva, who managed to originally connect two symbols from the flags of two countries – the Russian tricolor and the national symbol of Kyrgyzstan, the tunduk.

    “The concept of my work is about unity, cooperation and experience between the two countries. Russian identity is conveyed by three stripes in the colors of the national flag. Kyrgyzstan is represented by lines that are part of the tunduk – a symbol of unity and national identity of the country. The interweaving of lines is associated with a strong union and symbolizes strong friendly relations between the countries, conveying the main value of the university,” Maria Dracheva emphasized.

    Also, second place was taken by KRSU students Abdusalikh Ibragimov and Elena Shigaeva. Their work is dedicated to another symbol of Kyrgyzstan – kurak.

    The competition became an important step in the development of educational integration, especially within the framework of cooperation between the Faculty of Architecture, Design and Construction Technologies of KRSU and the Higher School of Design and Architecture of the Institute of Civil Engineering of St. Petersburg Polytechnic University.

    “The students not only showed a creative approach, but also demonstrated a deep understanding of the task. The works presented reflected the historical context and core values of the university community. The project acquired special significance due to the fact that it went beyond the design competition, becoming part of an educational dialogue between universities of the two countries. Such initiatives contribute to strengthening trust and developing constructive cooperation between higher education institutions of Russia and Kyrgyzstan,” said Tatyana Diodorova, Associate Professor of the Higher School of Design and Architecture of the Institute of Contemporary Art.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: While the world remembers the sacrifice of Calvary O’Neill commemorates would be killers

    Source: Traditional Unionist Voice – Northern Ireland

    Statement by TUV leader and North Antrim MP Jim Allister:

    “Few things illustrate the moral bankruptcy of Republicanism than its actions around Easter. While the world remembers the sacrifice of Calvary and the resurrection – where the sinless Son of God laid down His life for humanity – Sinn Fein choose to celebrate and glorify those who went out to murder the innocent.

    “This is graphically illustrated by the actions of the self styled First Minister for all today who chose to address a commemoration of those thankfully taken out by the SAS at Clonoe in 1992.

    “One has only to take a moment to reflect on what East Tyrone IRA did in the area – including the murder of 30 people prior to the SAS ambush – to see how morally repugnant this event was. The would be killers commemorated by Ms O’Neill were returning from an attack on a police station with the most powerful of weapons and were still on “active service” when they met real soldiers. Tellingly, one of the wounded terrorists received assistance at the scene from the security forces – something IRA killers never provided to their innocent victims.

    “Today’s event was a reminder of Sinn Féin’s unfitness for government and should again cause Unionists who sustain them in office to reflect on the nature of those they sit with around the Executive table.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Astronaut Don Pettit, Crewmates Complete Space Station Expedition

    Source: NASA

    NASA astronaut Don Pettit returned to Earth Saturday, accompanied by Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner, concluding a seven-month science mission aboard the International Space Station.
    The trio departed the space station at 5:57 p.m. EDT aboard the Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft before making a safe, parachute-assisted landing at 9:20 p.m. (6:20 a.m. on Sunday, April 20, Kazakhstan time), southeast of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan. Pettit also celebrates his 70th birthday on Sunday, April 20.
    Spanning 220 days in space, Pettit and his crewmates orbited the Earth 3,520 times, completing a journey of 93.3 million miles. Pettit, Ovchinin, and Vagner launched and docked to the orbiting laboratory on Sept. 11, 2024.
    During his time aboard the space station, Pettit conducted research to enhance in-orbit metal 3D printing capabilities, advance water sanitization technologies, explore plant growth under varying water conditions, and investigate fire behavior in microgravity, all contributing to future space missions. He also used his surroundings aboard station to conduct unique experiments in his spare time and captivate the public with his photography.
    This was Pettit’s fourth spaceflight, where he served as a flight engineer for Expeditions 71 and 72. He has logged 590 days in orbit throughout his career. Ovchinin completed his fourth flight, totaling 595 days, and Vagner has earned an overall total of 416 days in space during two spaceflights.
    NASA is following its routine postlanding medical checks, the crew will return to the recovery staging area in Karaganda, Kazakhstan. Pettit will then board a NASA plane bound for the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. According to NASA officials at the landing site, Pettit is doing well and in the range of what is expected for him following return to Earth.
    For more than two decades, people have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and making research breakthroughs that are not possible on Earth. The station is a critical testbed for NASA to understand and overcome the challenges of long-duration spaceflight and to expand commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit. As commercial companies focus on providing human space transportation services and destinations as part of a strong low Earth orbit economy, NASA is focusing more resources on deep space missions to the Moon as part of Artemis in preparation for future astronaut missions to Mars.
    Learn more about International Space Station research and operations at:
    https://www.nasa.gov/station
    -end-
    Joshua FinchHeadquarters, Washington202-358-1100joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov
    Sandra JonesJohnson Space Center, Houston281-483-5111sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom announces $200,000 in rewards for unsolved crimes in Hillsborough, La Mesa, Lemoore, and Petaluma

    Source: US State of California 2

    Apr 18, 2025

    Sacramento, California – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the availability of four $50,000 rewards for information leading to unsolved cases in San Mateo, San Diego, Kings, and Sonoma counties. 

    Today’s rewards involve the following cases:

    Hillsborough (San Mateo County) – Hillsborough Police Officer: Governor Newsom is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction for the attempted murder of a Hillsborough police officer. The officer’s name is not being released to preserve the integrity of the ongoing investigation. On February 22, 2025 at around 3:49 p.m., the officer was ambushed and shot on the property of the Hillsborough Police Department Station at 1600 Floribunda Avenue. The Hillsborough Police Department has exhausted all investigative leads and requested that a reward be offered to encourage anyone with information about this attempted murder to contact Corporal Josh Wang at 650-375-7470. Anonymous tips can be submitted to the Hillsborough Police Department tips email.

    La Mesa (San Diego County) – Corneilius Brown: Governor Newsom is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction for the murder of Corneilius Brown. On April 24, 2021, 22-year-old Brown was fatally shot in the doorway of his apartment in La Mesa. The La Mesa Police Department has exhausted all investigative leads and requested that a reward be offered to encourage anyone with information about this murder to contact Detective Royce Culp at 619-667-7533. Anonymous tips can be submitted to San Diego County Crime Stoppers. 

    Lemoore (Kings County) – Scott Jeff: Governor Newsom is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction for the murder of Scott Jeff. On March 25, 2022, 52-year-old Jeff was fatally shot on the Santa Rosa Rancheria reservation in Lemoore. The King’s County Sheriff’s Office has exhausted all investigative leads and requested that a reward be offered to encourage anyone with information about this murder to contact Sergeant Chris Martin at 559-852-2886. Anonymous tips can be submitted by email or calling 559-852-4554. 

    Petaluma (Sonoma County) – Georgia Moses: Governor Newsom is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction for the murder of Georgia Moses. On August 22, 1997, 12-year-old Moses was found next to the Highway 101 southbound on-ramp at Petaluma Boulevard South after she went missing from her home in Petaluma. The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office has exhausted all investigative leads and requested that a reward be offered to encourage anyone with information about this murder to contact the Sonoma County Cold Case Unit by email or calling 707-565-2727. Anonymous tips can be submitted to the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office. 

    Governor’s rewards for unsolved cases

    Under California law, law enforcement agencies may ask the Governor to issue rewards in specified unsolved cases where they have exhausted all investigative leads, to encourage individuals with information about the crimes to come forward. Public assistance is vital to law enforcement, and rewards may encourage the public cooperation needed to apprehend those who have committed serious offenses.

    More information on the Governor’s Reward Program can be found here.

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  • MIL-OSI Global: Pope Francis: why his papacy mattered for Africa – and for the world’s poor and marginalised

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Stan Chu Ilo, Research Professor, World Christianity and African Studies, DePaul University

    The death of Pope Francis in an Italian hospital on 21 April 2025 marks the end of a significant era for the Vatican and the global Catholic following of 1.3 billion faithful.

    The first pope from the Americas and also the first to come from outside the west in the modern era, Pope Francis was elected leader of the Catholic church on 13 March 2013.

    By the time the Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio was elected pope in 2013 there was a general feeling that the Catholic church was reaching the end of an era. At the time, the church was beset by crises, from corruption to clerical sexual abuse.

    Some of the challenges facing the church which the ageing Pope Benedict XVI could no longer handle included:

    Moreover, the church was reeling from the revelation of papal secrets of his predecessor Pope Benedict by the papal butler. A book detailing these secrets portrayed the Vatican as a corrupt hotbed of jealousy, intrigue and underhanded factional fighting.

    The revelations caused the church a great deal of embarrassment.

    It meant therefore that Cardinal Bergoglio was elected by the Catholic cardinals with a mandate to clean up the church and reform the Vatican and its bureaucracy. He was to institute processes and procedures for transparency, accountability and renewal of the church and its structures, and address the lingering scandals of clerical abuse.

    The Pope’s global legacy

    Three key things defined his papal role and legacy.

    First is concentrating on the core competence of the church: serving the poor and the marginalised. This is what the founder of the Christian religion, Jesus Christ, did.

    Francis focused the Catholic church and the entire world on one mission: helping the poor, addressing global inequalities, speaking for the voiceless, and placing the attention of the world on those on the periphery.

    He also chose to live simply, forsaking the pomp and pageantry of the papacy.

    Secondly, he changed the way the Catholic church’s message is communicated. In his programmatic document, Evangelii Gaudium, he called the church to what he calls “missionary conversion”. His thinking was that everything that is done in the church must be about proclaiming the good news to a wounded and broken world.

    His central message was that of mercy towards all, an end to wars, our common humanity and the closeness of God to those who suffer. The suffering in the world continues to grow because of injustice, greed, selfishness and pride. He also focused on symbols and simple style to press home his message, like celebrating mass at a wall that divides the United States and Mexico.



    Read more:
    Pope Francis: the first post-colonial papacy to deliver messages that resonate with Africans

    In 2015 he made a risky trip to Bangui, the capital of Central African Republic, during a time of war and tension between the fighting factions of the Muslim Seleka and the Christian anti-balaka. He drove on the Popemobile with both the highest ranking Muslim cleric in the country and his Christian counterpart and visited both a Christian church and a mosque to press home the message of peace.

    The third strategy was restructuring the church and reforming the Vatican bank.

    He created the G8 (a representative council of cardinals from every part of the world) to advise him, calling the Catholic church to a synod for dialogue on every aspect of the life of the church. This effort was unprecedented.

    He also overhauled the procedures for the synod of bishops, making it more participatory, and gave women and the non-ordained voting rights. He shook up the membership of the Vatican department that picks bishops to include women. He appointed the first woman (Sr Simone Brambilla) to lead a major Vatican department and to have a cardinal as her deputy. Another woman (Sr Raffaella Petrini) was named the first woman governor of the Vatican City State.

    Pope Francis and Africa

    The pontiff’s legacy will be keenly felt in Africa. Three things stand out.

    First, he reflected the concerns of people on the continent with his message against imperialism, colonialism, exploitation of the poor by the rich, global inequality, neo-liberal capitalism and ecological injustice. Pope Francis became a voice for Africa. When he visited Kenya in 2015, he chose to visit the slums of Nairobi to proclaim the gospel of liberation to the forsaken of society. He called on African governments to guarantee for the poor and all citizens access to land, lodging and labour.

    In a sense, Pope Francis embodied the message of decolonisation and was driven in part by the liberation theology that developed in Latin America. This theology tied religious faith with liberation of the people from structures of injustice and structural violence.

    Secondly, he encouraged African Catholics to develop Africa’s own unique approach to pastoral life and addressing social issues in Africa. Particularly, Pope Francis believed in decentralisation and local processes in meeting local challenges. He said many times that it is not necessary that all problems in the church be solved by the pope at the Roman centre of the church.

    In this way, he encouraged the growth and development of African priorities and cultural adaptation to the Catholic faith. He also encouraged greater transparency and accountability among African bishops and gave African Catholic universities and seminaries greater autonomy to develop their own educational priorities and programmes.

    Thirdly, Pope Francis had a very deep connection to Africa’s young people. He encouraged and supported initiatives and programmes to strengthen the agency of young people, to give them hope and support their personal, spiritual and professional development. For the first time in history, on 1 November 2022, Pope Francis met virtually with more than 1,000 young Africans for an hour. I helped organise this meeting. He answered their questions and encouraged them to fight for what they believe.

    A reformist agenda

    The reforms of Pope Francis could be termed a movement – from a church of a few where priests and bishops and the pope call the shots to a church of the people of God where everyone’s voice matters and where everyone’s concerns and needs are catered to.

    He quietly changed the tone of the message and the style of the leadership at the Vatican.

    Granted, he did not substantially alter the content of that message, which is often seen as conservative, Eurocentric, and resistant to cultural pluralism and social change. But he constantly chipped away at its foundations through inclusion and an openness to hearing the voices of everyone, including those who do not agree with the church’s position. In doing this, he shifted the priorities and practices of the Catholic church regarding such core issues as power and authority.

    Pope Francis opened the doors to the voices of the marginalised in the church — women, the poor, the LGBTQI+ community, and those who have disaffiliated from the church. Many African Catholics would love to see more African representation at the Vatican, and many of them also worry about the widening division in the church, particularly driven by cultural and ideological battles in the west that have nothing to do with the social and ecclesial context of Africa.

    Why his papacy mattered

    Pope Francis was the first pope from the Americas, the first Jesuit pope, the first to choose the name Francis and the first to come from outside the west in the modern era. He chose the name Francis because he wanted to focus his papacy on the poor, emulating St Francis of Assisi.

    In a sense, Pope Francis redefined what religion and spirituality mean for Catholicism. It’s not laying down and enforcing the law without mercy, it is caring for our neighbours and the Earth. This is the kind of religion the world needs today.

    Stan Chu Ilo does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Pope Francis: why his papacy mattered for Africa – and for the world’s poor and marginalised – https://theconversation.com/pope-francis-why-his-papacy-mattered-for-africa-and-for-the-worlds-poor-and-marginalised-251059

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Polytechnic without borders. The university welcomes foreign applicants

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    From April 14 to 17, 2025, the SPbPU International Activities Resource Center hosted face-to-face meetings within the framework of the Career Guidance 2025 project aimed at supporting international applicants. The events, organized by the staff of the International Students’ Office (ISO), were held in three languages – Russian, English and Chinese, which made it possible to cover a wide audience of students of the preparatory department of the Higher School of International Educational Programs (HSIEP).

    The head of ORIS Natalia Makhanova, leading specialist Miroslava Dergileva and specialist Evgeniya Borodina took an active part in organizing and holding the meeting. They not only presented a detailed presentation on the possibilities of studying at SPbPU, but also answered numerous questions from students. The hall was attended by both future applicants and teachers interested in the successful adaptation of foreign students.

    The key topics were the deadlines for submitting documents and passing entrance examinations, the specifics of admission to the main educational programs within the admission control figures, as well as the nuances of working with the applicant’s personal account. ORIS employees clearly demonstrated how to correctly fill out electronic forms, avoiding common mistakes. Particular attention was paid to familiarization with SPbPU institutes, educational programs and prospects for student life – from scientific projects to extracurricular activities.

    During the discussion, the participants discussed the rules for passing entrance examinations, the procedure for examining educational documents, and visa extension periods. Students of the preparatory department actively asked questions regarding the competitive lists and the intricacies of enrollment. At the end of the meeting, all those present were sent a presentation with up-to-date information for admission in the 2025 academic year. As the organizers noted, many applicants have already started working in their personal accounts and have decided on their choice of areas, which indicates a high interest in studying at the Polytechnic University.

    “Your future begins now!” Natalia Makhanova emphasized. “The University strives to create an international community where every student, regardless of their country of origin, will have access to quality education and a comfortable academic environment.”

    The next stage will be individual work with applicants’ applications, where department employees will support them at all stages of admission.

    Events of this format strengthen SPbPU’s reputation as one of the leading universities, open to intercultural dialogue and ready to support foreign students in their professional development.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Russia: Activist Daria Kozyreva conviction for poetic anti-war protest exposes continued repression

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Reacting to the conviction of 19-year-old anti-war activist Daria Kozyreva for “repeated discreditation of the Russian armed forces,” Natalia Zviagina, Amnesty International’s Russia Director, said:

    “Today’s verdict is another chilling reminder of how far the Russian authorities will go to silence peaceful opposition to their war in Ukraine.”

    “Daria Kozyreva is being punished for quoting a classic of 19th-century Ukrainian poetry, for speaking out against an unjust war and for refusing to stay silent. We demand the immediate and unconditional release of Daria Kozyreva and everyone imprisoned under ‘war censorship laws’.”

    Background

    On 18 April, the Petrogradsky District Court of St. Petersburg sentenced Daria Kozyreva, a former medical student, to two years and eight months in a penal colony under the draconian law on “discreditation of the armed forces” (Article 280.3 of the Criminal Code). She was convicted for peaceful acts of dissent: posting a blog entry criticizing Russia’s war in Ukraine; giving an interview to a RFE/RL media project; and affixing a quote from the poem “Testament” by renowned Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko to his monument in St. Petersburg. The quote read: “Oh bury me, then rise ye up / And break your heavy chains / And water with the tyrants’ blood / The freedom you have gained”.

    Daria Kozyreva spent nearly a year in pre-trial detention and was subjected to forced psychiatric evaluation. On 7 February 2025, she was released from pre-trial detention, as she had been held for the maximum time allowed. Her freedom remained restricted: she was under curfew and prohibited from using her phone or the Internet and from talking to the media.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Offshore detention is inhumane — I know because I lived it

    Source: Amnesty International –

    On my first day in offshore detention, I was given a number. Benham Satah became FRT009 — or Foxtrot Romeo Tango Zero Zero Nine, as the guards would use the military alphabet. It was one of the many ways they treated us like criminals or prisoners of war.

    When I fled Iran in 2013, I never imagined I would end up on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea. I risked my life to get from Indonesia to Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the Indian Ocean. When you need to flee, you grab the first opportunity you get — and this boat was mine.

    Europe’s nations have proposed establishing refugee ‘return hubs’ in third-party countries outside their jurisdiction for failed asylum seekers. But they should think twice.

    After four days at sea, we finally saw dry land. But my relief turned to horror as the guards were already there, waiting to detain us. And after 25 days in detention there, we were then handcuffed, dragged on to a plane by four giant security guards. They wouldn’t tell us where we were heading.

    It felt like we were being kidnapped.

    When we finally arrived in Papua New Guinea, they took us to the Lombrum military compound, where we were detained in 3-square-meter rooms, each with a bunk bed and a third camp bed. There was just enough space to lie down.

    Then, I was transferred to my final destination of Manus Island — the detention camp for men only. We were over 500 in a facility that was built for 200. There were LGBTQ+ individuals, unaccompanied children, vulnerable people left alone with no real protection to survive in a dangerous environment.

    It was so hot in the camp. The only reprieve came in the evenings, when the temperature would drop slightly. And even though we were surrounded by the ocean, with the camp just meters from the shore, I never actually heard the lapping of waves — the generator clattered like a helicopter day and night, drowning out the sea.

    It smelled so bad there. The Australian caseworkers admitted they wouldn’t even bring an animal to the camp. There were 10 toilets and 10 showers for 500 people, and this caused problems every day. The rubbish was left to sweat and ferment in the tropical heat. They would set off smoke bombs to kill mosquitos. The whole camp stank of chemicals. Despite this, all these years later, I still have malaria in my blood.

    There were 14 deaths recorded in the years I was on Manus Island. I still see their faces — especially my roommate’s, Reza Barati. He was murdered before my eyes, while in the custody of the Australian government. [According to eyewitness reports, Barati was beaten to death by guards and other contractors.]

    People died of preventable deaths there. Everyone suffered from mental or physical health problems. The only treatment we received was paracetamol and water. I remember Hamid (whose name has been changed to protect his identity). He never received proper treatment, as there was no doctor in the medical center here. They amputated both his legs in the capital, Port Moresby. He died from septicemia.

    But we weren’t just denied treatment on Manus, those in charge were also inexplicably reckless with vaccinations. I was an interpreter for a friend, FRT001, who came on the same boat as me. I witnessed him receive 60 vaccines in under a month. We tried to stop them, but if you refused a vaccine, they would call the Emergency Response Team.

    My friend was eventually sent back to Iran where he died not long after.

    Ukrainian refugees are protected by the French government — every refugee should be treated that way.

    People would self-immolate with petrol in detention. We were beaten. At times the violence was extreme, and you could be assaulted for no reason. When a packet of cigarettes can guarantee your safety, you understand how cheap human life can be.

    With offshore detention, the Australian government paid Nauru and Papua New Guinea to do its dirty work. There was no law there, and they could do what they wanted without fear of the courts. We were denied access to lawyers. We were out of sight, out of mind — exactly as was intended. 

    I tried to take my life several times on Manus, and the memories still give me nightmares. I lost almost seven years of my youth in detention. Those are days I will never get back. I still take a lot of tablets just to get through the day.

    Everyone I know who went through this “offshore detention” scheme has since been diagnosed with PTSD. I think we need a new term for what we experienced, like Manus disease or offshore detention syndrome. Even people who just spent a month there are still suffering.

    Not knowing when you’ll leave — it’s worse than any prison sentence. It destroys your mental health.

    Nowadays, I work with the Salvation Army, and volunteer to help Ukrainians in France who fled Russia’s invasion. Ukrainian refugees are protected by the French government — every refugee should be treated that way. They should be given a chance to live and build a future. I also provide support and counseling for people on Manus Island and those who left but are still suffering.

    I still have my own struggles with depression and mental health, but helping others in my situation lifts me up.

    It was torture what the government did to us. They were saying it was deterrence, but it never worked. It hasn’t stopped people from trying to get to Australia to seek protection because they have no choice. Instead, it has become a stain on Australian history.

    I hope no European country ever adopts this policy.

    Benham Satah coordinated this piece with Amnesty International.

    This piece was first published by Politico here

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Action plan for cooperation Japan and the Netherlands

    Source: Government of the Netherlands

    News item | 21-04-2025 | 10:21

    Prime Minister Schoof of the Kingdom of the Netherlands met with Prime Minister Ishiba of Japan on April 21st in Tokyo. During their meeting they agreed, whilst commemorating the 425 year history of bilateral relations between the Netherlands and Japan, to set their priorities for cooperation in the following years in a shared Action plan. 

    The Action Plan is supplementary to the existing Strategic Partnership Agreement for Sustainable Peace and Prosperity agreed upon between the Netherlands and Japan in November 2015. 

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Celebrating Hong Kong cinema with director Ann Hui in London (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, London (London ETO) supported the Chinese Cinema Project in presenting the Hong Kong New Wave: 1979 – 1989 Film Festival from April 1 to May 16 (London time) in London.

    The film festival presents nine iconic Hong Kong films, with selected sessions accompanied by introductions and panel discussions led by notable film experts, offering audiences a deeper understanding of the historical and artistic significance of Hong Kong films. A highlight of the festival was the special masterclass titled “In Conversation with Ann Hui”, held on April 17 in partnership with director Ann Hui’s alma mater, the London Film School, as well as King’s College London, where director Hui engaged in a dynamic exchange with film critics, students and the audience, sharing her personal journey, creative insights, and reflections on the evolution of the Hong Kong film industry. She also joined two Q&A sessions on April 18 and 19, as well as a reception on April 18 at The Garden Cinema, further enriching the festival experience.

    The Director-General of the London ETO, Miss Fiona Chau, addressed the audience at the masterclass, emphasising the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government’s unwavering commitment to fostering the development of Hong Kong’s creative industries. She highlighted Hong Kong’s role as a vibrant East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange as underpinned by the National 14th Five-Year Plan. “Director Hui is a pioneer of Hong Kong cinema. Her remarkable work has brought Hong Kong’s cinematic excellence to global audiences. To better understand the stories and spirit behind her films, please visit Hong Kong to experience our rich blend of heritage, innovation, and cinematic energy,” she said.

    The Chinese Cinema Project is dedicated to promoting the work of Chinese filmmakers in the United Kingdom via regular screenings and cultural promotion. The Hong Kong New Wave: 1979 – 1989 Film Festival is expected to welcome over 1 800 guests across 19 screenings, one panel discussion and one masterclass from April to May 2025.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Agriculture Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chauhan’s Brazil visit becomes important on many counts

    Source: Government of India

    Union Agriculture Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chauhan’s Brazil visit becomes important on many counts

    Participates in the 15th BRICS Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting; also initiates important steps towards strengthening agricultural trade, technology and innovation between India and Brazil

    Union Agriculture Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan emphasizes on promoting production and export of soya in India

    Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan intends to upgrade Indian farmers by enabling them the benefits of global technologies

    Joint efforts will strengthen global food security: Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan

    Shri Shivraj Singh expresses concerns for small farmers in the BRICS Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting

    Posted On: 20 APR 2025 6:36PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan is schedule to return from his Brazil visit on Monday morning, 21 April. His Brazil visit is important on many counts. Besides leading the Indian delegation at the 15th BRICS Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting, the Union Minister’s visit is an important step towards strengthening agricultural trade, technology and innovation between India and Brazil. During Brazil visit, the Union Minister stressed on promoting production and export of soya in India. He intends to upgrade Indian farmers by enabling them the benefits of global technologies. He said that joint efforts of various countries will strengthen global food security.

    During his Brazil visit, Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh mainly expressed his concerns related to small farmers of India. He said that unless the small farmers are protected and empowered, the goal of global food security will remain incomplete. The Union Minister said that India is fully committed to inclusive, equitable and sustainable agriculture. Echoing the spirit of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”, he said that India always follow the message of trust and cooperation with all countries. He called for enhanced cooperation in agricultural technology, innovation, capacity building and trade facilitation so that farmers and agricultural enterprises of various countries can benefit. On the BRICS platform, India called for further strengthening cooperation in agricultural technology transfer, research, food processing and trade.  Shri Chauhan’s address, on behalf of India, focused on global food security, empowerment of small farmers, agricultural innovation and technological cooperation and advancing partnership with BRICS countries.

    Altogether, Shri Chouhan’s visit to Brazil is not just a diplomatic but also a concrete initiative towards technological innovation, production increase and global partnership for Indian agriculture, which can yield direct benefits to the farmers.

    The 15th BRICS Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting, held in Brasilia, was attended by Agriculture Ministers/Senior Officials from India, host Brazil and BRICS member countries including Russia, China, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE, Ethiopia, Indonesia and Iran. The main theme of the meeting was “Promoting inclusive and sustainable agriculture through cooperation, innovation and equitable trade among BRICS countries”.

    Besides participating in the 15th BRICS Agriculture Ministers’ meeting, Shri Chouhan’s visit is expected to give a new direction to agricultural cooperation between India and Brazil. This will boost agricultural trade between the two countries. The Union Minister expressed his desire to share knowledge with Brazil on climate-friendly soyabean varieties, mechanization, precision farming and sustainable agricultural practices. He also expressed his desire to learn from Brazil’s agricultural model, mechanization, irrigation and research and implement it in Indian agriculture so that maximum benefits can be transferred to the farmers.

    Cooperation in the areas of biofuel, bioenergy, supply chain integration and agricultural machinery was discussed during the meetings which would enable Indian farmers to have access to global technology. Joint efforts of the two countries will also strengthen global food security as Brazil has achieved tremendous growth in agricultural exports in the last 50 years, an inspiration for India as well.

    Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan also held bilateral meetings with Brazil’s Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Carlos Henrique Baquetta Favero and Minister of Agricultural Development and Family Agriculture, Luiz Paulo Teixeira. During these meetings, the issues of enhancing cooperation in the areas of agriculture, agro-technology, rural development and food security were discussed. The Union Minister also met 27 members of Brazil’s agribusiness community at Sao Paulo. During this meeting, possibilities of cooperation on agricultural trade, production technology, food processing, biofuel, technological innovation and supply chain integration were discussed.

    Union Minister Shri Chouhan visited soyabean production plant, tomato farm and other institutes in Brazil and closely observed the latest technologies related to mechanization, irrigation and food processing. Currently India imports soyabean oil, but now both the countries are jointly exploring the possibilities of investing and setting up technology and plants for soyabean production and processing. This can boost soyabean production and export in India. Shri Chouhan said that there is a plan to work together with Brazil to increase soybean production and processing in India. Besides, possibilities of cooperation between the two countries in mechanization and seed research will also be explored.

    Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s routine of planting a sapling every day continued in Brazil as well. He participated in the tree plantation drive at the Indian Embassy in Brasilia under the initiative ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’, promoting environmental protection and respect for motherhood. Shri Shivraj Singh also met the Indian diaspora at Sao Paulo in Brazil and appreciated their role in bilateral relations. He said that this is the Amrit Kaal of our independence under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. In 2047, we will complete 100 years of independence and our goal is to make India a developed nation by then.

    Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh said, “During my stay in Brazil, I got the  opportunities to enrich myself with various experiences and techniques. We will utilize these technologies to increase production in India. I am confident that the mutual cooperation between India and Brazil will empower our farmers and give a new direction to global food security.”

    This visit is an important step towards India-Brazil agricultural cooperation, partnership with BRICS countries and accelerating innovation and sustainable growth in Indian agriculture, Shri Singh added.

    *****

    PSF/KSR/AR

    (Release ID: 2123055) Visitor Counter : 63

    Read this release in: Hindi

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: INDIAN AIR FORCE PARTICIPATES IN MULTINATIONAL EXERCISE DESERT FLAG-10 IN UAE

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 20 APR 2025 4:23PM by PIB Delhi

    A contingent of the Indian Air Force reached Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates to participate in Exercise Desert Flag-10, a premier multinational air combat exercise. The IAF is fielding MiG-29 and Jaguar aircraft in the exercise.

    Exercise Desert Flag is a multinational exercise being hosted by the UAE Air Force, with participating contingents from the Air Forces of Australia, Bahrain, France, Germany, Qatar Saudi Arabia, Republic of Korea, Turkey, UAE, United Kingdom, and the United States in addition to the Indian Air Force. The exercise is scheduled to take place between 21 April to 08 May 2025.

    The aim of the exercise is to undertake complex and diverse fighter engagements, with exchange of operational knowledge and best practices with some of the most capable Air Forces in the world. Participation in such exercises enhances mutual understanding interoperability, and strengthens military cooperation among the participating nations.

    The IAF’s participation underscores India’s commitment to strengthening defence ties and interoperability with friendly nations in the region and beyond.

    ***

    VK/JS/SM

    (Release ID: 2123037) Visitor Counter : 97

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Shakespeare at the UN – In Celebration of English Language Day 2025 | United Nations

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    An exploration of how the timeless works of Shakespeare, in reflecting the human experience, can resonate with the core values of the UN, such as promoting understanding of humanity and strengthening global connections.

    The UN Movie Society of the United Nations Staff Recreation Council will present the 2nd Annual “Shakespeare at the UN”– an exploration of how the timeless works of Shakespeare, in reflecting the human experience, can resonate with the core values of the UN, such as promoting understanding of humanity and strengthening global connections.

    Shakespeare’s literature is more than mere words on a page. It is a mirror held up to the values and aspirations of our shared humanity, echoing the very essence of the United Nations. It resonates across languages and cultures. Shakespeare can connect us all: therefore, the excerpts will be performed through a multilingual and multicultural lens – featuring performances in some of the UN’s official languages (including Mandarin Chinese, Swedish, Ukrainian).

    The programme will include monologues about peace and war. It will also delve into the UN theme of climate action, and showcase O ruined piece of nature – penned by Michelle Terry, the Artistic Director of The Globe, featuring artists including Stephen Fry, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Helen Schlesinger, Shubham Saraf, Paul Ready, Rosalie Craig, Hadley Fraser, Philip Cumbus, and Tanika Yearwood. London’s Royal Central School of Speech and Drama will present monologues focused on sustainable development and the spirit – and how they affect the world. The program delves further into the UN’s work through Shakespeare, showcasing themes including human rights. We will be treated to a special contribution from the Royal Shakespeare Company.

    Opening remarks will be delivered by H.E. Dame Barbara Woodward, DCMG, OBE, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations. On this occasion, messages will be delivered Josette Bushell-Mingo OBE, Principal and CEO of The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey, Co-Artistic Directors of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Michelle Terry, Artistic Director of Shakespeare’s Globe, and Michael Dobson, Director of the Shakespeare Institute.

    English Language Day at the UN is celebrated annually April 23rd, the date traditionally observed as both the birthday and date of death of William Shakespeare. As well as being the most famous playwright, who wrote in English, Shakespeare also had a huge impact on modern-day English. Today, every one in four people in the world uses English. At the United Nations, English is one of the six official languages of the Organization. As we embark on an extraordinary journey into the heart of Shakespeare’s timeless wisdom, the performances in “Shakespeare at the UN” aims to spark reflection, healing, and a renewed commitment to the noble ideals that bind us together as nations under the banner of the United Nations.

    Founded at the United Nations Headquarters by Brenda Vongova, the UN Movie Society is committed to championing the goals and values of the United Nations through the universal language of motion pictures.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMa3-6nx0UQ

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Russia on Ukraine – Security Council Media Stakeout | United Nations

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    Media stakeout by Vassily Nebenzia, Permanent Representative of Russian Federation to the United Nations, on the situation in Ukraine.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjSIKKhqEZ0

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Russia, Ukraine and multilateralism – Joint Security Council Media Stakeout | United Nations

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    Joint press encounter delivered by Samuel Žbogar, Representative of the Republic of Slovenia to the UN Security Council, joined by representatives of the Denmark, France, Greece and the United Kingdom on Russia, Ukraine and multilateralism.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zVrH4lwcWU

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: On April 21, Mikhail Mishustin will hold talks with Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    On April 21, in Moscow, Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation Mikhail Mishustin will hold talks with Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov.

    The heads of government will discuss current issues of Russian-Kazakh trade and economic cooperation. Particular attention will be paid to the implementation of joint projects in the field of industry, energy, including peaceful nuclear energy, space, transport infrastructure and the digital economy.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –