Governance of the conservation of nature

In many cultures, humans perceive themselves as capable of developing cogent decisions about what to do with nature and implementing those decisions through skilful and technology-enriched means. Other cultures see decisions about nature as arising from the spiritual and ancestral beings who are part of nature, and affect us much more than we are able to affect them. Some people perceive nature as benign and sacred, to be treated with reverence and moderation. Others see it as a condition of life, which needs to be dominated and controlled. Still others sense it as an inscrutable phenomenon controlling us from within: attempting to bend nature to the will of people is, for them, just an act of hubris. Whether we believe we are exercising power over nature or feel that nature is controlling us, whether we seek power from nature or simply feel at peace within it, we all live with nature and make sense of that interaction in order to survive and add meaning to our lives

The Roman catholic church in Gabon. From the missionary company to the implementation of a local church 1844 - 1982

La naissance des Eglises locales en Afrique, disons-le, est sans conteste l’œuvre première de vaillants missionnaires parfois désintéressés. La mise en place des premières structures sociales et chrétiennes est là pour le démontrer. Dans le cas du Gabon, ce privilège revient au Père Jean Rémy Bessieux et à ses nombreux successeurs. A court, moyen ou long terme, le mission chrétienne devait laisser la place à une organisation autochtone. Toutefois, une lecture attentive de ce passage de flambeau nous laisse comprendre que le chemin a été long et difficile. Dans bien des cas, la mise en place de l’Eglise locale au Gabon s’est souvent avérée plus évidente dans les dires que dans les faits. Contrairement à une certaine historiographie édifiante et apologétique habituée à nous présenter la création du clergé local comme une volonté héroïque et sans conditions des missionnaires, les sources nous indiquent plutôt que les indigènes, avec la première génération de prêtres gabonais ont été des agents précieux dans cette entreprise. La splendide croissance de l’Eglise catholique au Gabon dès le milieu du XXè siècle a été couronnée par l’élévation de l’ancien vicariat en diocèse autonome en 1958 et l’ordination de plusieurs évêques nationaux, formant désormais la hiérarchie locale. En quelque temps, l’Eglise catholique connaissait un développement rapide. Cela était un fait remarquable à tous points de vue, même si en réalité des problèmes cruciaux persistent. Si on considère l’épiscopat de certains nationaux comme un fait indéniable de la croissance de l’Eglise, il ne faut cependant pas oublier d’autres faits comme l’augmentation du nombre de circonscriptions ecclésiastiques, la croissance du nombre de membres autochtones du clergé, de séminaristes et de candidats dans les instituts de vie consacrée, sans omettre l’extension progressive du réseau de catéchistes et de laïcs, dont on sait le rôle dans la diffusion de l’évangile parmi les population gabonaises. Certes, les sources nous décrivent une évolution progressive de l’Eglise locale, mais elles nous présentent aussi une Eglise face à un certain nombre de dangers. Dès 1970, on assiste à des problèmes liés aux revendications de plusieurs clercs locaux. Au début des années 80, c’est face à une Eglise parsemée de difficultés diverses que Sa Sainteté Jean Paul II rend visite en 1982.The birth of the local churches in Africa is unquestionably the first work of brave sometime made lose interest missionaries. The setting of the first social and Christian structures is here to show it. Concerning Gabon, Father Jean Remy Bessieux and his several successors enjoyed this priviledge. In short; average or long term, the christian missions had to leave the place to an autochthonous organization. However, an attentive reading of this passage of torch lets us understand that the road was long and difficult. In many case, the setting of the local church in Gabon often turned out more evident in the statements than in the facts. Contrary to a certain edifying and apologetic historiography which used to show the creation of the local clergy as a heroic will, and without any conditions from the missionaries, sources rather point out that the native have been some very precious factors in this enterprise with the first generation of Gabonese priests. The magnificent growth of the Roman Catholic Church in the Gabon from the middle of the XXth century was crowned by the rise of the former vicariate in autonomous diocese in 1958 and the ordination of several national bishops, forming henceforth the local hierarchy. From all sides, it appeared as a remarkable fact, even if some crucial problems are persisting. If one considers the episcopate of some native as an unmistakable fact of the growth of the church, you should not however forget the other facts as the increase in the number of aboriginal members of clergy, of seminarists and candidates in the institutes of consecrated life. Moreover, one should not omit the progressive expansion of the catechists and laics, of which have knows the role mattering in the broadcasting of the gospel among the Gabonese peoples. Indeed sources are describing a progressive evolution of the local church, but also show a church facing a certain number of dangers. From 1970, we attend problems connected to the demands of several local clerks. In the beginning of the 80s, it is in front of one church strewed with diverses difficulties that his Holiness, Jean Paul II visits in 1982

Meanings and More…: Policy Brief of the ICCA Consortium no. 7

In 2018 the Council of the ICCA Consortium decided to develop a lexicon of meaningful, and at times complex, concepts and terms frequently used in its work, policies and relations with its Members and Partners. A few specific papers had been commissioned and prepared before, but no attempt had been made to collate working definitions of frequent use, while many felt a need for such a reference compendium. This need was evident also because the Consortium has highlighted and adopted new ways of referring to phenomena that, historically, had not been conceptually analysed. First among these phenomena are the very ICCAs—territories of life at the heart of the Consortium’s work. This document is the result of the Council’s decision. It is a rich beginning, expected to evolve and be further integrated and enriched in the years to come. We decided to publish it as part of our Policy Brief Series, as many of the concepts and terms collected here are crucial in the policies of the Members, Partners and international institutions that the Consortium is hoping to positively influence through its work. Most of all, this document is meant to stimulate thinking, debate, joint analysis, learning and action within the Consortium’s membership. It is only as a result of these collective discussions and concrete initiatives that the ‘meanings’ of our collective language will emerge (and evolve). The concepts and terms collated here are relatively few. We thus decided to list them not in alphabetical order but in our suggested order of reading or glancing through (one of the many possible ones). Kindly consult the index below to reach the desired items

Sharing Power

xxxvii.473 hal;29 c