Basic Human Needs: Concept or Slogan, Synthesis or Smokescreen ?

SUMMARY Basic Human Needs/Basic Needs emerged in the middle 1970s as a widely debated way of analysing and formulating development. It has a number of elements and has drawn upon a number of country experiences and is to many proponents an attempted synthesis rather than a slogan. BHN and BN are only partly compatible with each other because of their quite different emphases on participation and equality versus organisation and minimum standards, reflecting broadly divergent political economic goals and perceptions. BHN as a strategy goes further than the provision (production and distribution) of basic goods and services to include full and fairly remunerated employment and participation. RESUMEN Necesidades humanas básicas: Concepto o slogan, síntesis o constructo artificial? Los conceptos de necedidades humanas básicas/necesidades básicas (NHB/NB) aparecieron a mediados de los años 1970 como manera ampliamente debatida de analizar y formular el desarrollo. Comprenden varios elementos y se han enriquecido de las experiencías de numerosos países, constituyendo a los ojos de sus proponentes una especie de síntesis más bien que un slogan. NHB y NB son sólo en parte recíprocamente compatibles a causa del énfasis tan diferente que ponen en la participación y en la igualdad por oposición a la organización y a los niveles mínimos, reflejando fines y concepciones político?económícas considerablemente divergentes. NHB en cuanto estrategía va más allá de la mera provisión (producción y distribución) de bienes y servicios básicos para comprender el empleo y la participación remunerados de manera plenamente equitable. RESUME Besoins fondamentaux de l'homme: concept ou slogan, synthèse ou écran de fumée? Besoins fondamentaux de l'homme/besoins fondamentaux, cette formule est apparue aux alentours de 1970 comme un moyen fort controversé d'analyser et de formuler le développement. Elle contient un certain nombre d'éléments et a fait appel aux expériences d'un certain nombre de pays: elle est pour beaucoup de ses défenseurs un essai de synthèse plutôt qu'un slogan. BFH et BF ne sont qu'en partie compatibles puisqu'ils mettent un accent tour à fait différent sur la participation et l'égalité face à l'organisation et les standards minima, reflétant des objectifs et des perceptions divergeant grandement politiquement. BFH en tant que stratégie va plus loin que la fourniture (production et distribution) de produits et services de base pour inclure le plein emploi bien rémunéré et la participation

GENETIC AND REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGIES IN THE LIGHT OF RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE

Since the gene splicing debates of the 1980s, the public has been exposed to an ongoing sequence of genetic and reproductive technologies. Many issue areas have outcomes that lose track of people's inner values or engender opposing religious viewpoints defying final resolution. This essay relocates the discussion of what is an acceptable application from the individual to the societal level, examining technologies that stand to address large numbers of people and thus call for policy resolution, rather than individual fiat, in their application. A major source of guidance is the “Genetic Frontiers” series of professional dialogues and conferences held by the National Conference for Community and Justice from 2002 to 2004. Genetic testing, human gene therapy, genetic engineering of plants and animals, and stem cell technology are examined. While differences in perspective on the beginning of life persist, a stepwise approach to the examination of genetic testing reveals areas of general agreement. Stewardship of life, human co-creativity with the divine, and social justice help define the bounds of application of genetic engineering and therapy; compassionate care plays a major role in establishing stem cell policy. Active, sustained dialogue is a useful resource for enabling sharing of religious values and crystallization of policies.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/73549/1/j.1467-9744.2006.00813.x.pd

A Joint Statement: Gender, faith, and COVID-19

In a statement made by Faith in Beijing, a group of religious organizations including Anglican Communion, actalliance, Islamic Relief Worldwide, World Council of Churches, and others, call for worldwide gender equality amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The statement mentions healthcare, education, prevention of sexual violence, and inter-religious dialogue. The statement is available on the Anglican Communion’s website

From proto-missional to mega-church: A critique of ecclesial ‘growth’ in Korea

In the last couple of decades, the Korean church experienced a loss of credibility as well as a decrease in membership. The premise of this contribution is that the mega-church phenomenon in Korea contributed to this state of affairs. Many Korean churches, influenced by dramatic sociopolitical and economic changes, developed a distorted understanding of its nature and mission. Korean churches began to compete against each other to grow bigger. An institutional ecclesiology and ecclesiocentric understanding of mission formed the basis of this endeavour. To counter this tendency, some churches turned to missional ecclesiology to facilitate the reformation of the Korean church. According to empirical data, Korean society rates mega-churches negatively while they evaluate missional churches positively. This provided further impetus for the current emerging missional movement in Korea