Mission, Human Rights, and religious freedom : a relationship of light and shadow : historical, ecumenical, and interreligious perspectives

Paper presented at the Conference on Christian Perspectives on Human Dignity and Humans Rights held in Wuppertal (Germany) online from 9–12 April 202

Reflections on the 11th Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Karlsruhe

This article offers an overview of the 11th Assembly of the World Council of Churches, which met in Karlsruhe, Germany, in August–September 2022. It sets out the context in which the assembly took place, the main issues discussed, and perspectives for the future. The article argues that the assembly in Karlsruhe demonstrated that the ecumenical movement still is alive and can offer enormous potential in a world at the brink of a new East–West divide, facing a significant weakening of multilateral structures of cooperation, and even the threat of nuclear war. Moreover, the Karlsruhe assembly demonstrated that on subjects such as the Middle East, peace ethics, and nationalism, and in the deep commitment and spiritual life of its participants, the ecumenical movement is vital and vibrant and represents a countercultural force against rigid nationalisms.Peer Reviewe

Introduction

Resources and Theological Perspectives on Eco-Theology, Climate Justice and Food Security – Priorities on ETCF in theological education and Christian leadership development The WCC assembly in Busan in November 2013 identified eco-theology and climate justice as two of the key priorities for the next working period (2014 – 2021). Issues like eco-theology and climate justice should remain key components in the global pilgrimage of justice and peace in the ongoing post-Busan working period. Since climate change and ecological destruction are getting more and more menacing for humanity, climate issues provide a global challenge which should be reflected also in theological education and formation worldwide. Specialized ministries and their partners in the global South have shown the links between climate change and food security. Although much research and project related work has been done already on these topics in some regions in World Christianity, only in a few institutions of theological education and Christian leadership development issues of eco-theology, climate justice and food security form part of the regular curriculum of instruction and training or inform theological formation processes in an integrated perspective, especially in and in exchange with the global South. A great potential therefore lies in discovering existing resources for the transfer of knowledge and wisdom from all contexts/regions

Isoliquiritigenin, a Strong nod Gene- and Glyceollin Resistance- Inducing Flavonoid from Soybean Root Exudate

Isoflavonoid signal molecules from soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) seed and root exudate induce the transcription of nodulation (nod) genes in Bradyrhizobium japonicum. In this study, a new compound with symbiotic activity was isolated from soybean root exudate. The isolated 2',4',4-trihydroxychalcone (isoliquiritigenin) is characterized by its strong inducing activity for the nod genes of B. japonicum. These genes are already induced at concentrations 1 order of magnitude below those required of the previously described isoflavonoid inducers genistein and daidzein. Isoliquiritigenin is also a potent inducer of glyceollin resistance in B. japonicum, which renders this bacterium insensitive to potentially bactericidal concentrations of glyceollin, the phytoalexin of G. max. No chemotactic effect of isoliquiritigenin was observed. The highly efficient induction of nod genes and glyceollin resistance by isoliquiritigenin suggests the ecological significance of this compound, although it is not a major flavonoid constituent of the soybean root exudate in quantitative terms

¿Cuál es la función que tiene uniRSE en Nicaragua?

uniRSE es una fundación empresarial sin fines de lucro, que se ha fundado en abril de 2005, con 22 miembros fundadores, en su mayoría empresarios. Su tarea principal es dedicarse a la capacitación y a la sensibilización del sector empresarial en cuanto a los temas de Responsabilidad Social Empresarial. La RSE es un tema novedoso, pero no significa que es una moda. En Nicaragua estamos trabajando desde el 2005, en pocas ocasiones una moda aguanta tanto tiempo, tampoco es filantropía, porque lo que nosotros queremos es la acción social de la empresa, que sea sostenible. Nuestro objetivo principal es la sostenibilidad, y no solo es para empresas grandes. En los últimos años ingresaron mypimes. Este es un proceso de ganar-ganar. Así mismo, la RSE no se reduce al simple cumplimiento de la ley. Nuestras empresas tienen que aportar más al proceso socioeconómico del país

Carbon Cycles, Nitrogen Fixation and the Legume-rhizobia Symbiosis as Soil Contaminant Biotest System

The major pools and turnover rates of the global carbon (C) cycles are presented and compared to the human production of CO2 from the burning of fossil fuels (e.g. coal and oil) and geothermal fuels (natural gases), both categorized as non-renewable energy resources which in amount reaches around 6.5 Gigatons C per year. These pools that serve as C-holding stallions are in the atmosphere, the land plant biomass, the organic soils carbon, the ocean carbon and the lithosphere. In another related case, the present focus in the area of nitrogen fixation is discussed with data on world production of grain legumes compared to cereals production and nitrogen fertilizer use. The focus to understand the molecular biology of the legume-rhizobia symbiosis as a major contributor to nitrogen fixation is in the areas of signal exchange between host plants and rhizobia in the rhizophere including the nod factor signalling, the infection and nodule compartmentation and the soils stress factors affecting the symbiosis. The use of the Legume-Rhizobia symbiosis as a biotest system for soil contaminants includes data for cadmium, arsenate, atrazine, lindane, fluoranthene, phenantrene and acenaphthene and also results on the mechanism, why the symbiotic system is more sensitive than test systems with plant growth parameters