Position Papers March 2023

Editorial Gavan Jennings In Passing: One hundred years in the shadow of Babel Michael Kirke Why men are struggling David Gibney Rediscovering Waugh (Part Two) James Bradshaw The gloom dispelling Light Pat Hanratty Inclusion and Exclusion Bishop Robert Barron A deep dive into wokism Margaret Hickey Preserving local freedoms Tim O’Sullivan

The 24th meeting of the WHO Expert Committee on Selection and Use of Essential Medicines was held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 24 to 28 April 2023. The Committee considered 85 applications proposing additions, changes and deletions of medicines, medicine classes and formulations on the Model Lists of Essential Medicines. The Committee evaluated the scientific evidence for effectiveness, safety and cost- effectiveness of the medicines in question. The Committee also considered a review of the age-appropriateness of formulations of essential medicines for children, the AWaRe classification of antibiotics, and other matters relevant to the selection and use of essential medicines.

Editorial Gavan Jennings In Passing: Endgame or Game On? Part Two Michael Kirke The Evangelicals and a secularising America James Bradshaw The 1968 presidential election’s 2024 re-run James Bradshaw Creating safe, connected and anxious children Margaret Hickey The myths surrounding mythology David Gibney The uniqueness of the Book of Genesis Patrick Gorevan The Real Saint Patrick? Pat Hanratty Films: What IF Says About AI and Love Karl D. Stephan

Editorial Gavan Jennings In Passing: Faustian temptations and Promethean dreams Michael Kirke Blessed are the Peacemakers Pat Hanratty The Cardinal who fearlessly opposed the “armed struggle” Tim O’Sullivan Church and community in a post-Christian world (Part Two) James Bradshaw Sam Harris and Jordan Peterson on the Bible Christopher Kaczor New Atheism grows old Patrick Gorevan Film review: Poor Things Juan Luis Sánchez

Following the horrific attack on October 7, support for a devastating military retaliation and resolution has taken center stage. Nevertheless, within Israel, numerous critical voices cast doubt on the sustainability of such approaches. They champion the principles of morality, legality, and common sense as the true keys to a lasting solution. This book focuses on these voices which are critical of Israeli government policies. They are deeply grieving and affected by the October 7 attack, while also able to hold both Palestinian and Israeli pain and aspirations not as mutually exclusive, but as an impetus for creating a better and more equitable future for all who inhabit the land. It chronicles the reactions of intellectuals and scholars to unfolding events. All the pieces in this volume were written within a few days to a few months of October 7 and comprise an archive of a particular discourse taking shape in Israel at this historical juncture. The book is dedicated to the memory of Vivian Silver, who devoted her life to waging peace through valiant activism, and was murdered in her home on October 7. The editor’s royalties will go to support an annual lecture in her memory on the themes of peace and democracy. With contributions by Shaul Arieli, Eva Illouz, Idan Landau, Yaniv Ronen, Yofi Tirosh, Assaf David, Ameer Fakhoury, Ghadir Hani, Eran Tzidkiyahu, Orit Kamir, Orly Noy, Noam Shuster-Eliassi, Jessica Ausinheiler, Meirav Jones, Tal Correm, Anwar Mhajne, David Kretzmer, Omer Bartov, Rawia Aburabia, Hannah Safran, Tanya Zion-Waldoks, Galit Cohen-Kedem, Avi Shilon, Hagar Kotef, Merav Amir, Ali Al-Awar, and Nicholas Kristof.

Sociotechnical systems in areas like energy, agrifood and mobility need to transform rapidly to become more sustainable and resilient. Science, technology and innovation (STI) have essential roles in these transformations, but governments must be more ambitious and act with greater urgency in their STI policies to meet these challenges.

Editorial Gavan Jennings In Passing: 9/10 draft of Burke article (Part One) Michael Kirke Studying irreligion in Ireland Tim O’Sullivan Religious decline in America James Bradshaw Mass Exodus revisited Margaret Hickey When a sense of mission declines: the lesson of the USA James Bradshaw Whence Secularity? Patrick Gorevan A dubious defence of the secularisation thesis Gavan Jennings

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved changes to the Fund’s financing assurances policy. The changes apply in situations of exceptionally high uncertainty, involving exogenous shocks that are beyond the control of country authorities and the reach of their economic policies, and which generate larger than usual tail risks. The changes adopted could enable the design of a Fund Upper Credit Tranche (UCT) program in situations of exceptionally high uncertainty, in particular by modifying the Fund’s financing assurances policies in two ways. The first change allows official bilateral creditors to provide an upfront credible assurance about delivering debt relief and/or financing with the delivery of a contingent second-stage element of debt relief and/or financing once the exceptionally high uncertainty has been resolved. This would help establish that medium-term viability is being restored. The second change extends the use of a capacity-to-repay assurances from official bilateral creditors/donors from emergency financing to a UCT arrangement context. This would help establish adequate safeguards. These changes and their application to any specific country case in a situation of exceptionally high uncertainty would require the Fund to weigh whether it is prepared to accept the enterprise risks that such arrangement would entail.