Solidarity From The Heart Or By Force

Master's Thesis from the year 2018 in the subject Politics - International Politics - Topic: European Union, grade: 2,0, College of Europe (Department for European and Governance Studies), language: English, abstract: In the years 2015 and 2016, the European Union (EU) and (some of) its member states were facing a very high number of asylum-seekers. This inflow revealed the shortcomings and dysfunctionalities of the European asylum system and plunged the EU into one of its biggest crises: Member states could hardly agree on common measures, and different national preferences for dealing with asylum-seekers led to profound and ongoing political divisions. Germany, which particularly was affected by the inflow, sought to ‘europeanize’ the phenomenon and to distribute the loads more evenly across the EU – but met major resistance. Contrarily to the widely held view – both in the academic literature and the European public – that Germany, in recent years, has shaped and even dominated European politics, it largely failed with its main policy proposals in the refugee and migrant crisis. To uncover the reasons, the present thesis applies an analytical model of ‘political leadership’. Based on current academic research, relevant newspaper articles and self-conducted expert interviews, it is argued that there might have been supply but not sufficient demand for successful German political leadership. In doing so, this thesis so far is the only larger academic paper that explicitly links the latest research on political leadership with Germany's role in the EU's refugee and migrant crisis.

Weaving Relationships tells the remarkable, little-known story of a movement that transcends barriers of geography, language, culture, and economic disparity. The story begins in the early 1980s, when 200,000 Maya men, women, and children crossed the Guatemalan border into Mexico, fleeing genocide by the Guatemalan army and seeking refuge. A decade later, many of the refugees returned to their homeland along with 140 Canadians, members of “Project Accompaniment”. The Canadians were there, by their side, to provide companionship and, more significantly, as an act of solidarity. Weaving Relationships describes the historical roots of this solidarity focusing on the Maya in Guatemala. It relates the story of “Project Accompaniment” and two of its founders in Canada, the Christian Task Force on Central America and the Maritimes-Guatemala “Breaking the Silence” Network. It reveals solidarity’s impact on the Canadians and Guatemalans whose lives have been changed by the experience of relationships across borders. It presents solidarity not as a work of charity apart from or “for” them but as a bond of mutuality, of friendship and common struggle with those who are marginalized, excluded, and impoverished in this world. This book speaks of a spirituality based on community and justice, and challenges the church to move beyond its preoccupation with its own survival to solidarity with those who are suffering. It is a book about hope in the face of death and despair.

Traces the history of Poland and examines the social and political life of the country.

These new essays by scholars, activists and workers examine themes, events, and people that have shaped and continue to build the Catholic Worker movement. Voices from both inside and outside the movement provide a much-needed analysis of the ongoing significance of the Worker experiment of voluntary poverty, gospel nonviolence, and solidarity with the poor as a movement in U.S. religious history. Five of the eleven essays focus on individuals who were central to the movement's development: Dorothy Day, Peter Maurin, and Ammon Hennacy. Four essays explore critically important themes of the Catholic Worker: the practice of nonviolence in the often violent atmosphere of hospitality houses for the homeless, prophetic spirituality, the relationship of radical politics to religious orthodoxy, and the differences and similarities between Catholic Worker pacifism and Vietnam-era draft board raids led by the Berrigan brothers. A final section attends to the decentralized nature of this essentially anarchist movement offering case histories of Worker communities in St. Louis and Chicago. With increasing numbers of Christians turning to the gospel call of peace, simplicity, and service, and with over one hundred Catholic Worker communities existing in the United States, this timely collection offers a fresh analysis of the movement's tradition, and its contribution to American culture. Author note: Patrick G. Coy, formerly Coordinator of the Peace and Justice Ministry at St. Louis University, is a member of the Karen Catholic Worker House Community and is on the National Council of the Fellowship of Reconciliation.

This book explores the role of musicians in the call for peace in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. As Russia’s unprecedented invasion of Ukraine progresses, musicians there, and around the world, join talents in concerts to voice their protest and show solidarity against the universally condemned conflict. They play and sing for peace, calling for solidarity with the Ukrainian people. Performing artists have been at the forefront of a global response to express outrage against the Russian invasion. Benefit concerts seek to raise funds to be directed toward the humanitarian crisis that has affected the daily lives of innocent people, including hundreds of thousands of orphaned and wounded children. Artists-activists come together to praise Ukrainians’ struggle for self-determination, democracy, and freedom with music performances and engage in opportunities to use their platform to assist those affected by the conflict, calling for an immediate end to the war.

"This book is based on interviews with the children of those imprisoned or executed for their involvement in the 1956 revolution. The reader learns about the patterns of communication within the families, changes in social status, how relatives and friends reacted, and what sorts of problems these children encountered in pursuing their studies, in trying to assimilate into society as adults, and in relating to those fathers who did return."--Jacket.

With clarity and depth characteristic of the classics, this spiritual bestseller from the author of The Return of the Prodigal Son lays out a perceptive and insightful plan for the spiritual life and achieving the ultimate goal of that life—union with God. “One of the world’s greatest spiritual writers.”—Christianity Today Henri Nouwen views our spiritual “ascent” as evolving in three movements: The first, from loneliness to solitude, focuses on the spiritual life as it relates to the experience of our own selves. The second, from hostility to hospitality, explores our spiritual life as a life for others. The final movement, from illusion to prayer, offers penetrating thoughts on the most mysterious relationship of all: our relationship with God. Throughout, Nouwen emphasizes that the more we understand (and not simply deny) our inner struggles, the more we will be able to embrace a prayerful and genuine life that is also open to others’ needs. Reaching Out is a rich book to be read, reread, pondered, and shared. It “does not offer answers or solutions,” Nouwen cautions, “but is written in the conviction that the quest for an authentic Christian spirituality is worth the effort and the pain, since in the midst of this quest we can find signs offering hope, courage, and confidence.”