Vatican, United Nations Call For Cooperation During Immigration Crisis

by Lawson Kiehne

The massive influx of asylum seekers fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East and Eastern Europe has had countries scrambling to find housing for the refugees and ignited a political debate about how to respond to the crisis. The United Nations has called for a “common strategy” among nations. Antonio Guterres, the United Nations High Commissioner for refugees, is asking for the European Union to institute “a mass relocation programme” that would see member countries working together to admit up to 200,000 asylum seekers into the EU.

Update - UN chief to host meeting on Mideast conflict

UNITED NATIONS — Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will host a ministerial meeting of key global players trying to end the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict on Sept. 30 during the annual high-level session of the General Assembly, the United Nations announced Friday.

Spokesman Stephane Dujarric said that in addition to foreign ministers from the Quartet of Mideast mediators — the United States, United Nations, European Union and Russia — the secretary-general is inviting the Arab League secretary-general and the foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia to join the meeting.

Middle-East Crises | The Israeli Jewish People have answered: 'no'

Mr Kerry and Mr Netanyahu

Please allow me to be blunt: Mr Kerry is a liar and so is the illegal leader: Mr. O. But so was Bush, Clinton, and Bush Sr. before them - and all their henchmen and women: including (just to name a few): Ms. Rice, Mr Wolfe, and Mr. Bremer. ~ Now, on the other side of the sea...


Read more, here:
http://vineoflifenews.com/the-israeli-jewish-people-have-answered-no/

Babylon is Bustling with Business and Tourism

The Iraqi Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities at the start of the new year unveiled a strategic plan to restore and rehabilitate heritage and tourism sites across the country.

Five out of the 32 heritage and tourism sites listed on the plan will undergo repairs within the next few years, said Dhafer Sobhi Saleh, general director of the ministry's directorate for antiquities maintenance and conservation.

These "include the historical cities of Babylon, Ur, Warka, Hatra and Ashur, where rehabilitation work will include maintenance of heritage buildings and landmarks, and development of infrastructure and tourist and recreational services", he told Mawtani.

Begging for trouble, Appeal for a global parliamentary assembly

More than 1,250 sitting and former lawmakers from over 100 countries and hundreds of renowned personalities from politics, science, cultural life and civil society have signed an international appeal urging the United Nations and its member states "to establish a Parliamentary Assembly at the United Nations." 

On Thursday, the appeal and the list of signatories was officially presented to the representative .

The appeal that is also endorsed by around 400 professors from 50 countries states that "to cope with major challenges such as social disparity, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the threat of terrorism or the endangerment of global ecosystems, all human beings must engage in collaborative efforts." It says that "people must be more effectively and directly included into the activities of the United Nations and its international organizations" and recommends "a gradual implementation of democratic participation and representation at the global level." The appeal was originally launched in 2007 and is open for endorsement on a continuing basis.

US NEWS | Obama Prepares for UN Speech

As Obama prepares for U.N. speech, experts say his stance toward group fits U.S. pattern

UNITED NATIONS — As President Obama weighed his options last month in response to the use of chemical weapons in Syria, he made clear that he was prepared to bypass the United Nations on the way to war.

Obama, who will arrive in New York on Monday and address the General Assembly on Tuesday, is expected to argue that Syria has only a limited opportunity to abide by its agreement to turn over its chemical weapons. The U.N. Security Council is key to that process, and U.S. officials hope that it will quickly pass a resolution to legally bind Syria to its commitments.

“President Obama is acting in a way that is typical of U.S. presidents,” said Edward Luck, the dean of the School of Peace Studies at the University of San Diego. “I think it has been the norm for the United States to look for other options, and if other options don’t work, then they go back to the United Nations.”

"The threat of military action to enforce compliance is critical,” said Amy E. Smithson, an expert on biological and chemical weapons at the Monterey Institute of International Studies. “Otherwise, Assad will continue to play right out of Saddam Hussein’s playbook of hindering the inspectors to try to hide weapons and resources to resurrect his program.”

Quotes from http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/as-obama-prepares-for-un-speech-experts-say-his-stance-toward-group-fits-us-pattern/2013/09/22/7ab23320-20a2-11e3-b73c-aab60bf735d0_story.html

UN chief hails Pope Francis as a global spiritual leader

UN chief hails Pope Francis as a global spiritual leader | News | GMA News Online

Pope Francis meets with the Secretary General
of the UN, Ban Ki-moon (Photo from Vatican Radio)

"The Holy See and the UN share common goals and ideas," said Ban—one of the first world leaders to be received at an audience by the new pontiff.

Francis has called for the Roman Catholic Church to be closer to ordinary people and help the needy, as well as to reach out to people of different religions and non-believers.

"We discussed the need to advance social justice and accelerate work to meet the Millenium Development Goals," Ban said after the meeting.

The international community has undertaken to meet goals including eradicating extreme poverty and hunger and reducing child mortality by 2015.

"Pope Francis is a man of peace and purpose. He is a voice for the voiceless," he said.

Ban said he also invited the pope to visit the United Nations "at his earliest convenience."

The world really seems to love the new pope of the Roman Catholic Church.  I have read descriptions of him speaking of his love for the poor, his humility, and in this article a "man of peace and purpose".  He is gaining admirers among Muslims, Hindus and Jews as a man that believes in interfaith dialog.  Besides a few rumors about his past dealings during the so-called dirty war in Argentina, the response to the election of Jorge Bergoglio has been very positive from a very diverse group of persons.  Even evangelical Christians have found hope in the way he has gone against the Vatican hierarchy and some of the traditions.

The term "New World Pope" has been applied to him.  This is a very interesting term on different levels.  Superficially, it is a description of the first non-European pope in 1,272 years.  But the term implies much more.  It brings to mind the much discussed new world order.  And for some, it means a pope who may be more willing to alter church dogmas on issues such a homosexuality, birth control and the role of women in the church.  There are many people who are seeking reconciliation with God on their terms and not on God's terms.  They see the church in general bound to an old way of thinking.  And they would like to have a man who will redefine the church to be in step with what they view as a more modern way of thinking.  

Ban Ki-moon sees this pope as more than just a Roman Catholic leader.  He sees him as a global spiritual leader who will accept all people based on a common morality that is world defined and not God defined.  It remains to be seen if the new pope is the man he is looking for.

The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against Jehovah, and against his anointed, saying , Let us break their bonds asunder, And cast away their cords from us. 

Psalms 2:2-3