Based on our research findings about the persecution of actively practicing Christians by organized crime in Mexico, stabilization mechanisms can be developed to reduce their vulnerability to human security threats. This examination of stabilization mechanisms should be read as an exploration of possible avenues to reduce risk and increase resilience. Reducing risks caused by external …
Category: News Monitoring
Religious freedom in Latin America
Organized crime People who practice their religious faith in Latin America – whether they are Pentecostal preachers or devout Catholic priests such as Jorge Mario Bergoglio, now of course famous as Pope Francis – can be restricted by organized crime. The main feature of organized crime is the creation of a climate of impunity, anarchy …
Christians in North Mexico
States in North Mexico, particularly the states of Nuevo León and Tamaulipas (North-East) and Michoacán and bordering states (North-West), are so problematic that they are considered an Overlooked Hotbed of Persecution. North Mexico is one of the most violent regions in the world. Heavily affected by crime, the area is under the influence of extremely …
Christians in the indigenous territories of Colombia
The severe situation of Christians in the indigenous territories of Colombia needs to be highlighted as a hotbed of persecution. According to a 2005 census, more than 1.3 million Colombians (3.4 per cent of the country’s total population) identify as indigenas, the country’s original population. There are more than 30 autonomous indigenous territories throughout the …
Being pro-life is more than opposing abortion!
Left man: “Hey, hey! Don’t get confused! We are pro-life… But once alive, everyone needs to pay for himself, are we clear?” Left sign: “Yes to life, no to abortion.” Right sign: “I’ve got Hepatitis C. Help!” This cartoon, published in the Spanish newspaper El Diario, reminds that being pro-life is, or should be, more than …
The Interface of Churches and Organized Crime in Latin America
Structural violence – in its diverse forms – has become one of the main concerns for Latin American citizens and their governments. Its effects are clearly visible in a number of Latin American countries, corrupting government institutions and distorting the overall functioning of society by creating a culture of fear and impunity. Faced with the …
Aggressive secularism seen by a cartoonist
“Aggressive secularism” can be defined as a radical expression of secularism, which not only seeks to exclude religion from the public domain, but also from various private spheres. It is based on the indifference to or rejection or exclusion of religion and religious considerations based on the conviction that religion should not have a visible …