Haiti Six Months On
This is a letter sent to the Governor General of Canada. It is inspired by Louise, a Canadian physiotherapist, who spent her holidays working with the people of Haiti. We…
Exploring Discipline Alternatives in Kenyan Schools
Corporal punishment was banned in Kenyan schools in 2001. Despite this, the practice continues to be widespread. Many teachers, parents and caregivers remain unconvinced of the value of alternative methods…
Three Baby Magpies
Despite the chilly rain, spring struggles on, here in France, and the pair of magpies nesting in the pine tree over the back fence finally saw their three offspring launched…
Kenya faces the Music
I spent three hours watching Kenya, a large and complex African nation, being assessed on its human rights record. Over 78 countries had lined up to speak to Kenya about…
Educating marginalised children in Kolkata
Amidst the negative press coverage about the Catholic Church that has saturated the media following the ongoing revelations about sexual abuse and its cover-up, it was refreshing to read the…
Who Shall Speak for the Dead?
Of all the tragedies afflicting youth, one of the hardest for workers to handle is youth suicide. The numbing effect of grief, the undertow of despair, often render our efforts…
Oceania – islands and oceans
ERI has been visiting Oceania, and we have found a place extremely conscious of itself as islands and oceans. On one hand, islands are separated by oceans. On the other,…
The New Eco-Monasteries
The three days in ‘short-term guest’ involvement at Findhorn (July14 – 16), on the Firth of Moray, in far north-eastern Scotland, gave me a good insight into Findhorn as a…
“Towards a Sustainable School”
Sometimes an email will arrive on my screen like a breath of fresh air. Daniel Devincenzi, from the City of Beautiful Breezes (Buenos Aires), sent me one with the refreshing…
Sam under the Pohutukawa
On a flying visit to Auckland, in late May 2009, I had six energising encounters – Hayden Kingdon (religious studies, St Peter’s), Damaris Kingdon (Edmund Rice Network), Sam Drumm (social…