Speech by Bishop Seraphim of Johannesburg Johannesburg On the occasion of the feast of Saint Theodore of Teron celebrated with prayers and supplications of the venerable
onomastiria of Beatitude Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa and our spiritual father Mr. Theodore II, united the Reverend clergy of the Alexandrian Throne led by the official representatives of the nation and its leadership and SAE fine pious people of God, we all cry out by the embassies of the Blessed Virgin Mary our Lady and the saints in our Father Theodore the abiding, in many years, O Lord. Speech by Archbishop Seraphim of Johannesburg Johannesburg On the occasion of the feast of Saint Theodore of Teron celebrated with prayers and supplications of the venerable
onomastiria of Beatitude Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa and our spiritual father Mr. Theodore II, united the Reverend clergy of the Alexandrian Throne led by the official representatives of the nation and its leadership and SAE fine pious people of God, we all cry out by the embassies of the Blessed Virgin Mary our Lady and the saints in our Father Theodore the abiding, in many years, O Lord. Through daily pastoral responsibility and consistency and self-sacrifice in the high patriarchal religious and national project of Alexandria Theodoros Primates, apedeixen that deservedly bears on his shoulders the heavy and valuable cultural and historical legacy and responsibility of the venerable summit of the Alexandrian Throne. With a Patriarchal Encyclical of His Beatitude, pays particular attention to the virtue of love as a way of life to God and the children of the Orthodox Church in the African continent, as well as by the multilateral cooperation with all of us by the grandeur of the ministry of Evangelical discourse. The works of Alexandrian Pontiff demonstrate this truth. The three pillars of the Patriarchal Instructions filled with special reference to the greatness of prayer as a synergy of our work with the grace of God.  As always says Makakariotatos Pope and Patriarch Theodoros our 'prayer keeps us close to Jesus Christ, and our partnership gives the opportunity to express our love through our joint action, ministered to our brothers Africa.
The Providence of Almighty God gave us a blessed Archbishop, that our people instinctively calls "Patriarch of Love, Patriarch of Prayer, Patriarch of cooperation, Patriarch of the People, Patriarch of unity and Missionary Patriarch of Christ." Those close to vrethisan Pastoral visits Alexandrian Pontiff in North Africa, Western Africa, Eastern Africa, Southern Africa, are living witnesses of the special love and respect expressed by clergy and people, and leading contemporary figures on the face of Beatitude Pope and Patriarch and the Venerable Spiritual Shepherd and our Father Mr. Theodoros II. The Nobel laureate known for the case of World Peace Nelson Mandela, during his meeting with the Tzochanespourgk Beatitude Patriarch our cooperation to tackle the major problems plaguing the African continent, wars, poverty, insecurity, the eits and the destruction of the environment, and related problems of global society and particularly the problem of violence and terrorism, the crisis of international organizations and the role of religion for the protection of human rights, with much admiration and love referring to the charismatic personality of Alexandria Pontiff stressed that "now I have a friend who could speak to angels for me to get me in Paradise.  The thousands of faithful to the Metropolis of Johannesburg and Pretoria, confused and fearful of the effects of violence, crime and insecurity that plagues the society of South Africa, the holy person of the Pontiff Alexandrian, found hope again and strengthen their faith to God for a better future for themselves and their children. As another Apostle, Alexandria Primates blessed with pastoral visits to South Africa, as in many other African countries leading the faithful around the Lord Jesus Christ, gives them hope for a better tomorrow.
In five year's venerable Patriarchate of Alexandria Pontiff, always achieves pastoral visits glorify God's name. The charisma of their predecessors Patriarchs, who was also a close associate, of the blessed Patriarchs Nicholas Virgin and Peter adorn the personality of the current Pontiff Alexandrian, not forgetting the singularity of the form of Jesus Christ so loved, in the form of Our Lady the saintly shape of St. Seraphim of Sarov, and the sweet immaculate form of his mother, Cleopatra of the lady, who in childhood orfaneia, who allowed God became a real friend, a heavenly angel on earth alive, and the visible father. In the face of Alexandria Primates still has all the divine gifts of all those people who benefited and who always prays a lot of gratitude to them, honoring them properly.  Even the nature of God, divine creation, prepared by the Orthodox Eagle of the African continent for the grand patriarch of the project, the cool air of Psiloritis ascetic spiritual serenity of the Monastery of Agarathou, the cold of the Caucasus in Odessa, where he made the longer history museum of the Greek Society of Friends, where God has mercy to begin the national struggle for the liberation of the nation through the "bones of the Greek temples, the heat of the Sahara desert and the African land of ten countries of the Holy Metropolis Cameroon and Zimbabwe, who served with selfless sacrifices of many, building churches, schools, clinics, orphanages, providing food and medicine to afflicted people around us and hope that the Lord God lives. Above all, however, in African countries where the indigenous Alexandria Primates ordained clergy to minister today worthy of the holy and blessed work of the Missionary.
Of all the countries that passed us by His Beatitude Patriarch Theodoros, loved the beautiful country of the Nile, the blessed land of Egypt. And the merciful God gave this gift with deserved unanimous election as worthy of leading Archbishop of Alexandria Church. But even Egypt, the pure and honest and fatherly love and the holy gifts of Pope Theodore, showed that feelings of September to the staff is mutual. Let me repeat the simple words of the Egyptian Ambassador to South Africa, expressing those who live in Egypt, "Reverend, you are a gift from God, says your name, not only for Greeks but for Egypt, Mediterranean humanity.  And indeed important peaceful visit to the Alexandrian Pontiff, in the historic center of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the city of Constantine the Great and cooperation after the Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, as well as at other orthodox Primates who met in working Tash Pan-Orthodox Synod to deal with serious problems Sionitidos sister church in Jerusalem, as well as the participation of the Alexandrian Pontiff at the International Interfaith Meeting for the peaceful coexistence of peoples, show the greatness of divine activation honorary Pan-Orthodox and ecumenical title of the Alexandrian Pontiff as "Judge of the Universe" for the cause of strengthening the Orthodox unity and witness of the Local Orthodox Churches, and the sensitivity of the Alexandrian Throne and His Beatitude Prayer Pontiff HB . Theodore respect for human rights locally and globally in order to prevail in the world, world peace and prosperity and security.
The completion of major projects in undeveloped Patriarchal House and the grand historic Church of the Annunciation in Alexandria, the organization and the reopening of the Patriarchal Library, and the Patriarchal History Museum, reopening the Patriarchal School of St. Athanasius the Great to Saint Sava, as well as important projects in Cairo and elsewhere, is a personal achievement of the Alexandrian Pontiff, which enables us to continue successfully led the Beatitude Patriarch Theodoros us, in multilateral dyschilietes important religious and pastoral work of the Alexandrian Throne and Tuesday millennium, we are already.  We're next to the multifaceted work of the Alexandrian Pontiff, and morally and materially and spiritually. We know the vision of His Beatitude Patriarch us to be the best for Africa Abroad, reinforced by all means our identity, the Orthodox, the Greek language and the other virtues of the race and especially to strengthen the institution of family and charity . We know the vision of the Alexandrian Pontiff of the Orthodox congregation in Africa, our brothers Arabs, Russians, Serbs, Romanians, Georgians, Bulgarians, Lebanese, Ukrainians, Poles, Africans. We love and personal interest of His Beatitude Patriarch our Missionary for the afflicted and the dispossessed, for orphans and widows.
Together, led by His Beatitude Patriarch of our clergy and people give you the assurance that together we will be next to our spiritual Father, the Patriarch of our fighters Orthodoxy, humble soldiers and missionaries of Christ. We know the agony of Alexadrinou Pontiff for all of us, the sensitivity for the peace of the world, mental prayer for the salvation in Christ. We know that the sacred is assured for all of us in the September Face of Alexandrian Pontiff before God and people is the best spiritual gift in celebration of this venerable onomastirion. Headed by His Beatitude Patriarch Theodoros us, we pray, as another Moses to lead us to the promised land for the glory of God and salvation of souls and bodies of the board of the Alexandria Church. Let me finish my speech for the poor to the rich Cretan folk wisdom. "Our Fares Alexandria, our honor and our pleasure to have the soul and inside the heart." With many years of Master. Archbishopric Communications From "UBUNTU Forum Ad Hoc Secretariat" , we enclose the statement sent to H.E. Archbishop Seraphim Kykkotis on Monday, June 02, 2008s
"The worldwide food crisis makes establishing a system of global democratic governance all the more urgent"
1
THE WORLDWIDE FOOD CRISIS MAKES ESTABLISHING A SYSTEM OF
GLOBAL DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE ALL THE MORE URGENT
On the initiative of the World Forum of Civil Society Networks – UBUNTU, we the
undersigned wish to express our deep concern and to voice our most forceful
protest at having reached this long foreseen and extremely grave situation
in such a critical affair as feeding the world's inhabitants. This situation clearly
exposes the failure of our present economic system in financial, environmental, cultural
and moral terms, the rules of the market having replaced the rule of universal values,
and it exposes the condition of vulnerability of our International Organisations, brought
about by the absence of support from the most powerful countries.
The background: - Back in July 2002, in an individual statement by Federico Mayor issued in the context
of the UBUNTU Forum in the wake of the Second World Food Summit – one of many
milestones on the way to the forthcoming FAO Conference on World Food Security
scheduled for June 2008 – the following points were made, among others:
1. There is a situation that demands our attention. 24,000 human beings die from hunger every
day, and the Second World Summit failed to establish the necessary measures for the eradication
of this silent genocide. Developed countries did not show the political will needed in order to fight
the causes. ... How many women, children, and elderly people will die for the decisions not
taken? 2. 4,800 million human beings suffer from hunger today. While the most powerful countries
increase their investment in arms, military expenses and national security, this significant part of
humanity is denied all the resources necessary for survival—including training, knowledge and
appropriate technology. 3. While wealthy areas protect their agricultural production with enormous financial resources, poor
countries are forced to liberalize their agricultural markets. The International Monetary Fund's
adjustment policies and the liberalization of world commerce promoted by the World Trade
Organization has resulted in the reduction of trade tariffs and subsidies to farmers in these
countries, the claim being that the market should solve its own problems. 4. No nation is exempt from responsibility. It is inadmissible that the moral and political
responsibilities of democratic governments be transferred to “the market”. A worldwide code of
conduct in terms of a legal and ethical framework from a duly reformed United Nations is, for all
the above reasons, urgent and imperative. . What had been happening, and what has been happening since then? - The world population has gone on rising, though somewhat less sharply in
recent years, and so the need for food is growing and will continue to grow. Most
of the population increase is happening in the south, and that is where most of the
demand is now and, therefore, so will be in the future. In this respect:
a. The strong economic growth experienced in some emerging countries has led to
a natural and sudden increase in the demand for cereals, together with a rise in
the consumption of meat, milk, eggs and other foodstuffs – a rise associated
with greater development. This addition to the world demand for cereals means
greater pressure on that market, which now clearly and urgently requires
worldwide regulation.. 2
b. The unmet rise in demand for food in the south will inevitably lead to more
frustration and radicalisation, and prompt further waves of emigration.
c. In any case, the present-day food crisis signifies that the limits on exploiting
some of the planet's resources are being encountered, and this serves to
confirm the pressing need for radical change in our current unsustainable
production and consumption patterns, chiefly in the north. - Almost all agriculturally useful land is already being used, and thus only a
productivity boost based on “clean” and renewable technologies can make a
contribution to increasing agricultural production locally and globally. And yet
significant phenomena have arisen in connection with these aspects that are
contributing to a worsening of the situation.
a. Over the last few decades, the forces of neoliberal globalisation, overseen by
the IMF, the World Bank and the WTO, have been pressing southern countries
to implement privatisation and deregulation policies for the markets – markets
in which they have to compete on wholly unequal terms with the countries of
the north (which, for their part, have maintained and are still maintaining their
agricultural subsidies, including subsidies for exporting surplus produce); this
has severely weakened agricultural systems in the south. On top of the losses
in international agricultural exchanges, local subsistence agriculture has also
been swept away by this onslaught. The result could not be worse: more
local/global hunger. It is time to call the political world to account for having
brought about such situations.
b. In connection with another world crisis – the energy crisis – major agricultural
producer countries have increasingly been devoting land and non-food
agricultural produce for the production of biofuels rather than food. We the
undersigned believe that in matters of this kind Humanity should endow itself
with global mechanisms for arbitration and decision-making over and above the
mechanisms in the hands of individual States, since the policies concerned are
extremely sensitive in terms of their likely planet-wide impact.
- The prices of agricultural produce have risen spectacularly, especially over the
last two years, and this has only worsened the situation. The main reasons behind
these rises can be summarized as follows:
a. A worldwide energy crisis has emerged, particularly in oil, with very significant
knock-on effects on food production and transportation costs. Moreover, for
many years now the big oil companies have not just hushed up the effects of
excessive consumption on the environment: they have also obstructed in many
different ways the emergence of clean, renewable sources for producing
energy. In any case, prices will go on rising for as long as agricultural relocation
remains part of the globalisation process. The unsustainability of the current
world agricultural model is clear.
b. As a collateral effect of the financial crisis, investors are being drawn to the
stable agricultural markets, and are making profits through speculative trading
in commodity futures: they can sell their holdings later on at higher prices,
thanks to the increased demand. The result is more hunger in the world,
through agricultural produce rising in price now and in the future. As with the. 3
financial crisis, worldwide political regulation to control the global markets is
now clearly indispensable. ……………………..
Faced with this bleak and complex scenario, with its many interrelated factors and
uncertainties, we the undersigned believe that only the establishment of a system
of Global Democratic Governance can put Humanity in a position to direct its
destinies on this planet in a democratic, responsible way, and more specifically to
meet its basic food requirements. In line with what we champion at the World
Campaign for in-depth Reform of the System of International Institutions, this
system must contribute to strengthening the United Nations by refounding the
other financial, economic and commercial organizations within the UN, and
providing them with the human and financial resources needed to meet the
challenges we are now facing. Specifically: 1. The new system must have the capacity to implement global decisions in a truly
democratic framework. The production and use of biofuels, the regulation of
the various global markets and other such issues cannot go on being subject to
decisions taken by individual states or – worse still – by the markets of the
richest and most powerful countries. 2. It must give priority, through positive discrimination, to the interests of the
poorest and neediest groups on the planet – which means the vast majority of
the inhabitants of the Earth. This entails launching a new model, much more
local in scale as well as much more sustainable in social, environmental and
economic terms, and dealing first with the world's least developed countries in
all matters relating to agricultural production and trade. 3. It must spring from an in-depth reform of our present-day International
Organizations, on several fronts, including: 3.1. Putting an end to the ascendancy enjoyed by some international
organizations (the ones controlled by the world's richest countries) over
others. Thus, in the vital field of food, the policies of the IMF, the World
Bank and the WTO cannot continue to take precedence over those of
the FAO. 3.2. Giving the relevant bodies of the United Nations – i.e. the FAO, the
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the World
Food Programme (mainly in those aspects less linked to emergencies) –
the coordinating power, the framework of competencies and the human
resources needed firstly to tackle the current emergency situations and
secondly to implement the policies required in the medium and long
term to deal with the underlying problems. 3.3. Accordingly, advantage must be taken of the fresh opportunity
afforded by the Review of the Monterrey Consensus on
Financing for Development to define and implement, in a just
manner and without further delay, a system of financing for
development that is transparent, predictable and sustainable,
and that will enable the development objectives that Humanity
desperately requires to be attained. . 4 Federico Mayor Adolfo Pérez Esquivel
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Mario Soares
Susan George
Noam Chomsky
Desmond Tutu
Archbishop Emeritus Wole Soyinca
Nobel Prize Laureate Aminata Traoré
ASF - African Social Forum Cândido Grzybowski
IBASE – Instituto Brasileiro de Análises Sociais e Econômicas Chico Whitaker
Right Livelihood Award; Brazilian Commission Justice and Peace Roberto Savio
IPS - Inter Press Service Alexander Likotal
Green Cross International Tomas Magnusson
IPB - International Peace Bureau Ricardo Díez Hochleitner
Honorary President Club of Rome Herman Spanjaard
IPPNW -International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War Fatma Alloo
DAWN - Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era Janet Mbere
MWENGO – Mwelekeo wa NGO Rajesh Tandon
PRIA - Participatory Research in Asia Nadia Johnson
WEDO – Women Environment Development Organization Lois Barber
EarthAction Paul Ortega
Pax Romana ICMICA/MIIC Mohammed Fayek
Arab Organization for Human Rights. 5 Lau Kin Chi
CSD - China Social Services and Development Research Centre Seán Ó Siochrú
CRIS - Communication Rights in Information Society Campaign Marino Busdachin
UNPO – Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation Meja Vitalis
AFRODAD - African Forum and Network on Debt and Development Rómulo Torres
LATINDADD – Red Latinoamericana sobre Deuda, Desarrollo y Derechos Ernesto Lamas
AMARC ALC - Asociación Mundial de Radios Comunitarias - América Latina Caribe Carlos Tünnermann
ILAEDES – Instituto Latinoamericano de Educación para el Desarrollo Carlos Bedoya
Jubileo Perú Martí Olivella
Alliance for a Responsible, Plural and United World Vicente García Delgado
CIVICUS’ UN representative Roberto Papini
Instituto Internazionale Jacques Maritain Francine Mestrum
AEDH - Agence Européenne pour la Défense des Droits de l'Homme Arcadi Oliveras
Justice and Peace Europe Jorge Nieto
Centro Internacional para la Cultura Democrática Markus Brun
FASTENOPFER Antoni Giró
Rector UPC – Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya Richard A. Falk
Princeton University; California University Hall Gardner
Professor American University of Paris Josep Ferrer
Professor Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya – UPC Ferran Requejo
Professor Universitat Pompeu Fabra – UPF Josep Xercavins
UBUNTU Forum Ad Hoc Secretariat, professor UPC
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