Alessandra De Poli

In online scam centres across South-East Asia, thousands of young people are reduced to digital slaves in one of the forms of violation of human dignity also highlighted in the encyclical ‘Magnifica Humanitas’. On the border between Thailand and Myanmar, the NGO Global Alms treats the trauma and restores a name, dignity and a future to the survivors.

A book edited by Nicolò Tassoni Estense, Italian ambassador to Myanmar, and Piero Masolo, a PIME missionary, traces the cultural exchanges between the two countries, from Marco Polo and technicians from Piedmont (Italy) to the first missionaries. The cooperation is today being renewed even in Yangon’s most underprivileged areas, where diplomatic staff and the New Humanity NGO handed out over 2,100 meals to local families on Italy’s Republic Day.

In May 1956, the hospital near the factory reported an “unknown illness” that was later found to be caused by mercury discharges from the Chisso Corporation. Decades later, the wound remains open in this Japanese city. PIME missionary Fr. Ferruccio Brambillasca, now the community’s parish priest, describes a society still marked by stigma and social divisions, while the memory of the tragedy risks being erased even from school textbooks.

With Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the Gulf and Field Marshal Asim Munir acting as an intermediary between the United States and Iran, Pakistan is trying to carve out a role in regional dialogue. For Indian research analyst Namita Barthwal, Islamabad's activism reflects “Pakistan's own vulnerabilities” and the growing weight of the military in the country's foreign policy. Meanwhile, India is cautiously watching developments.

In the hills south of Hebron, in the Palestinian village of Umm al-Khair, marked by increasingly frequent Israeli settler attacks, a small music project called Sotna (Our Voice) is trying to carve out some room for normalcy. Two activists, Amalia Kelter Zeitlin and Kai Jack, have started a children's orchestra that continues to meet weekly despite rockets and intimidation.

Pakistani rockets continue to strike Taliban political and military targets in Afghanistan, with the UN reporting at least 66,000 people displaced and dozens of civilians killed. Pakistan also faces anger from its own Shia community following the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US and Israeli attacks against Iran.

Reform Rabbi and human rights activist Jeremy Milgrom begins by reading every day the names of Palestinian victims to denounce Israel's moral, political, and religious decline. Israeli society has become fragmented, marked by extremism, the misuse of biblical texts, and fear. Milgrom describes how the balance of power is changing in Israeli society and calls for a revival of the tradition of mercy to hear “the cry of the oppressed” before it is too late.

The victory of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party marked the end of 15 years of Awami League rule. A PIME missionary spoke to AsiaNews about the vote, noting that it was more peaceful with less fraud, although there are concerns about internal tensions and the rise of Islamists. A desire for change and stability prevails among the population.

After initially being placed on the list of NGOs that Israel wanted to submit to reregistration, with the risk of suspension, Caritas Jerusalem is back in business, and today continues (and expands) its activities in Gaza. Secretary General Anton Asfar and young employee Fatena Mohanna describe the human cost of the war and the resilience of those who remain. For Christians in the Holy Land, “It's our little cross to bear.”

The country is still embroiled in a civil war that has devastated the economy, displaced millions, and fragmented territorial control. Despite a show of strength in the recent elections, the military junta controls just 40 per cent of the territory. More than 20,000 opponents remain in prison, including Aung San Suu Kyi. Divisions among ethnic militias are rife. Disillusioned, the civilian population is paying the highest price.

After two years of darkness, the city where Jesus was born lit up once again for Christmas. During Midnight Mass, Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa reinterpreted the Gospel in light of the wounds of the Holy Land, in particular Gaza. He also highlighted the "great and real”" responsibility of bringing God's peace to the world. “Christmas does not distance us from history but profoundly engages”, the cardinal said.

Celebrations are held but the mood is sober to show solidarity with the soldiers at the front while help is offered to the displaced with calls for a ceasefire. Fr Franco Legnani, a PIME missionary in Battambang Prefecture, speaks about Christmas among Cambodian Christians while war with Thailand continues. “Its effects affect everyone. The elderly say: we are back to the times of the Khmer Rouge. May the Lord grant us his peace.”