The Philippines is an archipelago in Southeast Asia that consists of 7,641 islands, 2,000 of which are inhabited. The two largest islands, Luzon and Mindanao, account for two-thirds of the country’s total population and surface area. Luzon includes Manila, the capital; Mindanao is home to most Muslims in the Philippines and requires military protection as a result of terrorist violence. Veronique Vogel, the head of Aid to the Church in Need’s office in the Philippines, recently returned from a project ...

The farmers use the income to pay their debts and buy seeds for the coming season. Theoretically, the farmers and their families can earn a modest living this way. But in practice, the majority are caught in a debt trap that turns them into serfs of the rich landowners. If a harvest fails, the families not only lose their own share, but they must also compensate the landowner for the expected profit. If they are unable to pay, they must ...

"This place is isolated from the rest of the world, cut off by mines and checkpoints, which are manned by terrorists. We can only get in by helicopter. But around Pentecost this year, terrorists began to target the local population. Many people were killed or seriously injured and had to be air-lifted out. The terrorists have also seized livestock and are doing everything they can to get people to convert to Islam."

“The Christian community has been terrorized and frightened by a small group of miscreants, who are intent on making them believe that Christians are second-class citizens of Pakistan. We ask the government to take strong measures to protect minorities and to implement policies that can help us become a more peaceful nation and create a better society.”

“It was a heartbreaking scene,” he said. “They were given a mass burial in a rain-soaked grave. These are poor villagers who don’t have money for food, much less coffins.”

Due to visa restrictions and financial difficulty, many young Christians in Syria and Lebanon were unable to travel to Portugal for the event. But with the help of ACN, they organized their own activities, in parallel with the official WYD, and participated in the experience.