All posts tagged: role

Scandinavia has its own dark history of assimilating Indigenous people, and churches played a role – but are apologizing

Published by skeptic

[ad_1] (The Conversation) — In May 2025, Tapio Luoma, archbishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, delivered an apology to the Sámi, the only recognized Indigenous people in the European Union. Speaking on behalf of the church to which more than 6 in 10 of the Finnish populace belong, including most Sámi, Luoma acknowledged its role in past activities that stigmatized Sámi language and culture. The church “has not respected the rights to self-determination of the Sámi people,” his address began. “Before God and all of you here assembled, we express our regret and ask forgiveness of the Sámi people.” Luoma’s words were the latest in a series of apologies through which the former state churches in Scandinavia have sought to reset their relations with the Indigenous population of Sápmi, the natural and cultural area of Sámi people. Today, the region is divided between Finland, Norway, Sweden and Russia. As a scholar of Sámi culture, and as a researcher of Nordic folklore and religion, I have studied the difficult, often painful, relations between Sámi …

Pro-immigrant protest is redefining the role of the minister in civil rights

Published by skeptic

[ad_1] (RNS) — Footage from America’s most recent mass protests shows clergy on the frontlines. Black preachers lock arms with rabbis to form a line to protect protesters from law enforcement in downtown Los Angeles. The Rev. William Barber II stirs the masses with an anti-authoritarian sermon at the “No Kings” rally in the capital.  In an era of religious decline, interfaith, anti-fascist activism is redefining the role of the minister protest. In a post-Occupy world, with its preference for decentralized insurgency, religious leaders are rarely movement figureheads as they were in previous eras — think Malcolm X or the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Instead, ministers are invited to support the movement, but not to lead. In this shift in Black freedom movements, the Ferguson uprisings of 2014 to 2016 were the watershed moment. Previous racial justice movements would appropriate the resources of the Black church — primarily the social capital, oratory skill and charisma of its leaders, repurposing their institutional capacity for their cause. But Ferguson’s activists, protesting the police killing of a …

Genetic and biological clues point to inflammation’s role in mental health

Published by José

[ad_1] A large study in the Netherlands has found that inflammation is consistently linked to symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as subtle impairments in cognitive function—particularly memory and attention. The researchers used both observational and genetic approaches to better understand whether these associations might be causal. While most associations were small, the results offer compelling support for the idea that chronic low-grade inflammation can influence emotional well-being and mental performance. The findings were published in the journal Translational Psychiatry. Depression is one of the most common and disabling mental health conditions worldwide. It is often accompanied by problems with memory, attention, and decision-making. These cognitive issues are not just minor symptoms—they contribute to long-term disability and reduced quality of life. However, current treatments for depression and cognitive symptoms are often only modestly effective. One hypothesis gaining traction is that inflammation, particularly low-level systemic inflammation, may underlie some cases of depression and related cognitive problems. Inflammation is the body’s natural response to infection or injury, but when it becomes chronic, it can begin to …

African church leaders address decolonization and reparations and debate their role

Published by skeptic

[ad_1] NAIROBI, Kenya (RNS) — As calls for decolonization and reparations for the transatlantic slave trade gain momentum globally, African church leaders, theologians and religious scholars gathered June 3-6 for a wide-ranging conversation about how colonial countries should make amends for historical wrongs done to the continent and the place of the church in the debate. The Consultation on Decolonization and Reparations, meeting in the Kenyan capital and convened by the All-Africa Conference of Churches, asked, “Is the whole idea of decolonization or decoloniality an African agenda, driven by African voices and priorities?” according to the conference’s website. “It is a whole complex thing, but it’s worth engaging,” said Ven. J.W. Kofi deGraft-Johnson, an Anglican priest who is secretary general of the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa. “The conversation has started. It’s a process (for which) all actors should be brought on board.”  The participants’ considerations went back 140 years, to the 1884-1885 Berlin Conference, when European nations assembled in the German capital and divided the continent among themselves, in what is historically known …

The Download: AI’s role in math, and calculating its energy footprint

Published by skeptic

[ad_1] The must-reads I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 Elon Musk has turned on Trump He called Trump’s domestic policy agenda a “disgusting abomination.” (NYT $)+ House Speaker Mike Johnson has, naturally, hit back. (Insider $) 2 NASA is in crisisIts budget has been cut by a quarter, and now its new leader has had his nomination revoked. (New Scientist $)+ What’s next for NASA’s giant moon rocket? (MIT Technology Review) 3 Here’s how Big Tech plans to wield AITo build ‘everything apps’ that keep you inside their ecosystem, forever. (The Atlantic $)+ The trouble is, the experience isn’t always slick enough, as Google has discovered with its ‘Ask Photos’ feature. (The Verge $)+ How to fight your instinct to blindly trust AI. (WP $) 4 Meta has signed a 20-year deal to buy nuclear power It’s the latest in a race to try to keep up with AI’s surging energy demands. (ABC)+ Can nuclear power really fuel the rise of AI? (MIT Technology Review)  5 Extreme heat takes a huge toll on people’s mental healthIt’s yet another issue we’re failing to prepare for, …

Ncuti Gatwa breaks silence as Billie Piper cast in titular role

Published by skeptic

[ad_1] The finale of Doctor Who provided us with high stakes and ultimately led to The Doctor being forced to regenerate, meaning that Ncuti Gatwa has left the role after just two years as the titular Time Lord. Addressing his exit, Ncuti said in a statement: “You know when you get cast, at some point you are going to have to hand back that sonic screwdriver and it is all going to come to an end, but nothing quite prepares you for it. “This journey has been one that I will never forget, and a role that will be part of me forever. There are no words to describe what it feels like to be cast as the Doctor, nor are there words to explain what it feels like to be accepted into this iconic role that has existed for over 60 years and is truly loved by so many across the globe.” © CREDIT LINE:BBC Studios/Bad WolfNcuti’s time as The Doctor has come to an end He continued: “The fans are truly the final character and …

We must reclaim our role as SEND and AP’s fixers. ASAP

Published by skeptic

[ad_1] More from this theme Recent articles Private Eye has a recurring column which appears under the satirical banner, ‘24 hours to Save the NHS’. At the heart of that incantation is a truth that applies directly to the SEND and AP Sector.  The NHS is never going to fall over in a day, and neither will specialist education. What will happen is far more insidious: without short-term, practical interventions, lives will continue to be negatively affected.  If a pound was paid for every page of consultation and green paper, evidence or opinion submitted to various committees, working parties and steering groups, we would not be dealing with the daily realities of staff burnout, workforce reduction, family frustrations and unmet needs. That is not to say we don’t need long-term planning and reform. We really do. Our sectors and local areas are actively developing them, and we’re committed to long-term change.  But listening without acting soon becomes its own form of failure. We also need pragmatic responses with immediate impact, and as much as possible …

Fans delighted as Princess Eugenie ‘steps up’ with new role at King’s | Royal | News

Published by Sam

[ad_1] Fans of Princess Eugenie are delighted in her “stepping up” to support King Charles after it was announced that she has become a mentor for The King’s Foundation. The late Queen’s granddaughter is working with The King’s Foundation’s new 35 under 35 network of changemakers. The King’s Foundation released a short video of the princess saying it was “such an honour” to celebrate 35 years of the charity to “honour His Majesty’s celebration of traditional arts, nature and sustainability”. Social media users on Instagram were happy with Eugenie’s decision to take on the role. One user on X wrote: “Great to see Princess Eugenie with the King’s Foundation.” Another said: “Princess Eugenie is excellent in everything she does. She exudes warmth and grace always. The royal family is blessed to have her among them. Thank you Princess Eugenie.” “I’m glad eugenie stepped up to represent!! It’s wonderful to have royal family members giving back to the community!” added another. One wrote: “A Huge congratulations, Princess Eugenie. What an inspiring you’re absolutely perfect for this …

Study: NI young people support limiting role of religion in schools

Published by skeptic

[ad_1] Many young people in Northern Ireland feel religion “should not play a central role in education”, a think tank has found. A new report by Pivotal suggests there is “wide support for limiting the role of religion in schools” among people aged 15 to 25. Catholic and Protestant communities in NI are typically highly segregated. Most schools are either Catholic schools or controlled schools attended mainly by children from Protestant backgrounds. Furthermore, collective worship and religious education (RE) in NI schools usually has a strong Christian bias. “School is for education not for pushing religious narratives” Young people felt the role of religion in NI’s education could be “divisive”, the report said. They felt the segregated nature of the school system “reinforced religious or cultural stereotypes which perpetually contributed to division in society more broadly”. Participants identified the mandatory curriculum requirement for schools to teach RE as “problematic”, especially pupils whose school made it compulsory to take a GCSE in Religious Studies. One 17 year old participant said: “If you want to teach kids …

Mara Manus to Depart Inaugural CEO Role at Pioneer Works

Published by skeptic

[ad_1] Mara Manus is leaving her role as CEO of Pioneer Works, the Brooklyn arts and science-focused non-profit space founded by artist Dustin Yellin. That wraps up a brief tenure that began in 2023 and marked a swift period of transformation for the institution. Gabriel Florenz, who has served as a founding artistic director at Pioneer Works since it opened in 2012, will move into an expanded role as executive director. In an interview with ARTnews, Florenz said that Manus met the organization’s fundraising objectives several months earlier than their original two-year goal and set up founders Yellin and Florenz to continue on their artist-academic-led mission. (Janna Levin, the founding director of sciences, will continue in her role.) Under Manus’s direction, the organization finalized the third phase of a $30 million capital campaign, which was completed in early 2025.  Related Articles “The plan was for Mara to come in build the infrastructure and finish the campaign,” Florenz said. “We don’t want to be a single-point institution. We like collectivity; we want to be an artist-scientist-led …