COVID 19 outbreak has caught all of us unawares. In a bid to contain the spread of CORONA VIRUS the government has decided on total lockdowns, self-quarantine and forced isolation. We are witnessing uncertainty at best and insanity at worst. The feelings are mixed. It has changed our lives. Our mental and social wellbeing are affected. Confirmed cases of virus infected are rising rapidly.

After the launch of the human rights review “Papua: the Neglected Paradise” the book has been presented to the Holy Father, Pope Francis and to the Secretary of State Cardinal Parolin.

On the past 2nd of October, West Papua Network in Rome, in which the SVD is a member, organized the seminar “West Papua, a neglected heaven —justice and human rights based on the Gospel value-” at Augustinianum in Rome. The main purpose of the seminar was to address the issue of human rights violation of indigenous West Papuan people. The local Catholic church of the five dioceses in West Papua and some religious congregations working in West Papua recently published the three-year human rights report, and the English translation was launched during the seminar.