Live Each Moment video series launched

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. Nov. 20, 2010 (ACNS) - The new inspirational video series, Live Each Moment, was launched today by the Anglo-Catholic Archdiocese of the Southwest. The series features informal homilies given by the Archbishop and is intended to help make every moment in life count. The videos are available on the Archdiocese's YouTube Channel, as well as on the series's own page. The first episode is also shown below.

Live Each Moment

Episode 1: Right and Wrong

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Airport Body Scanners: The controversy continues

WASHINGTON Nov. 18, 2010 (ACNS) - Controversy rages on over the body scanners in place at many airports around the world. The key complaint is over the apparent invasion of privacy, possibility of saving images of you and your complete and intimate bodily details (though this is against the rules), and the potential for unscrupulous TSA agents to make or take copies of the images to be used for nefarious purposes.

Many are questioning whether or not air travel is even worth the hassle anymore. In a time of economic crisis, there is even doubt whether or not these new measures are in the best economic interest of the country.

Many question whether or not air travel is
worth the hassle anymore.

Though the body scanners are claimed to be in place to make air travel safer and combat terrorist threats, many air travellers question their legitimacy. The scanners are in place to catch passengers who, despite rules against carrying explosives, still attempt to carry them on board in violation of the rules. Is there a policy in place to catch TSA agents who are in violation of the rules against taking images of passengers?

The presence of a rule against carrying explosives on an aircraft is not considered sufficient to prevent all passengers from actually carrying explosives. Why, then should the people believe that a mere rule is sufficient to prevent all TSA agents from taking intimate pictures of passengers from body scanners? First ask yourself that question. Then ask whether or not it is time to reign in government agencies that have gotten out of control and are running roughshod over ethics and morality.

Cooperation and ethics at the G20 Seoul Summit good news for global development

By Rutherford Johnson

SEOUL, Nov. 15 (ACNS) – The G20 Summit took place in Seoul on Nov. 11 and 12 with a theme of “Shared growth beyond crisis.” The intent of this summit was to continue existing efforts and begin new ones to end the global financial crisis and prevent another such crisis from happening again. The crisis itself was acknowledged by the leaders to be the result of systemic moral atrophy. The leaders decided on an unprecedented level of global cooperation, to include emerging markets and the poorest economies in the world.

Religious leaders around the world urged the heads of government gathered in Seoul for the summit to consider the moral issues at the root of the global financial crisis. Pope Benedict XVI urged cooperation among the leaders in a spirit of respect for humanity, with the goal of the development of mankind. The Archbishop of Canterbury said that the summit was an opportunity for the “...world's leaders to reaffirm their moral commitments to the welfare of all.” The response of the summit to the world’s high expectations was the G20 Seoul Summit Leaders Declaration, the Seoul Summit Document, the Seoul Development Consensus for Shared Growth, and the Multi-Year Action Plan on Development, including an Anti-Corruption Action Plan.

The documents produced by the summit leaders and their delegations had a common theme of global cooperation. Improving the job market was placed at the heart of recovery, and financial reforms around the world are intended. There was further a commitment for richer nations to help poorer nations, as well as to strengthen global financial safety nets. They, as representatives of the nations that comprise eighty-five percent of global GDP, recognized their responsibility to the world and promised to hold themselves accountable as leaders.

As part of their efforts to stabilize the world economy and prevent further crises, it was decided to move towards a market-determined exchange rate, with advanced economies having a particular responsibility to guard against excess volatility and disorderly exchange rate movement. This is expected to lessen risks of excess capital volatility in the emerging economies. The poorer countries and emerging markets are especially vulnerable to changes in the world economy and were disproportionately affected by the global financial crisis. The G20’s acknowledgement of the interconnectedness of the world economy and the responsibility of stronger economies to guard against shocks that might lead to a crisis and excessive adverse effects in emerging markets is a positive step towards safeguarding the condition of humanity around the globe, not just in the G20 member states. The G20 leaders committed to “enhance the voice and representation of emerging market and developing countries, including the poorest.”

The challenge that remains is the commitments of governments to the interests of their own people and the promises of governments to other nations and the global community in general. This is a delicate balance. Too far in one direction, and the governments fail to meet their responsibility to their people. Too far in the other direction, and nations act in their own self interest to the detriment of others. It is ultimately an equilibrium position in which the nations act simultaneously in their own best interests and in the best interests of the world that must be found in order to achieve an effective implementation of their plans.

The overall G20 development plan further is committed to free trade and opposition to protectionist policies. Considering that several G20 member states regularly engage in protectionism to varying degrees, it will be interesting to see the outcome of this aspect of the plan. Protectionism is one area in which the interests of the individual state may come in direct conflict with those of the global economy and vice versa.

A significant plan to fight corruption both within each country and across national borders was formed. A key point of this plan is the insistence upon transparency of operations of the G20, governments in general, and the private sector. The G20 has promised to lead by example and also recognizes the essential role of business in combating corruption.

The Seoul Summit Document placed the blame for the 2008 global financial crisis on reckless behavior by financial institution and failures of regulation and oversight. The specific decisions made by the summit leaders tended towards the direction of future moral behavior in the economy, a respect for humanity, and the goal of increased welfare for all. Economics typically defines an efficient economic outcome by Pareto efficiency, in which those who gain money have gained enough that they could, if they wished, compensate those who lost money. The Church, on the other hand, typically does not consider Pareto efficiency to be the final word on economic justice. Those who are leaders of businesses and governments have a duty to those whom their economic, business and financial decisions affect. The Seoul Summit Document recognizes this fact.

Overall, the documents produced by the Seoul Summit recognize the important role of ethics and morality in global financial markets. They present the need of advanced economies to balance their own interests with the interests of the global market. The global financial crisis demonstrated the interrelationship and interdependence of the nations of the world, so such a mutually-beneficial equilibrium of balancing national and global interests must be found for the benefit of humanity.

ACNS Video Report of the G20 Seoul Summit

A video summarizing the outcome of the G20 Seoul Summit.




Some believe new airport procedures resemble Nazi tactics

WASHINGTON (ACNS) – New pat down procedures at airports are leaving many passengers feeling like criminals. Some liken this approach to the Nazis and wonder what is becoming of personal freedom in America.

Examinations involve touching of the breasts and genitals with a more intense touch than before. Where available, however, passengers may be able to use a body scanner. Passengers are subjected to this treatment when they set off a metal detector or there is another screening anomaly. "Too much change in your pocket is not a reason to be treated like a criminal," one frequent flyer commented.

Read more on this important issue by following the links below and find out ways you can help.

Airport pat-downs provoking backlash
Pat downs on plane trips irritate pilots, passengers
Pilot refuses full-body scan at Tenn. airport

Interview with Archbishop Johnson about the G20

SEOUL, Nov. 13, 2010 (ACNS) – The following is an interview with Archbishop Dr. Rutherford Johnson to get his take on the G20 Seoul Summit and his opinions on its potential impact on the global economy and the lives of the people around the world. Johnson has a PhD in economics. He attended the G20 with the Anglo-Catholic News Service as part of a small number accredited to observe and cover the event. A good portion of his work centers on the relationship between faith and the economy, especially regarding ethics and morality, and he had a significant interest in seeing how the G20 would respond to ethical concerns as they seek to move forward past the global financial crisis.





 Archbishop Johnson arrives in the auditorium
for the final briefing by the President of Korea,
President of the United States, and the
Prime Minister of Canada.

  

ACNS: How was the summit?

Johnson: It was very enjoyable. There were also many events surrounding the actual summit, and they were all very informative and exciting.



ACNS: Any of those side events interesting in particular?

Johnson: The visit to Korea’s Demilitarized Zone was a poignant reminder that this peninsula is still at war. It shows the need for unity and joint effort, even in the face of a crisis, which follows from the summit theme of “shared growth following crisis.”

ACNS: What about the Korean people? What did they do for the G20?

Johnson: Everything! The Koreans don’t just do something, they do it all the way and then some. Everyone from the President of Korea’s committee for the G20 to business, restaurants, and regular citizens seemed to be caught up in G20 fever. They really did put on a good show, and they have certainly come a very long way from the ashes of the Korean War.

ACNS: That’s good to hear. Now, you’re a priest. What’s so interesting about a global economic conference to a priest?

Johnson: The church is in this world and not of this world. As such, we are not directly concerned with politics. However, we must not forget the part about being in the world. The church has a duty to work for the betterment of the lives of humanity. As such, the actions of governments and the economic situation in the world are very much of interest to the church from the standpoint of ethics, morality, and the condition of mankind.

ACNS: You also have a PhD in economics and have published papers in this field, including on the global financial crisis, correct?

Johnson: Yes, that is true. I am particularly interested in the issues of ethics and morality in economics, and this fits rather nicely with the remarks of Korean President Lee Myung-Bok regarding the G20’s plans for reducing corruption.

ACNS: What’s your take on the G20’s Seoul Declaration?

Johnson: Overall I liked what I heard President Lee say on Friday afternoon. The commitment to cooperation is in keeping with Christ’s desire that the peoples of the world should seek unity and brotherhood. The Seoul Summit Document is quite lengthy, so I don’t think I have time to discuss the whole thing here. However, the real key to making what they say a success is whether or not they really will follow through.

ACNS: What do you mean?

Johnson: It’s one thing to come together with your counterparts from around the world, sit around a table, and say you think something is a good idea. It’s perfectly normal for there to be many emotions in play, and everyone likely truly means what they say. The trouble comes when one tries to implement a plan, especially at the national and international levels. First, there are the usual issues of practicability. Also, true international cooperation requires significant cooperation within each nation as well. If the G20 leaders can achieve that, then they have a good chance to achieve their plan. I obviously hope they can.

ACNS: Are you going to write an article about the Seoul Summit Document?

Johnson: I’m planning on it. Like I said, it is very lengthy. I received it just as it became available, and I haven’t had much time to digest all the details. It is my plan, though, to give a bit of faith-based economic analysis of what this means from the Christian perspective.

ACNS: We’re looking forward to it!  Lastly, what do you think about this being the Anglo-Catholic News Service’s first direct coverage of a major world event?

Johnson: I am absolutely thrilled, and I believe it signals great things to come. The ACNS was founded to give a conservative Anglican Rite presence in news media and report on events around the world that are of interest to Christians. The participation of several members of the ACNS in the G20 was a most significant achievement in that regard. I also want to thank Coberly Communications and Yonhap News Agency for their invaluable media support in making this happen.

ACNS: Yes, you’re right. We really appreciate their help. Did you have time to promote the ACNS while you were there?

Johnson: I did indeed. Among others, I had a nice long chat with a representative of Caritas. It is so important that religious news services be present at major world events. Keep up the good work!

ACNS: Thanks again! And, thank you for taking time to speak with us. We’re looking forward to seeing your analysis of the Seoul Summit Document soon.

G-20 agrees to make current account guidelines by next June

via Yonhap, Seoul, Korea

 

Leaders of the world's 20 major economies agreed Friday to formulate "indicative guidelines" for current account imbalances by the first half of next year, paving the way for defusing one of the most contentious issues facing the global economy.




The President of Korea
Credit: Yonhap NA

 

 

The world leaders also agreed to seek more market-determined exchange rate systems, enhance exchange rate flexibility and refrain from competitive devaluation of currencies as they wrapped up two days of summit talks in Seoul, the first G-20 summit in Asia.

 

Should the agreement be "implemented as agreed, it will contribute greatly to preventing a future global economic crisis. We all have to cooperate for this," South Korean President Lee Myung-bak said at a press conference at COEX in southern Seoul.

 

It was the fifth meeting of the G-20 leaders since they first met in late 2008 to discuss joint responses to the crisis that was rocking the world economy at the time. The G-20, which includes major industrialized and emerging nations, accounts for about 85 percent of the global economy.

 

This week's summit came amid a currency row between the United States and China as Washington has mounted pressure on Beijing to stop keeping its currency, the yuan, artificially low, which makes Chinese goods cheaper. The U.S. claims the Chinese currency policy has worsened global trade and current account imbalances.

 

Complicating the dispute was the Federal Reserve's move to inject $600 billion into the U.S. economy to lower long-term interest rates in an effort to spur growth. The move has raised the eyebrows of some countries, including China, Germany and Brazil, which believe lower U.S. interest rates will lead to the values of their currencies rising and hurt their exports.

 

In an attempt to resolve the disputes, the G-20 countries discussed limiting current account surpluses or deficits for balanced growth. But differences were too wide to produce a specific deal on how to limit imbalances, and the countries settled for agreeing to formulate "indicative guidelines" by the first half of 2011.

 

"These indicative guidelines composed of a range of indicators would serve as a mechanism to facilitate timely identification of large imbalances that require preventive and corrective actions to be taken," the summit declaration said.

 

South Korean President Lee hailed the agreement as "remarkable progress."

 

"For now, in conclusion, (the world) is out of the so-called currency war," he told the conference.

 

U.S. President Barack Obama welcomed the agreement, saying that the world's 20 major economies are "in broad agreement on the way forward."

 

But Obama increased pressure on China, urging the country to raise the yuan's value.

 

"The issue of China's RMB is 'irritant' not only to us, but also to a lot of China's trading partners," he said at a press conference.

 

Other agreements reached at the summit include modernizing the International Monetary Fund, strengthening global financial safety nets and pledging to help and work together with low-income nations for balanced and shared growth.

 

The global financial safety net and development issues are known as "Korea Initiative" as South Korea pushed for them as chair of the summit, building on its experience of the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis that forced Seoul to seek a humiliating bailout fund, and its rise from the ashes of the Korean War to one of the world's largest economies.

 

The endorsement of the Korea Initiative by the G-20 leaders highlighted Seoul's role as a bridge between developed and emerging nations as it had to convince the G-20 and other developed nations why they should agree to relatively reduced coverage from the IMF.

 

On balanced development, South Korea helped identify nine key issues ranging from infrastructure and human resources development to trade, food security and job creation to help low-income nations. The G-20 leaders at the Seoul summit wholly approved the development agenda.

 

"We will continue to monitor and assess ongoing implementation of the commitments made today and in the past in a transparent and objective way," the leaders said in the declaration. "We hold ourselves accountable. What we promise, we will deliver."

 

The leaders also said that the "actions agreed upon today will help to further strengthen the global economy, accelerate job creation, ensure more stable financial markets, narrow the development gap and promote broadly shared growth beyond crisis."

 

In the run-up to the summit, vice finance ministers and personal representatives of the leaders, dubbed the "Sherpa" group, haggled for days over the current account guideline proposal, underscoring the difficulty of dealing with the sensitive issue.

 

After South Korean President Lee urged other leaders to make concessions at their working dinner Thursday night, envoys from the 20 members resumed the stalled negotiations later that night and had intensive discussions that went into early Friday morning.

 

On the sidelines of the G-20 meeting, South Korea had a series of high-stakes bilateral summits with the U.S. to discuss a pending free trade agreement (FTA), and with France to seek the return of ancient Korean royal texts seized in the 19th century.

 

Both Seoul and Washington had hoped to reach a final agreement on their FTA deal signed more than three years ago this week, but the last-minute negotiations broke off over U.S. demands for more concessions on auto and beef issues.

 

Obama said Friday that he is not interested in reaching a deal for the sake of "announcement" and that an agreement should be good for both sides, adding that he believes the two countries can reach a "win-win" agreement in the near future.

 

South Korea, however, produced progress in talks with France over the royal texts.

 

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Friday his government will return Korean royal Uigwe books to Seoul on a five-year renewable lease scheme, after Seoul has sought the books' return for decades.

 

"I believe the time has come to settle this," Sarkozy told reporters. "I know that for Koreans, these documents are very much a part of Korean heritage."

 

The Uigwe books from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) were looted by French troops in 1866 when they invaded a Korean island in retaliation against its persecution of French Catholic missionaries.

 

The summit brought together about 4,000 officials from the 20 member economies, including such top leaders as Obama, Chinese President Hu Jintao, Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

 

In addition, the leaders of Spain and four other invited nations as well as top representatives of the U.N. and other international organizations attended the summit.

 

jschang@yna.co.kr