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The small Mennonite German-speaking communities in the Russian and Austrian partitions developed in opposite directions during the interwar period. The congregation centered in Lviv accelerated its trajectory of integrating with Polish society, increasing Polish language usage while striving to maintain a separate, non-Catholic religious identity. The cluster of three rural congregations west of Warsaw faced the common problems of small landholders but resisted integration into Polish society at the same time as Polish society held them at arm's length. Examining these two little known groups provides additional illustrations of the complex situations of religious and linguistic minorities in the Second Polish Republic and the divergent ways they approached the challenges. This case study shows how what appeared to be similar starting places for minorities could lead initially to two different outcomes. The pressures of World War II, however, upended these tendencies. In the end, both groups ended up in the same places literally and metaphorically, in exile in West Germany and North and South America and closely identifying with a German diaspora. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educators at religious preK–12 schools attempt to integrate their faith into their teaching. Yet there is limited empirical study about how faith integration self-efficacy may develop. This study examines the relationships between the faith integration self-efficacy of educators at Mennonite preK–12 schools and their past educational experiences and initial teacher education. Regression analysis of survey responses indicates that the quality of initial teacher education is associated with educators' faith integration self-efficacy. However, having attended a Mennonite preK–12 school or a Christian undergraduate institution were not predictive of faith integration self-efficacy. Discussion of results highlights implications for educators and future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses a pilot study that examined the skin biomarkers of Old Order Mennonite (OOM) toddlers compared to toddlers from an urban population in Rochester (ROC). The study found that OOM toddlers had upregulated barrier and lipid metabolism markers, downregulated proinflammatory markers, and increased levels of select immune markers, suggesting that early farming lifestyle exposures may promote increased skin barrier functioning and decrease the likelihood of developing atopic dermatitis (AD). The study also found that OOM infants bathed less frequently than ROC infants, which may contribute to enhanced barrier defense and protection against the development of atopic conditions. However, the study has limitations, including a small sample size and a cross-sectional design. [Extracted from the article]

This article is a personal account by Gerda Kück, who grew up in Nueva Germania, Paraguay, in a German family. Kück discusses the difficult living conditions and hard work faced by German descendants in Nueva Germania, who primarily work in agriculture and animal breeding. The article also explores the significance of religion and social gatherings in the community. Kück reflects on the reserved nature of the older generation, attributing it to their lifestyle and lack of education, but emphasizes that German descendants are kind, hospitable, and hardworking people with valuable cultural values. The text also shares the author's experiences living in Germany and Canada, highlighting the challenges of insecurity, dangers, and fear. The author mentions the importance of being cautious and aware due to surrounding injustice, corruption, and restlessness. However, the text also emphasizes the happiness and contentment of the people in Germany, who live fulfilling lives with little. The article concludes with the author's decision to return to Canada and reunite with their family. [Extracted from the article]

In this article, I put Carlos Reygadas' prize-winning art film, Stellet Licht, to use for Law and Film purposes. Stellet Licht (or Silent Light) is the first film made in the medieval German/Prussian dialect, Plautdietsch (or Low German), and filmed in an Old Order (very conservative) Mennonite colony in Mexico. Viewers of Stellet Licht must be prepared to be contemplative because the film often eschews dialogue or action in favour of contemplation. This fictitious film invites us to contemplate a heterosexual love triangle and provides a novel site for thinking about how law and patriarchy can unconsciously work in our lives. When we do the contemplative work invited by the film, we not only see law differently, but we can also imagine miraculous reconciliation between people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This text discusses the research efforts of a church historian in the MC USA archives, specifically focusing on the search for photos and information on seven Congolese Mennonite individuals. The author faced challenges in finding photos of the less prominent figures but was able to locate some and share them with the authors of their biographies. The text also highlights the collaboration between Congolese and North American historians and the potential for future research projects. Additionally, the text provides a brief summary of the life of Imhobnuor Kambou, a devout member of the Evangelical Protestant Church in Burkina Faso, who was known for her dedication to the church and community. Lastly, the text introduces the book "Competing Catholicisms: The Jesuits, the Vatican, and the Making of Postcolonial French Africa" by Jean Luc Enyegue, which examines the role of Jesuit missions in shaping Catholicism in Cameroon and Chad and challenges the idea that the social commitments of Catholicism diminish true evangelism. [Extracted from the article]

This text provides a biography of Sengu Mbongu Rebecca, also known as Lebeka, a woman who played a significant role in the Mennonite community in Nyanga, Congo. Despite societal expectations, Sengu embraced Christianity and influenced other women to do the same. She faced challenges in her upbringing, including living in a polygamous family and experiencing discrimination in schooling. Sengu's conversion to Christianity and her marriage to Mukuama Mbuya Josué were significant milestones in her life. She became known for her compassion and support for the afflicted, and she played a role in the education and upbringing of orphans and vulnerable children. Sengu's Christian influence extended to her family and the Mennonite community in Nyanga. She was involved in door-to-door evangelism, mobilizing mothers to provide assistance to families, and advocating for girls' education. Sengu also worked as a midwife and was known for her hospitality and ability to resolve conflicts. She served as a leader in the church and was admired for her activism and dedication to the Lord. Sengu passed away in 1985 but her legacy lives on in the history of the Mennonite community. [Extracted from the article]

Increasing numbers of ultra-Orthodox Jews are flocking to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, to participate in Amish country tourism and to consume kosher dairy products, sometimes produced through economic collaborations between Orthodox Jews and local Amish/Mennonite farmers. Through an ethnographic examination of these phenomena, we demonstrate how Amish tourism fosters illiberal interreligious encounters among the triangle of ultra-Orthodox Jewish tourists, Amish/Mennonite farmers, and Christian tour guide mediators. Whereas historically tourism to the Amish was driven by white nostalgic longings for a European peasant past and the American frontier, Orthodox Jews project a nostalgic vision of the Eastern European shtetl onto the Amish and their dairy products. We borrow the concept of political temporalities (Little 2022) to explore an illiberal political temporality formed by the encounter among illiberal religious groups in a recreational tourist setting. Despite different nostalgic projections, these religious groups converged over their visions of an American religious present and future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The book "European Mennonites and the Holocaust" edited by Mark Jantzen and John D. Thiesen sheds light on the role of Mennonites in the Holocaust. The book challenges the notion of Mennonite exceptionalism and reveals that many Mennonites were complicit in Hitler's crimes. The book examines the actions of Mennonites in Germany, Nazi-occupied Poland, the Netherlands, and Ukraine, highlighting their involvement in the persecution and murder of Jews. It also explores how knowledge of Mennonite involvement in genocide was suppressed or forgotten after World War II. The book aims to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the Holocaust and the transnational dimensions of Nazi Germany. [Extracted from the article]

This article discusses Sarah Polley's 2022 film adaptation of Miriam Toews' novel Women Talking (2018), inspired by a case of mass rapes in a Mennonite colony in Bolivia, as part of the Me Too moment; a new zeitgeist that has modified the conditions of reception for survivor testimony. We examine it as an audiovisual product that amplifies the resonance of the original text and contributes to the current wave of feminist testimonial practices about sexual violence, constituting an instance of narrative activism that promotes social change. Through our analysis of the dynamics of storytelling in the film, we prove that Polley's cinematic strategies place emphasis on the women's lived experiences and points of view, distilling the words of the book to capture the key elements of their discussion (forgiveness, justice, obedience, trauma, and structural violence) and, rarely but significantly, deviating from the original text to achieve her goal of female-centred focalisation. While scholars and survivors have described the battle over the narrative in rape cases, Polley does not leave room for it. In line with #MeToo, the movie takes an ethical listening stand, presenting female testimony as valid evidence. The question at stake is not whether the protagonists have been raped by the men of the colony, but what they are going to do about it; and, by extension, what the viewers are going to make of their story as told by themselves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimating the lethal impact of a pandemic on a religious community with significant barriers to outsiders can be exceedingly difficult. Nevertheless, Stein and colleagues (2021) developed an innovative means of arriving at such an estimate for the lethal impact of COVID-19 on the Amish community in 2020 by counting user-generated death reports in the widely circulated Amish periodical The Budget. By comparing monthly averages of reported deaths before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, Stein and colleagues were able to arrive at a rough estimate of "excess deaths" during the first year of the pandemic. Our research extends the same research method, applying it to the years during and immediately preceding the global influenza pandemic of 1918. Results show similarly robust findings, including three notable "waves" of excess deaths among Amish and conservative Mennonites in the USA in 1918, 1919, and 1920. Such results point to the promise of utilizing religious periodicals like The Budget as a relatively untapped trove of user-generated data on public health outcomes among religious minorities more than a century in the past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article employs the LIM method, complemented by publications and interviews conducted during the ongoing war in Ukraine, to explore the shifts in attitudes toward war and peace within Ukrainian evangelical communities. This shift involves a transition from a pacifist mindset previously predominant among Ukrainian evangelicals to questions about their responsibility and involvement in Ukraine's state and society amid the war that Russia has launched against Ukraine. Interviews with leaders and active church members hint at a possible alignment with Stassen's alternative model of transformative initiatives that might provide potential guidance. While reconciliation initiatives amid the ongoing war may be premature, the article highlights the role of Christian communities in transformative peacebuilding within Ukraine. It is necessary to address tensions within Ukraine. This also entails aiding war-affected individuals, ensuring care for soldiers and civilians, and confronting power abuse and corruption. Ukraine's unity, freedom, peace, and reconciliation must include diverse political and social groups. The article recommends that Ukrainian evangelicals embrace a contextual public theology that advocates for peace, justice, and reconciliation. Ukrainian evangelicals, while supporting soldiers engaged in active combat against Russian invaders, are also contemplating strategies for active participation in peacebuilding and post-war reconstruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1598 the Schottland Bible, a large, printed volume, was produced for the Danzig Mennonites, decorated with maps. Space and landscape were essential to their self-conception. This chapter offers an original way of conceptualizing global Protestant cultures through an examination of the interconnected spaces in early modern Mennonite diasporic communities. This chapter will focus in particular on the way in which Mennonites who migrated from the Netherlands to the Vistula delta in the sixteenth century expressed connected confessional identities through space. Space is essential if scholarship is to construct a narrative of global Protestantisms. Lacking the notion of the universal church which connects global Catholic cultures, scholars of the global in early modern Protestantism face a challenge in the spatial frameworks they might adopt. The chapter will focus on three types of Mennonite space – past, present, and future – as a way of reconceptualizing global Protestantisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper is concerned with the history of the resettlement of Germans to the Turkestan Governorate-General in the last third of the 19th — beginning of the 20th c. This territory was actively developing after the accession to the Russian Empire. This process was joined also by German settlers from the Ekaterinoslav, Taurida, Samara, and Saratov governorates. Some of them sought to acquire land, as they suffered from the land scarcity or even its total lack in the ‘mother colonies’. Others wanted to obtain easement in the military service for religious reasons. The aim of the research is the analysis of the economic activity of the Germans and their adaptation to the new natural-climatic and agricultural conditions. The paper is based on various sources: publications of the 19th — early 20th century, reports of the officials, and archival materials. Methodologically, the authors draw upon the theory of modernisation and consider the resettlement process through the prism of the Central Asian model of frontier modernisation at the turn of the 19th — 20th century. This enabled us to reconsider the topic, which is partially covered in Russian and foreign historiography. It has been found that there were two waves of resettlement to the Central Asian region. The first one is related to the acquisition by the German colonists of the status of resettlers-proprietors in 1871 and to the military reform conducted in 1874. The second reason is related to the famine that affected the European part of the country. The Germans could get land plots in this region in several ways: from the authorities, or by buying or taking them on lease from the local population. The Germans managed the land reserves at their own discretion, distributing them for domestic purposes amongst the members of the settlements or keeping them for the community. First years were difficult for the Germans because of the lack of funding and knowledge of farming conditions. However, following the financial assistance from the authorities and familiarisation with the area, they managed to decide on the management model. Cereal crops and potatoes were grown on the land suitable for agriculture. In other areas, they started breeding improved livestock of cows and horses. Agricultural products and animals were in high demand at the local markets. Moreover, the local population adopted many agricultural improvements from the Germans. The economic and natural-geographical surveys of this region conducted by the authorities demonstrated that the German settlers by the beginning of the 20th century managed to set up prosperous farming units. Their products won numerous awards at agricultural exhibitions.

This article delves into the history of a group of Mennonites who migrated from Russia to Turkestan in the late 1870s. Utilizing a wide range of archival sources, publications, and oral history, the author analyzes the reasons for the Mennonites’ migration, their adaptation to new conditions drastically different from their previous locales. Special attention is given to the relationship between Mennonites and local residents on cultural and socio-economic levels. Considering public administration within the Mennonite community, the author stresses the vital role played by the elected headman, or “forshteer”, who represented the administrative authority and maintained order in the settlement. The successful evolution of the Mennonite community hinged on his adept administration. Interestingly, this form of public administration bears similarities to the self-governing authorities of the “Mahalla” community, a system long-standing in Central Asia. In conclusion, the author surmises that despite not knowing the language, customs, or culture of the local peoples, with the support of the Khan and Khiva neighbors, the Akmechet Mennonite diaspora managed to settle quite well, leaving a positive imprint in the region. The experience of tolerant relationships among the peoples of Uzbekistan towards migrants, which resulted in cordial neighborly relations, can still be useful today, in this challenging global climate.

"Mennonite Farmers: A Global History of Place and Sustainability" by Royden Loewen is a comprehensive analysis of the relationship between religion and agriculture within the Mennonite community. The book explores seven diverse Mennonite settlements around the world, from their origins in Europe during the Reformation to the present day. Loewen examines themes such as empire, indigenous displacement, and postcolonialism, as well as the challenges faced by farmers at the local level. The book draws on a wealth of sources, including oral testimonies from 159 farmers, to provide insights into the history and life of these communities. Overall, "Mennonite Farmers" offers a nuanced understanding of the global and local dimensions of Mennonite agriculture and its relevance to broader issues of sustainability and environmental challenges. [Extracted from the article]

HLA‐C*06:372 differs from HLA‐C*06:02:01:01 by a single substitution in exon 4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hymnal curation processes have for centuries maintained restrictive feedback loops: material that has been published elsewhere continues to be published, and new material—particularly when it offers something unique—is evaluated against the criteria of what has gone before. This results in hymnals that tend to over-represent the work of white male contributors from a Euro–American perspective and limits the amount of material by women, people of color, and contributors from around the world. Since the mid-to-late twentieth century, when some denominations have sought to diversify their worship music collections, change has come slowly. Contemporary hymnody and contemporary worship music are predominantly written by men, and additions of global song have relied on a narrow swath of scholars and publications. To understand some of the power imbalances embedded in church music publishing, we use Voices Together, the 2020 Mennonite hymnal for which we were committee members, as a case study. We explore how this new collection came to include only about 45 newly published songs out of the total of 749 songs, and we analyze statistics related to gender and global song. An intersectional approach allows us to examine how musical actors are marginalized in multiple ways, considering prejudice against class, race, and gender. Understanding how current collections are informed by previously published collections, and consequently how the demographics of contributors have shifted over time, explains how publishing privileges the published and offers insight needed to begin to rectify this problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This exploratory, qualitative research study explores (a) the motivations of Plain Anabaptist (Plain Mennonite and Amish) families to foster mainstream (non-Plain) children, (b) families' experiences in the training and home study process, and (c) characteristics and practices of Plain Anabaptist families who provide foster care. Findings support the recommendation for child welfare systems to explore the possibility of Plain Mennonite and Amish families providing foster care for children. Plain Anabaptist families are receptive to learning and adapting in order to provide foster care, especially for babies, young children, and children with special needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides a comprehensive overview of the history of Mennonite migration to Canada and Latin America, with a focus on the question of belonging and the impact of settler colonialism. It explores the choices made by Mennonites in the 1870s to emigrate to the United States or Canada, as well as the subsequent migration of some Mennonites to Latin America in the 1920s. The article also delves into the growth and engagement of Canadian Mennonites in various spheres beyond agriculture, and the competing cosmologies of Mennonites in Canada and Latin America. It acknowledges the challenges of separating immigration history from Indigenous history and calls for a critical re-interpretation of settler colonialism and Indigenous dispossession in Mennonite history. The text further examines the complex history of Canadian Mennonite belonging, particularly in relation to Indigenous communities. It highlights the paternalistic and assimilationist tendencies of Mennonite outreach, including the operation of residential schools, but also acknowledges a shift towards cultural pluralism and anti-racism within some Mennonite circles, as well as their involvement in Indigenous advocacy and land claims. The article emphasizes the need for further research and reflection on these historical encounters, and the tensions between national narratives, settler colonialism, and transnational perspectives. It also suggests that Latin American Mennonites must address their own participation in settler colonialism. [Extracted from the article]

The regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is associated with polymorphisms and the methylation degree of the glucocorticoid receptor gene (NR3C1) and is potentially involved in the development of metabolic syndrome (MetS). In order to evaluate the association between MetS with the polymorphisms, methylation, and gene expression of the NR3C1 in the genetically isolated Brazilian Mennonite population, we genotyped 20 NR3C1 polymorphisms in 74 affected (MetS) and 138 unaffected individuals without affected first-degree relatives (Co), using exome sequencing, as well as five variants from non-exonic regions, in 70 MetS and 166 Co, using mass spectrometry. The methylation levels of 11 1F CpG sites were quantified using pyrosequencing (66 MetS and 141 Co), and the NR3C1 expression was evaluated via RT-qPCR (14 MetS and 25 Co). Age, physical activity, and family environment during childhood were associated with MetS. Susceptibility to MetS, independent of these factors, was associated with homozygosity for rs10482605*C (OR = 4.74, pcorr = 0.024) and the haplotype containing TTCGTTGATT (rs3806855*T_ rs3806854*T_rs10482605*C_rs10482614*G_rs6188*T_rs258813*T_rs33944801*G_rs34176759*A_rs17209258*T_rs6196*T, OR = 4.74, pcorr = 0.048), as well as for the CCT haplotype (rs41423247*C_ rs6877893*C_rs258763*T), OR = 6.02, pcorr = 0.030), but not to the differences in methylation or gene expression. Thus, NR3C1 polymorphisms seem to modulate the susceptibility to MetS in Mennonites, independently of lifestyle and early childhood events, and their role seems to be unrelated to DNA methylation and gene expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under what social conditions would ethnic sectarians in developed countries engage in inter-country adoption, grafting ethnically diverse children into their homogeneous contexts? In this article, we present a case study of Amish-Mennonite adoption-oriented children's homes in underdeveloped countries. As the ethnic sectarian, family-oriented, evangelical Amish-Mennonites met little success proselytizing adults, adoption-oriented children's home allowed adoptive parents to demonstrate their commitment to mission while maintaining sectarian-style control over a child's socialization. Ultimately, the children's homes were short lived, coming and going based on larger geo-political dynamics, signaling that this unusual international adoption project is internally motivated but enabled and constrained by larger institutional contexts. Although the actual percentage of inter-country adoptees to Amish-Mennonite homes is small, this case demonstrates that the right combination of values and broader political dynamics create conditions facilitating migration of children from lesser developed countries into wealthy contexts, a process cracking – even if not fully opening – Amish-Mennonite ethnic/racial homogeneity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historiography of the famine in Soviet Russia and Ukraine 1921-23. includes a large number of scholar papers covering foreign humanitarian aid to starving population in the context of the work of such large organizations as the American Relief Administration, the Nansen Committee, etc. At the same time, there are practically no articles and thesis which fully describe the assistance to the Soviet starving from individual states and national aid committees. The purpose of this article is to highlight and summarize the main aspects of the activities of the Dutch charitable and public organizations on the territory of Soviet Russia and the Ukrainian SSR during the famine of 1921-23 on the basis of documents from the Russian central and regional archives, as well as the National Archives of Sweden, whose data are first introduced into the scientific circulation. Despite the absence of diplomatic relations between Soviet Russia and the Netherlands, representatives of almost all sectors of Dutch society took part in that activities. The collected data allow us to identify four main channels for the receipt of Dutch humanitarian aid in the areas affected by crop failure:1) Pro-government and public charitable organizations (the Red Cross of the Netherlands, the Dutch branch of the International Union "Save the Children"), which provided aid to the population in Volga region, Crimea and in Ukraine. In addition to sending humanitarian supplies, the Dutch Red Cross equipped its own expedition to Samara province;2) Associations of trade unions of the Second International, which participated in the financing of an independent expedition of the "International Federation of Trade Unions" to the Chuvash Autonomous Region;3) communist trade unions and associations of the Netherlands, acting through the organization "International Workers' Aid", which took part in the restoration of the Soviet national economy, and also maintained numerous orphanages in Soviet Russia;4) Religious societies of Dutch Mennonite Protestants, which sent humanitarian aid to the places of settlement of their co-religionists, where, at the insistence of the Soviet government, they provided aid to all those in need, regardless of religion.All the activities of various Dutch organizations and individual citizens in Soviet Russia and the Ukraine showed the readiness of the population and political forces of the Netherlands to maintain close contacts and interaction between our peoples, regardless of the official relations of states and political differences.

A correction is presented to the article "Closed but Not Protected: Excess Deaths Among the Amish and Mennonites During the COVID‑19 Pandemic" published in a previous issue of the periodical.

This article is a review of the book "Toward an Anabaptist-Pentecostal Vision: Exploring Ecclesial Identities in North American Mennonite Mission with Pentecostal-Type Churches in Southern Africa" by Joseph C. L. Sawatzky. The book examines the relationship between Anabaptism and Pentecostalism, specifically focusing on Mennonite mission work with Pentecostal-type churches in southern Africa. Sawatzky argues for a "give and receive" model of cross-cultural missionary work and explores the potential for convergence between Mennonite and Pentecostal beliefs and practices. The review highlights the book's combination of biblical material, empirical evidence, and missiological discussion, and emphasizes the importance of studying Anabaptism in the context of the Global South. [Extracted from the article]

The article provides a brief history of the Accord Network, formerly known as the Association of Evangelical Relief and Development Organizations (AERDO), and its evolution since its founding in 1977. The organization changed its name in 2010 to be more inclusive and inviting to Christian organizations from different theological backgrounds. The article also summarizes the OneAccord23 conference, which focused on the theme of "Flourish" and included plenary sessions, workshops, and intensives on various topics related to Christian relief, development, and advocacy. The conference aimed to explore how to serve a Savior who cares about the wellbeing of everyone worldwide. [Extracted from the article]

Anabaptist theology is the expression and communication of theological convictions that have sustained the ordinary life of faith communities within the Anabaptist tradition of Christianity. Alongside this ordinary Anabaptist theology, a more formal, ‘academic’ version has developed since at least the eighteenth century. In this respect, this article will first address some methodological issues and then present a historical overview of Anabaptist theology, from the emergence of Anabaptism in the Reformation era to recent global developments. The article concludes with an examination of some key theological issues within the Anabaptist theological tradition, namely, the status of confessional documents, biblical interpretation, Christology, discipleship, salvation, and ecclesiology.

Fokin's primary scholarly interests include culture of religious movements in the USSR, history of Protestantism in the USSR, and Protestant culture in the USSR. In addressing patriotism and Protestantism, it should be remembered that all Protestant denominations in Russia and the countries of the former USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) are part of international Protestant organizations. The most authoritative Protestant denominations, after consolidating and fortifying interfaith ties and cooperation, are now capable of large-scale social partnership relations with state institutions, thereby making a significant contribution to the improvement of the moral atmosphere in society and the formation of high standards of business ethics and labor relations among Russian citizens.[10] The History of Western Protestantism in Russia The first Protestants appeared in Russia by the 1520s, as Protestantism spread in Europe. Under these new conditions of existence, with intensive processes of contact and interaction among various religious and cultural traditions in Russia, Protestants believe their presence poses no danger to the preservation of Russia's cultural and religious identity; to the contrary, they believe a Protestant presence can be mutually enriching and mutually beneficial for everyone. [Extracted from the article]

Climate variability in agricultural frontiers such as the subtropical zone of South America has required complex forms of human adaptation. Beginning in the 1920s, Mennonite farming in the El Chaco region of Paraguay, organized under strong communal principles rooted in religious values, has developed a food production system based on meat and dairy products that contributes significantly to Paraguayan economy but that is always subject to the vagaries of climate. This article first analyzes climate data for the period 1950 through 2016 to identify potential increases in variability in temperature and precipitation trends. Second, the article examines adaptation practices to climate variability and perceptions of climate change in the region by a variety of informants, above all Mennonite cooperatives. Although Mennonites remain skeptical about climate change of human origin, they are nonetheless implementing conservationist practices in farming that suit well the precepts of adaptation. For other collectives, though, the socioenvironmental degradation of El Chaco, for which the Mennonites are held at least in part responsible, damaging ecosystems and indigenous populations at the same time, could threaten future adaptation practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contemporary calls to “decolonize aid” have historical roots. In this article, the authors focus on Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) as a case study of how one Christian humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding agency has grappled for at least five decades with how to carry out its mission in a way that abdicates colonial power and fosters mutually transformative partnerships with churches and other organizations in the Global South. Exploring how MCC has thought about the power it wields offers insights and lessons for other international aid agencies, both Christian and non-Christian, about the complexities and opportunities involved in attempts to decolonize aid. External and internal pressures to show impact, demonstrate relevance, and ensure compliance with standardized policies and procedures have all generated tensions within MCC’s efforts to decolonize its work: other international aid agencies, the authors suggest, will encounter similar tensions as they work at decolonizing aid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decolonizing development is necessary to address the colonial legacies that contribute to injustices faced by Guatemala’s Indigenous populations. Through collaborative reflection, staff members from two non-governmental organizations (NGOs) share a case study of their ongoing processes of decolonization through 17+ years of shared relief and development work among Indigenous Tz’utujil communities in Guatemala. The authors argue that implementation of a localization model has fostered an environment of mutuality and learning in which decolonization processes could take place, effectively addressing and continuing to address colonial legacies within each organization and between these two institutions. Grounded in the practical experiences of an international NGO from the Global North and a locally rooted NGO from the Global South, this article contributes to the ongoing discussions on decolonizing development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The article offers news brief related to Prairie region. Topics discussed include cross-Canada train tour called "Memories of Migration: The Russlaender 100 Tour," which commemorates the migration of Mennonites from the Soviet Union to Canada between 1923 and 1930; the opening of a ceremonial space named "kihcihkaw askî" in Edmonton's River Valley, designed for Indigenous practices and cultural activities; Professor Sarah Carter for being appointed as a Member of the Order of Canada.

The mass resettlement of Germans, among other Russian peoples, from Russia, Germany and other European countries and the formation of a diaspora on the territory of Turkestan began in the second half of the 19th century after its conquest by the Russian Empire. Having successfully adapted to the new lands, Germans, along with other peoples, took an active part in the political, cultural and economic life of Turkestan. This article is devoted to the representatives of the German diaspora who were directly involved in the economy of Turkestan. The goal is to analyze the economic activity of the Germans in Turkestan in the second half of the 19th – early 20th centuries. In this study, both general scientific and specialized methods are used, which allowed for a consistent analysis. We have identified various areas of German entrepreneurship in the spheres of the economy of Turkestan. In particular, urban Germans were directly employed in the field of service personnel, in industrial, commercial and entrepreneurial activities; they acted both as independent merchants and as managers of firms. Rural peasants, German settlers, became one of the main driving forces of the agrarian development of the region. They became owners of farms, contributed to the development of agriculture, irrigation and animal husbandry. An analysis of the economic activities of the German diaspora in Turkestan showed that, despite their relatively small number in the region, they had a very noticeable impact on the socio-economic development of the region, which had a positive value for Turkestan. The article may be useful to scientific and practical workers, graduate students and all those who are interested in the history of the German diaspora and the development of the economy in the Turkestan period.