The Belize Barrier Reef – the world’s second largest coral reef – is removed from endangered list
The World Heritage Committee credited Belize’s safeguarding measures as the cause for the historic conservational victory.
Civil society
The Church of Scotland has voted to allow ministers to conduct same-sex marriages
The Church of Scotland has voted to draft new laws that would allow ministers to conduct same-sex marriages.
Church of Ireland to end investments in fossil fuel companies
The Church of Ireland has voted to exclude fully companies with a turnover of greater than 10 percent from fossil fuel production, by 2022.
The National Memorial for Peace and Justice, dedicated to victims of American white supremacy, opens in Montgomery, Alabama
The Memorial overlooking the Alabama State Capitol demands a reckoning with one of the nation’s least recognized atrocities: the lynching of thousands of black people in a decades-long campaign of racist terror.
The South African Federation of Trade Unions presses ahead with nationwide protest over ‘poverty-level’ minimum wage
The South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) will go ahead with its planned nationwide mass mobilisation of workers to protest against the proposed “poverty-level” national minimum wage of R20 an hour and amendments to labour laws
Church of England issues anti-plastic tips for Lent
The Church of England is urging Christians to give up single-use plastics during Lent, in a bid to cut the environmental damage it can cause.
German union wins right to 28-hour working week and 4.3% pay rise
German workers won a key victory in their fight for a better work-life balance when a big employers’ group agreed to demands from the country’s largest trade union for the introduction of a 28-hour working week.
LGBT organization creates equality index to hold power conference schools accountable
Tabbed the “Athletic Equality Index,” the organization developed the report as a way to measure power conference schools’ athletic policies and practices.
67 Indian NGOs pledge to achieve sustainable development goals by 2029
A two-day workshop concluded with a declaration by the 67 NGOs from the 13 districts of Andhra Pradesh to take up Agenda 2030 of the Poorest of the Poor in a committed manner.
Anglican church set to offer special services for transgender people
The General Synod, meeting in York, voted in favour of the move by 284 votes to 78. It was the second time in two days that it gave overwhelming support to motions seen as positive towards LGBT people, suggesting to some a significant change of mood.