Facebook hired former American Civil Liberties Union executive Laura Murphy in May 2018 to assess its performance on vital social issues.

The final 100-page report said while the company has made progress on issues such as voter suppression and cracking down on hate groups, "those gains could be obscured by the vexing and heartbreaking decisions Facebook has made that represent significant setbacks for civil rights."

Here are five takeaways from the audit.

Election interference

Facebook has expanded its voter suppression policy since the audit began.

This includes banning posts about violence relating to voting, voter registration or the outcome of elections, as well as threats that voting will lead to law enforcement action (such as immigration agents arresting people, for instance). But the company needs a "stronger interpretation" of its policies against voter suppression, the audit said.

This includes prohibiting posts such as US President Donald Trump's in May that call into question the integrity of voting by mail.

Facebook's decision to leave up these posts - along with another one many saw as threatening violence against protesters - "have caused considerable alarm for the auditors and the civil rights community," the report said.

"These decisions exposed a major hole in Facebook's understanding and application of civil rights," the audit said, calling the decisions "devastating."

Organised hate

Facebook reported in May that in the first three months of 2020, it removed about 4.7 million posts connected to organised hate; an increase of more than 3 million from the end of 2019. But "while this is an impressive figure," the auditors said it's not clear if this means Facebook removed more material or there was more material from organised hate groups in the first place.

The company, the auditors said, has also not implemented their recommendation to prohibit veiled and not just explicit references to white nationalist or white separatist ideology.

The company also needs to invest more resources to address organised hate against Muslims, Jews and other targeted groups on the platform, the audit said. Continue reading

• The analysis or comments in this article do not necessarily reflect the view of CathNews.

Wilson Waguk, from the Embassy of the Federated States of Micronesia to Fiji, led the team which observed the opening polling and counting on the islands of 'Eua and Tongatapu.

The team said the election, in general, was efficiently and effectively conducted with voters free to cast their votes without intimidation or coercion.

Waguk said even though the Commission had a shorter time to prepare due to the snap elections, they still managed to deliver a free and credible election.

He said there were some minor procedural issues but he didn't believe they were deliberate or affected the results.

The Commonwealth Observer Group to Tonga also expressed satisfaction with the way the election was conducted.

However the group's head, former New Zealand cabinet minister Margaret Wilson, said there was a need for ongoing information about the electoral system.

Wilson said there was also an issue with encouraging youth to participate in the process.

"That will be an ongoing issue, as it is in a lot of other countries, so a lot of our focus was on how in fact we can support youth participation."

Two of the 15 women candidates were elected. 'Akosita Lavulavu was re-elected and she is joined by a new MP, Losaline Ma'asi.

The executive director of the Civil Society Forum of Tonga, 'Emeline Siale 'Ilolahia, said even though the total vote for women was low at 14 percent, it was an improvement on the previous election when only six percent of the vote went to women.

Source

• RNZ
• RNZ
• RNZ
• Image: ABC

The ad, released on Youtube on Friday, shows a flamboyant dancing priest leading a congregation in a sing along.

The ad accuses the Catholic Church with its "sleazy priests" of "making the world less good".

The ad also shows a Jesus figure speaking from the cross, saying "Can I get down now?"

Sex Party officials say the ad is meant to highlight the party's policy of ensuring that religious institutions are transparent and accountable in Australia.

Continue reading

He was one of 12 prelates elected at the recent 2015 synod. Pope Francis added three others to the "synod's ordinary council".

While the names of the 12 elected members had been circulating for some time, the Vatican only confirmed the composition of the council in a press release on Saturday.

Although it remains unknown when Francis might convoke the next synod, they are traditionally held every three years.

Members of the 2015 synod were also asked to submit suggestions for the theme of the next gathering, which the new council will consider before submitting several options to the Pope.

Continue reading

The meeting, with Pacific church leaders at the Samoan Independent Seventh Day Adventist Church in Mangere, was also a platform to promote National's candidate for Mangere, Misa Fia Turner.

Key says there had been a shift in support in the Labour stronghold of South Auckland.

"I can't think of a time when I've been the leader of the National Party when we would have had so many people in Mangere turn up for a National Party meeting."

"I think it just sends a very strong message that there are changes afoot in voting patterns for Pacific New Zealanders." Key said.

Key concedes National is still the Pacific underdog, but believes come September they will secure more votes from south Auckland than ever before

Gay marriage is considered to be one of the main reasons for the change.

"The values, that's important to us because that's really against our moral values ," says Misa-Fia Turner.

National's Pacific Island Affairs Minister and Maungakiekie MP Sam Lotu-Iiga admitted that unseating incumbent Mangere MP, Labour's Su'a William Sio, would be a tough ask.

I wouldn't get overly optimistic about it," Lotu-Iiga said.

Labour leader David Cunliffe insists he is still living the Pacific dream.

"We have had a wonderful day here in Manurewa," he says.

He says the turnout at his meeting in south Auckland last night proves that.
"It's great. We are having an amazing turn out, record numbers."

Source

• The New Zealand Herald
• 3News
• Image: 3News

Millenarian cults are social movements common throughout history. They proclaim for devoted believers the destructive end of one era and the dramatic coming of another more perfect world.

These movements flourish during periods of social, economic and political chaos. Visions of the Nazi new world order or the Marxist classless society are particularly tragic examples of millenarian movements.

Less well-known are the past and present "cargo cult" movements in Melanesia (i.e. Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu), in the South Pacific. They also are millenarian movements. It is claimed that specified ritual actions and bizarre practices will suddenly and spectacularly bring their adherents a life of bountiful material goods (called locally "cargo") under messianic leadership. Trust the leaders. Ancestors will come from the skies in planes and boats carrying all kinds of Western goods. The "cargo" message of the messianic leaders is: repudiate the past by dramatically destroying crops and houses as the pre-condition for the coming of the "new heaven" of prosperity. Then sit and wait for the ancestors. When the rituals fail there is great despondency, but new leaders emerge claiming that their predecessors did not have the "right rituals". So the cycle of destruction and hollow promises of impressive prosperity begin all over again.

Surely, readers will say, this cannot apply to New Zealand. After all, we are reasonable people. Think again. We have our own modern millenarian cargo cults, especially at election times. For example, the way in which healthcare reforms have been promoted in quite recent times by politicians at election times have sadly followed the "cargo cult" pattern.

Think back to the 1980s. Proposed healthcare reforms were presented in a populist style. People were enthusiastically assured that the "cargo" of better choice, more efficiency, and updated services would arrive. But there were preconditions. Previous political leaders and the wisdom of the founders of our universal healthcare had to be demonised. Politicians promised that if hospitals were conducted as businesses they would be more efficient and profitable at the same time. That is, healthcare had to be measured in money terms. So, for example, locally elected boards had to be destroyed with lightning speed.

You know the results. We voted for the "reforms". The neo-liberal reforms were introduced into the national healthcare system with incredible speed. The consequences? The promised "heaven" never materialised. Chaos in our much-loved health system intensified.

So in the 1990s local control had to be reintroduced, while the lives of thousands of people had been negatively and needlessly affected by the ideologically led reforms. In England, also, today neo-liberal "cargo-cult reform" continues to follow "reform" with breath-taking speed. In the National Health Service since the mid-1980s there has been some significant form of organizational disruption almost annually, due to policy decisions emanating from Whitehall, with the latest dramatic proposed re-structuring in 2010. Each so-called reform promises "heaven-on-earth" to citizens in the healthcare services. Present structures are speedily destroyed, previous politicians are condemned for having foolish policies. The result - rarely is there any improvement in services. In fact, chaos intensifies. The pattern is the same in Australia.

What is the lesson? Beware of politicians who promise immediate and dramatic benefits if they are elected. Beware of politicians who simplistically condemn anything good done by their opposition parties.

There is a German saying that "the wise person has a long ear and a short tongue." How true! Look for the politician who is prepared to listen, respects the dignity of human life. Do not trust the politician who offers dramatically quick benefits and has no regard for true human values of the past and the necessity of sound planning and sustained hard work. Jesus Christ so wisely warned: "Beware of false prophets who come to you disguised as sheep but underneath are ravenous wolves. You will be able to tell them by their fruits…I repeat, you will be able to tell them by their fruits" (Matt 7:15-16, 20).

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Gerald A. Arbuckle, sm, an anthropologist, is the author of Violence, Society, and the Church which further discusses the above theme.

• Image: Society of Mary NZ

In a statement being distributed to Catholic parishes throughout the country, the bishops emphasise that politics is not a private affair and that the election is an opportunity to help secure the common good.

President of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference, Archbishop John Dew of Wellington, says when we are making political choices we need to think beyond what will be "better for me" and think about what will be "better for us".

"We need to ask whether political policy options enhance our life together as a community, and most importantly, whether they protect the vulnerable," he says.

In the statement the bishops ask whether we merely consider a "shopping list" of political choices.

They suggest we can instead be dynamic and active advocates for political choices such as valuing human life, protecting the poor and vulnerable in our society, enhancing our relationships and communities, and preserving the goods of the earth.

The bishops recognise that there are many different possible policies or options which could achieve a just and fair society. They ask that people use their consciences to challenge and debate the options put forward by political parties to help ensure the outcomes of the election build the common good of all.

"We must look to the good of all members of our communities," says Archbishop Dew, "not just to our own needs and wants".

"Participation in the democratic process is important. During elections, we have the opportunity and responsibility to address the needs of all in our community".

Church leaders are challenging all political parties to acknowledge their shared responsibility to provide a just share of society's wealth and resources for all its citizens, especially the most vulnerable.

This includes adequate income for everyone, fair taxation policies, access to good health care, affordable housing, and provision for sustainable living.

The church leaders state that: "These are not privileges but part of the common heritage of humanity. Social welfare is part of a greater picture of social, economic and environmental priorities and decisions about spending. Caring for others makes us better people and strengthens our community."

The signatories to the statement: Rodney Macann, National Leader, Baptist Churches of New Zealand
Most Reverend John Dew, Catholic Archbishop of Wellington
Most Reverend David Moxon, Archbishop, Anglican Church in Aotearoa New Zealand and Polynesia
Reverend Desmond Cooper, President, Methodist Church of New Zealand
Right Reverend Peter Cheyne, Moderator, Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand
Commissioner Donald Bell, Territorial Commander, Salvation Army in New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga
Pastor Ken Harrison, General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God in New Zealand

Download and read Christian Leaders' statement

• NZCBC
• Image: Liberation

Five candidates, Chris Tremain (National), Stuart Nash (Labour), Paul Bailey (Greens), Na Raihania (Maori Party) and Robert Burnside (ACT) will be attending the meet the candidates gathering which has been organised by Inner City Churches and set to be staged at St Paul's Church in Tennyson St at 3.30pm.

"It's like a lot of young men who go through it - it eventually didn't feel like the right fit for me and I felt I could probably use some of the skills I had in a wider context, in this case outside the priesthood, so went pretty quickly into politics to make a difference that way."

Qualities developed in his training - honesty, integrity, discipline, respect for others - were assets for a political career, he said.