2008 October « Caritas Internationalis

Archive for October, 2008

Congo Crisis

October 31, 2008

Farewell Goma
By Alexander Bühler, Caritas Germany
Goma, 17th November 2008

It is my last day in Congo. Tomorrow I will fly back from Kigali to Germany. The strongest impression which I will take home with me is the amazing friendliness of the people here. The people are nice, honest and polite, despite the madness of war. I forgot my belongings a few times - including my wallet - and every time somebody came running after me to hand back my things.

Yesterday Caritas experienced a few difficulties with the distribution of food. On the one hand side the authorities tried to prevent the allocation, on the other hand side many residents mixed with the refugees to receive food supplies as well. As it happens the residents also need assistance especially because many of them have taken in refugees and support these as well. Despite this small turmoil the Caritas employees were able to calm the situation and continue the distribution.

Also in the refugee camps of Rutshuru and Kibuma the Caritas employees conducted a large distribution of food: 20 rations for about 60.000 and 43.000 people in total. Today it is the turn of Mugunga I and II as well as the neighbourhood camp Bulengo. About 1,300 tons of beans, flour, oil and salt are distributed here. Just enough to survive. The provisions from the UN World Food Programme (WFP) will last at the most until January.

Swimming in Goma
By Alexander Bühler, Caritas Germany
Goma, 16 November 2008

As strange as it may sound, early this morning I swam in the Kivu Lake. Despite swimming amid the chaos and flashes of war, it was basically like normal everyday life. On the street, dressed up beauties walked by on one side while heavily armed soldiers with machine guns and grenade throwers stood on the other.

Yesterday, Caritas colleagues supplied food to those refugees who up till now had received nothing. The government has prohibited relief organisations to distribute food that is not yet registered. Caritas has now simply defied these instructions because the refugees need urgent assistance. A school which held 2,000 people just two weeks previously, now holds 4,500. On the weekend they can stay in the school throughout the day whereas during the week they must leave the school grounds before the lessons begin.

Land for the future
By Alexander Bühler, Caritas Germany
(Part 10 - scroll down for other parts)

Goma, 14 November 2008

Today I am visiting the Don Bosco Centre for Children. Only women and children are sheltered in the compound area. There are around 1,500 people here but over 400 more have arrived over the last four days. There are countless more refugees outside the compound. The women and children now occupy the whole sports field in the Centre. Caritas distributed food, blankets and plastic tarpaulins in collaboration with WFP and around 4,500 people receive food daily.

Approximately 800 refugees sleep, eat and live in a large hall with an offset roof which stands around 8m high. In the free space under the roof people have put up plastic tarpaulins to protect themselves from the cold and windy nights. However, one of the negative side effects is the stale air which robs you of your breath. The noise inside is deafening and the atmosphere depressing. There is no employment at all for the refugees. They sit for hours talking and talking, women are changing babies’ nappies or standing in the queue when food is being distributed. There isn’t more to do in a refugee camp.

On the way back with Roger, my motorcycle taxi driver, we see a strange scene: on a black field of volcanic rock which was created by a large eruption in 2002, the residents of the area mark their claims to the land with small piles of stones. The catastrophe destroyed a third of the city and now the people are trying to secure some land for the future.

Seeking protection
By Alexander Bühler, Caritas Germany
(Part 9 - scroll down for other parts)

Goma, 13 November 2008

In North Kivu, the size of the military and political ‘black hole’ vacuum spreads out. No one can say how much people endure there.

In this desolate situation, the relief organisations try as much as possible to bring supplies to the refugees. Caritas Goma accompanied an aid convoy to Rutshuru to distribute food and then went on to a further four refugee camps.

Today, in torrential rain, I visited the Don Bosco Centre for Children, which is supplied by Caritas Goma. The former child soldiers that fled from the north three days earlier are also accommodated here. The Don Bosco Centre is the most secure place here. Hundreds of refugees gather around such comparatively well protected centres in the hope that the protection radiates through the walls.

Violence everywhere
By Alexander Bühler, Caritas Germany
(Part 8 - scroll down for other parts)

Goma, 12 November 2008

After the attack in Kanyabayonga, MONUC units and government commanders were deployed to the area to defuse the situation. Several of the inhabitants of Kanyabayonga are hesitant to return to the villages. Others wait for the chance to be evacuated from the danger zone. In the meantime, the former child soldiers have arrived here in Goma.

I have spoken with a twelve-year-old boy who told me about his time as a child soldier. The children learnt to shoot machine guns and grenade launchers. Those who didn’t adapt or fit in were shot. The children were forced to watch executions or worse, to fire the guns themselves.

Violence is everywhere. The long and bloody history in this region of the Congo has wounded the society deeply. Violence against women is a problem of extreme magnitude. It is not only the brutal militia committing rape and torture. The Caritas team in Goma reported 39 cases of rape in one day. Ten of these were committed in the refugee camp Mugunga. In the refugee camp Kibati, rape can be prevented as other refugees can help women in time.

Former child soldiers flee in fear
By Alexander Bühler, Caritas Germany
(Part 7 - scroll down for other parts)

Goma, 11 November 2008
Yesterday, marauding soldiers raided the Caritas Centre for former child soldiers in Kanyabayonga during a random attack. Kanyabayonga lies in the north from Kivu, a distance of about 150 km from Goma.

The soldiers targeted several villages in their raid which included the attack on the centre. Four Caritas staff were assaulted. The children fled in fear while the soldiers chased and tormented them in their escape. It is only with luck that no children were injured or kidnapped. The soldiers pilfered all food, blankets and mattresses from the Caritas Centre. The children were clearly frightened and agitated on their return to the centre that evening. The staff of Caritas Goma have taken the children to Goma and are seeking accommodation in the Don Bosco children’s home.

There is fierce conflict today in the surrounding areas of Goma. Heavy artillery combat is underway behind the Caritas-supplied refugee camp Kibati. We still have no idea how many victims have been claimed by the fighting so far.

There are reports of heavy fighting in Masisi (northwest from Goma) and in the north from Rutshuru, in Kiwanja. People are being forced to flee from places they once fled to. In Kiwanja, only 1,000 families remain from a refugee camp since the fighting began yesterday. The people in the middle of the conflict zone are cut off from any aid or relief. Today, Caritas Goma is attempting to bring an aid convoy to the refugee camps.

Life in the camps
Part 6 (Read parts below)
Goma, 10 November 2008

Caritas food distribution in a camp near Goma. Copyright: Caritas Congo

Rumours that the Congolese Army may launch an offensive against Nkunda’s Tutsi rebels tomorrow or the following day is causing tension. If the rumours are true we foreign staff will once again be evacuated to Rwanda.

Today, I was with a German television crew in a refugee camp here in the city. One week ago there were 2,500 in the camp and now the number has grown to 4,500. They have been sleeping in a school where they share a mere 28 latrines; One per 160 people. By day, lessons take place here as usual and in the evening the refugees stream in to spend the night. The refugees spend their days wandering through the city scrounging for something to eat.

The government has forbidden the supply of camps inside Goma. It is clear that the refugees are not welcome to stay here. On the other hand, it could be a method to prevent the impoverished population of Goma becoming dependent of relief supplies. Nevertheless, the staff of Caritas Goma endeavours to bring aid in to the city in any way possible.

In Kibati and the other refugee camps in the surrounding countryside, Caritas Goma has been distributing further supplies of food, blankets and plastic tarpaulins with the help of around 100 people.

Evacuated for one day
Part 5 (Read parts 1, 2, 3 & 4)
By Alexander Bühler, Caritas Germany

Goma, 9 November 2008

On Friday, the UN’s humanitarian officer, OCHA; arranged the evacuation of all international aid staff from the conflict zone. The Director of Caritas Goma brought me by jeep over the border to Rwanda, along with staff from an English member of Caritas (CAFOD). The drive over the border took just 10 minutes but is far enough to be outside the immediate danger area.

OCHA recommended the evacuation after violent combat erupted in Kibati between the Congolese Army and Nkunda’s Tutsi rebels. United Nations representatives feared that army soldiers would attack civilians and loot the city during withdrawal through Goma. Fortunately, the MONUC peacekeepers safeguarded the city from this very real threat.

The conflict is becoming more complex. Of the troops involved in these combats, 50 military observers and 200 soldiers from Angola were fighting on the side of the Congolese army. There is danger that the war will attract further international participation and that the whole central Africa region could explode in conflict.

Goma, 7 November 2008

Today, a Caritas support convoy should have set off for the refugee camp Rutshuru but the trip was called off due to the worsening security situation. The staff are frustrated. Yesterday, the militia attacked a village near Rutshuru and reportedly killed civilians.

Another terrible incident occurred in the refugee camp Kibate which lies within the imemdiate area of a Nkunda rebels post. Panic broke out as the militia opened fire on a passing aeroplane. Masses of people ran harum-scarum fearing for their lives.

There are always new refugee pathways with endless amounts of displace people in search of safety. Stories of attack, rape, murder and looting are commonplace.

It cannot often be determined who is fighting against whom or which of the marauding gangs is responsible for an attack. The Mai-Mai militia, for example, are civilians by day and by night form a kind of militia group to fight Nkunda’s rebels.

One thing is clear: the refugees are suffering and hungry. Provisions are constantly decreasing and that affects everyone including us here at Caritas Goma.

Translation by Olivia Simmons

A humanitarian disaster looms

Food running out in the refugee camps in eastern Congo
Part 4 (Read parts 1, 2 & 3)
By Alexander Bühler, Caritas Germany

Read “Precarious lives in Congo’s camps” below
By Guy-Marin Kamandji

People uprooted by violence in eastern Congo. Copyright: Caritas/Alexander Buehler

Midday at camp Mugunga 1. Masses of refugees stand around the square as Caritas staff and representatives from the UN distribute food. For hours on end, a volunteer calls out the names of the lucky ones over the megaphone. They are registered on the camp list and are now entitled to collect their rations. A few minutes earlier, 32-year-old Rwendo Kasao was called. Now she is standing in a queue for her ration of corn flour.

The sun has been beating down on the young mother for a few hours now. She has her 2-year-old, Munihire on her back and beads of sweat running down her face. Officially, it is the rainy season but the clouds are yet to be seen this morning. It is only in the afternoon that the torrential rains begin.

For one year, Rwendo Kasao has called Mugunga camp her home. She lives together with her husband and two children in a dwelling for which the name ‘hovel’ would be an overstatement. It is merely a frame of sticks and branches with a plastic tarpaulin flung over the top.

In this glorified tent she sleeps, eats and cooks with her entire family in a space which is approximately 1.7m high, 3m long and 2m wide.

Despite these conditions, Kasao thinks of herself as lucky because she, like 26,269 other refugees here in camp Mugunga 1, is a registered refugee and is entitled to ten days rations; 50g salt, 1/3l cooking oil, 1.2k beans and 4k flour, per family member. The refugees were last counted in mid-October and nobody knows how many have arrived since the fighting in the last week and days. The official policy is maintained, if you are not registered, you receive nothing.

The population of many refugee camps has exploded. In the camp Kibati 1 the number of refugees rose from 5,517 to 65,900 and in Kibati II from 597 to 135,022. On Monday, the UN Security Forces estimated that by now, 1.25 million people have escaped to the region of north Kivu, an area the size of France. Approximately 20,000 refugees live in the city of Goma in abandoned buildings. Two thousand of them are children who fled without parents and are therefore less able to find supplies.

Caritas attempts to distribute medicine and food to these refugees who are not yet registered and therefore cannot receive rations through official means. During the day, people wander the streets of Goma and trying to scrounge up some food. In the night they must sleep on a plastic sheet in crowded spaces. Sometimes there are 200 refugees cramped together in a 40m² space.

Children march for days with those fleeing their villages for the city. There are thoroughly exhausted, hungry and suffering diarrhoea, meningitis and other illnesses.

The numbers which would paint a more accurate picture of the misery are missing. Food is coming through too slowly. Of the two supply routes, one is across Uganda and the other is blocked because of the fighting. The existing supplies will not last for long. A humanitarian disaster looms.

Translation by Olivia Simmons

A Wave of fear in Goma
Alexander Bühler, Caritas Germany
Part 3 (Read parts 1 & 2 below)

Goma, November 5, 2008

The situation is devastating. No one can definitely say how many people in total have fled their homes because of violence but it is clearly over 1 million.

Today, violent conflict erupted between the militia and government forces in the region of Rutshuru. The road to the refugee camp Mugunga was not directly affected so I could go there by car.

Last week, the camp was looted by government troops. The soldiers had emptied out the entire supply store, taking with them tarpaulins, blankets and food. Fresh supplies have arrived in the meantime, but had been running out. People were hungry and malnourished andso susceptible to illness. Cholera has already claimed its first life. The immediate importance is food.

The new arrivals in the camp will be registered weekly and only those who are registered receive assistance. There are simply too many to process at one time. the receive a tarpaulin, with which one can build a 3m² shelter, and a food ration. The ration per person for ten days is 50g salt, 330ml oil, 1.2kg beans and 4kg flour. Drinking water is guaranteed.

Goma, November 4, 2008
Part 2

The city is gripped by an incredibly tense atmosphere today. The rebel militia of theGeneral Nkunda can march in at any time and take over the city of Goma. While more and more UN peacekeeping forces are being flown in, the rebels still remain strong. With each helicopter that passes overhead a wave of fear sweeps the city.

The refugee situation in the city is worse than in the outlying areas. People are scattered all around in makeshift camps and buildings are hopelessly overcrowded. In the school buildings where people are seeking refuge, there is a mere one latrine per 1000 people.

As soon as it is possible, I will set off to the refugee camp of Mugunga. I was last there in March accompanying a delivery of food from Caritas Goma. At that time, I was struck by the incredible calm and composure of the refugees. They had such patience standing in the endless queues waiting to receive stamps and rations of food.

The camp is on a bed of volcanic rock, the ground is black and the sharp stones pierced their bare feet. The majority of refugees sleep on the ground with only a thin blanket to cover themselves. Despite the difficulties, they have built tents from sticks and sheets of plastic, thatched mattresses and they do what they can to provide for themselves.

I am very anxious to see what awaits us all tomorrow. The numbers in the refugee camps are multiplying rapidly. Camp Kibati I has grown from 5,500 refugees in June to 65,000 today. In Kibati II numbers have jumped from 597 to 135,000 over the same time period.

Again, the most desperate need in these camps is food. The food supplies from Uganda are blocked and the only relief aid arriving at the moment is from Tansania over Bukavu. Isolated convoys on this path run the risk of attack. Assistance needs to be flown in but a lack of money prevents this.

The flow of refugees is constant. Long lines of refugees stream in three directions; to the northwest, the northeast and south toward Bukavu. Caritas Butembo has attempted to create a route to provide supplies for the refugees.

Goma November 2, 2008
Part 1

Altogether, there are 1.6 million refugees in eastern Congo. Roughly 150,000 to 250,000 remain around Goma and in the city itself there are several thousands. Those still living here are completely vulnerable as a regular route to bring supplies into Goma is not available.

Today, I have seen three of the many refugee camps; including one orphanage with 800 refugees and a compound from two parishes, where between 1000 and 1500 refugees live. The hungry and weak refugees had fled here with only the clothes on their back.

The situation is dreadful; there is no supply of medicine, 800 people share one water tap, the latrines are overflowing and hygiene is virtually nonexistent.

There is only enough food for four days in the compound. It isn’t clear whether humanitarian aid will reach here in time. The scarcity of food is causing a dramatic hike in prices. The cost of one bag of peas increased from US $60 to US $100. Two tankers of water, the required amount to supply 800 refugees, costs US $500.

Some 200 people are crowded together in one 40m² refugee camp. There are scores of children in the camps and new babies are being born daily. The rainy season is cold with the temperature currently at 13 degrees. Illness such as respiratory disease, diarrhoea, fever and meningitis are spreading. In one camp in Kibati, 17 people have died in the past three days and Goma has reported its first cases of Cholera.

The 40 staff of Caritas Goma are currently working to organise additional accommodation to shelter the refugees. Essential relief cannot be given due to the lack of humanitarian aid, water, food and medical supplies. The Caritas staff are taking action but are clearly traumatised by the violence.

There is an imminent danger that the city will be taken by Nkunda’s forces.

Precarious lives in Congo’s camps
By Guy-Marin Kamandji
Head of Communications at Caritas Congo

Guy-Marin Kamandji helps a widow at a camp near Goma in June 2008

The difficulties that the international community have experienced in delivering emergency aid to two million displaced people in North Kivu, have reminded me of how precarious life is in Congo’s camps.

I still can’t forget the misery and suffering that I saw in June 2008 in the camp of Nzulo, about 20 kilometres from Goma.

As the head of communications for Caritas Congo, I had to cover, along with my colleagues from Secours Catholiques/Caritas France, the distribution of supplies to 2,450 families uprooted by violence. The food we distributed came from the World Food Programme.

What shocked me initially was the distress of the people who weren’t registered and wouldn’t receive a monthly ration as a result. I tried to appeal to the people in charge of the operation but it didn’t help. The lists were already made up and the tokens to receive the food given out.

However, it wasn’t just food they needed. These people who were homeless needed water and wood so they could cook their food rations, which consisted of maize, beans, vegetable oil and salt. Lake Kivu and the Virunga national park were within their reach. They would have to go down on to Lake Kivu, two hundred metres from the camp, for water.

“Twelve people died from using this water, 500 metres away from the camp. After that, the nurse gave us water purifying tablets,” the president of the displaced committee told me at the time.

Getting wood wasn’t much safer as it meant a four hour walk to go and look for dead shrubs in Virunga national park.

“But there are always armed men lying in wait, ready to rape the women who go there. There’ve been so many rapes that we’ve lost count,” said one woman.

I found the story of a widow in her sixties who had an injured leg and lived with her six-year-old grand-daughter particularly upsetting.

She had accidentally set on fire the flimsy hut that other homeless people had built for her. She had lost all her meagre possessions in the fire.

“I don’t even know how I’ll be able to cook the rations they gave me,” she told me as she cried.

Deeply saddened by this story, when I got back that evening I decided to use the US$100 I’d got for my assignment expenses in North Kivu to give what little help I could to the woman.

The day after, I paid US$30 to rent a taxi bike so I could go to Goma’s main market and buy her the basic necessities: two cooking pots, two plates, three glasses, a blanket, a pair of sandals for her grand-daughter, a big mat and I paid five dollars so she could cover her house with straw and shelter from the winds coming in off the lake.

I spent all my money and didn’t even have enough to get to the airport. In the end, I managed to get a lift with a Caritas colleague so I could get home to Kinshasa.

By Caritas Congo Staff

Many people are arriving in the towns exhausted by hunger and that they’ve walked many miles to escape the violence. Vehicles are rare.

Caritas is continuing to work, carrying out identification of people who’ve moved and evaluating their needs so that it can scale up the response.

In some areas, such as Goma it has been completed, where in Butembo-Beni a lack of phone lines over the last three days has made things difficult.

Secretary General of Caritas Congo Dr Bruno Miteyo has called for supporters of Caritas to pray that peace returns.

Dr Miteyo also welcomes letters of solidarity that Caritas Congo can share with their staff in the area. Address the letters to Caritas Congo, B.P. 3258, Kinshasa-Gombe, Democratic Republic of Congo

And Caritas Congo has also called for financial resources in order to assist the vulnerable victims of the atrocities.

Download our prayer card for peace in Congo (English, French)

Evacuated for one day
By Alexander Bühler, Caritas Germany
Goma, 9 November 2008

A Caritas food distribution outside Goma

Tags:congo, displaced, emergency
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Presidents past and present

October 31, 2008

Caritas Presidents past and present

Caritas Internationalis President Number 11 Cardinal Oscar Rodríguez and President No 6 Msgr Georg Hussler had a warm meeting in Austria this week. The Cardinal was visiting Caritas European members in Austria this week. Msgr Hussler was president from 1975-1983.

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Global Forum on Migration and Development 3

October 29, 2008

The Global Forum on Migration and Development was officially opened on Monday 27 October in Manila with 200 delegates and about 30 observers from civil society, academia and business.

Regional exchanges and thematic workshops were part of the agenda, in order to prepare recommendations for the Governmental Forum, which would take place two days later in the same venue.

Here are some of the impressions members of the Caritas Internationalis delegation.

Kamal Sioufi, President of the Board Committee of Caritas Lebanon Migrant Centre

I believe that the exchange of information and communication is a very fruitful process, and sharing experiences related to the problems of migrants is interesting.

In this Forum, many problems were raised and but few solutions. The aim was to set practical recommendations which should be followed up in order to protect in a migrants dignity and human rights.

The problems highlighted in the Forum are found in many countries: lack of respect of human rights, lack of freedom, and trafficking.

The solutions should be developed on amended international laws and conventions. NGO’s could have their role to play in this.

I want this Forum to identify emerging problems with which migrants are confronted and will propose adequate solutions according to a time schedule which will be updated during evaluation.

Peter Verhaeghe, Migration officer of Caritas Europa

Caritas Europa was able to bring some of the issues and recommendations from our Migration Forum in September 2007 into the debate. The roundtable session on fostering opportunities for legal migration in particular was an excellent opportunity to express our concerns to the concept of “circular migration”, which is too often seen as a creating international workers with a limited set of labour rights related to social protection. We hope that our concerns will find their way into the intergovernmental debate on migration and development.

Martina Liebsch of Caritas Internationalis

It was a long list the chair of the Forum had to deal with at the end. I’ll just try to flag three issues, which had a prominent place in the discussions and found their way into the report presented to the governments.

1. The need for migration policies based on a human rights framework.
2. The demand repeated over and over again to ratify the relevant Conventions (Migrant Worker Convention and ILO Conventions).
3. Finally the issue of feminisation of migration and related issues like human trafficking and gender dimension of migration.

The ultimate goal should be migration out of choice. The upcoming notion of temporary migrants was broadly criticised, as little or no social rights are attached to it.

But it was not a Forum on Migration and Development yet, as experts and people from the development working field were almost absent, apart from diasporas organisations that engage in promoting the development of their countries of origin. It was more a Global Migration Forum.

Not even the compliance with the achievement of the MDG’s was an issue. I brought up the MDGs, as well as the idea about more concrete measurable targets, in order to assess progress during the next Forum. Many could agree on that. Yet, I’m not sure if it is found its way into the report delivered to the government.

Participation of civil society in policy dialogue and how to structure a future Global Forum were a topic for discussion. There was a broad consensus that the Forum should be brought back under the UN to make it more accountable. A true dialogue with the governments should be given space in the Forum and not just an exchange of declarations at the so-called interface session.

This session with representatives of the governments started with a kind of reality shock. The Secretary of State of the Philippines, in charge of chairing the governmental meeting, highlighted that the aims of civil society presented are too ambitious and long term. The governments would be looking at concrete problems and would expect civil society to highlight these problems and work on pragmatic solutions.

Moreover he highlighted that the government representatives attending the interface session were there on their personal capacity and not representing their governments.

It was a great opportunity to make contacts and many people, especially from the research area were interested in the work of Caritas. Something to build on for the further development of our work. It was also an opportunity for networking. Like for our colleague from Ghana, who met people from her and other African countries for the first time. There was an initial agreement that the work in West Africa should be better interconnected.

But at the end also a feeling of anger about the lack of transparency emerged.

A delegation out of the delegates of the civil society conference was set up to participate in a part of the Governmental meeting. Who were these delegates was never made public and even we among the faith based organisation only learned in the last minute who would represent the churches and faith based organisations.

There was also the feeling that all the good recommendations were presented in a kind of show-format during the interface session, which did not really help to make our point. So there are a lot of lessons to be learned about better coordination and cooperation and preparation.

Regional meetings prior to the next Forum, which will be hosted by Greece, could be a way forward.
Some of the representatives of the faith based organisations met for a debriefing after the end of the conference. We should use our networks to get better prepared for the next Forum.

A last word about Manila and the people there, all those who assisted us, in the venue and in the hotel. A big lesson to be learned about being friendly and helpful!

Tags:Add new tag, Migration and Trafficking
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Caritas President in Austria

October 29, 2008

The Cardinal with Franz Kueberl, President of Caritas Austria and a young girl giving him a present

The Cardinal with Franz Kueberl, President of Caritas Austria and a young campaigner giving him a present

Cardinal Oscar Rodríguez Maradiaga told European Caritas delegates at a meeting in the Austria on 27 October that he feared rich countries would use the economic crisis to backtrack on aid pledges.

The Caritas Internationalis President said that promises made by rich countries to spend 0.7 percent of their annual budgets on development in poor countries had not been delivered.

Cardinal Rodríguez said that the globalised world is a divided one, with the rich making substantial profits and while many of the poor don’t receive the benefits.

He said it is the effort of the Catholic Church and civil society to create a globalization of solidarity to counter this situation.

He urged for “Global Marshal Plan” that included a fair distribution of goods so that nobody is excluded.

The meeting was hosted by Caritas Austria and included participants from many European Caritas members.

In the evening, Cardinal Rodríguez received the internationally distinguished Vickor Frankl prize for his work on psychotherapy at an event in Vienna.

Earlier in the week, the Vatican announced that Cardinal Rodríguez had been appointed on the council to prepare for the next Synod of Bishops.

Tags:Add new tag, Cardinal Rodriguez
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Global Forum on Migration and Development

October 27, 2008

The travel from Rome to Manila for the Global Forum provided good research on migration.

From Rome, Filipinos, Sri Lankans were the passengers. The man sitting next to me, a Filipino, was on his way back to the Philippines after a holiday at his mother’s. He was going back to see his wife and little child, then to move to Qatar to work in the oil refineries. I asked him how family life was and he shrugged in a way of saying that is the way it is.

Happy with his work? Yes. Compared to rather sedentary Europeans, Filipinos seem to be a mobile community. And they have a system in place to govern migration. Licensed and controlled recruitment agencies, pre-departure training, labour attachés in many of the embassies in the country of origin to follow up complaints, a welfare programme which provides overseas Filipino workers among with a death and disability insurance cover, social work assistance, legal assistance, remittance services and repatriation of workers in case of war, epidemics, disasters and calamities and reintegration services for those who return. Every departing documented worker pays US$ 25 to a fund, which finances these services.

More than one million workers went through the system in 2007 according to the information provided in one of the Manila conference papers: “Protecting Migrant Workers” by Patricia A. St. Thomas (other interesting papers can be found on the Website of the Forum http://www.gfmd2008.org).

If the day to day practice live up to that, we will be able to verify that with a visit to the Episcopal Conference on the Care of Migrant Workers later on. However, in the above mentioned paper the problems are also mentioned. Some migrants still look for recruitment outside the official system, as they find the process cumbersome and the lack of regulations and protection mechanisms in the receiving countries.

Once I’d arrived, the welcome reception for the Civil Society Days was a good occasion to meet old and new friends and start the networking around the issue.

All our delegates had safely arrived and a highlight was the meeting with Caritas Philippines and its Vice-chair Bishop Danildo Gutierrez, which gave an insight in the problems of the country and his very down to the earth advocacy.

All in all the conference started with an energizing kick off.

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Global Forum on Migration and Development in Manila

October 23, 2008

Caritas Internationalis will be present at the Global Forum on Migration and Development in Manila, Philippines from 26-29 October 2008.

A Caritas Internationalis delegation made up of Philomena Johnson, representing Caritas Africa, Kamal Sioufi, representing Caritas Middle East and North Africa (MONA), Peter Verhaeghe, representing Caritas Europa and Martina Liebsch, the Cartitas Internationalis Advocacy Coordinator on Migration and Trafficking, who will lead the delegation.

They will meet with around 200 delegates during the Civil Society days. At the end of the Civil Society days, a meeting between Civil Society and Governments will take place.

Read our press release and statement in English, French and Spanish here

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Caritas Photo of the Year

October 22, 2008

Read this in Spanish or in French

As Christmas approaches, we’d like your help. We’re designing a Christmas card for Caritas. This year we’d like to try something different.

As we all know, there are many talented photographers among Caritas staff. What we’d like to do is request all Caritas member organizations send to me Nicholson@caritas.va their best photographs of 2008 that relate to the work of Caritas.

It was tumultuous year, with violence flaring in Kenya, a crisis in food prices, good news on HIV infection rates, conflict deepening in Afghanistan, Zimbabwe on the brink, devastation in Myanmar, floods and storms in the Caribbean and South Asia, economic turmoil, and the daily struggle of millions of people without access to clean water, education, or healthcare. We want your photo to capture what Caritas means and stands for.

If each member organization can send us their best photographs or encourage staff too, we’ll ask our President Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez to select his favourite, which we’ll then use for our card. The Christmas cards get sent widely around the world and throughout the Vatican.

We’ll name it as Caritas “Photo of the Year” on our website and in our annual report. Photos which don’t get used will be put on the website in a gallery and be downloadable (password protected) by Caritas members only. The photos will be available for use across the network for annual reports and communications materials and websites.

To qualify.

The Caritas member organization must hold the copyright of the photo or the permission of the photographer
The photo can be of a person or a place or a detail. It can be of anything anywhere, as long as the photograph represents the spirit of Caritas in some way
The photograph must have been taken in 2008
The photograph must be a high resolution image
The photograph must be on email
The photograph must have been taken by a Caritas staff member, volunteer, beneficiary, supporter or freelancer working for Caritas Photographs by professional photographers are eligible if the member organization holds the copyright or has their permission
The accompanying email must include the name of the photographer if known, the credit, where and when the photo was taken, and what the picture describes
If the photograph is a portrait, the name of the person can be included in the caption if appropriate. Use common sense though. A child’s full name is probably not appropriate.
The photograph must respect the human rights and dignity of the people portrayed in them. These are tips from Reuters.

Closing date: November 5th

Mientras se acerca la Navidad, les pedimos s ayuda a todos ustedes. Estamos diseñando la tarjeta de Navidad de Caritas para este año y nos gustaría probar algo diferente.

Como todos sabemos, hay muchos buenos fotógrafos entre el personal de Caritas. Nos gustaría pedir a todas las organizaciones miembros de Caritas que me envíen, a: nicholson@caritas.va , sus mejores fotos de 2008, relacionadas con el trabajo de Caritas.

Fue un año turbulento, con los brotes de violencia en Kenia, la crisis de precios de los alimentos, la buena noticia de la disminución del índice de contagios del VIH, la intensificación del conflicto en Afganistánn, Zimbabue que estuvo al borde del precipicio, la devastación de Myanmar, las inundaciones y temporales enel Caribe y el sur de Asia,la confusion económica y la lucha cotidiana de millones de personas que no tienen acceso a agua limpia, ni a la enseñanza o la asistencia sanitaria. Queremos que su foto reproduzca lo que significa y lo que defiende Caritas.

Cada una de las OM nos debe envía sus mejores fotos y animar a su personal a hacerlo también. Luego le pediremos a nuestro Presidente, el Cardenal Rodríguez Maradiaga, que elija la que le guste más. Nosotros la usaremos luego para felicitar la Navidad.a todos, en todo mundo, y a los dicasterios vaticanos.

La denominaremos “Foto del año de Caritas “, figurará en nuestro sitio web.y en nuestro informe anual. Las otras fotos que no utilizaremos figurarán en una galería de nuestro sitio web, y sólo los miembros de Caritas podrán bajarlas (protegidas por contraseña). Las fotos estarán a disposición de toda la red Caritas, para que las utilicen en sus informes anuales, material de comunicaciones y sitios web.

Requisitos:

La organización miembro de Caritas debe tener los derechos de reproducción de la foto o el permiso del fotógrafo.
En la foto puede figurar una persona, un lugar o un detalle. Puede ser de cualquier cosa, cualquier parte o detalle, con la condición de el fotógrafo represente el espíritu de Caritas de alguna manera
La foto tiene que haber sido tomada en 2008.
La foto debe ser una imagen en alta resolución.
La foto debe ser enviada por correo electrónico.
La debe haber sido sacada por un miembro del personal de Caritas, voluntario, beneficiario, simpatizante o autónomo que trabaje para fotógrafos de Caritas. Las fotos de fotógrafos profesionales sólo pueden participar si la organización miembro tiene los derechos de reproducción o cuenta con el permiso para publicarlas.
En el mensaje electrónico debe figurar: el nombre del fotógtrafo, si lo saben, el reconocimiento del autor, dónde y cuándo fue sacada la imagen y lo que describe la misma.
Si la foto es un retrato, el nombre de la persona en la foto puede figurar en la imagen, si es pertinente. Use su sentido común. Probablemente, no es apropiado dar el nombre completo de un niño o una niña.
La foto debe respetar los derechos humanos y la dignidad de las personas que figuran en la misma. Aquí tienen algunos consejos prácticos de Reuters

El plazo para enviar las fotos termina el 5 de noviembre de 2008.

Noël approche et nous souhaiterions avoir votre aide. Nous préparons la carte de Noël pour Caritas et, cette année, nous voudrions essayer quelque chose de nouveau.

Comme nous le savons tous, parmi les membres de Caritas figurent de nombreux photographes talentueux. Nous voudrions donc demander à toutes les Caritas membres d’envoyer à mon adresse Nicholson@caritas.va leurs meilleures photos de 2008 représentant le travail de Caritas.

Cette année a été tumultueuse : les violences qui ont éclaté au Kenya, la crise des prix alimentaires, les bonnes nouvelles sur les taux d’infection à VIH, l’aggravement du conflit en Afghanistan, le Zimbabwe au bord du gouffre, la dévastation au Myanmar, les inondations et les tempêtes aux Caraïbes et en Asie du Sud, les turbulences économiques, et la lutte quotidienne de millions de personnes qui n’ont pas accès à l’eau propre, à l’éducation ou aux soins de santé. Nous vous demandons une photo qui exprime ce que Caritas signifie et ce qu’elle représente.

Si chaque organisation membre pouvait nous envoyer ses meilleures photos ou encourager son personnel à le faire, nous pourrions ensuite demander à notre Président le Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez de choisir celle qu’il préfère, et l’utiliser pour notre carte. Les cartes de Noël sont envoyées partout dans le monde et au Vatican.

Elle sera nommée “Photo de l’année” de Caritas sur notre site web et dans notre rapport annuel. Les photos qui ne seront pas utilisées seront affichées dans une galerie photos sur le site web ; seuls les membres Caritas pourront les télécharger (avec mot de passe). Les photos pourront être utilisées dans tout le réseau pour les rapports annuels, le matériel de communication ou les sites web.

Conditions requises :

L’organisation membre de Caritas doit avoir les droits de la photo ou avoir l’autorisation du photographe
La photo peut représenter une personne, un lieu ou un détail, et avoir été prise dans n’importe quel lieu, pourvu qu’elle représente d’une manière ou d’une autre l’esprit de Caritas
La photo doit avoir été prise en 2008
La photo doit être une image à haute résolution
La photo doit être envoyée par courriel
La photo doit avoir été prise par un membre du personnel de Caritas, un bénévole, un bénéficiaire, un donateur ou un freelance qui travaille pour Caritas. Les photographies de photographes professionnels ne pourront être présentées que si l’organisation membre en a les droits ou une autorisation
Dans le message par courriel, vous devez indiquer le nom du photographe, si vous le connaissez, qui a les droits de la photo, quand et où elle a été prise, et ce qu’elle décrit
Si la photographie est un portrait, le nom de la personne peut être indiqué dans la légende, s’il est opportun. Fiez-vous à votre bon sens : il n’est pas opportun de mettre nom et prénom d’un enfant.
La photographie doit respecter les droits de l’homme et la dignité des personnes qui y sont représentées. Ce sont des conseils de Reuters.

Date limite: 5 novembre

Posted in Caritas news | No Comments »

MDGs: One world, One storm

October 16, 2008

Discussing poverty at the UN
By Caritas President - Cardinal Óscar Rodríguez Maradiaga
(Spanish, French)

Cardinal Rodriguez interviewed at the UN high level poverty meeting

Bad weather delayed my journey from Honduras to New York. I suppose it’s no surprise considering the hurricanes that swept over the Caribbean recently, devastating parts of Haiti and bringing the threat of another Katrina to New Orleans.

It seems appropriate that I was going to a Millennium Development Goal (MDGs) meeting at the UN to speak on climate change - something which affects us all, but some more than others.

Extreme weather events are becoming a fact of life, but my work with Caritas Internationalis has shown me that what may mean a late plane or ruined holidays for some people, means rebuilding lives from the beginning for others who are living in poorer countries.

For me, speaking at the MDG meeting as one of the few civil society leaders was a privilege because I could help the voices of these people be heard.

They are people who lose everything because of the whims of the weather, but don’t have the power to adapt their lives so it doesn’t happen again and again.

As I said in my speech at the UN, the MDGs are a catalyst for action and a way of measuring governments’ promises against what they actually do.

We may be at the halfway mark and good progress has been made in some areas, but some countries aren’t halfway there in achieving the targets.

Poverty reduction isn’t working and the global food and fuel crises mean that ever more people are getting poorer.

Caritas wants to ensure that those who are being left behind catch up before 2015. Our work encompasses all of the goals, from ending hunger and poverty to building people’s capacity to face the devastating effects of climate change and to backing a global partnership for development.

We’re taking a long hard look at ourselves to make sure that what we do is more effective in helping the development of these countries left behind.

But Caritas and other aid agencies can’t work effectively without the political will to put the brutal inequalities between rich and poor countries to the top of the global agenda.

As I was walking among the skyscrapers of Manhattan following the UN poverty meeting I couldn’t help thinking about a cruel irony. While we were discussing pledging enough money to give the poor of the world the minimum standards of living, in the course of those same few days the US Government was discussing paying US$750 billion to bail out the US financial sector and mitigate the “financial storm” that had brewed in America.

Thousands of children are dying every day because of lack of food and medicines and people with very little are losing everything in floods, droughts and hurricanes that get worse as the years pass.

These people don’t live in the “developing world” or the “third world”, they live in our world.

The US$850 billion figure finally agreed upon to save America’s banks dwarfed the US$16 billion pledged to help the poor at the UN poverty meeting.

When are we going to show the same commitment to bailing out our brothers and sisters living in poverty as we’re showing to bailing out our banks?
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ODM-Un mundo, una tempestad
Discutiendo sobre la pobreza en la ONU
del Presidente de Caritas, S.Em.a Óscar Andrés Cardenal Rodríguez Maradiaga

El mal tiempo retrasó mi viaje de Honduras a Nueva York. Imagino que eso no les sorprenda, sabiendo los huracanes que han azotado el Caribe últimamente, devastando zonas de Haití y con la amenaza de otro, parecido a Katrina, en Nueva Orleans.

Pero parece apropiado que yo estuvieran yendo a la reunión sobre los Objetivos de Desarrollo del Milenio (OMS) a la ONU, para hablar sobre el cambio climático, algo que nos afecta a todos, pero a algunos más que a otros. Las inclemencias del tiempo se están convirtiendo en hechos de la vida cotidiana, pero mi trabajo en Caritas Internationalis me ha enseñado que lo que para una persona significa que su avión se retrasó o que las vacaciones se le estropearon, para otras, que viven en países pobres, quiere decir reconstruirse la vida desde el principio.

Para mí, hablar en la reunión de los OMD, como uno de los pocos líderes presentes de la sociedad civil, fue un privilegio, porque así pude ayudar a que las voces de esas personas fueran escuchadas.

Hay personas que lo han perdido todo, a causa de los caprichos del tiempo, pero no tienen el poder de adaptar sus vidas, para evitar que eso no suceda de nuevo. Como dije en mi discurso en la ONU, los ODM son catalizadores para la acción y una forma para comparar las promesas de los gobiernos, respecto a lo luego hacen realmente. Podemos estar a medio camino y haber hecho progresos relevantes, en algunos campos, sin embargo, algunos países no están a medio camino de alcanzar los objetivos. La reducción de la pobreza no está funcionando y las crisis mundiales de alimentos y carburante significan que ahora incluso un mayor número de personas se empobrecerán.

Caritas quiere asegurarse de que aquellos que ahora están quedando rezagados, puedan recuperarse antes del 2015. Nuestro trabajo abarca todos los objetivos, desde el terminar con el hambre y la pobreza, hasta la capacitación para afrontar los efectos devastadores del cambio climático y apoyar la cooperación mundial para el desarrollo. Nos estamos autoevaluando, con el fin de asegurarnos de que lo que estamos haciendo es realmente lo más eficaz para ayudar a esos países que quedan rezagados.

Sin embargo, Caritas y otras agencias humanitarias no pueden trabajar de manera eficaz, sin la voluntad política de incluir las escandalosas desigualdades entre los países ricos y los pobres como prioridades en la agenda mundial.

Mientras caminaba entre los rascacielos de Manhattan, tras la reunión sobre la pobreza en la ONU, no pude evitar pensar en la cruel ironía de la realidad: estábamos discutiendo las promesas de incrementar la financiación para que los pobres del mundo puedan contar con unos estándares mínimos en sus vidas, mientras en esos mismos días, el Gobierno de EE.UU. discutía sobre los 750 mil millones que quería destinar para sacar de apuros al sector financiero de EE.UU. y mitigar la “tempestad financiera” que se había gestado en América.

Millares de niños mueren cada día a causa de la falta de alimentos y medicinas y gente que ya tiene poco lo pierde todo en una inundación, por una sequía o un huracán, que con el paso de los años son cada vez peores. Esta gente no vive en el “mundo en vías de desarrollo” o en el “tercer mundo”, vive en nuestro mundo.

Esos 850 mil millones acordados al final para salvar a los bancos americanos, merman los 16 mil millones prometidos para ayudar a los pobres, durante la reunión de la ONU. ¿Cuándo vamos a demostrar el mismo empeño que demostramos en sacar de apuros nuestros bancos, para sacar de apuros a nuestros hermanos y hermanas que viven en la pobreza?
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ODM - Un seul monde, une seule tempête
Discuter de la pauvreté aux Nations unies
le Président de Caritas - le Cardinal Óscar Rodríguez Maradiaga

Les mauvaises conditions météorologiques ont retardé mon voyage du Honduras à New York. Je suppose que cela n’a rien d’étonnant eu égard aux ouragans qui ont frappé les Caraïbes dernièrement, détruisant des zones d’Haïti et annonçant la menace d’un nouveau Katrina à La Nouvelle-Orléans.

Je me rendais justement à une réunion sur les Objectifs de développement du Millénaire (ODM) aux Nations Unies pour parler des changements climatiques - une question qui touche nous tous, mais certains plus que d’autres.

Les événements météorologiques extrêmes deviennent une réalité, mais le travail avec Caritas Internationalis m’a montré que ce qui veut dire pour certains le retard d’un vol ou des vacances gâchées, pour d’autres, qui vivent dans les pays les plus pauvres, veut dire reconstruire une vie à partir de zéro.

M’exprimer à la réunion sur les ODM en tant que responsable de la société civile a été pour moi un privilège, parce que j’ai pu contribuer à faire entendre les voix de ces personnes.

Il s’agit de personnes qui perdent tout à cause des caprices météorologiques, et qui n’ont pas la possibilité d’adapter leurs vies pour éviter que cela ne se reproduise sans cesse.

Comme je l’ai dit dans mon discours aux Nations unies, les ODM sont un catalyseur de l’action et un moyen de mesurer ce que les gouvernements font réellement par rapport à leurs promesses d’engagement.

Nous avons peut-être fait la moitié du chemin jusqu’à la date cible et de bons progrès ont été accomplis dans certains domaines, mais certains pays n’en sont pas là.

La réduction de la pauvreté n’avance pas, et la crise alimentaire et la crise des carburants qui touchent le monde entier entraînent, plus que jamais, l’appauvrissement d’un plus grand nombre de personnes.

Caritas veut faire en sorte que ceux qui ont accusé un retard puissent se rattraper avant 2015. Notre action englobe tous les objectifs : mettre un terme à la faim et à la pauvreté, renforcer les capacités des personnes à faire face aux effets dévastateurs des changements climatiques. soutenir un partenariat mondial pour le développement.

Nous examinons très attentivement ce que nous faisons afin de pouvoir contribuer d’une manière plus efficace au développement de ces pays qui sont en retard.

Or, Caritas et d’autres organisations humanitaires ne pourront pas œuvrer de façon efficace sans la volonté politique de placer les graves inégalités entre pays riches et pays pauvres parmi les priorités mondiales.

En me promenant au milieu des gratte-ciels de Manhattan, après la réunion sur la pauvreté aux Nations unies, je n’ai pu m’empêcher de penser à cette cruelle ironie : pendant que nous discutions de promettre des fonds suffisants pour donner aux plus démunis de la planète un niveau de vie minimum, au cours de ces mêmes journées, le gouvernement des Etats-Unis discutait de payer 750 milliards USD pour dépanner le secteur financier et atténuer les effets de la “tempête financière” qui se préparait en Amérique.

Des milliers d’enfants meurent chaque jour à cause du manque de vivres et de médicaments, et des personnes perdent le peu qu’elles ont à la suite des inondations, des sécheresses et des ouragans qui s’intensifient au fur et à mesure que les années passent.

Ces personnes ne vivent pas dans le “monde en développement” ou dans le “tiers monde”, elles vivent dans notre monde.

Face à la somme de 850 milliards USD qui a été finalement établie pour sauver les banques d’Amérique, les 16 milliards USD promis pour aider les plus démunis à la réunion sur la pauvreté des Nations unies semble une bien petite somme.

Quand nous engagerons-nous à dépanner nos frères et sœurs qui vivent dans la pauvreté comme nous le faisons avec nos banques?
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Tags:Add new tag, Cardinal Rodriguez, climate change, MDGs, UN
Posted in Economic Justice | 1 Comment »

Calling all Caritas: World Social Forum registration open

October 15, 2008

The deadline has been extended until 14 November 2008 for the registration of organisations and activities at the WSF 2009.

The WSF is an annual event where social movements, networks, non-governmental organisations, and other civil society members meet to promote a world based on justice.

The 2009 World Social Forum (WSF) will take place in the city of Belem (Brazil) from January 27 to February.

In this first stage, only organizations may register and propose self-managed activities and the whole process will be done exclusively through this website.

The registrations for individuals will be open soon and later to journalists and communicators.

Period of registration for organisations and activities is from 7 October to 7 November 2008.

Caritas Internationalis will not send a delegation from Rome to Belem, but asks
Caritas members to use this blog to let others know that they’re going and if they will be organising events.

We ask those who register their organisation to the WSF and to activities/events to please send us a message (communicate so as a response to this blog or email Nicholson@caritas.va), so that everybody can know who is doing what and join the virtual Caritas WSF community ahead of travelling to Belem and getting together for the Forum.

To kick things off, SELACC (Caritas Latin America and Caribbean), with the leadership of Caritas Brazil, Cristina Dos Anjos ( National Director and Coordinator for Gender Issues for the region); Caritas Argentina, Cristina Calvo (Coordinator of Advocacy activities for the region) and Patricia Tancredi (Communication Team Coordinator for the region) is organizing one event, two days before the WSF reflecting on the issue Caritas and Sustainable Development (global warming, environment, mines, etc).

Caritas Brazil is also taking care of the practical things like accommodations, place for the Seminary. Please contact Caritas Brazil as soon as possible for further information.

SELACC will be sending more information about the preparation for the WSF and for the Seminary.

Contact Caritas Brazil

Aviso a todas las Caritas: Abiertas las inscripciones al Foro Social Mundial

Prorrogada hasta el 14 de noviembre la fecha límite para inscribirse para las actividades en el FSM 2009 .

El FSM en un acontecimiento anual, en el que los movimientos y redes sociales, las ONG y otros miembros de la sociedad civil se reúnen para promover un mundo que se base en la justicia.
El Foro Social Mundial de 2009 (FSM) se celebrará en el ciudad de Belén (Brasil), del 27 de enero al 1 de febrero.

En esta primera etapa, sólo las organizaciones podrán inscribirse e proponer actividades auto-organizadas y todo el proceso se hará exclusivamente por el sitio web: http://www.fsm2009amazonia.org.br/?set_language=es

La inscripción individual se abrirá pronto y sucesivamente para periodistas y comunicadores.
El periodo de inscripción para las organizaciones y actividades es del 7 de octubre al 7 de noviembre de 2008.

Caritas Internationalis no enviará una delegación de Roma a Belén, pero le pide sus miembros que utilicen su blog para informar a los demás de sus planes: si piensan ir y si organizarán actividades.

Pedimos a aquellos que inscriban a su organizaciones al FSM y a las actividades/actos que, por favor, nos envíen un mensaje (como respuesta a este blog o un mensaje a nicholson@caritas.va), con el fin de que todos puedan saber lo que hacen los demás y unirse a la comunidad virtual de Caritas para el FSM, antes de viajar a Belén y unirse a los demás para el Foro.

Para empezar, SELACC (Cáritas América Latina y Caribe), bajo la dirección de Cristina Dos Anjos ( Directora nacional y Coordinadora de Asuntos de Género en la región); Cristina Calvo (Coordinadora de Acciones de Incidencia en la región) y Patricia Tancredi (Coordinadora del Equipo de Comunicaciones de la región), ambas de Cáritas Argentina, están organizando un seminario de dos días, antes del FSM, que reflexionará sobre el tema:“Caritas y el desarrollo sostenible (calentamiento mundial, medio ambiente, minas, etc.).

Caritas Brasil se está ocupando también de las cuestiones prácticas, como el alojamiento, el lugar del seminario, etc. Por favor, pónganse en contacto con Caritas Brasil, lo antes posible, si necesitan más información.

SELACC enviará ulterior información sobre la preparación del FSM y el seminario.

Para contactar Caritas Brasil, hagan click en el siguiente enlace: http://www.caritas.org/worldmap/latin_america/brazil.html

Appel à toutes les Caritas: l’inscription au Forum social mondial est ouverte

Le Forum social mondial est un événement annuel qui réunit mouvements sociaux, réseaux, organisations non gouvernementales, et d’autres membres de la société civile afin de promouvoir un monde basé sur la justice.

Le Forum social mondial (FSM) de 2009 se déroulera dans la ville de Belém (Brésil) du 27 janvier au 1er février.

En cette première phase, seules les organisations peuvent s’inscrire et proposer des activités autogérées ; la procédure se fera exclusivement au moyen du site web: http://www.fsm2009amazonia.org.br/?set_language=en

Les inscriptions pour les particuliers seront ouvertes, tôt ou tard, aux journalistes et aux communicateurs.

Les dates pour les inscriptions des organisations et des activités sont du 7 octobre au 7 novembre 2008.

Caritas Internationalis n’enverra pas une délégation de Rome à Belém, mais demande aux membres Caritas d’utiliser ce blog pour faire savoir aux autres qui y va et les événements que l’on organise.

Nous demandons à ceux qui inscrivent leur organisation au FSM et aux activités/événements de bien vouloir nous envoyer un message (communiquez-le en réponse à ce blog ou par courriel à nicholson@caritas.va), de manière à ce que chacun puisse savoir qui fait quoi et s’unir à la communauté virtuelle de Caritas au WSF, avant de se rendre à Belém, et pour que tous puissent se rassembler pour le Forum.

Pour donner le coup d’envoi, SELACC (Caritas Amérique latine et Caraïbes), avec les responsables de Caritas Brésil, Cristina Dos Anjos (Directrice nationale et Coordinatrice pour les questions de parité hommes-femmes pour la région), de Caritas Argentine, Cristina Calvo (Coordinatrice des activités de plaidoyer pour la région) et Patricia Tancredi (Coordinatrice de l’équipe de communication pour la région), organise un événement conjoint, deux jours avant le FSM, pour réfléchir sur la question Caritas et le développement durable (réchauffement de la planète, environnement, mines, etc.).

Caritas Brésil s’occupe également des aspects pratiques, comme le logement, les places pour le séminaire. Pour de plus amples renseignements, veuillez contacter Caritas Brésil dans les plus brefs délais.

SELACC vous enverra plus de renseignements concernant la préparation du FSM et du séminaire.

Voici le contact pour Caritas Brésil: http://www.caritas.org/worldmap/latin_america/brazil.html

Posted in World Social Forum 2009 | 6 Comments »

Strengthening fight against Trafficking in Children

October 13, 2008

By Martina Liebsch

Part 2: Coatnet Annual Users’ Meeting: Exchange of best practice, raising awareness and looking ahead!
(Read part 1)

The meeting took place in Paris, from 13^th - 17^th of October and embraced the annual meeting of the network and a public event under the title:” Fighting Trafficking in children: What is to be done in the European Union?”.

The meeting of the network gave space to the exchange of experience and best practice. Personally I always find it impressive to see with how much courage and ideas our colleagues across the globe are struggling with this crime.

First and foremost, Father George Sigamoney from Caritas Sri Lanka, who has produced a little film called “The house of the Arabian child”. It is based on a true story of a woman who goes abroad to work as a domestic worker. The price the family pays is high - disintegration of the family, violence, rape - the gains are small. The film was broadcast on private television channels in Sri Lanka and had a major public impact. Women, who had had the same experience spoke about it. Authorities and Embassies were under pressure.

Mungreiphy Shimray from India reported that many of those who go abroad to work as domestic workers are minors. Elena Timofticiuc, from Romania, reported about parents who migrate abroad to earn for their living. They leave their children behind in the care of relatives or friends. This increases the risk of these children of being trafficked. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO) 1,2 mil. Children are estimated of being trafficked at any given point in time. This alone is enough justification to raise awareness in public.

The public event on the 16^th of October in the illustrious premises of the French Supreme Court, was fully packed with around 230 people from 30 countries, among them many representatives of French NGO’s.

Seventeen speakers from Churches, NGO’s, European Institutions and governments, presented their reflections on trafficking in children and on what needs to be done. One of the themes which emerged throughout the whole event, but also the whole week, was the central role of education, education understood as a means for empowerment: education about the phenomenon, about human rights and gender. The still widespread idea that women and children are not individuals with own wishes, needs and rights, seems to be one of the reasons fuelling trafficking. Definitely Caritas can play an important role in this.

The session ended with two quite antithetic messages. According to the representative of the Supreme Court, Mr. Pierre Sargos, the political will to really engage in combating trafficking in human beings is low. Commissioner Barrot on the other hand made some promising statements on behalf of the EU, which are in line with what NGO’s have been asking for. The possibility of the establishment of National Rapporteurs, who would be responsible for collecting qualitative information about the phenomenon. The Council Framework on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings (http://europa.eu/scadplus/leg/en/lvb/l33137.htm) would be revised.

Victims need immediate assistance and should not be punished. Two important agencies of the EU, relevant for the issue will be reinforced, Europol and Eurojust. Finally, he highlighted the funding possibilities provided by the EU: a new call for proposals should be out by the end of the year. His cabinet would be available for assistance in case of problems with funding.

But there were also some domestic affairs on the agenda: How should Coatnet develop in the future, in terms of structure and strategic goals? There was a demand for stronger and more transparent ownership by many users. The change from “users” to “members” symbolises the wish for ownership.

There was also a wish to further develop the strategic plan. A first draft of it was provided by Marius Wanders, Secretary General of Caritas Europa. I will have the honour and pleasure to lead the strategic planning process from now onwards. Results will be presented at the next members meeting which will most probably take place in 2009 in Bucharest/Romania.

Part 1: Some of us leave, others just change positions

Hello to all new and old colleagues! I began working for Caritas Internationalis as Advocacy Officer on Migration, Trafficking and Gender at the beginning of October. Before many of you know me for my work with Caritas Europa and Caritas Germany. It’s on trafficking where I will have my first “public appearance” in my new job. Coatnet, the network of Christian Organisations against Trafficking, gather in Paris on Monday 14 October.

At the beginning of the week there will be a training session for the members to find out about and use relevant human rights instruments in their work. After that Coatnet will have its formal meeting, planning the year ahead and giving the network a new strategic direction.

Coatnet started as a pilot project and later as network for almost 8 years now. It has grown from an organisation of five members to a fifty member strong group, which of course implies challenges in terms of management, ownership and output.

The art will be to find a formula which allows for joint actions and a joint Christian (or interreligious) face in this fight without overburdening the participants with too many formalities.
At the end of the week there will be a public event under the auspices of the French Presidency of the EU on 16 October to coincide with the EU Anti-trafficking day. The main focus there will be the fight against trafficking in children. After the presentation on how to fight trafficking, recommendations of the NGOs gathered there will be presented to Commissioner Barrot, the Commissioner for Justice, Liberty and Security of the EU. A challenging week lies ahead.

Trafficking is a crime and involves heavy violations of human rights. One victim is too many, even more so if we talk about children. The problem of trafficking in children - according to some colleagues seems to be increasing and it does not only happen cross-border but also within a country.

Thus trafficking in children is an issue which concerns “us” and not “them”. Scrolling through the blogs what struck me, was that I could often read “enough words, we know the problems, now we need action”. This can be said as well about trafficking.

Governments have to commit themselves to the fight, but also to tangible results. NGOs and other actors in the field lack resources (financial and human). There is a need for better data collection and analysis. The many action plans which emerged - at least within the EU in the past years - have to be evaluated against their implementation.

The fight against trafficking in children can also be linked to the Millennium Development Goals. Colleagues working on prevention say that we need education on gender relations and on human rights.

Finally - and that is a challenge for Caritas - we need to be aware that we are talking about a trafficking chain, involving not only rich and powerful criminals, but also poor people at the end of the chain who are those who supply their children in exchange of money to survive or in exchange of the dream that the child would have a better life. As Caritas reaches out to the poor, it is there where we have to do awareness raising and education and not only with glossy posters in the countries of destination.

Tags:migration, trafficking
Posted in Migration and Trafficking | 1 Comment »

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