Taiwan

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Address: Central Building Room 920, No. 2 Chung Shan North Road. Sec. 1 Taipei City 100, R.O.C
Telephone: +886 2 2381 2140 Fax: +886 2 2311 5124
Email: carit@tpts1.net.tw
Facebook: caritastw
www.catholic.org.tw/caritas

Caritas Taiwan – the Commission for Social Development – was founded in 1969 and is mandated by the Chinese Regional Bishops Conference to help people at the national level and abroad. Taiwan has a dynamic economy, from low-technology goods to higher–value manufacturing and exports, mainly in electronics and computers. Caritas Taiwan works with people living in challenging conditions, who do not feel the benefit of this prosperity.

The most relevant programs of Caritas Taiwan are:

Publication and Documentation: CARITAS Taiwan publishes and translates to Chinese Catholic Church documents like the yearly messages of the Pope particularly for the World Day of Peace, World Day of Migrants and Refugees and Messages for Lent. Included in the translation are the Encyclicals and Motu Proprio that pertain to the work of Caritas. The documents are also translated in simplified Chinese and are sent to the Catholic Church in China. Significant articles and videos from the websites of Caritas Internationalis, CRS and CAFOD are also translated and uploaded in the website. Caritas Newsletters are printed quarterly and are sent to the parishes, catholic institutions and religious communities.

Lenten Campaign: Caritas Taiwan prepares the Lenten Campaign for the 7 Dioceses in Taiwan. The theme usually derived from the Lenten Message of the Pope.  The Lenten materials are sent out to the Dioceses, parishes and catholic institutions at the beginning of the season to use them in their Lenten activities. The Lenten Campaign materials include banners, educational booklets and VCD, stickers and envelopes. The proceeds of the Lenten Campaign subsidize relief operations and projections locally and abroad.

International Volunteer Program: During summer and winter vacations several professional teachers and students joint the International Volunteer Program to Northern Thailand, India or Cambodia. These have become venues for the volunteers to reach out to the less privilege and to share their skills. The International Volunteer Program includes workshop on teaching Chinese, English, Mathematics, computer, environmental awareness, hygiene, culture and arts. An annual Flea Market is held to subsidize student tuition fees, school classrooms, libraries and toilets.

Work with the Migrants: Caritas Taiwan renders service to the overseas contract workers (from Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines and Thailand). The services are as follows: conducting right information and education in different areas of Taipei, empowerment, repatriation assistance, case management, counseling, visits to the detention center and referrals.

As member of MENT – Migrant Empowerment Network in Taiwan, Caritas joins with other NGOs for dialogue with government agencies like Ministry of Law, National Immigration Agency and Legislators continuously lobby for the cause of the migrant workers especially the revision of Household Service Act to protect the rights of caregivers/domestic workers.

Caritas Twain main office in Taipei City employs 11 staff to carry out their social services and activities.

Caritas Taiwan works in partnership with the world-wide network of Caritas Internationalis, such as Caritas Mongolia, Caritas Korea, and a project involving Caritas Hong Kong and Caritas Macau to organise spiritual exercises for those working in social services.

Updates from Taiwan

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