Faith based organisations unite as UN Compacts for migrants and refugees approach implementation
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Caritas Switzerland was founded in 1901 by Father Rufin Steimer who became its first president. It is one of the oldest Caritas, and a member of Caritas Internationalis.
Caritas Switzerland is a multidisciplinary, mutual assistance, charitable organisation with headquarters in Lucerne. Its main strategic goal is “to fight poverty with strong partnerships”. Today, Caritas Switzerland is active in Switzerland and more than 20 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Europe.
Around the world, Caritas provides emergency relief and contributes to post-disaster reconstruction. International cooperation is based on facilitating independence in the areas of combating hunger and food sovereignty; water and hygiene; migration; humanitarian aid; climate protection and crisis prevention; and education and income generation.
Switzerland has 16 independent regional Caritas which implement social projects in their respective cantons. Together with Caritas Switzerland, the regional Caritas support the “Reduce poverty by half” action plan. Together with the network of regional Caritas, Caritas Switzerland provides specific assistance to disadvantaged people: families and single-parent families, the unemployed, and asylum seekers and refugees. Caritas Switzerland also organises appointments of volunteers for missions to support the terminally ill and mountain farmers.
The services provided by Caritas in Switzerland include: a debt advisory service; Caritas grocery stores, which sell common food items to people with low incomes; and a Culture Card, which enables people affected by poverty to attend cultural and sporting events at reduced prices.
Updates from Switzerland
Caritas is urging that proper protection be given to the millions of children who now make up an astonishing half of the world’s total refugees. “Many children have been made to travel alone as refugees or economic migrants,” says Maria Amparo Alonso Escobar, Head of the Caritas Delegation at the UN in Geneva. “They face ...
In too many other countries, both European and non-European, children are still detained for the sole reason of asking international protection or for being on the territory without permission.
The village of Chawir is located in Canton Migami, south-central Chad (West Africa). Like almost everywhere in the area, the locals are almost exclusively women and children. Of the 2,760 inhabitants of Chawir, only 120 are adult men.
On 18 December, squares, bridges and buildings in 200 towns and villages will be illuminated by thousands of candles. The event, called "A million stars", is organised by Caritas Switzerland as a sign of social cohesion and solidarity with the most vulnerable and disadvantaged.
Caritas Internationalis Secretary-General Lesley-Anne Knight will be attending the World Economic Forum in Davos 27 to 31 January, urging for a reshaping of global institutions and structures to put ethics, values and respect for the human person into international financial systems.
Day One at Davos and I am not surprised that many participants are preoccupied by the possibility of recession in the USA – this is after all an economic forum. I am, however, pleasantly surprised to find that issues more relevant to CI, such as poverty reduction and climate change have not entirely slipped off ...
Day Three at Davos and there is much talk of the Millennium Development Goals at various sessions, culminating in a joint statement in which world leaders vow to make 2008 a turning point in the fight against poverty. Promises are made and worthy sentiments expressed, but these will need to be translated into real action ...
On my final day at Davos I am invited to participate in the Informal Gathering of World Economic Leaders (IGWEL), a private meeting of heads of state and government, senior government ministers, heads of international and regional organisations and select private sector representatives. It is an “off the record” discussion on ‘The Responsibility to Protect: ...
Poverty, climate change, water and faith were the themes that dominated my second day at Davos. The day begins early with a breakfast session with former US Vice-President Al Gore and rock star/poverty activist Bono discussing how to combine solutions to extreme poverty and climate change. Al Gore said: ““The Millennium Development Goals can only ...
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