Catholicism and its work.

GCSE Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)

RE Coursework: Catholicism and its work - CAFOD

CAFOD is the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development. It is the official overseas development and relief agency of the Catholic Church in England and Wales. CAFOD has been fighting poverty in developing countries since 1962.

CAFOD believes that all human beings have a right to dignity and respect, and that the world's resources are a gift to be shared equally by all men and women, whatever their race, nationality or religion.

CAFOD raises funds from the Catholic community in England and Wales, the UK government and the general public so that it can:

Promote long-term development, helping people in need to bring about change for themselves through development and relief work. For instance irrigation wells and seeds to plant over the long run.

Respond to emergencies, providing immediate help for people affected by conflict or natural disasters such as earthquakes.

Identify the causes of poverty and raise public awareness of them, encouraging supporters and the public to challenge the structures, policies and attitudes that reinforce inequality.

Speak out on behalf of poor communities, explaining the underlying causes of poverty and challenging governments and international bodies to adopt policies that promote equality and justice.
Promote human development and social justice in witness to Christian faith and gospel values.

CAFOD works with local communities in 64 countries to help them meet their own needs. It does this through more than 500 partner organisations - trusted, local organisations staffed by local people who are working to reduce poverty.

Where CAFOD work:

CAFOD works with local communities in 64 countries to help them meet their own needs. It does this through more than 500 partner organisations – trusted, local organisations staffed by local people who are working to reduce poverty.

CAFOD spent £12,171,000 in Africa in 2003-04

Africa south of the Sahara ...

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Where CAFOD work:

CAFOD spent £12,171,000 in Africa in 2003-04

Africa south of the Sahara is the world’s poorest region.

Half of Africans live in extreme poverty and one-third in hunger, and about one-sixth of children die before age five – the same as a decade ago.

Africa's poverty is linked to a history of exploitation including slavery and colonialism that has left a bitter legacy for the majority in Africa. In the last 20 years, the debt crisis and unfair international trade rules have further deepened poverty and widened the gulf between rich and poor.

CAFOD’s African partners are facing huge challenges, including conflict, human rights abuses, hunger and disease.

Key challenges:

Poverty and globalisation

The 18 lowest-ranking countries in the United Nations' Human Development Index, which assesses life expectancy, education and standard of living, are all in Africa.
The benefits of globalisation (for example, improved communications and trading opportunities) are felt by a limited few in Africa. Foreign investors often have more economic influence than local communities or even governments.

HIV and AIDS

In sub-Saharan Africa, more than 28 million people are living with AIDS and HIV, placing a huge strain on already stretched health services.
The United Nations estimates that AIDS could kill up to 26 per cent of the labour force in the hardest-hit African countries by 2020.
In 2000, there were an estimated 12.1 million children orphaned by AIDS.

War and insecurity

Long-lasting wars and civil conflicts have blighted the development of many African countries, deepening poverty and uprooting civilians.
Competition to exploit natural resources has fuelled many conflicts.
In some conflicts children are forced to fight and the targeting and violation of women has become a military tactic, leaving a deep legacy of trauma.

Justice and peace

Lack of economic and social justice, including respect for human and civil rights, good governance, freedom of speech and the opportunity to take part in democratic processes is a reality in many African countries.

Natural and human-made disasters

Many African countries are prone to drought, floods and damaging weather systems such as El Nino.
Global warming and, when used inappropriately, schemes such as dams and large-scale mechanised agriculture have caused environmental degradation.

CAFOD's priorities:

Increasing awareness of, and commitment to tackling, HIV and AIDS
Promoting conflict prevention, reconciliation and peace building
Helping people provide for their basic needs - clean water, reliable food supplies and access to education and health care
Responding to disasters and emergencies wherever possible
Making links between partner organisations, ensuring that valuable lessons learned in one country may be put to use in others.

We will examine the work of CAFOD in Sudan, one of Africa’s poorest countries and how it’s help is vital to preventing mass death from starvation and ultimately poverty.

Sudan

Women from Kajo-Keji in South Sudan, who have been refugees, are now rebuilding their lives, with CAFOD's help.

CAFOD and its partner organisations are working to meet the basic needs of Sudan's most vulnerable people in the north and south of the country.

As Sudan emerges from 20 years of civil war, a new crisis has emerged in the Darfur region in the west of the country. Hundreds of thousands of people have fled militia attacks to seek refuge in makeshift camps in Sudan and neighbouring Chad.

CAFOD is co-leading a £10 million joint operation to provide desperately needed shelter, water and basic kitchen materials to half a million displaced men, women and children. In the longer term, CAFOD has also pledged to help refugees by providing basic seeds and tools to help families with replanting crops and getting on with rebuilding their lives.

The major long-term issues facing Sudan are:

Conflict and peace-building: Since independence in 1956, life in Sudan has been dominated by the war over a complex and changing set of issues, including control over land and oil.
Over two million people have died as a result of war and famine in the past twenty years and up to five million people have been displaced from their homes.
The churches and people’s organisations have a key role to play in helping to bring about peace at grassroots level, promoting reconciliation between groups with different political and religious views.
CAFOD hopes that peace talks will bring about a resolution to the conflict in months if not weeks. Without a just and lasting peace, no long-term or sustainable development will be possible

HIV/AIDS. The civil war and displacement of large numbers of people have created conditions which encourage rapid and widespread transmission of HIV. The Catholic Church leaders have stated that HIV/AIDS is a priority issue to be addressed and CAFOD is working with its partners to develop an appropriate and effective response.

In response to this, CAFOD is supporting, among others:

The aid and development department of the Sudan Catholic Church, which trains community leaders to help local people work together to improve their own future. It is raising people’s awareness of their rights and helping them to gain a better understanding of how the peace process affects them and their families.

New Sudan Council of Churches (NSCC), a key player in ensuring that all parts of society – local people’s organisations, churches and civil rights groups – can participate in the peace process through making their voices heard at national and international levels. NSCC creates interfaith initiatives at grassroots level in southern Sudan to bring about reconciliation, healing and forgiveness. NSCC is also organising civic education and helping to prepare for reconstruction.

South Sudan Women Concern, which works with women farmers to enable them to produce enough food for their families, by increasing access to land, seeds, tools, livestock, and providing the necessary skills and knowledge. As the women’s groups have become stronger, the women leaders are now able to resolve disputes peacefully through dialogue with elders and local authorities.

In conclusion, CAFOD will continue to have a positive effect on those people who live in the African continent. CAFOD’s work is only spurred on by the teachings of Christ who will in return reward them for their work in the afterlife in his kingdom.