L-R ACU's Professor Greg Craven, CRA's Sister Anne Derwin RSJ and Caritas Australia's Jack de Groot
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Catholic Religious Australia (CRA), Caritas Australia and Australian Catholic University (ACU) have established the Catholic Alliance for International Development (CAID).
Caritas CEO Jack de Groot said the new alliance will mean that the three groups will be holding one another accountable, and sharing information so that the most vulnerable are at the centre of decisions.
Sister Anne Derwin RSJ, President of CRA, the peak body for leaders of religious orders and institutes in Australia, said the new alliance brings together a wonderful combination of people and organisations.
"Caritas, out there involved all aspects of international development; ACU providing the academic and research component, and Religious priests, nuns and brothers being the people on the ground.
"To have this bigger, more collaborative sense of mission is a great relief to Australian Religious who have been doing what they can for many years."
Sr Derwin, Mr de Groot and Greg Craven, ACU Vice-Chancellor this week signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for CAID and launched a document outlining the principles of engagement on international development, underpinned by Catholic social teaching.
The MOU provides a framework for informing, shaping and guiding the way they will work together as the Catholic Alliance for International Development.
A new CAID document, Principles of Engagement on International Development, which is based upon Catholic social teaching, outlines key characteristics of international development programs around 10 themes, including:
- reaching the poorest and most marginalised,
- involving stakeholders in the local community in consultation, planning, implementation and evaluation of programs,
- promoting the dignity of all involved, and
- being attentive to environmental concerns.
The document also outlines the various challenges faced in implementing international development programs with these characteristics.
FULL STORY
Catholic organisations collaborate on international aid (Media release)