Inspiring Care for Creation by Practising Servant Love-Based Leadership
Caritas Asia is made up of 25 Member Organizations, of national identity, mandated by their respective Episcopal conferences or Ecclesiastical authorities, responsible for the local Church’s socio-pastoral works. Each Member Organization maintains its own individual autonomy in its relationships and operating procedures within the legal framework of the global Caritas confederation.
Besides providing services to the communities they work with, Caritas MOs in Asia region are an integral part of Caritas Asia, where member organisations have the responsibility to take part in the creation of the organisational structures and programs of Caritas Asia. They also are required to contribute towards the development and fulfilment of the strategic direction of Caritas Asia through the realisation of regional strategic priorities.
Member Organizations act in accordance with the Catholic Social Teaching, the Canon Law, the requirements of the competent Ecclesiastical authorities, and the norms of behaviour and criteria defined jointly within the Caritas Confederation with regard to international and regional cooperation. They accept coordination by Caritas Asia in relation to operations at the regional level and in terms of representation by Caritas Asia at inter-denominational and regional levels. Member Organizations jointly finance the bodies and activities of Caritas Asia, as they do with Caritas Internationalis.
The presence of 25 national Caritas organisations in Asia, which is home to the majority of the world’s poorest people, is a big relief to a wide array of Asian communities, who are directly and hardly hit by a long range of problems and issues in the region, including problems associated with climate and food production. These tasks are not easy since each country has its own context in dealing with environmental issues.
Caritas MOs are provided opportunities to strengthen their organisational capacities in environmental and climate change adaptation issues while also improving capacities of small farm holders and farming communities in their respective countries. In implementing the program, MOs use various mechanisms and approaches towards fulfilling Caritas Asia’s strategic priorities on eco-friendly agriculture mainstreaming, environmental protection, and staff development, which is in line with the Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’: Care for our common home.
“Climate change is a global problem with grave implications: environmental, social, economic, political and for the distribution of goods. It represents one of the principal challenges facing humanity in our day “ (Laudato Si’, Passage 25, p. 20)
Through this encyclical, we all are invited to see and improve our relations with God, fellow men and the environment. Human beings and the environment, as God’s creation, are interdependent and interconnected under the situation of either mutual enrichment or mutual destruction. The environmental challenges we face today are the results of misuse technology and throw-away culture. Thus, the call for the respect of human dignity calls for a culture of care for all creation.
“We need to recognize with humility and courage that we stand face to face with evil, which strikes most violently against the most vulnerable. For this reason, the Church has now become increasingly aware of the need to curb the cases of abuse by disciplinary measures and civil and canonical processes.” (Pope Francis)
Since 2019, Caritas Internationalis has strengthened its work to mainstream safeguarding across the confederation as part of Caritas mission to protect and promote the dignity of every person. This effort finally resulted in the integration of Safeguarding as the fifth standard in the Caritas Internationalis Management Standard (CIMS) in December 2020, which marks Caritas commitment to assure integrity, protection and safeguarding at every level of the Confederation.
The fifth standard of the CI Management Standard has been rolled out to all the member organisations (MOs) in 2021, through a series of webinars organised by Caritas Internationalis in collaboration with the seven regional secretariats.
Caritas, as part of the Catholic church, is not immune to cases of abuse and it would be irresponsible to pretend that Caritas is not included in any kind of inhumane phenomenon. The presence of the fifth management standard on Safeguarding would enable each member organisation to put in place the necessary tools and mechanism to prevent abuse at every level of the organisation. In addition, the integration of Safeguarding into CIMS demonstrates Caritas effort to be recognised in a verifiable way as a safe organisation for every person, particularly children and vulnerable adults.
Localization has been the global language since its inauguration in 2016 World Humanitarian Summit and still attracting international attention by government funding agencies, donors, UN agencies, INGOs and L/NNGOs. The launch of Grand Bargain V 2.0 strategic framework calls for quality funding and localization thereby assuring the better humanitarian outcomes for affected populations. Through international financial and technical support, Caritas Asia (CA) members are rendering humanitarian services in their respective countries, and the localization agenda has significant impacts on the CA members’ mission of reaching out to the poor and marginalised.
Localization is the global platform which recognizes and increases space and role of locals (CA members are classified as local in global setting) in humanitarian architecture. In addition, the Grand Bargain V 2.0 highlights the power shift to local led humanitarian response along with inclusion and participation of affected communities. The collective presence and accumulated local wisdom of CA members on emergency response will be the tremendous position to grab this opportunity and realise CA strategic plan on localization. Individually, CA members' understanding and application of localization in their respective countries will increase their capacity to serve more people in needs.
Leadership development is the ongoing focus of Caritas Asia. Most Caritas Asia member countries are situated in disaster prone areas and the majority of the leadership team possess huge amounts of capacity and experiences in humanitarian responses. They are the captains of frontline, quick and live saving responses and such human resource competency is eligible to be acknowledged and incorporated into the global intellectual/cognitive definition of capacity.
Caritas confederation is guided by Caritas Fraternal cooperation/Partnership Guiding Principles emphasizing on the authentic relationship among partners in rendering its services to the poor and needy people. The guideline is rooted in the values of empowerment, local ownership, respect, equality and mutuality, and at the same time, frames the behaviour of healthy partnership.
Reducing Impact of Disasters by Effective Emergency Preparedness and Response Across Asia
Asia is a region that has been badly affected by a multitude of disasters and the possibilities of new disasters affecting the region in the coming years is very high. Natural and man-made disasters are on the rise. Many regions in Asia are considered to be in the disaster risk belts: cyclones, tornados, earthquakes, and tsunamis are among the few examples of recurring hazards in the region. Climate change, political instabilities, and rapid urbanisation are some of the main contributing factors that may trigger humanitarian crises in the coming years.
Moreover, urban vulnerability leading to major urban humanitarian disasters will be another phenomenon that will affect the region. This means that the region will need to be well prepared to mitigate these risks.
Caritas Member Organizations in Asia, in line with the strategic goals of the confederation and the region, are highly committed to consistently improve both institutions and personnel capacities in responding to the occurring humanitarian crisis in the region.
Caritas Asia Humanitarian Page
Upholding Dignity of the Person for Integral Human Development by Global Solidarity and Promotion of Peace
Migration and displacement are Asia wide issues of concern. It happens within our countries and beyond our borders. It is both national and multinational. No matter what its base, the issues and causes remain common. A multinational approach to migration is the healthiest approach.
The issues around forced migration and people on the move have been a continuing focus of work of Caritas MOs in Asia, through different types of intervention that include joint capacity building, organising campaigns, awareness raising and cross-border collaborations among various MOs. Considering the complexity of the issues and contexts of each MO and sub-region, Caritas MOs in Asia forms a network, so as to provide a strategic space for developing joint strategies in response to mutual concerns on migration and for providing opportunity for shared learning and exchange of experience. This network is to be based on Caritas values. It is open to Caritas partners in migration work. All members of this network are in accordance with the four-point programme of the Church to welcome, protect, promote and integrate people on the move. It is a network focused on working on migration across the region.
The Asia Regional Human Mobility Network is established to strengthen collaboration on migration work among Caritas members, its church and faith-based partners and other like-minded organisations in Asia. They act to coordinate and carry out joint pastoral programs and advocacy actions to ensure human dignity of the people.
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