CAFOD Blog - Page 44 of 77 - Just One World with many voices

CAFOD volunteers see Laudato Si’ brought to life in Portugal

June 23, 2017

Sandra Iheanacho, a CAFOD volunteer from Westminster diocese, recently travelled to Fatima, Portugal to attend a sustainability camp inspired by Laudato Si’. There she saw Laudato Si’ brought to life and here she talks about her experiences and how every community can get involved.

The week of the 100^th anniversary of our Lady of Fatima had finally arrived. I was on my way to meet up with my fellow ‘Climate Champion’ volunteers from CAFOD to journey to Lisbon, Portugal together. As we all gathered at Gatwick airport, we took the time to discuss over breakfast our expectations, worries, and fears. Our questions ranged from ‘what will the Casa Velha farm be like?’ to ‘why was a swimming costume needed?’

Arriving in Lisbon, we were welcomed by palm trees, clear skies, and heat, but it was not long before we ventured outside, and were hit by harsh wind and rain that quickly reminded us of why we were here; to tackle Laudato Si’.

Find out more about Laudato Si

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World Refugee Day: Building trust and friendship

June 20, 2017

Olwen Maynard is a member of the Asia and Middle East team. She tells us how bringing young people together in Lebanon is helping to build trust among local people and Syrian refugees.

Boys in the Handicrafts class create a sign: ‘Youth across borders: facing life challenges together.”

There’s been a lot of heart-searching in this country about taking in Syrian refugees, and how many would be our ‘fair share’. Something we tend to forget is that most displaced Syrians are still in the Middle East region. Lebanon, a small country with a population of about four million (half that of Greater London), has taken in over a million. Just stop and think about that for a minute.

This World Refugee Day donate to our Refugee Crisis Appeal for refugees around the world. Continue reading “World Refugee Day: Building trust and friendship”

Power to be: How lack of electricity affects everything – and what you can do about it

June 16, 2017

Hannah, CAFOD policy analyst with Sr Mathilde Mubanga in Zambia — Hannah, CAFOD policy analyst with Sr Mathilde Mubanga

Hannah Mottram works in CAFOD’s policy team. She reports from Zambia, where access to electricity can transform lives.

“The work that I do is not just work,” says Sr Mathilde Mubanga, trained nurse and national health co-ordinator for the Zambian Bishops conference. “It is a service to the people of God, so I make sure that I do the very best that I can. I am not just there to give an injection, but to embrace patients as people, as fellow human beings.”

Sr Mathilde has been in her current role for nine years: travelling across Zambia to train staff, inspect health facilities and liaise with the national department of health.

She knows first-hand about the many challenges faced by health services in developing countries. When we met in Zambia recently, we discussed one challenge which is sometimes overlooked: lack of access to electricity.

Sign our Power to be petition, calling for more support for local, renewable energy

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Laudato Si’: Imagining a better world

June 15, 2017

Linda Jones is Head of the CAFOD Theology Programme. On the second anniversary of Pope Francis encyclical, Laudato Si’, she reflects on how we can free our hearts and minds to transform our world.

We can each imagine what the world could be like, though we might each have a very different picture in our minds. As Christians, we have a passionate love of God and our neighbour, especially neighbours who are treated as if they don’t matter. We can hear the ‘cry of the earth and the cry of the poor’, and we long to respond.

Yet the challenges are so many, and seemingly so huge, that some of us simply find it all too much. Where do we start? Is it even worth bothering to try? Pope Francis identifies some of the biggest issues facing us in his inspiring encyclical, Laudato Si’: climate change, pollution, migration, work, poverty and inequality… rapidification, an over-reliance on technological change for solutions, and more.

Download prayers on Laudato Si’

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Climate Coalition: How to organise a week of action event to remember

June 9, 2017

Chloe and neighbours meeting their MP during the Climate Coalition week of action in 2016 — Chloe and neighbours meeting their MP during the week of action in 2016

Hundreds of events will be springing up between 1-9 July as part of the Climate Coalition’s week of action. We asked Chloe, Jane and Bernard who organised events for last year’s week of action to tell us what they did and how it worked.

The thought of organising an event and inviting your MP can be daunting. But it doesn’t have to be. Students, faith groups, union members and many more will unite to meet their newly-elected MPs and talk about what we can do to tackle climate change.

Find out what’s happening near you during the Climate Coalition week of action

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Our common future: Putting general election candidates on the spot

June 2, 2017

Susan Atkinson, CAFOD volunteer Deanery Co-ordinator for Hartlepool in the diocese of Hexham and Newcastle reports on a local hustings event.

Susan (right) asks a CAFOD question to local candidates

Hartlepool is a rock-solid Labour seat. Always has been, always will be…though maybe not this time! At the last election, UKIP ran them close and, with our sitting MP stepping down and a new and largely unknown Labour candidate, anything might happen!

So my local hustings, for candidates standing for election in Hartlepool, had the potential to be interesting.

Email your candidates – call for action on poverty and climate change

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Great Generation: Meet our young leaders

June 2, 2017

“Young people demand change. They wonder how anyone can claim to be building a better future without thinking of the environmental crisis and the sufferings of the excluded.” Laudato Si #13

CAFOD young leaders — Volunteering with CAFOD.

We know that many young people take action with CAFOD, working together to overcome poverty and injustice throughout the world. Many of our partners across the world empower young people to transform their societies.

We’re inspired by them, and know that young people in the UK have the same ability to take the lead, which is why we focus on this area of work in the UK, supporting young people to be key influencers of their peers and local communities.

The CAFOD Young Leadership programme is one of the ways we engage a younger audience in our work, offering sixth-formers an opportunity to take the lead by volunteering for CAFOD to make a difference in fighting poverty and injustice.

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World Gifts for Father’s Day – All my dad wants is a smile

May 30, 2017

Rachel works on World Gifts at CAFOD. She tells us why she buys her dad a World Gift for Father’s Day and how it makes them both smile.

I sadly don’t see my dad very often, so every year I try extra hard around Father’s Day. Really I think we both see it as an excuse for the shops to make money and sell a lot of stuff we don’t need! So, I arrange to see dad, but first, I always ask him if there’s anything he’d like as a present. I try not to always buy chocolates as he could do with losing a pound or two (!) – I suggest a book, a ticket to an exhibition, but he insists that all he wants is a smile.

African girl holding the goat she received from CAFOD — Buy the World Gifts Goat that gives and bring a smile to the lives of others

Working on World Gifts at CAFOD has given me lots of new ideas for ways to show my dad that I appreciate and love him and make him smile. Plus, I know my gift’s helping someone who’s in real need, and bringing a smile to their face too! Here our some of our best charity gifts for dads.

Browse CAFOD’s charity gift range of unusual presents

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Giving thanks for our little one by helping other babies

May 25, 2017

Julia, who works at CAFOD, shares how her reflections on the lives of others around the world changed with the experience of being pregnant with her first child.

My son's Baptism invitation card with the World Gifts sticker on it — My son’s Baptism invitation card with the World Gifts sticker on it

Living in the UK, I knew that if there were any problems with my baby that I would immediately receive the care I needed. I chose to buy World Gifts for my son’s Baptism as a way of giving something back to those living in poverty.

Browse our Baptism World Gifts

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Great Generation: Playing my part

May 24, 2017

Oscar is a CAFOD volunteer who joined campaigners from across England and Wales at a parliamentary reception on 24 April.

“If young people shout loud enough, the government will listen!” Oscar.

Oscar campaigning with CAFOD — Oscar (left) at the parliamentary reception.

The CAFOD MP Correspondence on Monday the 24 April was a truly great experience, and was inspiring in many ways. I came along for multiple reasons.

One key reason was to make the best use of my time as a CAFOD young leader. CAFOD is truly a great organisation with meaningful aims, and I wanted to be a part of that and represent that at Speaker’s house in parliament. Also, I have a passion for politics, so going to parliament and talking to MPs and campaigners about CAFOD’s work and my work as a young leader was a great chance to gain experience and visit parliament.

Continue reading “Great Generation: Playing my part”