CAFOD

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The Catholic Agency For Overseas Development (CAFOD), previously known as the Catholic Fund for Overseas Development, is a United Kingdom-based international aid agency working to alleviate poverty and suffering in developing countries. It is funded by the Catholic community in England and Wales, the UK government and the general public by donations.

CAFOD was founded in 1962. CAFOD's aims are to promote long-term development; respond to emergencies; raise public awareness of the causes of poverty; speak out on behalf of poor communities; and promote social justice in witness to Christian faith and gospel values. It is also involved in short-term relief. It is a sponsor of the new Las Casas Institute at Blackfriars Hall, University of Oxford.

CAFOD is an agency of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales and part of the Caritas International Federation which operates in over 200 countries and territories worldwide.

Mission statement

CAFOD's mission statement describes its vision, mission and values as follows:

Drawing inspiration from The Bible, Catholic social teaching and the hopes of people who are poor, marginalised, or oppressed, CAFOD is committed to building a world free from poverty and injustice where:

• the rights and dignity of each person are respected, discrimination is ended and all are gathered into a single human community from which no one is excluded.
• the good things of creation are developed and shared by all, and the structures that rule people’s lives express justice and enable peace.
• the lives and choices of rich and poor alike have been transformed by solidarity.
• all have access to food, clean water, shelter and security; to a livelihood, health and education; all can participate in shaping their societies and their world.

Mission

CAFODs stated mission is "to promote human development and social justice in witness to Christian faith and Gospel values". To fulfil this mission CAFOD raises funds from within the Catholic community and beyond so that it can:

• work alongside people in need to reduce poverty and bring about sustainable change through development and humanitarian programmes.
• increase understanding of the causes of poverty and injustice and encourage the Catholic community to embrace values, attitudes and lifestyles that are rooted in the gospel.
• challenge governments and international bodies to adopt policies that promote social justice and end poverty. This is done both directly and by rallying the Catholic community.

Values

The values that CAFOD declares as inspiring its work are:

Compassion

• Confronted by global poverty and suffering, CAFOD describes its fundamental response as "compassion". CAFOD is deeply affected by the suffering of those it describes as "our brothers and sisters in the global family" and exists, alongside them, to take action to alleviate it.

• CAFOD recognises the intimate relationship between protecting and sustaining the environment and promoting human development. It aims to take proper account of ecological sustainability in its work and lifestyleOH.

External links

• CAFOD website
• "CAFOD, registered charity no. 285776". Charity Commission for England and Wales.
• CAFOD WorldGifts - buy a cow for Christmas
• Caritas Internationalis
• CAFOD Big Deal youth site
• CAFOD Kidzzone children site