Solidarity in Lebanon: the Caritas connection

Meeting CARITAS MONA

Today we met with Caritas MONA- Moyen Orient et Nord Afrique (Middle East and North Africa), and learned a tremendous amount about the Caritas network and what it means when we are talking about “capacity building”.

What is Caritas? Caritas Internationalis is the international association of 165 national Caritas networks. It is one of the world’s largest humanitarian organizations. Communication and coordination between national networks is made more effective by seven regional offices that serve Africa, Asia, Europa (Europe), Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East and North Africa (MONA), North America, and Oceania. 

The principle themes that Caritas tries to address on a global scale, are economic justice, peace and reconciliation, refugees and migrants, HIV-AIDS, climate change, and emergency relief.

16 member organizations in the MONA region work, often in situations of conflict, to meet the greatest needs of local communities. Local Caritas groups have emergency plans to respond to needs generated by conflict, but do not play a political role in war time.

The main projects of the Caritas organizations in the MONA region, given by order of frequency of project type, are:

• Education
• Health care
• Emergency relief
• Assistance to migrants
• Social development
• Youth services
• Humanitarian assistance
• Empowerment of women

The mission of Caritas MONA is to: work on exchanges and assistance between member organizations and to facilitate their working together in harmony while ensuring that everyone in the region applies the objectives and values of the Caritas confederation.

This is capacity building: supporting the growth and health of organizations through:

• training sessions and organizing seminars,
• providing tools for campaigns and fundraising with the programs of Caritas Internationalis,
• assisting with the foundation of new Caritas organizations,
• helps the member organizations in achieving their goals,
• connecting the work of members with the wider Catholic church

This is capactity building: trainings so that organizations, social movement and citizens are informed and equipped to take on the challenges they face in a way that is participative and peaceful.

This is capacity building: Partners are well linked into communities, are strong and credible, and can develop appropriate strategies to deal with the challenged that they face.

Caritas MONA opened our eyes to the depth and breadth of the humanitarian efforts being made by the Caritas networks in each country of the MONA region. The staff shared with us the global picture, with the challenges being faced in the region, as well as the inspiring efforts of single individuals, such the single nun who is Caritas Libya, and the 1,538 staff who run the many programs in Caritas Egypt.

Long may the good work of our Caritas family continue!

by Jacques St. Laurent