CAFOD ready for new challenges over next 50 years

Fr Joe Komakoma

“What would you like CAFOD’s 50th Birthday present to be?” asked a question from the audience.

“Hope” said Fr Joe Komakoma, a CAFOD partner from Zambia, who is the Deputy Secretary General of SECAM (Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar); “a hope that makes us believe change is possible even when we don’t see results”, he said, “and we must believe in a world of social justice and dignity”.

“A global agreement on reducing carbon emissions” said CAFOD’s Director, Chris Bain.

“The money to push CAFOD’s excellent liturgy material out to parishes” said former minister and Labour MP John Battle; “bringing together the concept of contemplation in a world of action”.

CAFOD was celebrating its 50th Year at last Friday’s annual Pope Paul VI Memorial Lecture in Central London, and specifically looking at challenges to tackle in the years to come.

Insights from panellists – Fr Joe Komakoma, John Battle and journalist Rosamund Urwin - and a panel discussion including Chris Bain were chaired by Catherine Pepinster, Editor of The Tablet, who told an audience of around 300 that she was “delighted to be involved”.

Reflecting upon development and the Church, Fr Komakoma said the Church in Zambia has been blessed with Bishops who have stressed Catholic Social Teaching and have raised their voices for social justice. Caritas Zambia had “a very successful partnership with CAFOD” on the Jubilee 2000 Campaign for the cancellation of debt in the global south. After significant debt cancellation the Zambian economy was able to grow at a rate of six per cent annually and subsequent gains in health and education have benefited the poorest communities. He quoted from the 1971 Rome Synod of Bishops which stated that, ‘Action on behalf of justice and participation in the transformation of the world fully appear to us as a constitutive dimension of the preaching of the Gospel’. As the gap between rich and poor grows ever wider, he felt the Church is challenged to transform this reality for “our faith encourages us to forge ahead for social justice ”. Fr Komakoma brought the same message to the launch of CAFOD’s new campaign ‘Hungry for Change’ the following day.

Rosamund Urwin, who has a regular column in the London Evening Standard newspaper, reported that as a young Catholic journalist in her twenties she was delighted to see how many young people work for CAFOD and their outreach to school and youth groups. However, she highlighted problems CAFOD faces in getting its work recognised in the secular media. Firstly, religious charities are often seen as excluding non-Christians, even though CAFOD projects help people in need regardless of their faith. Also, “media has a shameful allergy to anything deemed worthy” she reported and there is less interest in good news than bad. She urged CAFOD to provide fresh research as often as possible and provide comments on stories of interest to the media. New media should be pushed as widely as possible, especially Twitter, and indeed CAFOD tweeted photos and news regularly from the launch of its Hungry for Change campaign the following day.

“International solidarity is needed more than ever before” said John Battle, who spoke from the perspective of politics. In his enthusiastic presentation he too wanted to see more of CAFOD’s “good news stories about transforming lives” getting into the news agenda. He worried that too much politics “is about short-termism” and called for Catholics to support CAFOD’s engagement with the political system through its campaigning work. He felt CAFOD pulls together the two streams of injustice, one affecting individuals and then the structural injustice addressed with Catholic Social Teaching. CAFOD was urged “not to back away from the long-term challenge of Climate Change”.

Chris Bain highlighted the LiveSimply campaign and the growing number of parishes applying for the Live Simply Parish Award. When asked about injustices related to activities of multinational companies, he pointed out CAFOD’s work on trying to get more transparency in the extractive industries. “I am a big believer in the UN” he said, “and ensuring it is still the legitimate forum for governments to work together”. Fr Komakoma said there had been a focus in Zambia on highlighting government complicity with companies. “The odds against Africa’s development are enormous with the rush for our natural resources and with Africa not having a string voice in international systems” he added. Referring to Church networks, such as Caritas, he said, “we can use the Year of Faith to nourish international solidarity over the coming year”.

To round off the evening, CAFOD’s Chair, Bishop John Arnold, auxiliary in Westminster, highlighted CAFOD’s biggest ever annual budget of £61 million - which was cheered by the audience - but commented that, “although it is a good year we cannot be complacent”. He felt the evening was very important because “the world is changing, with new global challenges which we must be discussing”. He had just returned from a CAFOD trip to Bangladesh and Burma and commented that “one thing I learnt when travelling with CAFOD was the generosity of the people we serve and wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could learn that selflessness”. He felt “very proud to be chair of the trustees of CAFOD and the leadership team of CAFOD”.

See CAFOD's latest campaigning video here: www.cafod.org.uk/News/Campaigning-news/H4C-video