Celebration in Parliament for CAFOD campaigners who turn faith into action

Adrian Chiles, Caroline Flint MP and Dermot O’Leary

More than 100 Catholic campaigners were celebrated for their work petitioning MPs on issues that affect the world’s poorest people at a CAFOD event at Parliament on Monday, attended by dozens of MPs and high profile CAFOD supporters, including TV and radio presenters Dermot O’Leary and Adrian Chiles.

Ed Davey MP, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change and Caroline Flint MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change also attended. They were there to honour CAFOD campaigners from across the country who regularly write to and meet with their local MPs to discuss issues that affect vulnerable communities around the world, such as the impact of climate change. Held at the Terrace Pavilion in the House of Commons, they had been invited by the Right Hon Tom Clarke CBE MP, Chair of the Parliamentary Friends of CAFOD, to celebrate their active citizenship.

Adrian Chiles, who recently visited Latin America to see CAFOD’s work in action, told the assembled crowd that in making their voices heard to their MP, the campaigners were invaluable in supporting CAFOD’s work. He said: “At CAFOD we always keep in mind the millions of people around the world still fighting and dying for the rights that we’re exercising here this evening. We should never take those rights for granted.

“We need our political leaders and MPs to come together and do everything in their power to try to tackle the big issues that affect us all. And we can all do our bit, not just by voting but by speaking to our MPs, marching, signing petitions, doing anything we can to make sure the voices of the poorest communities in the world are heard.”

Ahead of a campaign on climate change that CAFOD will launch in September, Ed Davey said the work done by CAFOD would be crucial in forcing leaders to acknowledge their responsibilities and take action. He said: “I think CAFOD - working with the faith community and other NGOs - can play a critical role. So I want to thank you in advance for all the work you’re going to do to give people like me as hard a time as you like. I welcome that. But also give every politician, every leader, and every business person across the world a hard time until they do what is right tackling climate change.”

Caroline Flint MP also threw her support behind CAFOD’s forthcoming campaign, whilst praising all those present for their commitment to justice. She said: “I am so pleased that CAFOD and others are thinking about how we join the dots here between climate change and poverty and power and governance and tackling corruption. These are all part and parcel of the same story - about people having social justice – the right to sustain themselves and their families without fear.”

CAFOD’s campaign will highlight the fact that climate change is keeping many people in the world’s poorest countries trapped in poverty and causing many vulnerable people to go hungry. CAFOD’s dedicated campaigners will play a key role in challenging the UK government to take action to reduce the impacts of climate change across the world. If you would like to join them, visit cafod.org.uk/Campaign/Campaigning-guide/Get-to-know-your-MP.