Development and Peace (Canada)
Encyclopedia
Development and Peace is the official international development arm of the Catholic Church in Canada
. It is a member of Caritas Internationalis, and Halifax Initiative
.
, which links true development with lasting peace.
Currently, the President of the National Council is Ronald Breau, member of Development and Peace from New Maryland, New Brunswick
.
, Asia
, Latin America
and the Middle East
. Individual projects are proposed by partner organisations - generally local non-governmental organisations or social movements. The programs and projects are meant to support the poor as they improve their living conditions in a sustainable way and increase their participation in their country's development.
Several times a year, program officers from Development and Peace's main office in Montreal
, Quebec
, visit the partners to evaluate progress, provide training and resources, foster networking between organisations and plan future activities.
In early 2010, Development and Peace members with the Canadian public raised over 21 million for emergency relief and reconstruction efforts in Haiti, after the January Haiti earthquake. Other noteworthy campaigns in the past include Hurricane Mitch
(1998), the Tsunami
(2004), the Nargis Cyclone in Burma (2008) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo
(2008).
Since the beginning of the campaign, over 200,000 Canadians sent postcards to the Canadian government asking that it legislate corporate social responsibility. Since 1994, Development and Peace has been a member of the Halifax Initiative
, a coalition of Canadian
non-governmental organization
s for public interest work and education on international financial institutions
.
, from Ash Wednesday
to Easter
, is the biggest fundraising period at Development and Peace. Typically, the organisation raises $ 10 million, mostly on the 5th Sunday of Lent, during which a special collection takes place in churches across Canada. Other fundraising activities also take place during the year.
To respond to these claims, Development and Peace along with the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) organized a committee of inquiry to travel to Mexico to investigate the claims. On June 18, 2009, the Permanent Council of the CCCB received the report by the Committee of Inquiry.
The Committee of Inquiry was composed of Most Reverend Martin W. Currie, Archbishop of St. John’s and Bishop of Grand Falls, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Most Reverend François Lapierre, P.M.É., Bishop of Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec. Assisting them were Msgr. Mario Paquette, P.H., CCCB General Secretary, and Msgr. Carlos Quintana Puente, C.S.S., from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, where he is Executive Director of its Secretariat for the Church in Latin America.
In the course of a visit to Mexico, 15 to 18 April 2009, the Committee met with representatives of the Mexican Episcopal Conference, as well as with senior representatives of the organizations which have been accused of expressing support for abortion.
On June 28, 2009, the Committee of Inquiry came to the conclusion that the allegations that “... financial assistance by Development and Peace aided projects related to the promotion of abortion” were unfounded. At the same time the Committee recognized that the five Mexican organizations were imprudent in signing a United Nations report on the human rights situation in Mexico that included orientations not in accord with Catholic teaching. The Committee of Inquiry encouraged the CCCB to continue to support Development and Peace, which it had founded more than 40 years ago.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is a member of Caritas Internationalis, and Halifax Initiative
Halifax Initiative
The Halifax Initiative is a coalition of Canadian non-governmental organizations for public interest work and education on international financial institutions....
.
History
Founded in 1967 by Canadian bishops, clergy and laity, it is a membership-driven organization whose mission is to fight poverty in the Global South and promote greater international justice. The name of the organization comes from the Church encyclical Populorum ProgressioPopulorum Progressio
Populorum progressio is the encyclical written by Pope Paul VI on the topic of "the development of peoples" and that the economy of the world should serve mankind and not just the few...
, which links true development with lasting peace.
Members
Development and Peace has 13,000 members across Canada. They contribute to educating the Canadian public and Canadian politicians to social justice and international development issues, they organise fundraisers and they participate in the governance of the organisation. Members elect representatives to the National Council and its various committees.Currently, the President of the National Council is Ronald Breau, member of Development and Peace from New Maryland, New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
.
International Programs
The organisation's regular programming spans 33 countries in AfricaAfrica
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
and the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
. Individual projects are proposed by partner organisations - generally local non-governmental organisations or social movements. The programs and projects are meant to support the poor as they improve their living conditions in a sustainable way and increase their participation in their country's development.
Several times a year, program officers from Development and Peace's main office in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, visit the partners to evaluate progress, provide training and resources, foster networking between organisations and plan future activities.
Emergency Relief
Following natural disasters or conflicts, Development and Peace provides resources for emergency relief and reconstruction.In early 2010, Development and Peace members with the Canadian public raised over 21 million for emergency relief and reconstruction efforts in Haiti, after the January Haiti earthquake. Other noteworthy campaigns in the past include Hurricane Mitch
Hurricane Mitch
Hurricane Mitch was the most powerful hurricane and the most destructive of the 1998 Atlantic hurricane season, with maximum sustained winds of 180 mph . The storm was the thirteenth tropical storm, ninth hurricane, and third major hurricane of the season. Along with Hurricane Georges, Mitch...
(1998), the Tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
(2004), the Nargis Cyclone in Burma (2008) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
(2008).
Education Campaigns
Each year, in the fall, members organise an education campaign within Canada. The campaign is targeted at members of the Canadian public and at Canadian politicians. In 2007 and 2008, Development and Peace campaigned to make Canadian mining companies responsible for their operations abroad. Due to lax laws in developing countries, Canadian companies often get away with violating human rights and destroying the environment.Since the beginning of the campaign, over 200,000 Canadians sent postcards to the Canadian government asking that it legislate corporate social responsibility. Since 1994, Development and Peace has been a member of the Halifax Initiative
Halifax Initiative
The Halifax Initiative is a coalition of Canadian non-governmental organizations for public interest work and education on international financial institutions....
, a coalition of Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
non-governmental organization
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
s for public interest work and education on international financial institutions
International financial institutions
International financial institutions are financial institutions that have been established by more than one country, and hence are subjects of international law. Their owners or shareholders are generally national governments, although other international institutions and other organisations...
.
Share Lent Campaigns
LentLent
In the Christian tradition, Lent is the period of the liturgical year from Ash Wednesday to Easter. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer – through prayer, repentance, almsgiving and self-denial – for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and...
, from Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday, in the calendar of Western Christianity, is the first day of Lent and occurs 46 days before Easter. It is a moveable fast, falling on a different date each year because it is dependent on the date of Easter...
to Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
, is the biggest fundraising period at Development and Peace. Typically, the organisation raises $ 10 million, mostly on the 5th Sunday of Lent, during which a special collection takes place in churches across Canada. Other fundraising activities also take place during the year.
Abortion Controversy
On March 12, 2009, LifeSiteNews.com (a non-profit website focusing on life and family issues) published allegations claiming that Development and Peace was funding five groups in Mexico that were pressuring the Mexican government to legalize abortion.To respond to these claims, Development and Peace along with the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) organized a committee of inquiry to travel to Mexico to investigate the claims. On June 18, 2009, the Permanent Council of the CCCB received the report by the Committee of Inquiry.
The Committee of Inquiry was composed of Most Reverend Martin W. Currie, Archbishop of St. John’s and Bishop of Grand Falls, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Most Reverend François Lapierre, P.M.É., Bishop of Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec. Assisting them were Msgr. Mario Paquette, P.H., CCCB General Secretary, and Msgr. Carlos Quintana Puente, C.S.S., from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, where he is Executive Director of its Secretariat for the Church in Latin America.
In the course of a visit to Mexico, 15 to 18 April 2009, the Committee met with representatives of the Mexican Episcopal Conference, as well as with senior representatives of the organizations which have been accused of expressing support for abortion.
On June 28, 2009, the Committee of Inquiry came to the conclusion that the allegations that “... financial assistance by Development and Peace aided projects related to the promotion of abortion” were unfounded. At the same time the Committee recognized that the five Mexican organizations were imprudent in signing a United Nations report on the human rights situation in Mexico that included orientations not in accord with Catholic teaching. The Committee of Inquiry encouraged the CCCB to continue to support Development and Peace, which it had founded more than 40 years ago.