Following the declaration of famine in South Sudan, Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand’s lead humanitarian aid worker, Mark Mitchell, is preparing to return to the world’s newest nation. He is going to help coordinate the Caritas response to the worsening situation. “I was in the country last year to bolster Caritas’ humanitarian response to the existing Read more
“Right now, our staff are in Kaikōura with Te tai o te Marokura Health and Social Service, looking at how the earthquake has impacted kai moana in the area, and how this has in turn impacted whānau health, said Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand Director Julianne Hickey. She was making an oral submission on the 2017 Read more
“I am praying for all the people of New Zealand at this time of the earthquakes.” This is what Pope Francis said to Cardinal John Dew when he greeted him in Rome at the closing of the Holy Door. On Sunday Cardinal John wrote on his Facebook page: “This morning St Peter’s Square was filled Read more
Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand has spoken out in opposition to assisted suicide in an oral submission to the Health Select Committee looking into attitudes towards euthanasia. Drawing on its experiences working with disempowered communities in New Zealand and abroad, the social justice agency highlighted the issue of powerlessness as a major concern in the debate Read more
Su’a William Sio (Member of Parliament for Mangere) will launch Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand’s report about our close neighbours in Oceania at Parliament today, 4 October. According to the UN at the peak of the regional drought in summer, food and water issues affected more than 4.7 million people The impact of these factors continues Read more
An extra 3,000 copies of the Poverty and Justice Bible have been ordered to keep up with demand as Catholic parishes throughout New Zealand embrace the Poverty and Justice Bible Buy One / Gift One campaign which enables free Bibles to be given to families in need. A joint initiative between Bible Society New Zealand Read more
The Catholic Bishops of New Zealand have set aside a week in September for Social Justice Week. In 2016 it runs from 11-17 September. In 2015 the number of persons living in a country other than where they were born reached 244 million for the world as a whole, a 41 per cent increase compared to Read more
Stories of migrant workers being exploited, with some paid as little as $8 an hour, have been revealed in a new report from Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand. Report author Cathy Bi said the story that struck her the most was of a girl who worked a shift at a restaurant, but was not paid because her Read more
For those who want to make a difference, but perhaps feel helpless about it, here is a chance to act on your dream. The Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand’s Programmes team may be able to match your skills to situations in the Pacific and elsewhere that could give you an opportunity to make good use of Read more
Mahitahi “Working Together”, is now called Catholic Volunteers Overseas and been given a broader scope. The Catholic Volunteers Overseas programme also includes a variety of time periods for volunteering. The name change, made by the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference, follows on from the 2013 integration of Mahitahi into Caritas. The new phase offers “placements that are either short-term for a few Read more