News & Events

FEDERAL SPENDING AND THE POOR: A DOOMED ALLIANCE?

Millions of families worldwide struggle to live on less than $1 a day. There families suffer from poverty, lack of potable water, have access to little or no food, live in refugee camps, endure illness and are victims of natural disasters. How is the sequestration in Washington impacting out assistance to them, and what can we do to live out our mission? Read more.

ADDRESSING GLOBAL HUNGER: THE FUTURE OF FOOD AID AND LEARNING FIRST-HAND ABOUT HUNGER IN BURKINA FASO

More than 80 percent of the people in Burkina Faso live in extreme poverty. This landlocked West African country has been plagued with economic hardships, human rights abuses and political unrest. Geographically, Burkina Faso suffers from poor rainfall, soil degradation and high population density. Read more about the people of Burkina Faso and how food aid helps families who are hungry.

OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN THE HOLY LAND HAVE BEEN WAITING TOO LONG FOR PEACE. Now is the time to act!

With President Obama’s recent trip to the Holy Land and his reaffirmation of the two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians, we are hopeful for a renewed peace process. The Church stands ready to help advance a peaceful and just solution for all of our Jewish, Christian and Muslim brothers and sisters living in Israel and Palestine. You, too, can add your voice to the call for peace! Thank President Obama for his leadership on this issue by sending your message today!

CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES AND THE UNITED STATES CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS STAND WITH THE CATHOLIC COMMUNITY IN THE HOLY LAND

Raise your voice for peace and prosperity for all the people of the Holy Land. Join the Catholic community of the Holy Land to oppose the re-routing of the separation wall in the Cremisan Valley, West Bank. Your signature will be delivered to the appropriate Israeli authorities. The final court ruling will be held on February 12 so make sure to sign now.

A PATHWAY TO FULFILLING DREAMS UNVEILED

It may still be winter throughout much of the United States, but Washington D.C. is heating up with some exciting news.

At the end of January 2013 a bipartisan group of eight Senators proposed a framework for comprehensive immigration reform legislation while President Obama outlined his vision of immigration reform in a major speech. These are small, but important, steps forward for our brothers and sisters who have migrated in search of a better life for themselves and their families.

Catholic Relief Services and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops welcome these new developments and look forward to working with Congress to improve our nation’s immigration system so that it better respects human life and dignity while also ensuring the integrity of our borders. Read the CRS and USCCB press releases for a review of the Church’s position on this issue.

In the coming weeks and months as Congress works on immigration reform legislation your voice will be needed. Please stay tuned for opportunities to take action. For more information about this issue and our Catholic response, please visit the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Justice for Immigrants Campaign and read the pastoral letter “Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope” concerning migration.

CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES ADVISES SENATE SUBCOMMITTEE ON IMPROVING “FEED THE FUTURE” PROGRAM

Tanzania Country Representative tells Congress the Obama Administration program should help more poor farmers

WASHINGTON, DC, November 28, 2012— Conor Walsh, the head of Catholic Relief Services’ program in Tanzania, told a Senate subcommittee Wednesday that the Feed the Future program needs to steer more of its help to poor farmers in its target countries instead of over-focusing on commercial agricultural enterprises.

“Possibly driven by pressures to show results quickly and demonstrate the impact of scarce development funds, some Feed the Future investments appear focused on improving the capacity of existing commercial agriculture producers, sometimes at the expense of addressing the needs of smallholder farmers and other vulnerable populations,” Walsh told the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on International Development and Foreign Assistance, Economic Affairs and International Environmental Protection. Senators Richard C. Lugar of Indiana and Ben Cardin of Maryland were among those in attendance. Read more...

Read the CRS Newswire for the latest information on CRS' work to assist victims of disasters and help people lift themselves out of poverty through long-term development programs in some 100 countries around the world. CRS Newswire features timely analysis by CRS experts and reports on our efforts to create a more just and peaceful world.

Events

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