I strongly and unequivocally reiterate to you that the work of Development and Peace fully respects and follows the teachings of the Catholic Church on the inherent dignity of the human person. We do not, in any way, support projects that would contravene these fundamental principles, most certainly not projects related to abortion. It is dangerously irresponsible and slanderous on the part of some journalists, through ill-conceived conjecture and hypothesis, to deliberately misinterpret the social justice initiatives of our southern partners in this light.

Founded in 1967, for forty-two years Development and Peace has channeled the financial and solidarity support of Canadian Catholics toward social justice and development projects in the developing world that reinforce our common humanity and join us in a global solidarity movement for social justice and human dignity. Each year, hundreds of projects in the Global South such as community-based fishing cooperatives, farmers’ associations, community radio stations, voter registration drives, and reconstruction and humanitarian relief after major natural catastrophes are supported by Canadian Catholics through our organization. For more information on the various projects we support, I invite you to refer to our annual report on our website.

The work accomplished by the members and staff of Development and Peace is strongly rooted in our Catholic faith and inspired by the values of the Gospel, particularly « the preferential option for the poor ». Hundreds of thousands of poor families and individuals all over the world, in Africa, in Asia, in Latin America and in the Middle East have benefitted from the labour of love and solidarity of our organization. Particularly in these times of global economic crisis, these most vulnerable of our sisters and brothers rely on your crucial support.

Michael Casey
Executive Director