Development and Peace

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A youth internship with Development and Peace - a unique opportunity!

May 15, 2015
by 
Brigitte Dorge, Regional Youth Intern from the Archdiocese of Winnipeg

This winter, I began an internship with Development and Peace.

What an exciting opportunity it has been for me to apply my studies outside of the classroom! Even more exciting, is that through this internship, I am able to work towards building a world of justice, which is one my passions!

Posted in: 
Institutional life
Members in action
Youth

You'll never guess what's inside this tent

April 16, 2015
by 
Etienne Dion-Marcil

Upon my recent visit to Iraq, I saw the intense psychological distress that over 500,000 Iraqi Yazidis experience every day. They have had to abandon their houses and families in order to o survive the violence of ISIS.

Posted in: 
Emergencies

Solidarity has no borders

April 7, 2015
by 
by Janelle Delorme, Regional Animator for Manitoba

The first time I heard about Sierra Leone, I was 14 or 15. I read an article about child soldiers who were fighting in the civil war. From the pictures I saw - children with guns, drugged and dismembered - it certainly did not appear “civil.” My heart broke. I couldn’t stay silent about this injustice so I wrote a paper for a high school project. At the time, the civil war in Sierra Leone was not on many people’s radar and the international community only started to talk about blood diamonds years later.

Posted in: 
Emergencies
Fundraising

Solidarity visitor from Colombia shares human rights struggles

April 1, 2015
by 
By Heidi Matthews, Hamilton Diocesan Council Chair
Heidi Matthews (Hamilton Diocesan Chair), His Excellency Bishop Douglas Crosby (Diocese of Hamilton), Father Franco, Rosa Odalmis Delis (Translator)

From March 13th to the 17th, the Diocese of Hamilton was blessed to have a Solidarity Visitor, Fr. Alberto Franco, CSsR, from Columbia.

Fr. Franco is the Executive Secretary of Development and Peace’s partner, the Inter-Church Commission for Justice and Peace (CIJP). He has been an ardent defender of human rights for over 20 years and has been accompanying Afro-Colombians, indigenous peoples and peasant farmers in defending and reclaiming their lands.

Posted in: 
Education and action campaign
Members in action
Share Lent

A fundraising activity that was both lucrative and inclusive!

March 20, 2015
by 
Suzanne Slobodian, Fundraising Officer - Major Gifts and Planned Giving

Last Friday, March 13th, staff and National Council members had the privilege of experiencing the first edition of a fundraising activity initiated by the Fundraising/Communications Working Group of the Share Lent Campaign organizing committee: a silent auction!

Posted in: 
Fundraising
Share Lent

Human rights and human dignity at the heart of the reconstruction

March 10, 2015
by 
Marianne Drouin, Communications Officer

After the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the nation received a massive influx of humanitarian assistance. However, assistance was not always allocated in such a way as to respect human rights. In some cases, it was distributed in poor conditions, where people had to line up for hours to receive food assistance, or without taking into account the real needs of communities.

Tags: 
human rights

Meaningful encounters with solidarity visitor in British Columbia

March 9, 2015
by 
Stephanie Nguyen, Regional Youth Intern for British Columbia and Yukon

It was exciting to learn that British Columbia would have the honour of hosting Fr. Edwin Gariguez as this year’s Solidarity Visitor. Fr. Edwin is the Executive Secretary of Caritas Philippines-NASSA. He has been playing an important role in bringing about humanitarian aid in the Philippines to those who have been displaced by Typhoons Haiyan and Hagupit, and addressing issues of injustice in the Philippines that perpetuate poverty.

Posted in: 
Education and action campaign
Members in action
Share Lent

Contributing to food security in the Sahel by improving income

February 2, 2015
by 
Stéphane Vinhas, Programs Officer – Emergency Relief

Happy are those, like me, who have taken a long journey. In December of 2014, I had the pleasure of visiting different initiatives carried out by Development and Peace partners in Niger and Mali, and speaking with villagers in these communities.

Posted in: 
Emergencies

In Northern Iraq, solidarity for the displaced is a sign of hope

January 21, 2015
by 
By Guy Des Aulniers, Emergencies Program Officer for the Middle East

It’s Monday morning in Erbil. It’s 6 a.m. and the sun still hasn’t come up. Santa Lucia Church is situated just across from the hotel where I’m staying. From my window, I can count about 40 tents, placed closely together, one glued to the other. In each tent, there are partitions which separate the three families that live there (each family consists of about 8 people), the rooms and the kitchens. Although there is heating, the ground is only covered with a burlap rug. 

Posted in: 
Emergencies
Field visits

Good governance key to fighting Ebola in Sierra Leone

January 14, 2015
by 
Cynthia D'Cruz, Communications Assistant

Sierra Leone currently has the highest incidence of Ebola, with over 7,786 infections and 2,696 confirmed deaths (as of January 14, 2015). Beyond the immediate health crisis, there have also been concerns raised pertaining to the long term socio-economic impacts of the disease. These concerns include the economy, the social fabric, food security and agricultural production (due to loss of human capital).

Posted in: 
Emergencies