Caritas Appeals Successful

(Social Justice South Africa; c.f. Caritas International)

Article by Marc Aupiais

Recent appeals by Caritas, as guests invited to a UN summit have paid off, with pledges of about 16 billion dollars in aid to developing nations and such causes.

Caritas notes- they don't need to hear from the UN about poverty- Caritas deals with the poor daily.

President of Caritas, Cardinal Oscar Rodríguez Maradiaga- said that the pledges are needed to address the impact of climate change on the poorest communities: but notes that the Millennium Development goals, are still decades off the path in Sub-Saharan Africa and other places. Last year aid from the G7 reduced by 1 percent (excluding debt relief), not much- except that when aid is reduced by such in such a large scale- one in a hundred people who were supported, will no longer be entitled to this. The organization of Catholic Charities can't comprehend how 700 billion dollars is so easily requested in the US for a lost gamble by banks- but 10 000 000 children dying on a yearly rate, of causes that are so easily prevented- do not get the label of crises.

This comes following the proposed 700 billion dollar bailout of US banking giants.

The relatively small contributions however will help the continent. They will also go to some extent of fulfilling promises neglected largely by rich nations to the developing world.