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eHuman Dignity:more tHan everCommitment to human dignity is needed more than ever in our world today. One billion among us go hungry, and countless others are sacrificed to the idols of greed, violence, and war.

Belief in human dignity has been the driving force of the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace for the past 45 years. It is not economic progress but the human person, made in the image of God, who is at the heart of its mission. This gives a special quality to the work of Development anD peace, which would not be possible without your generous support of the Share Lent campaign.

What is this special quality? To believe in human dignity is to be convinced that poverty is not simply a material problem to be solved. Poverty is instead a call to journey together with the poor in search of the Kingdom of God – where justice and peace reign.

I myself have spent time in Haiti with Development anD peace. I have seen this special quality. The people I met were as grateful for the gift of our presence as they were for our financial support, which has changed the lives of many in the country.

My experience in Haiti recalls for me the words of the Holy Father, who tells us that, “Practical activity will always be insufficient, unless it visibly expresses a love for the human person, a love nourished by an encounter with Christ. My deep personal sharing in the needs and sufferings of others becomes a sharing of my very self with them… I must be personally present in my gift.” (Deus caritas est, 34)

Development anD peace is the visible expression of our love as Canadian Catholics for the human family and of our hope that the world can be a better place for all.

I invite you to be personally present in your gift to Share Lent 2013. Start by truly reading and reflecting on the stories in these pages. They are stories from countries where Development anD peace is working for human dignity with courageous men and women. May their witness call all of us to deepen our own commitment to the dignity of each and every person.

+ Richard SmithArchbishop of EdmontonPresident of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

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Scripture makes it clear that each and every person is made in the image and likeness of God. This radical claim is the source of our belief in the inherent and inviolable dignity of the human person. The dignity of the human person is the cornerstone of all Catholic social teaching.

Being made in God’s image, we are all God’s chil-dren. This is true no matter where we are born and no matter what our economic or social status. As you read this, there are seven billion living and breathing unique images of God on the face of the Earth. You are one of them.

Because it comes from God, human dignity is not something that we can bestow or take away from an-other person. It is intrinsic to our existence. What we can do is enter into relationships that respect our mu-tual human dignity. When respect for human dignity forms the basis of our relationships, God’s divine na-ture shines forth in a true communion of persons.

Too often we fail to do this. Too often we de-humanize our brothers and sisters or shut our ears when they cry out. Failure to recognize the human dignity of each and every person opens the door to all manner of vio-lence and injustice. But how can we truly make human dignity the cornerstone of our relationships?

This question is especially pertinent when we reflect on our relationships with people we may never meet; people who suffer in the far corners of the world and whose names we do not know. Although we may never meet, we still share the same planet and its gifts. These gifts are not simply for our own personal use but are entrusted to us by God for the flourishing of our human family. We are increasingly aware that our actions in one part of the world can affect people who live far away from us. We are interconnected. We are in rela-tionship with all seven billion of God’s children.

Catholic social teaching can serve as the guidepost that helps us to enter into relationships that respect human dignity. Solidarity, the option for the poor, care for creation, economic justice, and the common good are examples of values that are vital to any society built upon the dignity of the human person.

At Development anD peace, Catholic social teaching guides our relationship with the world. We are not patrons to the poor. We are partners with them. This partnership is rooted in the recognition of our common human dignity. To recognize the human dignity of the poor as equal to our own requires us to respect their freedom. This freedom includes their right to choose what development means for them. The poor must always be seen as subjects and not objects of development.

Development anD peace enters into relationship with groups of men and women who have a vision for their own development and of their liberation from poverty and injustice. Through your generous support, we are able to call them partners. It is an honour to join them in their work.

Human DignityThen God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness;”– GEnESIS 1:26

Facts anD Figuresn In 2011-2012, Development anD peace contributed

$20.9 million to its international development and humanitarian aid programs.

n Last year, Development anD peace supported 129 sustainable development projects in 25 countries, including 17 projects at the regional and international levels.

n When you give to Development anD peace during Share Lent, 10% of your donation goes into our humanitarian aid fund, which allows us to respond quickly when an emergency occurs.

n Last year, Development anD peace contributed to humanitarian aid in Peru, Madagascar, the Horn of Africa and the Philippines, amongst others.

2011-2012 BreakDown oF expenDitures

DistriBution oF support to partners in tHe gloBal soutH

BreakDown oF activities supporteD in tHe gloBal soutH

Middle East 1.7 %

Africa 10.1 %

Asia 4.5 %

Latin America 14.5 %

International 0.5 %

Humanitarian Aid27.9 %

Haiti Reconstruction Program 40.8 %

Peacebuilding and Reconciliation 4 %

Citizen Participation 23 %

Humanitarian Aid and Reconstruction31 %

Equality Between Men and Women 19 %

Ecological Justice 2 %

Management and Controlof Natural Resources 21 %

“Being in the image of God the human individual possesses the dignity of a person, who is not just something, but someone.”– CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHuRCH, 357

Communications and Fundraising

5 %Education and AwarenessPrograms in Canada

10 % International Programs73 %

Governance andAdministration

12 %

Partnering to raise Human Dignity arounD tHe worlD

Ceas: ecological Justice & management and control of natural resourcesThe Andean mountains dominate the landscape of Peru. Yet, hidden behind their rugged beauty is a growing bleakness, as many communities that live high along those peaks are experiencing the environmental and social impacts of mining concessions. Currently, more than 13% of Peruvian territory has been given out in concessions, and generally without the consultation of communities. Although not all this land is being exploited, the often unexpected arrival of mining companies is causing destructive social conflicts.

Development anD peace partner, the Episcopal Commission on Social Action (CEAS) in Peru, is working with communities in their struggle for ecological justice and the local management of their natural resources, so they can return to living in dignity in a clean and healthy environment. They educate communities on their rights so they can engage with companies and advocate for fair consultation and compensation.

CEAS, which was founded in 1965 to be the Peruvian church’s official organization for promoting Church social teaching and defending human rights, has been supporting the community of La Oroya, one of the most polluted places in the world due to a uS-owned smelter that sits along the fringes of the city.

CEAS helped in organizing soil and blood tests, which have shown high levels of lead and other toxins. This evidence led to the closure of the smelter for three years, and the adoption of environmental norms to be followed when it re-opened.

“We must act in a way that respects the life and dignity of all human persons, enables the proper participation of all Peruvian citizens, and reduces environmental degradation, conflict, and division,” said Monsignor Pedro Ricardo Barreto, vice-president of CEAS, in testimony to the u.S. House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health and Human Rights. He spoke on behalf of communities impacted by mines to share the injustices they are living and ask that uS-owned companies respect environmental standards in their operations.

“Surely the people of Peru, its workers and residents, must share in the benefits of the extractives industries and not be harmed by these activities,” he said, imparting a principle that CEAS will continue to fight for alongside affected communities.

make sure to get your ceas solidarity card for more information!

we raise Human Dignity arounD tHe worlD By working witH local partner organizations on tHe Following Development activities:

Caritas mali, Caritas niger and Caritas Burkina Faso: Humanitarian aid

When drought caused crops to fail in the Sahel region of West Africa last year, local Caritas organizations knew that the coming year would be a difficult one for the population. The Sahel is a dry, arid region that sits directly below the Sahara desert. A majority of the population relies on subsistence farming, so a bad crop can be devastating – particularly as drought and erratic weather patterns are becoming more frequent, making food shortages more common and the ability to cope through a bad harvest increasingly difficult.

With such a poor harvest, it didn’t take long before stocks in the granaries were becoming depleted and the suffering of people began to grow in consequence. Many families began to ration the food available to them, reducing the number of meals they eat per day, and compromising their livelihoods by selling off livestock or other resources at reduced costs. Mothers began to sacrifice meals so there would be more for their children, and fathers left their families and villages to try to find work in urban centres or neighbouring countries to earn an income to send home.

Mali, niger and Burkina Faso were some of the countries most affected by this drought and the local Caritas members quickly mobilized to respond to the needs of communities. As the Canadian member of Caritas Internationalis, a federation of 165 Catholic organizations worldwide working in humanitarian aid and international development, Development anD peace supported Caritas Mali, Caritas niger and Caritas Burkina Faso in responding to this growing crisis. Through programs such as food distributions, cash-for-work initiatives and the subsidized sale of grains, the

Caritas family, including Development anD peace, walked in solidarity with the most poor and vulnerable to help them live through this period of insecurity with dignity. These widespread efforts helped prevent this food crisis from

deteriorating into a large-scale humanitarian disaster.

Development anD peace will continue to support Caritas Mali, Caritas niger and Caritas Burkina Faso in helping communities become more resilient and breaking the cycle of impoverishment brought on by the plight of hunger.

make sure to get your caritas mali solidarity card for more information!

citizen participation

peaceBuilDing anD reconciliation

management anD control oF natural resources

equality Between men anD women

ecological Justice

Humanitarian aiD anD reconstruction

awrC: equality Between men and women & peacebuilding and reconciliationWomen in Afghanistan are not very visible in society. There is ongoing resistance to improving their rights, and girls are often prevented from going to school. Yet, it is women who symbolize the greatest hope for establishing sustainable peace in this war-torn country.

Development anD peace partner, the Afghan Women’s Resource Centre (AWRC), understands the important role women play in improving the living standards of communities and is striving to promote their active participation to ensure a more positive future for Afghanistan.

It is achieving this by providing vocational and literacy training, health education and micro-credit loans to women in some of the most impoverished parts of Afghanistan.

“Women are always key in building peace in any part of the world. In Afghanistan, it is women who have suffered throughout the war. They were widowed, they lost their husbands, brothers and sons. They face many forms of violence, including physical violence, and they have been deprived of education and work. They can understand very well how much peace is important for Afghanistan and how it would affect their own lives,” says Maryam Rahmani, a country representative for the AWRC.

In the village of Sherkhankhail, one of the poorest in the province of Kapisa, the AWRC is helping women overcome the many challenges they face to becoming active and significant actors in the development of their community by giving women the opportunity to start businesses, escape domestic violence and learn how to read. These opportunities are allowing the women of Sherkhankhail to support their families and each other, and feel proud of their accomplishments. In addition, these women now understand just how valuable they are to Afghan society and that they deserve to live in dignity.

make sure to get your awrc solidarity card for more information!

Community radio of the Congo: citizen participation & peacebuilding and reconciliationThe Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been living a decade-long civil war that has wrought countless atrocities on the population, including six million deaths. Recent fighting around the city of Goma in november 2012 was a stark reminder of the fear and insecurity that civilians face daily in the absence of good governance, rule of law, peace and accountability.

Community Radio of the Congo, a network of community radio stations across the DRC, is courageously hitting the airwaves to reach millions of Congolese to let them know that democracy and peace are possible in their country. It is providing the information they need, and most importantly in their local language, to be aware that they can and must ask questions to their elected officials, that they have rights that should be respected, and to understand how they can contribute as citizens to a culture of peace and tolerance.

Development anD peace is supporting the community radio stations RACOR in Orientale Province and RCK in Katanga Province, two regions rich in natural resources, but where the population experience conflict and corruption rather than the benefits from their natural wealth. Development anD peace partnered with both these community radio stations to produce a radio series focused on democracy, good governance and peace. Reaching over 2 million people, these programs proved to be some of the most popular ones broadcast, and had tangible impacts for communities that tuned in.

In Katanga Province, the mayor of Likasi launched a commission to ensure the proper management of taxes collected at the city’s largest market. In the village of Mwadingusha, the population now refuses to give bribes to the local police. In Orientale Province, programs on electoral issues led voters to demand closer proximity of registration offices, and in the city of Buta, citizens refused to pay certain taxes after being informed of the governance and tax structure of the region.

For the millions of listeners of Community Radio of the Congo, having this precious access to information, even in the most isolated parts of the country, is key in raising their collective dignity as citizens and becoming the main actors in their own development.

DPa: management and control of natural resourcesIndigenous communities are often the last to have ownership of their ancestral land recognized, despite being the first to live on that land. Cambodia’s indigenous communities understand this reality all too well.

As an ethnic minority, these communities have long suffered from discrimination and oppression, and are experiencing the growing threat of being pushed off their land due to the seizure of land for mining, large agricultural projects and illegal logging. Although Cambodia has laws in place to address the management of land, they are weak or not enforced, and communities are increasingly involved in land conflicts.

Development anD peace, in collaboration with local organization Development and Partnership in Action (DPA), is supporting indigenous communities in ensuring that their homeland and culture are preserved. DPA’s vision is that all people in Cam-bodia should live in dignity as full citizens who have legal rights that are respected. It is helping indigenous communities achieve this by accompanying them in regis-tering for land titles and advocating for the legal recognition of their territory. This accompaniment led to a community in Modulkiri Province, a region of Cambodia that is rich in natural resources, being legally recognized by the government. This is an important victory for the community in its struggle against the encroachment of land grabbing.

In addition, DPA is also working to have the rich and unique cultural heritage of these indigenous communities be cherished by Cambodian society. It has put in place a project, where youth have been given cameras to document the traditional ways of life in their communities, and is organizing exhibits of their photos. From traditional resin tapping in the abundant surrounding woods to the weaving of straw to make traditional thatched roofs, the photos show that Cambodia’s indigenous communities are a source of cultural pride for Cambodia and must be preserved so that all Cambodians can live in dignity.

make sure to get your Dpa solidarity card for more information!