Couv Anglais-V7.qxd:Mise en page 1 10/06/08 17:58 Page 2 1 500 000 people received Receiving to reply to primary needs Supporting to restore social ties Developing to strengthen a sense of solidarity Caring for those who are isolated and alone Anglais-V7.qxd:Mise en page 1 10/06/08 17:56 Page 3 Contents 04 Secours Catholique Our mission • Our values • Our action principles • The power of a network • the 6 directions of Secours Catholique 06 Acting in France Family • Childhood &youth • Homelessness • Employment - integration • Prison • Migrants • Gypsies • Institutional action 08 Acting throughout the world Development actions • International Emergencies • Caritas Internationalis • International advocacy 10 Joining Secours Catholique Being a volunteer • Being a donor • Legacies and donations • Comité de la Charte • Publications 12 Historical points of reference 1946-1955: the calling • 1956-1965: development • 1966-1975: the debate • 1976-1985: justice! • 1986-1995: the seal of approval • 1996-2005: the lines of action • 2006-2011: future directions 14 Delegations of the Secours Catholique Secours Catholique / Caritas France 03 Anglais-V7.qxd:Mise en page 1 10/06/08 17:56 Page 4 Secours Catholique S. Le Clezio / S.C. Founded in 1946, Secours Catholique/ Caritas France is a service of the Catholic Church, a member of Caritas Internationalis Confederation and an approved public utility associa- tion. A non profit organisation as defined by the Law of July 1, 1901, it manages an annual budget of 130M Euros and is supported by a network of some 65,000 volunteers for “brin- ging help either direct or indirect, moral or material aid wherever there is a need for it, with the exception of any distinctive national or confessional religious identity, irrespective of the philosophical or religious opinions of the beneficiaries.” (Extract of the statutes, art. 1) Our mission ween everyone, whether in France or throughout The mission of Secours Catholique is to spread the world. Christian CharitY by creating a solid unitY bet- SecoUrs Catholique considers that men, women and children living in situations of poverty play a major part in their own development. It makes a commitment to fight side by side with them against the causes of povertY and exclu- sion, and promote the development of the human person in all its aspects. It seeks an active partnership with organisations that share its objectives in order to promote social justice in local, national and international policies. In accordance with Christianity, it invites each per- son to go and meet the poorest people, listen to them, support them and associate with them so that together we can build a fairer and more fra- ternal society. Our values Faithful to the spirit of our origins, SecoUrs Catho- lique roots its action in Christian values and the key principles defined by the social teachings of the Church: Respect and dignity of the human per- son, justice, solidarity, fraternity, reconciliation, peace, the preferential option for the poor, the integral development of the human person, sub- E. Perriot / S.C. 04 Secours Catholique / Caritas France Anglais-V7.qxd:Mise en page 1 10/06/08 17:56 Page 5 sidiarity, the uniVersal destination of goods, the The power of a network indivisibility of rights. The actions of Secours Catholique are implemen- ted by a network of local teams of volunteers Our action principles integrated into the diocesan delegations and sup- The action of Secours Catholique finds all its mea- ported by the volunteers and employees of the ning in a global vision of poverty which aims at national headquarters. On an international level restoring the human person’s dignity and is part Secours Catholique acts in cooperation with its and parcel of sustainable development. To do so, partners of the Caritas Internationalis network. siX key principles guide this action, both in France Key figures of Secours Catholique: and abroad: • 100 diocesan or departmental delegations • Promoting the place and words of people living • 4,000 local teams in situations of poverty • 65,000 volunteers • Making each person a main player of their own • 974 employees development • 2,174 reception centres • Joining forces with people living in situations of • 3 centres: Cité Saint-Pierre in Lourdes, Maison poverty d’Abraham in Jerusalem, Cedre in Paris • Acting for the development of the human per- • 14 hoUsing centres managed bY the Association son in all its aspects des Cités of Secours Catholique • Acting on the causes of poverty and exclusion • 162 Caritas Internationalis partners • Arousing solidarity • 600,000 donors. 2006-2011: the 6 directions of Secours Catholique In 2006, Secours Catholique defined the directions it would be taking on a national basis for the six coming years: Direction 1: Strengthen our support with the most marginalised or isolated people and areas by partnership and inclusion in the network. Direction 2: Join forces with the people we have met via fraternal support and collective action. Direction 3: Act on the causes of poverty by making a commitment to peo- ple who endure it. Direction 4: Strengthen the international commitment of all the main players of the network, notably by developing concrete collaboration between the delegations and Caritas. Direction 5: Encourage and support the united commitment of everyone by adapting our actions, our training and our communication. Direction 6: Dare to experience fraternity with poor people in Church and share together the search for a meaning. Anglais-V7.qxd:Mise en page 1 10/06/08 17:56 Page 6 Acting in France S. Le Clezio / S.C. EverY year Secours Catholique encounters almost 700,000 situations of poverty and receives 1.6 million people (860,000 adults and 740,000 children). This daily mission led in the field by the local Secours Catholique relies on its expertise and its teams and delegations, with the support of natio- strong presence in the field to respond to verY varied nal headquarters, pursues three major objectives forms of poverty. which aim at exceeding the distribution action and limited aid: Family • Receiving to reply to the primarY needs (sup- The families received often do not have any finan- plying food and/or health care aid, proposing cial means and are experiencing housing problems, accommodation, establishing an exchange and unemployment, broken homes. Secours Catholique a fraternal dialogue, etc) encourages access to health care, proposes food • Supporting to restore social ties (bringing together aid, family holidays, sup- people in difficulty with an aim to reinsertion, port with administrative encouraging personal initiatives and collective pro- procedures, practical help jects, establishing a mutual support helper-receiver with looking for accommo- of help relationship, etc) dation, etc. D. Metra / S.C. • Developing to strengthen solidaritY (proposing long lasting solutions, establishing a follow-up Childhood &youth over the long term, encouraging collective To support parents in their role as their children’s actions carried out by people in difficulty, etc) first teachers Secours Catholique offers educatio- nal support and a family holiday reception formula (AFV - Accueil familial de vacances). For raising young children’s awareness of charity, the Caritas Emergencies in France: clubs and the Réseau Jeunes Solidaires offer a sui- reacting to disasters table framework for encouraging their commitment. Secours Catholique has a local emergency relief policY for reacting, as quicklY as possible, Homelessness to natural and human disasters. Its knowledge Secours Catholique endeavours to replY to the growing of the field, its local network, its privileged link needs of caring for the most marginalised and isolated with Christian communities and its experience people: reception daY and night, emergency accom- of receiving weakened people brings determi- modation, night rounds, discussion groups, etc. ning support to the action carried out by the authorities. Secours Catholique is authorised Employment - integration to intervene by departmental agreement, within the framework of the ORSEC plan. Secours Catholique provides help to the unem- ployed or those on the minimum benefit who wish 06 Secours Catholique / Caritas France Anglais-V7.qxd:Mise en page 1 10/06/08 17:56 Page 7 to set up their own companies by favouring recourse foreigners in a precarious situation. Cedre (Centre to loans (Fonds Solidaire pour les Initiatives – Soli- d’entraide des demandeurs réfugiés et émigrants - darity Funds for Initiatives). It provides support to Mutual aid centre for asylum seeker refugees and people on “minimum benefit integration contracts” emigrants), a centre of Secours Catholique, provides in associations that it creates or supports. support to asylum seekers in their procedures and offers activities that encourage integration (learning Prison French, expression workshops, discussion, theatre Prison teams, spread throughout the countrY, groups and so on). visit prisoners, keep up regular correspondence with them and provide support to their families. Gypsies Secours Catholique is committed to defending The majority of diocesan the dignity and the rights of prisoners. delegations carrY out an activity with a view to hel- Migrants Delapierre / S.C. ping Gypsies: itinerant or P. Being attentive to the needs of migrants is an essen- temporarY schooling, help with purchasing school tial Christian value. Secours Catholique supports vehicles, help with administrative procedures, etc. Institutional action: acting on the causes of poverty An alarm-raising and proposal force, Secours Catholique is committed to promoting social justice and figh- ting against exclusion. Boosted by credibility acknowledged by the institutions, it carries out a determined action to get the laws changed and convince the authorities to have strong and efficient policies to fight against poVertY. Based on actual figures, the institutional action plays the role of social watchdog, characte- rised by the annual publication of a statistical report on the condition of the poor in France. Regularly consulted as part of national discussions, Secours Catholique places its expertise at the service of common good.