This October marks the 55th anniversary of Development and Peace — Caritas Canada as the Catholic Church in Canada’s official international solidarity organization. That means we have been fighting to give a voice to our marginalized sisters and brothers in the Global South since 1967!
Here is an overview of some of our notable campaigns and accomplishments: In 1969, we launched the 1% Program with the Catholic Women’s League of Canada to support marginalized women in the Global South—a program that is active to this day.
We sent Christmas cards to political prisoners in South Africa in 1978 and advocated alongside Nelson Mandela for an end to apartheid in South Africa from 1988 to 1989.
In the late 1990s, we supported the Canadian Ecumenical Jubilee Initiative’s campaign to cancel the foreign debt of the 50 poorest countries, and around 650,000 signatures were gathered in Canada (485,000 thanks to Development and Peace).
Since 2006, we have repeatedly called for responsible mining practices by Canadian companies in their overseas operations.
We acted to protect our common home in solidarity with the people of the Global South in 2015 and 2019.
So far, we have gathered over 24,000 signatures for our petition for mandatory due diligence legislation to prevent and address Canadian corporations’ overseas abuses of human rights and the environment.
None of this work would have been possible without your support.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
But our work is not done! Join us as we look to the future. Together, let’s continue to act for social justice—there is so much more to accomplish!
For our 55th anniversary, several members and partners expressed their wishes for Development and Peace in this must-see video:
People power can change the world, and when you are a member of Development and Peace, you are part of that change. Let’s be the change we want to see! Take action for global justice! To find out how you can become involved, contact your local animator. If you are not already a member, consider becoming one today!
