Caritas India celebrates 50 years

Caritas India commemorated 50 years of its service to the poor and marginalised on Wednesday.

To celebrate its Golden Jubilee, the social arm of the Catholic Bishops conference of India, launched a two-day workshop attended by over 100 delegates, including religious and political leaders, social activists and representatives of partner organisations.

"Rights Based Approach for the Integral Development of the Society through Better Governance" began on Wednesday at St John's Medical College auditorium in Bangalore.

The function was inaugurated by Karnataka's Government's Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department Principal Secretary Dr Shalini Rajneesh.

In the coming months, Caritas plans to conduct several national-level workshops, besides 10 regional Golden Jubilee celebrations and one national celebration in Delhi in January 2012.

Caritas India collaborates with more than 300 NGOs working within the framework of Millennium Development Goals. Its development works reaches out to the poor and destitute, disaster affected and displaced, people living with HIV and AIDS, migrant workers and refugees, women and children.

Earlier, addressing a news conference, Caritas India Chairman Bishop Dr Peter Remigius, said the organisation was recognised by the Indian government as a leading NGO in disaster response for its efforts in relief and rehabilitation, and for its various development programs.

Caritas humanitarian interventions include the Bangladesh Refugee relief and rehabilitation work in 1971, Uttarakashi earthquake in 1991, Latur earthquake 1993, Andhra Pradesh cyclone 1996, Gujarat earthquake 2001, the 2004 tsunami devastation, Bihar floods 2007 and more.

As part of tsunami relief and rehabilitation, Caritas India had constructed 13,420 houses, out of which 8,000 were constructed in Tamil Nadu.

According to Bishop Remigius, over 95 per cent of the beneficiaries were non-Christians.

Caritas India was established in the year 1962. The organisation's vision is to form a "just and sustaining social order where gospel values of love, equality and peace are nurtured".