with righteous anger and tenderness at the side of the poor
TRANSCRIPT
With Righteous Angerand Tenderness
at the Side of the Poor
Phot
o: K
opp/
MIS
EREO
R
Bischöfliches HilfswerkMISEREOR e.V.
Mozartstr. 952064 Aachen / Germany
Phone +49 (0)2 41 / 4 42 – 0
Fax +49 (0)2 41 / 4 42 – 188
MISEREOR is the German Catholic Bishops’ Organisa-tion for Development Cooperation. For over 50 yearsMISEREOR has been committed to fighting poverty inAfrica, Asia and Latin America. MISEREOR’s support isavailable to any human being in need – regardless oftheir religion, ethnicity or gender.
Changes cannot be prescribed from outside. MISEREORtherefore believes in supporting initiatives driven andowned by the poor and the disadvantaged. This isbe cause in MISEREOR’s experience it is they them-selves who possess the strength to improve theirlives sustainably. We support them in their efforts inaccordance with the principle of help toward self-help.On the ground, projects are run by local organisations.This ensures that the project work is geared to theneeds and way of life of the people involved.
MISEREOR –about us
MISEREOR supports the weakest members of society:the poor, the sick, the hungry and the disadvantaged.It is of no importance whether those in need of help aremen or women, what religious beliefs they hold or wherethey come from. To love one’s neighbour is a basicattitude of Christian life, and MISEREOR’s vocation isto translate this attitude into concrete action; thepoor are our sisters and brothers, who have a right toa life of dignity. MISEREOR supports them in realisingit. The organisation does not pursue any ends otherthan the promotion of development. The mandategiven to MISEREOR by the German Bishops rules outthe promotion of pastoral or missionary measures.
‘Misereor super turbam – I have compassion on thecrowd’ (Mk 8.2): These words of Jesus contained inthe Bible gave the organisation its name. Compassionfor people in need has remained the defining under-lying motivation and characteristic of MISEREOR’sactivities to this day.
MISEREORis right there at the side of the weak
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/MIS
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Now, almost overnight, gateways to thewhole world are being flung open before us. [...]What we have so far forgotten because ofour own plight, is now coming to the forefront of our awareness: In most countries of the world,hunger prevails.
Cardinal Frings, founding speech for MISEREOR,1958 (13 years after the end of World War II)
MISEREOR is convinced that poor and disadvantagedpeople too possess the strength to substantiallyimprove their lives. Where the poor are able to puttheir talents, knowledge and capabilities to good use,they themselves become the engine of change anddevelopment. Many of them then discover for the firsttime that they have not been dealt an immutable fatefor all time.
Projects supported by MISEREOR therefore strengthenthe self-initiative of the poor, and encourage them toarticulate their interests and needs – not as suppli-cants, but as people who know their rights andobligations. Support of this kind at the same time helpsthe poor avoid becoming dependent on foreign aid.
MISEREORstrengthens self-initiative
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, Poh
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The special thing about MISEREOR isthat they have stuck with us through thick and thin,through the good times and the bad.
Winifred Valentine,MISEREOR partner in Liberia
When a new MISEREOR-supported project is launchedthis does not mean that development experts fromEurope travel to the region in question with what theysuppose to be the right solutions in their luggage.MISEREOR prefers to rely entirely on its local partners:Church-based institutions, non-governmental organi-sations, social movements and research instituteswith which the agency cooperates closely, and insome cases has done so for decades. Together withthe beneficiaries, the partners involved help shapelocal development processes and implement the pro-jects. They receive support from MISEREOR in theform of advice, expertise and funds.
MISEREOR is not only a donor, but also a learner, apartner in dialogue and a companion in solidarity. Thiscreates a process of permanent exchange characterisedby trust, an ability to express and deal with constructivecriticism, and a willingness to learn. This is howMISEREOR, together with its partners, responds toconstantly changing challenges.
MISEREORrelies on local partners
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MISEREOR projects are projects based on partner-ship. Sustainable development is not produced at the green table, but is the result of mutualplanning, mutual efforts and mutual success.
Lulu Cipriano,former national coordinator of thePhilippine MISEREOR Partnership (PMP)
MISEREOR’s approach is to fight the causes of injus-tice, because it is not enough to just alleviate its im-pacts. For this reason, MISEREOR aims to influencepublic opinion and policymaking. Political education,the exchange of experiences and networking are keyelements of this work. This is how MISEREOR helpsenable its partners and the beneficiaries to overcomestructural injustices through their own efforts, andsucceed in the struggle for working and living condi-tions that uphold human dignity.
MISEREOR also appeals to the consciences of thepowerful in Europe, and for instance stands up for fairterms of international trade. Whether communicatingface-to-face with decision-makers or speaking beforecommittees and parliaments – wherever possibleMISEREOR invites representatives from the South toarticulate their concerns for themselves. MISEREORalso tries to sensitise people in Germany to the waysin which their lifestyle influences the lives of peoplein developing countries. Wherever possible, MISEREORpromotes living solidarity between people in theNorth and the South.
MISEREORappeals to the consciences of the powerful
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ISER
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When I give food to the poor,they call me a saint.When I ask why the poor have no food,they call me a communist.
Dom Helder Camara, Brazilian Archbishop (1909-1999)
MISEREOR was established by the German Bishops’Conference 50 years ago as an organisation emergingfrom a broad movement of German Catholics whowished to help their sisters and brothers in need. Andto this day the agency would be inconceivable with-out its numerous supporters. Groups and committedindividuals, children, youths and adults invest a hugeamount of time and effort in drawing attention to in-justices and inspiring others to join the struggleagainst hunger and poverty.
Only very few of MISEREOR’s donors are wealthy.Many sacrifice the satisfaction of their own wishes tobenefit the disadvantaged. And they give more thanjust their money. Each donation carries with it themessage: ‘We are thinking of you. We are close by.You are important to us!’ In this way MISEREOR be-comes a bridge between people in Germany and thepoor in Africa, Latin America and Asia. MISEREOR andits partners therefore work in awareness of the factthat they are intermediaries who make this globalsolidarity possible. All those involved share one con-cern: a more just world.
MISEREORis a movement
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EREO
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If many little peoplein many little placesdo many little deedsthey can changethe face of the earth.
African proverb
Since 1962 the German Government has also reliedon MISEREOR’s expertise. Because the organisationworks on a partner-oriented basis and close to thepoor, every year the German Federal Ministry forEconomic Cooperation and Development provides itwith considerable sums of tax monies for develop-ment projects, which now account for two-thirds ofMISEREOR’s project budget.
This cooperation is based on mutual trust, and twoprinciples: The German Development Ministry haspledged not to tie these monies to political condition-alities. At the same time it must be ensured that nopastoral or missionary measures, which in any caseare not included in MISEREOR’s mandate, are promotedwith public funds.
MISEREORhas strong supporters
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The support provided by MISEREOR is like a tailwind on a difficult path.
Enrique Figaredo,Bishop of Battambang, Cambodia
MISEREOR uses the funds available to it responsibly,economically and efficiently, and regularly accountsto the individual and public donors providing it withthe money. A multistage monitoring system guaran-tees that the stewardship of funds remains transpar-ent both within and outside of the organisation.
MISEREOR has set both itself and its partner organi-sations clear rules. All areas of work are regularly andconsistently monitored. Internal guidelines for staffmembers and line managers contribute to ensuringthat any forms of abuse or corruption are prevented.The requirement of maximum transparency also in-cludes the regular publication of data on the sourceand use of funds. Furthermore, the effectiveness ofthe development work performed in the projects sup-ported by MISEREOR is also reviewed by external con-sultants, and documented every year in a public eval-uation report.
MISEREORstands for transparency
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iehl
/MIS
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MIS
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Corruption hurts the poor disproportionatelyby diverting funds intended for development,undermining a Government’s abilityto provide basic services,feeding inequality and injustice anddiscouraging foreign aid and investment.
United Nations Convention against Corruption
For MISEREOR, each individual project is part of alarger task. In dialogue with partners in Africa, Asia,Oceania and Latin America joint visions and goals aredeveloped so that social processes can be effectivelysupported. MISEREOR underpins these processes byfacilitating exchange of experiences and networking,and by providing professional advisory and consultancyinputs on themes such as urban and rural develop-ment, human rights, health, peace and many more.
The partner organisations are closely accompanied byMISEREOR, and if required are also advised on man-agement and organisational development issues.
A new project is born
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MIS
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hris
tof K
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ardt
Projects planned in partnership promise to be moreconcretely pro-poor and realistic. The fact thatprojects are locally and culturally embedded meansthat they are more likely to succeed and besustainable. The partnership principle makes it easierfor MISEREOR to realise the subsidiarity principle.
From the MISEREOR Cross-Sectoral Evaluationof Partnership (2008)
Professional support requires firm principles. This iswhy MISEREOR appraises the anticipated effects andfeasibility of each potential project carefully in advance.
Interventions funded by MISEREOR must satisfy anumber of basic conditions. They must be based onthe subsidiarity principle, and must be both comple-mentary and temporary. This means that MISEREORwill only provide assistance where the people andinstitutions on the ground have reached their ownlimits and thus require external support. MISEREORwill not permanently take on tasks that fall within thesphere of responsibility of the state; it will, however,remind governments that their actions must be pro-poor and serve the purpose of poverty reduction. Andlast of all the measures must be temporary. This isbecause the support provided should help enable thepoor to lead self-determined lives, and should notcreate new dependencies.
The basic principles of project work
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/MIS
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MIS
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MISEREOR projects are designed to help enable poorpeople improve their living conditions and initiateprocesses of social and political transformation. Thechanges brought about by the project work must bemonitored, regardless of whether they are expectedor unexpected. MISEREOR therefore enables itstarget groups and partners to assess, evaluate andreport on these project effects.
This outcome and impact assessment provides projectactors with the basis on which to intervene and steerprocesses, and generates lessons learned that can beutilised in future projects. At the same time, it is alsoimportant that both we ourselves and our partnersdocument outcomes and impacts for purposes ofexternal accountability.
The effectiveness of support
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, Poh
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The development projects supported by MISEREORare as diverse as the causes and faces of poverty.They all have one thing in common, though. They allfocus on the whole human person. As well as satis-fying basic needs such as food security, they alsohelp ensure that human rights are upheld and theway is paved for the people concerned to live in dignity.
Our ideal would be a world in which all human beingsare able to participate in shaping their communities,in which cultural diversity is recognised and pro-moted, and in which equality is a reality. All these areoverarching goals that are, among others, pursued inproject planning.
The dream of a more just world
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, Mei
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By using the terms ‘righteous anger’ and ‘tenderness’MISEREOR is underlining the special motivation at theheart of its activities. What we mean is the righteousanger over injustice and suffering that is rooted inhuman compassion, especially for the poor, the disen-franchised and the disempowered.
Since 1958 MISEREOR has represented the CatholicChurch’s commitment to stand at the side of the poor,the sick and the oppressed, and join them in thestruggle to overcome poverty and create decent livingconditions.
With Righteous Anger and Tendernessat the Side of the Poor
For Christians, standing at the side
of the poor is an imperative of faith. If our faith
is authentic and true, then our loyalty to the Gospel
calls us to respond in this way. Following Jesus
means walking side by side with the poor,
or nothing at all.
Bishop Luís Flávio Cappio,Brazil
Phot
o: B
aum
ann/
MIS
EREO
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Published by: Bischöfliches Hilfswerk MISEREOR e.V., Mozartstr. 9, 52064 Aachen, GermanyPhone +49 241 442 0, Fax +49 241 442 188, www.misereor.org
Editing: Michael Kleine, MISEREOR
Translation: John D Cochrane, Frankfurt/Main, and MISEREOR Foreign Language Services
Layout: Anja Hammers, MISEREOR
Printed by: MVG Medienproduktion und Vertriebsgesellschaft, Aachen, Germany
Printed on RecySatin recycled paper with at least 80 percent secondary fibre content
© MISEREOR 2010
With Righteous Angerand Tendernessat the Side of the Poor
Phot
os: F
litne
r/M
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(1),
KN
A-B
ild/M
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(1),
Kopp
/MIS
EREO
R (1
), M
eiss
ner/
MIS
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R (2
), P
ohl/
MIS
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R (1
)