Christian Aid
Working across denominations to help the world's poor.
Christian Aid is a Christian organisation that insists the world can and must be swiftly changed to one where everyone can live a full life, free from poverty.
They work globally for profound change that eradicates the causes of poverty, striving to achieve equality, dignity and freedom for all, regardless of faith or nationality. They are part of a wider movement for social justice.
Christian Aid provides urgent, practical and effective assistance where need is great, tackling the effects of poverty as well as its root causes.
The vision
Poverty is an outrage against humanity. It robs people of dignity, freedom and hope, of power over their own lives. Christian Aid has a vision - an end to poverty - and we believe that vision can become a reality.
The essential purpose
• to expose the scandal of poverty
• to help in practical ways to root it out from the world
• to challenge and change structures and systems that favour the rich and powerful over the poor and marginalised.
Their mandate
Christian Aid is an agency of our churches in Britain and Ireland and are mandated to work on relief, development and advocacy for poverty eradication. Christian Aid’s work is founded on Christian faith, inspired by hope and acts to change an unjust world through charity – a practical love and care for our neighbours.
Our values
■ Put human life first
We believe that all people are created equal, with inherent dignity and infinite worth. Individual human needs must always come first, ahead of dogma, ideology or political necessity. We know that each one of us, in all our diversity and varied talents, can make a real difference in the battle to end poverty and injustice.
■ Struggle for justice
Poverty is a condition created by an unjust society, denying people access to, and control over, the resources they need to live a full life. So we take the side of poor and marginalised people as they struggle to realise their civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. We believe in the just and sustainable use of the earth and its resources, so that the greed of one generation will not create poverty for the next.
■ Speak out courageously
We have a duty to speak out and act with conviction to challenge and change the systems that create poverty. Christian Aid will always remain independent of governments and other powerful institutions. We work to educate and mobilise people from all kinds of backgrounds to build a global movement which can change the course of history.
■ Test everything against experience
We know that poor people are the true experts on the nature of poverty, and our work is shaped by their voices and concerns. In a spirit of humility, we try to learn from our own mistakes and from the experience of those we work alongside, to improve the impact of our work. We know that lasting solutions can never be imposed on communities from the outside.
■ Work together with others
All our work is based on the spirit of cooperation and partnership. We help to build a world free from poverty through inter-faith and inter-community dialogue and cooperation. We nurture the talents, commitment and energy of all our supporters, volunteers and staff. Together we uphold a commitment to honesty, mutual respect, accountability and diversity.
Basic ways of working in Christian Aid
1. Christian Aid exists to help those in need – regardless of religion, ethnicity or nationality.
2. Christian Aid works with and through partners overseas: churches, ecumenical bodies, local NGOs and movements who have common values and competence in poverty eradication.
3. Christian Aid engages and serves churches, supporters, volunteers and the wider community to strengthen the movement to eradicate poverty and social injustice.
4. Christian Aid recognises the complex nature and causes of poverty. Yet poverty is about disempowerment and the fundamental cause is the misuse and inequality of power.
5. Christian Aid is a faith based organisation and takes seriously its commitment to work with people and organisations of other faiths in the belief that people of faith can make a positive contribution to public debate, policy and action on issues of poverty eradication. Inter-faith dialogue and cooperation is important to Christian Aid.
6. Working with others: Christian Aid recognises that it cannot eradicate poverty by itself. It participates in and promotes alliances, networks, coalitions and cooperation in poverty eradication.
7. A wider movement for change and social justice requires the combined efforts of governments, businesses, faith communities, civil society working together.
8. Christian Aid has an integrated approach to poverty eradication – working on humanitarian relief, long term development, specific advocacy issues and campaigns for change and influence.
9. Christian Aid takes seriously its commitment to measuring impact, making a difference and having leverage for greater results
10. Christian Aid wants to be a leading force against global poverty that is a well managed, flexible and professional organisation that is accountable to a variety of key stakeholders.
Caterham URC organises the annual envelope collection for over 1,000 homes during Christian Aid Week in May each year. The church also holds fundraising events and has collections during the year.
Christian Aid is part of the UK’s Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) that reacts to natural disasters across the world including earthquakes, famines and tsunamis.