Caritas Norge | |
Established | 1952 |
---|---|
Type | nonprofit |
Legal status | foundation |
Purpose | development aid, humanitarian aid, social services |
Location | |
Coordinates | 59°55′00″N10°44′57″E / 59.9168°N 10.7492°E |
Region served | Norway and worldwide |
Secretary General | Ingrid Rosendorf Joys |
Chairman of the Board | Peter Kuran [1] |
Affiliations | Caritas Europa, Caritas Internationalis |
Revenue (2023) | kr 317,201,510 [2] |
Expenses (2023) | kr 301,011,892 [2] |
Staff (2023) | 230 [3] |
Volunteers (2023) | 80 [3] |
Website | www |
Formerly called | Norwegian Catholic Help for Refugees (Norsk katolsk flyktninghjelp) |
Caritas Norway (Norwegian : Caritas Norge) is a Catholic aid organisation from Norway. It is part of the European network of Caritas organisations Caritas Europa, as well of the global Caritas Internationalis confederation.
Caritas Norway was founded in 1952 as Norwegian Catholic Help for Refugees (Norsk katolsk flyktninghjelp) by the Catholic Church in Norway. In 1964, it became an independent organisation and adopted its current name, initially under the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oslo, and later under the Norwegian Catholic Bishops' Council (Norsk Katolsk Bisperåd). Since 1991, the highest authority of Caritas Norway has been the council meeting, which includes representatives from all the Catholic congregations in the country. [4] Today Caritas Norway is run as an independent humanitarian foundation. [5]
As a humanitarian relief and development agency, Caritas Norway implements projects according to the localisation principle. [6] This means that Caritas Norway does not implement projects directly, but supports partner organisations across the world in their work. The partner organisations work in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. [7] The supported projects reached more than 955,000 people in 2023: 31% through humanitarian relief activities, 57% through long-term development projects, and 12% through collaboration across projects. [2]
That same year, the budget for international projects reached almost 284 million NOK. Funding sources included private donors, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation. [2]
In Norway, Caritas offers various services, including resource centres for immigrants located in Oslo, Bergen, Stavanger, Drammen, and Trondheim. At these centres, both employees and volunteers assist immigrants by providing information and guidance on their rights and opportunities within the Norwegian labour market, temporary and permanent housing, employment advice, job vacancies, and application processes, as well as legal and health counselling. Additionally, they offer Norwegian language courses, career counselling, and other activities for asylum seekers in reception centres. In 2017, Caritas Norway launched an au pair centre to support au pairs and host families. [8] [9]
In 2018, 12,000 migrant workers and refugees attended Norwegian language courses under the auspices of Caritas and Caritas helped 500 persons find employment. [10] [11]
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is the international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. Founded in 1943 by the Bishops of the United States, the agency provides assistance to 130 million people in more than 110 countries and territories in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Eastern Europe.
The Catholic Church in Norway is part of the worldwide Catholic Church. As of May 2014, there were over 151,000 registered Catholics in Norway. It is claimed there are many Catholics who are not registered with their personal identification number and who are not reported by the local church; the full number may be as high as 230,000, 70% of whom were born abroad. That constitutes about 5% of the population, making Norway the most Catholic country in Nordic Europe.
Caritas Europa is a European confederation of Catholic social service providers and international development and humanitarian relief organisations operating in Europe. It is one of the seven regions of Caritas Internationalis.
Berislav Grgić is a Bosnian Croat bishop who served between 2008 and 2023 in Norway as the Roman Catholic Territorial Prelate of Tromsø, the northernmost Catholic bishopric in the world. Grgić fled Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Bosnian War, arriving in Norway as a refugee and eventually becoming one of the highest-ranking officials of the Catholic Church in Norway.
Caritas Internationalis is a confederation of 162 national Catholic relief, development and social service organisations operating in over 200 countries and territories worldwide. The name Caritas Internationalis refers to both the global network of Caritas organisations and to its general secretariat based in the Vatican City in Rome, Italy.
Anne Beathe Kristiansen Tvinnereim is a Norwegian politician and diplomat currently serving as the Minister of International Development and Minister of Nordic Cooperation since 2021. A member of the Centre Party, she has served as the party's second deputy leader since 2014.
Caritas Austria is an Austrian social aid organisation of the Roman Catholic Church, founded in 1903. It consists of a national office and nine regional diocesan Caritas organisations, all of which are legally independent.
The Deutscher Caritasverband, also sometimes referred to as Caritas Deutschland and internationally known as Caritas Germany, is a German Catholic not-for-profit organisation and social service provider. It is the largest welfare organisation and largest private employer in Germany.
Caritas Czech Republic is a Czech Catholic not-for-profit social welfare and humanitarian relief organisation. It is a service of the Czech Bishops' Conference and is the largest social welfare and charitable organisation in the country. Caritas Czech Republic is a member of both Caritas Europa and Caritas Internationalis.
Caritas Denmark is a Danish nonprofit organisation. It is the official aid organisation of the Catholic Church in Denmark and implements some social services in the country, while the core of its work are humanitarian and development programmes abroad.
Caritas Lebanon is a Catholic Lebanese nonprofit organisation, established in 1976. It is the official aid organisation of the Catholic Church in Lebanon and implements social welfare services and provides humanitarian aid. It is one of the best-known and largest NGOs in the country and a member of Caritas Internationalis and Caritas MONA.
Caritas Luxembourg is the name of a range of nonprofit organisations operating in Luxembourg. They are grouped together under the umbrella of the Caritas Luxembourg Confederation. These organisations work across various sectors in Luxembourg, focusing on vulnerable populations including migrants, refugees, the homeless and other individuals living in poverty. Other programmes focus on children and youth. A department is dedicated to the implementation of international cooperation and humanitarian projects abroad.
Caritas Australia is an Australian Catholic agency for development cooperation and humanitarian aid.
Caritas Slovenia is a Slovenian Catholic charity organisation. It operates nationally by providing social welfare services, and internationally by supporting the relief and development efforts of partner organisations.
Caritas Uganda is the official social development arm of the Catholic Church in Uganda. It has been operating since 1970 and is implementing social welfare and development projects all over the country, while also acting as a humanitarian relief agency when needed. Caritas Uganda is a member of Caritas Africa and of Caritas Internationalis.
Caritas Jordan is a Jordanian Catholic charitable organisation.
Armenian Caritas is a not-for-profit social welfare and humanitarian relief organisation based in Armenia. It is a service of the Armenian Catholic Church and a member of both Caritas Europa and Caritas Internationalis.
Caritas Albania is an Albanian Catholic not-for-profit social welfare and humanitarian relief organisation. It is a service of the Albanian Bishops' Conference.
Caritas Moldova is a Catholic not-for-profit social welfare and humanitarian relief organisation in Moldova. Caritas Moldova is a member of both the Caritas Europa and the Caritas Internationalis networks.
Caritas Serbia is a not-for-profit social welfare and humanitarian relief organisation in Serbia. It is a service of the Catholic Church in Serbia.