Progressio Ireland

Last updated

Progressio Ireland is an international development organisation that works toward "sustainable development and the eradication of poverty in Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East and Asia". [1]

Contents

Founded in Dublin in 2004, the organisation stresses a “skill-share” approach to development practices in n supporting the work of local organisations by providing the tools and education to develop long-term solutions to barriers to sustainable development and resource management in its 10 project countries. Progressio employs "development workers", who work on site with the local organisations and communities and share their skills. It emphasises continuing education, rather than other shorter-term solutions, to development issues. Progressio aims to provide communities with the skills and knowledge necessary to solve the problems that both stand in the way of development and marginalise the poor.

History

Progressio Ireland is a sister company of Progressio, a UK-based international development charity. Progressio was founded in 1940 as “Sword of the Spirit,” a movement aimed at translating the principles of Catholic social teaching into practical action. [2] In 1965 the name was changed to the Catholic Institute for International Relations (CIIR). [3] The name “Progressio” is taken from the 1967 Encyclical of Pope Paul VI, Populorum Progressio , [2] [4] [5] or, “the development of peoples.” The document stresses social responsibility toward a just world and confronts the challenges to development. Progressio Ireland was founded in 2004 with the purpose of promoting sustainable development techniques in underdeveloped countries, providing the tools for sustainable self-governance, and contributing to debate on development issues within Ireland.

Philosophy

The vision of Progressio Ireland is to “bring about a just world, where people can have life in all its fullness, where human rights are respected, where all have their basic needs met and can exert control over their lives.” [6] The organisation is founded on Catholic Social Teaching [7] and Progressio endorses this history and relationship. However, Progressio Ireland itself is not formally part of the Catholic Church. They provide their services to all people of diverse backgrounds and beliefs. Progressio Ireland states: “We work with people of all faiths and none.” [1]

Development goals and strategies

Progressio seeks to promote “People Powered Development” [8] in the areas they conduct their operations. The ultimate goal of the organisation is to improve the lives of the world’s poor by supporting skill and education programs that provide them with the “resilience and resourcefulness to be the authors of their own development.” [9] Three areas that Progressio has outlined as key factors for this process for 2010-2015 are: Participation and effective governance, sustainable environment, and HIV/AIDS education and research. [8] Progressio employs “development workers” that serve local communities providing expertise, knowledge, and support to the poor and marginalised. These development workers are professionally qualified, with training in their field. [10] Progressio Ireland also engages in advocacy and campaigning to change existing political and social structures in developed and underdeveloped regions.

Current projects

Progressio Ireland currently has operations in Ireland as well as 10 countries in various regions of the world: [11]

Ireland

Progressio’s work in Ireland is primarily focused on developing campaigning and advocacy work rooted in the work of Progressio in the 10 countries they support internationally. Progressio is currently working on a LiveSimply campaign that promotes environmentally and socially responsible lifestyles, [1] as well as the Act Now on 2015 campaign in conjunction with Dóchas to increase Ireland's foreign aid budget. [12] Procurement of illegally logged timber in Ireland and the UK is also currently a focus of Progressio. [13] [14] In 2008, Progressio Ireland began to apply pressure to the Irish government to introduce ethical considerations into National Pension Reserve Fund guidelines after discovering the organisation had invested nearly €578 million in Zimbabwe-linked companies, indirectly funding Robert Mugabe’s regime.[ citation needed ]

Latin America

In Latin America, much of Progressio’s concentration is on the issues of resource management, specifically water distribution and illegal logging, [3] which Progressio has likened to the illegal drug trade in terms of how it is conducted and the damage it causes. [15]

Africa

In Africa, Progressio Ireland’s work is diverse, ranging from food distribution efforts in Malawi to human rights abuses in Zimbabwe. The organisation focuses on improving illiteracy rates, especially among women, improving farming practices, broadening access to energy systems, applying pressure to governments accused of human rights abuses, as well as other relief efforts. [16]

Caribbean

Progressio Ireland’s work in the Caribbean focused on Hispaniola, and supports a bi-national approach to work in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. They seek to promote good governance in the region as well as ensuring that Haitians’ rights are respected on the Haiti/Dominican Republic border. [17] Currently Progressio is focused on building up the strength of the work within Haiti, while maintaining the bi-national approach.

Middle East

In the Middle East, the current focus of the organisation is dealing with Yemen. Specifically Progressio Ireland deals with HIV/AIDS awareness [18] and documentation in the face of government obstruction, as well as increasing the role of women in society and protecting their rights. [19]

Southeast Asia

Progressio's presence in Southeast Asia is concentrated in Timor-Leste. Progressio Ireland works to maintain the peace process in this region following the Indonesian occupation of East Timor of 1975–1999. Their goal is to facilitate the establishment of a strong civil society capable of holding local and national governments to account. [20]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercy Corps</span> American humanitarian aid NGO founded 1979

Mercy Corps is a global non-governmental, humanitarian aid organization operating in transitional contexts that have undergone, or have been undergoing, various forms of economic, environmental, social and political instabilities. The organization claims to have assisted more than 220 million people survive humanitarian conflicts, seek improvements in livelihoods, and deliver durable development to their communities.

Catholic social teaching (CST) is an area of Catholic doctrine which is concerned with human dignity and the common good in society. It addresses oppression, the role of the state, subsidiarity, social organization, social justice, and wealth distribution. CST's foundations are considered to have been laid by Pope Leo XIII's 1891 encyclical, Rerum novarum, which advocated distributism. Its roots can be traced to Catholic theologians such as Thomas Aquinas and Augustine of Hippo. CST is also derived from the Bible and cultures of the ancient Near East.

Trócaire is the official overseas development agency of the Catholic Church in Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Partners In Health</span> Non-profit health care organization

Partners In Health (PIH) is an international nonprofit public health organization founded in 1987 by Paul Farmer, Ophelia Dahl, Thomas J. White, Todd McCormack, and Jim Yong Kim.

Progressio (1940–2017) was an international development charity that enabled poor communities to solve their own problems by support from skilled workers. The organisation attempted to influence decisionmakers, secular and religious alike, to support liberation movements and to guard against human rights abuses. It also lobbied legislators to change policies that keep people poor. It had been known earlier as The Catholic Institute for International Relations and the Sword of the Spirit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oxfam Australia</span> Australian charitable organization

Oxfam Australia is an Australian, independent, charity, not-for-profit, secular, community-based aid and development organization, and is an affiliate of the Oxfam International Confederation. Oxfam Australia's work is divided into four broad categories covering climate justice, Economic Justice, Gender Justice and First Peoples Justice as well as Humanitarian response. They believe that poverty in the 21st century is less a problem of scarcity but the result of how resources, opportunities, and protections are distributed and wielded.

The Pontifical Council Cor Unum for Human and Christian Development was a pontifical council of the Roman Curia of the Catholic Church from 1971 to 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in Zimbabwe</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Zimbabwe face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Since 1995, the Government of Zimbabwe has carried out campaigns against LGBT rights. Sodomy is classified as unlawful sexual conduct and defined in the Criminal Code as either anal sexual intercourse or any "indecent act" between consenting adults. Since 1995, the government has carried out campaigns against both homosexual men and women.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caoimhe Butterly</span> Irish activist

Caoimhe Butterly is an Irish human rights campaigner, educator, film-maker and therapist who has spent over twenty years working in humanitarian and social justice contexts in Haiti, Guatemala, Mexico, Palestine, Iraq, Lebanon and with refugee communities in Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development</span> French humanitarian organization

Acted is a French international solidarity non-governmental organization (NGO), founded in 1993. It is headquartered in Paris. 

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FERN</span>

Fern is a Dutch foundation created in 1995. It is an international Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) set up to keep track of the European Union's (EU) involvement in forests and coordinate NGO activities at the European level. Fern works to protect forests and the rights of people who depend on them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Development and Peace (Canada)</span> Canadian Catholic development aid and humanitarian agency

Development and Peace, officially the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace and also known as Caritas Canada is the official international development and humanitarian aid agency of the Catholic Church in Canada. It is a member of Caritas Internationalis, CIDSE, the Halifax Initiative and many other networks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oxfam</span> Charitable humanitarian organization

Oxfam is a British-founded confederation of 21 independent non-governmental organizations (NGOs), focusing on the alleviation of global poverty, founded in 1942 and led by Oxfam International. It began as the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief in Oxford, UK, in 1942, to alleviate World War Two related hunger and continued in the aftermath of the war. By 1970, Oxfam had established an international presence, in India, Australia, Denmark, and North America.

The Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) is the national anti-poverty and social justice program of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)

<i>Caritas in veritate</i> 2009 encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI

Caritas in veritate is the third and last encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI, and his only social encyclical. It was signed on 29 June 2009 and was published on 7 July 2009. It was initially published in Italian, English, French, German, Polish, Portuguese, and Spanish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prostitution in Africa</span>

The legal status of prostitution in Africa varies widely. It is frequently common in practice, partially driven by the widespread poverty in many sub-Saharan African countries, and is one of the drivers for the prevalence of AIDS in Africa. Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire permit the operations of brothels. In other countries, prostitution may be legal, but brothels are not allowed to operate. In some countries where prostitution is illegal, the law is rarely enforced.

Tzedek is a UK-based registered charity organisation which aims to provide a Jewish response to the problem of extreme global poverty. Registered as a charity in 1993, Tzedek has a number of overseas development programmes, working closely with local NGOs to alleviate extreme poverty in Northern Ghana and Northeast & Southeast India. As well as supporting local NGOs within these regions, Tzedek aims to develop the leadership skills of young Jewish leaders within the community to provide a long-term, sustainable solution to global poverty.

Plan International UK is the UK branch of the global children's rights non-profit organisation Plan International. Plan UK which works to advance equality for girls all over the world through sustainable development and humanitarian response activities in 50 countries across Asia, Africa and the Americas. The organisation also helps communities to build resilience prior, during and after emergencies. It is a registered charity in the UK and has no religious affiliations. It focuses on issues that particularly face girls of all ages. Plan International UK works across a range of sectors, including education, health, child protection and participation, economic security and water and sanitation. The organisation's current focus is the promotion of the rights of adolescent girls and disaster response and preparedness. Tanya Barron became Chief Executive of Plan International UK in January 2013 having been International Director at Leonard Cheshire Disability from 2004 to 2012. She holds various trusteeships and is currently a board member of the World Bank's Global Partnership on Disability and Development. In 2003 Barron was given the European Woman of Achievement (Humanitarian) award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caritas Internationalis</span> Catholic relief, development and social service

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irish Aid</span> Irish international development aid programme

Irish Aid is the Government of Ireland's official international development aid programme. Irish Aid is managed by the Development Co-Operation and Africa Division (DCAD) of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). According to the OECD, Ireland’s total ODA increased in 2022, mostly due to higher in-donor refugee costs and higher contributions to international organisations. ODA represented 0.64% of gross national income (GNI). The Irish Aid programme is an integral part of Ireland's foreign policy.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Role out of LiveSimply Education and Information Project. Progressio Ireland. December 2007. Retrieved with permission 1 November 2010.
  2. 1 2 "About us". progressio. Archived from the original on 16 August 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  3. 1 2 "Pioneer in Irish foreign aid is no ordinary charity". Irish Independent . Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  4. ↑ Bergin, Emmet. "A Catholic Contribution to Cutting Carbon." The Irish Catholic, 23 August 2007.
  5. ↑ "Populorum Progressio (March 26, 1967) - Paul VI". www.vatican.va. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  6. ↑ "Progressio Ireland - About Us". Progressio. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  7. ↑ Bergin, Emmet. "Catholicism's best kept secret." Editorial, Opinion. The Irish Catholic, 6 August 2009.
  8. 1 2 People Powered Development. Strategic Framework 2010-2015. Progressio Ireland. Retrieved with permission 2 November 2010.
  9. ↑ admin (3 March 2010). "What is people powered development?". www.progressio.org.uk. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  10. ↑ Anonymous. "Development workers". www.progressio.org.uk. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  11. ↑ "Progressio Ireland". Progressio. Archived from the original on 3 July 2014. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  12. ↑ "Act Now Campaign". actnow2015.ie. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  13. ↑ McDonald, Frank (29 April 2010). "Blood on our hands: Ireland's role in illegal logging". Irish Times . Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  14. ↑ Hilliard, Mark. "Ireland logged as top in EU for import of illegal timber." Sunday Tribune, 11 April 2010.
  15. ↑ "Controlling Illegal Logging" Progressio Ireland. 16 July 2010. Retrieved with permission 1 November 2010.
  16. ↑ "Progressio Ireland - Zimbabwe". Presgressio. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  17. ↑ "Our work in Haiti - Progressio". Progressio. Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  18. ↑ "McGarry, Patsy. Theologians urge church rethink on spread of HIV." Irish Times, 2 November 2009.
  19. ↑ "Progressio Ireland - Yemen". Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  20. ↑ "Timor-Leste". Progressio. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.