How to make meaningful New Year's resolutions
21 Dec 18
While it’s normal to set New Years Resolutions such as “lose weight” or “eat healthily”, this sort of goal setting often leads to failure a few weeks (or days in). Feeling disheartened, you give up and revert to old habits.
Rather than setting a goal based on a particular target (like “Exercise every day” or “Stop eating chocolate”), try this instead:
What one word – a core quality -- do you want to embody in 2019?
Building strength and resilient communities
19 Dec 18
The remarkable strength, resilience and hope of the communities Caritas works with, despite the many challenges they face was a source of inspiration for Paul O’Callaghan, Caritas Australia’s CEO, during a recent visit to communities in Indonesia.
Across Indonesia, Caritas Australia's programs through our partners like Caritas Indonesia (Karina), and a Muslim social support agency in West Java, Laz Harfa, focus on issues including disaster preparedness, livelihoods improvement, community health and community empowerment.
2018: The year that was
18 Dec 18
As we say goodbye to another fruitful year, we reflect on 2018 and the many stories of hope, determination and strength that have inspired us.
It is only through the immense generosity of you, our supporters, which have made our work this year possible.
Share the Journey and expand the horizons of your heart this Christmas
10 Dec 18
If you look at Christ’s birth and death with today’s eyes, you could think he was a loser; born in a stable and thirty-three years later crucified by his own people like a common criminal.
Despite his lowly birth and his humiliating and agonising death, through the events in his life, this man of very humble origins revolutionised how we see the poor and marginalised, how we think of power and who we deem to be “winners” and “losers” in our world.
Building lives and livelihoods: International Day of People with Disability
28 Nov 18
On International Day of People with Disability, December 3rd, Caritas Australia celebrates the achievements of the thousands of people who have taken part in its program in Vietnam – “Empowering People with Disabilities."
Supported by the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP) and run by Caritas Australia’s partner in Vietnam, Sustainable Rural Development (SRD), the program helps young people gain access to inclusive education and health services, develop livelihood skills and strengthens the skills of teachers and parents of children with disabilities, through involvement in People with Disabilities (PwD) clubs.
Resilience in Rohingya refugee camps
27 Nov 18
As Eleanor Trinchera arrived at Cox’s Bazaar in Bangladesh, where hundreds of thousands of Rohingya people are living in refugee camps, she was struck by the view before her.
“It’s just massive, you can see the different colours of the roofs and it was a bit overwhelming because it was so bare. Some of the roofs are already broken down, in a state of disrepair,” says Eleanor, Caritas Australia’s Program Co-ordinator for Bangladesh and Nepal.
Caritas Australia marks World Day of the Poor
15 Nov 18
In his statement for World Day of the Poor, Sunday November 18, Pope Francis has spoken of the way that “…many initiatives, meritorious and necessary in themselves, are meant more to satisfy those who undertake them than to respond to the real cry of the poor.”
Christmas Gifts that make a difference
08 Nov 18
Our 2019 Global Gifts cards are about empowering the poorest and most vulnerable families to live with dignity, free from hunger and with real hope for their children’s future.
If you would like for your Christmas gifts to have a positive impact on the world, why not buy a Global Gift? Global Gifts are Caritas Australia's charitable Christmas cards. We call them Global Gifts because the funds raised from these gift cards go towards supporting our work with the poorest of the poor around the globe, including right here in Australia.
Family displaced by the Sulawesi Tsunami/earthquake
02 Nov 18
The life of 55 year old, Umi, was changed forever, when her entire neighbourhood was flattened by a mudflow caused by a masive earthquake that struck the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia on 28th September, 2018.
"When the earthquake struck, I panicked and prayed, 'Please, God help us,' Umi says.
Anote Tong Visits Caritas Australia Office
30 Oct 18
Anote Tong, former President of Kiribati and renowned climate activist, recently visited the Caritas Australia Head Office in Sydney. In a powerful Facebook Live event, he made a rousing call to action for Australia to invest in more environmentally friendly and sustainable policies, and for individuals to take action, too.
Canonisations of Pope Paul VI and Archbishop Oscar Romero
25 Oct 18
Two hugely influential figures in the recent history of the Catholic Church and Caritas Internationalis, Pope Paul VI and Archbishop Oscar Romero from El Salvador, became saints on 14 October 2018.
Caritas Immersion Experience Timor Leste October 2018
16 Oct 18
Sue Coghlan is the Assistant Principal of Religious Identity and Mission at St Raphael’s School, Parkside (SA). She has recently returned from an Immersion trip to Timor Leste, where Caritas supports a number of programs. She shares her experience with us below.
Mount St Joseph College: women leaders paving the way
11 Oct 18
Since 2012, October 11 has been marked as the International Day of the Girl. The day aims to highlight and address the challenges that girls face, while promoting girls' empowerment and the fulfilment of their human rights.
NSW Students embrace Catholic Social Teaching
11 Oct 18
Catholic Social Teaching at Marion Primary School
It was a brilliant day at Marion Primary school in Horsley Park running a Just Leadership Day with the Year 5’s. The theme of the day was Catholic Social Teachings (CST’s) and students learned to apply the CST principles to current global events and within their own school community.
The students of Marion Primary then used their knowledge of the CST’s put their faith into action by generating a justice action plan for their school, supporting vulnerable individuals and communities living in marginalised situations.
How to help after the Indonesia Earthquake and Tsunami
04 Oct 18
In recent months, we have witnessed disasters devastating people’s lives in the form of an Earthquake and Tsunami in Sulawesi, Indonesia; Typhoon Mangkhut hitting the Philippines and unusually high rains in Kerala, India.
Earthquake hits Sulawesi, Indonesia
29 Sep 18
An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7 struck Northeast of Donggala, Central Sulawesi on the afternoon of 28th September 2018. Caritas Australia and our partners are monitoring the impact of the earthquake.
Initial reports confirm that buildings have collapsed and that there is considerable panic among some of the population. Roads north of Palu have been damaged.
How is Typhoon Mangkhut affecting people in the Philippines?
18 Sep 18
In the immediate aftermath of the devastating Typhoon Mangkhut, NASSA (Caritas Philippines) has shared these two stories to show how people have been affected by the damage.
Typhoon Mangkhut damage report and early response
16 Sep 18
Early reports are coming in of the damage wrought by Super Typhoon Mangkhut, which hit the Philippines yesterday.
So far, a total of 15,491 families have been served by evacuation centres. This represents almost 60,000 people. It is estimated that nearly 4 million people may be affected by this emergency.
Typhoon Mangkhut approaches the Philippines
14 Sep 18
Caritas Australia and our partners are preparing to respond to Typhoon Mangkhut as it approaches the Phliippines.
Typhoon Mangkhut (also known as Typhoon Ompong) is considered the strongest typhoon this year. Landfall is expected for Saturday morning.
Storm surges up to seven metres high are expected to hit coastal areas.
Heavy rains will likely trigger flash floods and landslides.
Building on strengths
05 Sep 18
Martha is a 58 year old Irak tribeswoman from Kilimamoja, a village in northern Tanzania. Before she became involved in a Caritas Australia-supported water project, Martha tilled a small plot with much effort and little reward, and spent hours collecting water each day.