I recently accompanied CRS-Lebanon Country Representative, Mindy Burrell, on a number of visits to Members of Congress to discuss the political and humanitarian situation in Lebanon. These Capitol Hill visits are an important part of CRS’ advocacy strategy because they allow us to share our on-the-ground perspective with policymakers who are driving our foreign policy.

Mindy described how she first arrived in Lebanon on a transport plane in the midst of the 2006 conflict with Israel because it was the only one that could land on the damaged runway. In response to the conflict, CRS used $12 million in aid provided by the U.S. government and other donors to assist 250,000 Lebanese victims from all faiths in 200 villages throughout the country. Working with local partners including Caritas-Lebanon, CRS organized vouchers for crops and livestock to restore lost incomes, construction projects for buildings damaged in the war, and summer camps for children traumatized by violence.
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Writing in America, the national Catholic weekly, Bishop Howard J. Hubbard reiterates Pope Benedict XVI’s statement that “the new name for peace is development.” He says a renewed Catholic response to global poverty is in the offing.

In the article, Bishop Hubbard writes: “In response to the pope’s call ‘to fight poverty to build peace,’ the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and Catholic Relief Services will reinvigorate the Catholic Campaign Against Global Poverty soon. An initiative called ‘Catholics Confront Global Poverty’ will be launched on Feb. 23 (www.usccb.org/globalpoverty) with a goal of helping to educate and mobilize U.S. Catholics to defend the life and dignity of people living in poverty throughout the world.”

Howard J. Hubbard, bishop of Albany, is the chairman of the Committee on International Justice and Peace of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The full text of his article can be found here.

Reprinted from Vatican Information Service.

VATICAN CITY, 4 DEC 2008 (VIS) – Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States yesterday participated in a ceremony, held in Oslo, Norway, to sign a Convention prohibiting the use, production, transfer and stockpiling of cluster munitions, the text of which was approved on 30 May in Dublin, Ireland.
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Neal Deles is CRS’ new area coordinator and education program manager in West Darfur. Here he shares first thoughts from our field office in El Geneina.

In October 2008, Neal Deles began serving as CRS area coordinator and education program manager in West Darfur, working out of our El Geneina field office. Photo by CRS staff.

Since arriving in early October, there has been so much to learn, understand and reflect on about CRS’ life-giving work in Darfur. One word I have heard a lot (and often say now) is “tamam” or “good.” I think it also sums up my experience here so far.

I had prepared for a challenging life out here, but I can actually say that I am quite comfortable. I like that we live simply and can clearly see the stars when the electricity goes off in the late evening. The food is good too—a lot of okra, tomatoes and beans—and the people are friendly and hospitable. Most of all, I am grateful for the collegiality and commitment of our 114-strong team here in West Darfur who have managed to keep things moving along.
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Our thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Mumbai and all those affected by the violence that broke out Nov. 26.

Catholic News Service reports that Pope Benedict XVI condemned the violence as “cruel and senseless.”

According to the report: “Speaking at his noon blessing Nov. 30, the pope asked for prayers for the victims of the attacks in Mumbai, the Indian financial capital, where suspected Islamic militants assaulted at least 10 targets in a three-day siege that began Nov. 26.”

Dear Friend,

As we prepare to celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace, violence and civil unrest continue to dominate the daily headlines. The people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo cry out for an end to their suffering. Our own country is engaged in two wars. The birthplace of Jesus remains a troubled region.

In this Christmas season, the question haunts us: Is there hope for peace?

Some years back, as Catholic Relief Services reflected on the horror of the genocide in Rwanda, the devastation that occupied Somalia and the upheaval unleashed in the Balkans, we set in place a new theme in CRS programs: peacebuilding.

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CRS Communications Coordinator Jennifer Hardy traveled with winners of the 2008 Egan Award for Journalistic Excellence . During their visit, they looked at the Church’s work with Iraqi refugees in Lebanon and Syria.

Bishop Audo graciously arranged visits for Egan Award winners with Iraqi refugee families living in the northern city of Aleppo. Although the majority of Iraqi refugees are living in and around the capital of Damascus, Caritas is helping 800 Muslim and Christian Iraqi families in Aleppo.

After our meetings with the families, Bishop Audo took us to the roof of the church and explained the significance of the view – the church overlooks a neighboring mosque. The moment was especially poignant as the midday call to prayer began in the middle of his description of Christians and Muslims living together in peace in Syria.

Catholic News Service reports that Pope Benedict XVI urged world leaders to tackle poverty with courage, even in the face of the current global financial crisis.

“On the occasion of this important meeting … I want to renew my invitation to adopt and implement with courage the measures needed to eradicate extreme poverty, hunger, ignorance and the scourge of pandemics, which strike above all the most vulnerable,” he said.

The news service reports that the pope said he recognized that honoring commitments to development aid will require “sacrifice at this difficult economic moment in the world.”