Our Social Responsibility committee has ben working on updating our Raising Awareness of Domestic Abuse booklet. It was finally launched at our October Board meeting to respond to the reporting of rising numbers of domestic violence during the corona virus lockdown. Information is posted on our website https://www.nbcw.co.uk where digital copies may be downloaded.

Towards a synodal Church and a synodal WUCWO

Dear friends,

We are trying to emerge from this pandemic that will be marked in the history of humanity as a great crisis. Pope Francis repeats to us that “we never come out of a crisis the same: one comes out better or worse.” And we, women of WUCWO, live rooted in faith in the Risen Christ who urges us to live this Easter season 2021 with hope in the coming of the Holy Spirit who will “make all things new” (Rev 21:5).

• LAUDATO SI' MOVEMENT

https://laudatosimovement.org/

The former Global Catholic Climate Movement, today Laudato si' Movement, works within the Catholic Church to better care for our common home. The founding document is Pope Francis’ encyclical on climate change and ecology, Laudato si’ which is a compelling call to take urgent action against the injustice of climate change and the ecological crisis, to protect the poor and future generations. WUCWO has joined GCCM’s global campaign of divestment from fossil fuels, participates with the GCCM in the Laudato si' Action Platform and takes part in the Laudato si' Animators program.

• FORUM OF CATHOLIC INSPIRED NGOS

https://foruminternational.org/

The Forum is a place of encounter and exchange of Catholic NGO’s that usually work at the international level with status in international agencies. It is a social observatory that strengthens the Catholic voice and advocacy in the public international debate. WUCWO is co-facilitator of the Family thematic Group within the international Forum.

• COATNET - CHRISTIAN ORGANISATIONS AGAINST TRAFFICKING NETWORK

https://www.coatnet.org/

COATNET is a global network of Christian organisations working to combat human trafficking and assist survivors of modern slavery. The network, coordinated by Caritas Internationalis, links over 45 Christian organisations from 39 countries, and cooperates with other faith and civil society organisations worldwide. Together with Caritas Internationalis and Talitha Kum, WUCWO is involved in the "Bakhita Project" with its local organisations in Malawi, Eswatini and South Africa. 

• COMMITTEE FOR THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER AND AWARENESS AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING (IDPHT)

https://preghieracontrotratta.org/?lang=en

Talitha Kum, the worldwide network of consecrated life committed against trafficking in persons, is responsible for the coordination of the group of partner organisations that prepare the International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking (IDPHT).  The organizations involved are: Congregation for Consecrated Life, Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Pontifical Council for Migrants and Itinerant Peoples, the Vatican Academy of Sciences, Caritas International (CI), the World Union of Catholic Women Organisations (WUCWO) and the workgroup against trafficking of the Committee for Justice and peace of the UISG / USG (ATWG). WUCWO is represented by its former President General, Maria Giovanna Ruggieri, as one of the co-founding members of the Committee.

The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 22 April as International Mother Earth Day through a resolution adopted in 2019. The Day recognises the Earth and its ecosystems as humanity's common home and the need to protect her to enhance people’s livelihoods, counteract climate change, and stop the collapse of biodiversity. The theme for 2021 is Restore our Earth.

With a mother’s and father’s heart.

Dear friends,

Since 19 March we have been living the “Amoris Laetitia Family” Year, which will culminate on 26 June 2022 with the 10th World Meeting of Families in Rome. At the same time, as you know, Pope Francis gave us a beautiful letter, Patris corde, on 8 December 2020, with which he launched the Year of Saint Joseph. Both celebrations go hand in hand and constitute for us a source of grace to develop within ourselves a mother's and a father's heart.

Members of the CWA Cameroon National executive had their maiden meeting in the weekend from 8th-10th January 2021 in the sea shore Holy Trinity Parish Bota, in Buea Diocese.

On the occasion of the beginning of the “Amoris Laetitia Family” Year, the World Union of Catholic Women's Organisations held three webinars (one for each of our languages) to disseminate methods to prevent abuse of the most vulnerable members of the family: children and adolescents.

WUCWO supports the WASH project (access to drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) in health care facilities belonging to the Catholic Church, developed by the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development in collaboration with religious congregations, bishops, Caritas Internationalis and Global Water 2020.

The President General María Lía Zervino, Servidora, wrote this open letter on the occasion of the anniversary of the eighth year of the pontificate of Pope Francis. It has received various repercussions from the international press.

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF WUCWO  

Now more than ever, in this situation caused by the Coronavirus, we as women feel we are co-responsible, together with men, to think and reflect on Fratelli tutti in order to raise awareness and educate towards the application of the treasure that the encyclical means for humanity. In this way we will move from the uncertainty in which we live to the certainty of the objective to be achieved: fraternity-sorority and social friendship, from indifference to commitment, from consumer individualism to generous solidarity, from isolation to social fabric, from declarations to facts.

WUCWO women: at prayer, fraternal and missionary

Dear friends,

We are living a particular year in human history because we are trying to get ahead of the global crisis generated by Covid-19. The virus worsened the situations of injustice and the tragedies that a large part of humanity and our planet already suffered. As the Pope often reminds us: you never get out of a crisis the same, either better or worse.