Topic > Catholic Social Justice Case Study - 1541

A HAND TO HELP THE NEED One organization that makes the Catholic social justice movement work is Caritas. Caritas of Aotearoa, New Zealand, is an organization formed by the agency of the Catholic Bishops for three things which are justice, peace and development. They are part of Caritas Internationalis. As a result of community growth, public support, education and emergency relief, Caritas works for a world where poverty and justice do not exist. Caritas Aotearoa has taken social action helping victims of Cyclone Winston in Fiji and Tonga. Some of the things they do include sending staff members to work with the Justice and Development Commission of the Archdiocese of Suva to provide emergency aid to people in need. In Catholic Social Teaching the principle of Human Dignity shows that each and all of us were created in the image and likeness of God. Therefore we are all equal. Human life is very sacred so it is the fundamental principle of meaningful insight for society. Caritas represents the ethical principle of human dignity by working with people in need around the world. Caritas does not take into account where they come from, who they are, their background and their identity, but only the fact that they need help and assistance. For example, Caritas employees work with people in Peru to improve their relationships and also to reduce the amount of domestic violence. They also don't consider what religion people are, whether they are poor or vulnerable, it doesn't matter where they come from, if they need it Caritas will help. This shows that Caritas clearly displays the principle of human dignity in its work. Regardless of the circumstances, Caritas New Zealand includes everyone as God's family by helping the most vulnerable. This ethical principle is applied in many ways in real-life situations. In a way, students and youth groups from New Zealand will participate in the 2016 Caritas challenge. During this challenge they will demonstrate and experience the difficulties that some people can face every day. Many people in Cambodia live on less than $1.50 a day. While raising funds to help Cambodians live stable lives, students will take on the 24-hour challenge to gain knowledge about the lives of people in