Fastenopfer (charity)
Fastenopfer is a Roman Catholic aid organization based in Lucerne , Switzerland . The aid organization works for disadvantaged people - for a fairer world and overcoming hunger and poverty. Under the motto "Dare to change - promote global justice", it promotes social, cultural, economic and also individual changes towards a sustainable way of life. To this end, Fastenopfer works with partner organizations in 14 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and organizations in Switzerland.
Fastenopfer is one of the founding members of Alliance Sud (formerly: Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Aidwerke) and the Max Havelaar Foundation Switzerland. The following organizations are supported by Fastenopfer or were also co-founded by Fastenopfer: Working Group Tourism and Development (akte), Fair Wear Foundation , Label STEP for fair carpets, Oikokredit , Faires Lager and Claro Fair Trade.
Fastenopfer is part of the Climate Alliance and co-sponsor of the corporate responsibility initiative .
The President of the Board of Trustees is Bishop Felix Gmür .
history
In 1957, the federal leadership of the Swiss Youth Wight Federation, under the leadership of Meinrad Hengartner at the time , decided to dedicate its 25th anniversary to the topic of "world missions" and to start a collection campaign in this context. The collection result of around 17.5 million Swiss francs in the mission year 1960/61 gave the occasion, detached from the Jungwacht, to found an aid organization on June 18, 1961.
The aid organization has been involved since 1962, at that time under the name Fastenopfer of Swiss Catholics , with projects in the south and awareness-raising work in Switzerland for fairer framework conditions. In view of the growing gap between rich and poor worldwide, Fastenopfer is committed to humane and sustainable development. The aid organization thus gives the opportunity to shape the Friday sacrifice offered by the church .
Fastenopfer commissioned the architect Hanns A. Brütsch to design an emergency church in order to enable the financially weak parishes in Switzerland to build inexpensive yet dignified churches . The building type known as the Fastenopfer Church was built 17 times between 1966 and 1977. Of the churches originally intended to be temporary , 14 are still used as sacred buildings today (as of 2014).
Since 1969 Fastenopfer has been working closely with a similar organization of the Reformed Churches in Switzerland called Bread for All (formerly: Bread for Brothers ).
The relief organization celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2011 with various events.
activities
At home
With the experience from the project countries, Fastenopfer is also committed to combating injustice at development policy level in Switzerland. An important part of the education and awareness-raising work is the cooperation with parishes, youth and adult associations, schools, universities and other organizations.
Bread for All and Fastenopfer have carried out the Ecumenical Campaign annually since 1969 , which takes place during Lent and lasts until Easter. Be a partner since 1994 . Under the slogan “See and act”, the aid organizations look where efforts to improve food security for all people are necessary, draw attention to the global context, why fellow human beings live in poverty, need and inhuman conditions. At the same time, possibilities are shown to create politically fairer structures - on an international, national and individual level that respect people's dignity.
In addition to the Ecumenical Campaign, the two plants run other campaigns on development issues. The plants draw attention to their concerns with campaigns and various media (posters, “Agenda” fasting calendar, etc.) and collect donations for project work. Donations are paid in online, collected via a postal account or with the traditional “sacrificial sack” on the 5th Sunday of Lent in the parish church service.
Abroad
The 14 country programs in Africa, Asia and Latin America build on strengthening local communities in which people work together to develop solutions for better living conditions. Fastenopfer works on different levels with partners and in alliances - locally, regionally and nationally. The partnerships in the Global South are local and national non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Often it is popular movements with direct reference to the needy population who actively help to change the situation of the population. They support disadvantaged population groups in their organizational efforts to free themselves from dependencies and to claim their rights. And they encourage them through specific training offers and the exchange of experience, also between the individual state programs. A strong network forms the solid basic requirement for effective and sustainable help for self-help . Fastenopfer's work focuses on the subjects of " right to food ", "sustainable business" and "gender equality".
See also
literature
- Urs Altermatt , Josef Widmer: The Swiss mission system in transition. Structural and mental changes in the Swiss mission system 1955–1962 . Immensee 1988 (= series of publications of the Neue Zeitschrift für Missionswissenschaft 32)
- Hansjörg Vogel : buses as a holistic renewal. Practical theological perspectives of a contemporary practice of repentance presented on the fasting sacrifice of Swiss Catholics. Freiburg i.Ü. 1990, ISBN 3-7278-0666-4 . (= Series Practical Theology in Dialog, Vol. 4)
Web links
- Alois Steiner: fasting sacrifice. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
- Website of the aid organization
Individual evidence
- ↑ Memory of Meinrad Hengartner. Schweizerische Kirchen-Zeitung 39/2004, accessed on September 1, 2012 .
- ↑ Voices on the anniversary. (No longer available online.) Fastenopfer, archived from the original on March 5, 2016 ; Retrieved August 6, 2011 .