Catholic social teaching
Read more about some of the principles which inspire our work.
Disability rights campaigning in Bolivia.
CAFOD is committed to being a diverse and inclusive organisation that leaves no one beyond reach.
We believe in the intrinsic dignity of every person. The dignity of every human person, as set out in Catholic Social Teaching, is an overriding principle of the way we work.
We work wherever the need is greatest, with people of all faiths and none, regardless of gender, orientation, culture, nationality, or ethnicity.
Our Common Home is CAFOD’s agenda for change. Our mission is to challenge and transform the structures and behaviours that drive poverty, vulnerability, inequality, injustice and exclusion and harm the natural world.
We will support and enable people, communities and the local organisations we support to be artisans of their own destiny and we will follow Jesus’ example of ensuring that quieter voices are heard, so that a better world is achieved together.
Our vision
Our Common Home is CAFOD’s strategic framework, offering a unifying vision for the next 10 years.
“We can only build the future by standing together, including everyone.”
Gender
“The Church has the duty to contribute to the recognition and liberation of women” Pope Benedict XVI
Our vision is of a world where women are safe and respected and where women and men share equally in shaping their societies.
Tackling gender inequality is not just an issue for women - everyone suffers when so many people are prevented from realising their full potential. Equality is essential to tackle poverty, and both men and women need to be part of the solution.
We have also produced our practical Believe in Change toolkit - an inspirational guide for all Catholic organisations and leaders to feel better equipped and confident to promote gender equality in their work. Among CAFOD staff based in the UK, our gender pay gap is below the national average but we are not complacent about closing this gap.
Race and ethnicity
We recognise that within our organisation there is racism in all its forms, that this is completely unacceptable and harms our ability to fulfil our mission.
We have begun to look at ways to transform CAFOD into an anti-racist organisation and to address the root causes of racism within our structures. Initial conversations have taken place across the organisation, including facilitating all-staff open discussions as well as meetings with senior management.
Over the coming months, we are committed to agreeing a firm action plan to ensure that CAFOD becomes truly anti-racist. We acknowledge that we are at the beginning of this process and there is still much work to do.
Gender
Our vision is a world where diverse women and girls are safe and respected, and where women and men share equally in shaping their societies.
Prayers for racial justice
These prayers remind us of our Christian calling to do all that we can to stand with and support those who are discriminated against because of their race throughout the world.
“When someone living with a disability comes to my door and says they want to learn something, I work on two things: self-esteem and spirituality. They go hand-in-hand and that is how you learn to move forward.”
Religion
We work wherever the need is greatest, with people of all faiths and none.
The value of partnership, present throughout Catholic Social Teaching, is central to our work overseas. We rely on and empower local people who have technical expertise. Because they are part of the communities they serve, they are best placed to respond to people’s needs.
Christian and Muslim leaders have worked together to play an essential role in tackling the Ebola virus in Sierra Leone and Liberia.
We are working with Christian, Jewish, Muslim and secular organisations in the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel to reduce disruption to Palestinian families’ daily lives in the West Bank, help poor families in Gaza get what they need to survive, and support Arab Israeli women to secure fair employment.
Safeguarding
CAFOD is committed to safeguarding all people in the course of our work, but recognises the need for particular attention to ensure the welfare of children and adults with specific vulnerabilities, and to ensure that action is taken to support them if they are at risk of significant harm.
Safeguarding is a shared responsibility, with all parts of the organisation and all levels of staff are involved in ensuring a welcoming, inclusive, dignified and safe environment for those who come into contact with us.
Safeguarding policy
Safeguarding is a shared responsibility, with all parts of the organisation and all levels of staff involved.
Code of Behaviour
This code of behaviour applies to all those associated with CAFOD, including paid staff, volunteers, board members, trustees and consultants.
Accessibility
In the UK, we work to make every reasonable adjustment to support people with disabilities in our offices and our national office at Romero House is wheelchair accessible.
We are working to increase the accessibility and usability of our website and you can find tips on making your computer easier to use at AbilityNet.
We recognise that people living with disabilities often face discrimination which means they can be among the poorest and most disadvantaged people in developing countries. We stand by the ten commitments made at the Global Disability Summit’s Charter for Change and call for the delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals for people with disabilities.
We strive to reach people living with disabilities to help them transform their lives everywhere we work. In Bolivia, our local experts running training sessions and workshops for people with disabilities have pressured local government to improve transport and accessibility for everyone.
CAFOD as an employer
Working at CAFOD is about being part of a team that makes a difference in the fight against global poverty and injustice – 95 per cent of our employees feel their daily work has a positive impact on the lives of others.
There's room for everyone: Catholics and non-Catholics; people of all faiths and none. We employ people in all corners of the world, of all ages and ethnicities.
We are committed to making every reasonable adjustment to the workplace or working arrangements to accommodate people with disabilities. And we realise the importance of having a culture that embraces everyone.
We are excited and proud to be a Living Wage employer.
Our staff and volunteers are entitled to:
A workplace that promotes equality and diversity
A workplace free from abuse, bullying, harassment or victimisation
Dignity, respect and courtesy
Fair treatment and equality of opportunity
Experience no form of unlawful or unfair discrimination
Feel valued, listened to and supported when they raise concern
Be supported to recover from harm experienced when these standards are not met.
Work for us
We believe that everyone in the world has the right to live their lives with dignity. That’s why we work around the world, in some of the most hard-to-reach communities
Get in touch
We are committed to constantly improving the diversity, inclusivity and accessibility of our work. If you see an area we should be doing better in, or have ideas about ways we can improve, please email us at cafod@cafod.org.uk.
If you have a safeguarding concern that CAFOD should be informed about, please email safeguarding@cafod.org.uk as soon as you can.