Caritas is a Latin word means love. The first Caritas was established in Freiburg- Germany in 1897, followed by other societies established in Switzerland in 1901 and USA in 1910.
Caritas Internationalis is an international confederation with 164 members with its head offices in Rome- Vatican. It belongs to a big network of humanitarian work societies worldwide, operating in 200 areas and countries.
Caritas Jordan: a humanitarian charity non- governmental organization that is affiliated with the Catholic Church. It has an international representation, handling social and humanitarian work. It was established in 1967 as a result of June war, responding to the humanitarian needs that emerged from the wars and the displacement of the Palestinian people to Jordan.
Caritas Jordan is a member of International Caritas Confederation and a part of Caritas MONA. Its head office is in Jordan capital Amman. Four centers have been opened since its establishment in different areas of the kingdom.
Caritas Goals:
-Help the poor and the needy in the society.
-Develop self- potential of the needy to support their right in work and decent life.
-Provide primary & secondary health services in addition to service of maternity and child.
-Help refuges, homeless and victims of wars and disasters.
-Aware Jordanian community on local humanitarian causes and on the importance of participating at well-fare actions.
-Collaborate with public and voluntary institutions in addition to Caritas International members in order to achieve Caritas Jordan goals
Caritas Jordan vision is based on the Christian principles of dignity of every human being with a special concern for the poor. According to the Bible, all human beings have been created in the image of God that is sacred. Human life possessed a given dignity since its creation and not from any action of its own. Every person has thus some basic rights and responsibilities that cannot be taken away from him/her regardless of any social or political structures. Once this has been acknowledged, it becomes possible to work for the common good of the whole society.
Caritas Jordan believes that in every economic, political and social decision, a special concern must be given to the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable. When this is done the entire community becomes stronger, because the helplessness of any member wounds the rest of the society.
Caritas Jordan thus takes an active role in the development of the local community, promoting such values as justice, solidarity and social cohesion.
Caritas speaks out on behalf of disadvantaged people; encouraging social action based on solidarity and Christian values to build an equal and compassionate society.
Caritas Jordan works with individuals, families and communities, to help them meet their needs by addressing their concerns and life challenges.
On one side, Caritas Jordan takes an active role in helping needy and vulnerable people, both Jordanians and migrants, regardless of gender, nationality or religion. Its actions addresses the humanitarian needs of the families such as food and non food items, health and educational services.
On the other side, Caritas Jordan has been trying to strengthen the role of the civil society to prepare active actors rather than mere recipients. More in depth, through the Volunteers Program, Caritas Jordan has been focusing on spreading volunteerism concepts throughout Jordan, relying on a network of parishes and committees actively engaged on the local level.
Currently, main sectors of Caritas Jordan are:
-Medical Sector
-Humanitarian Assistance Sector
-Youth & Parish needs Sector
-Development Projects Sector
-Education Sector
