THE "POPULORUM
PROGRESSIO" FOUNDATION
Nine years have already gone by since
Pope John Paul II established the Autonomous Foundation “Populorum progressio”,
with its seat in Vatican City State. He wanted it to be a gesture of the
Church’s loving solidarity towards the most abandoned and those most in need of
protection, such as the indigenous peoples, peoples of mixed racial backgrounds
and Afro-Americans. Since then many fruits of love and of charity have been
harvested.
Goals
The Foundation was created on
February 13, 1992, the year in which the Fifth Centenary of the beginning of the
Evangelization of the American Continent was celebrated and the Fourth General
Assembly of the Latin-American Episcopate was held. Its objective is to promote
the integral development of the poorest campesinos of Latin America and
to be a sign and witness of Christian brotherhood and authentic solidarity.
The Foundation is aimed at
collaborating with all those who are conscious of the suffering condition of the
Latin-American peoples and wish to contribute to their integral development,
thus ensuring that the social doctrine of the Church may find a just and
appropriate application.
The “Populorum Progressio” Fund
Many years earlier, in 1968, Pope
Paul II had established the “Populorum Progressio” Fund on the occasion of his
pastoral visit to Colombia for the opening of the Second General Conference of
the Latin-American Episcopate, and of the meeting he had with the campesinos
in that country. He addressed the following words to them: “We know the
conditions of your existence: conditions of poverty for many of you, which at
times are below the normal requirements for a human life [...] We hear the cry
that rises from your suffering [...] We ask ourselves what we can do for you. We
will continue to defend your cause. We will continue to support the initiatives
and programmes of the responsible authorities, of the international
organizations, and of the affluent countries in favour of the developing
peoples. We ourselves will try to set an example, within the limits of our
economic feasibilities”. This gesture of the Pope had as its outcome this
“Fund”, the proceeds of which were to be invested in programmes of agrarian
reform. The Foundation “Populorum Progressio” incorporated, reorganized and
completed the Fund, forming a single entity.
Appeal
By creating the Foundation “Populorum
Progressio”, Pope John Paul II, like his predecessor, appealed to the
international community, the institutions and all people of good will to
redouble their efforts and solidarity in support of the integral development of
the campesinos and the indigenous peoples of Latin America, who are still
living in conditions of underdevelopment. He also invited all the Episcopal
Conferences, especially those of the developed countries, and those of Latin
America itself, to hold a collection among their own faithful to this end. The
generous response to this appeal by the Italian Episcopal Conference should
especially be recalled: it is a response that has continued down to the present
day.
The need however persists. So the
Pope’s appeal has lost none of its urgency. It has been shown that each year the
Foundation distributes among the indigenous peoples and campesinos in
need a sum close to the equivalent of its own capital; in this respect it
differs from the general average, on the basis of which the contributions tend
to decrease. This can only happen thanks to the aid and generosity of many.
Organization
The Foundation “Populorum Progressio”
has its seat at the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum" whose President, His Eminence
Cardinal Robert Sarah, who acts is at the same time as the Foundation's President
and legal Representative.
The Foundation is governed by a Board
of Directors. Apart from seeing to it that the Foundation’s statutory norms are
fulfilled, its duties include the examination and approval of the projects
submitted. The Board of Directors was established in Santo Domingo on October
16, 1992, and since then it had faithfully performed its role. It is formed of
seven members, of whom six are bishops of the various countries of Latin
America, and one represents the Pontifical Council Cor Unum. At the present time
the members are: His Eminence Cardinal Juan
Sandoval
Qńiguez
(President); the Most Rev. Edmundo Luis Flavio Abastoflor
Montero (Vice-President); the Most Rev. Alberto Taveira Corręa, Archbishop
of
Belém do Pará (Brazil);
the Most Rev. Antonio Arregui Yarza, Archbishop of
Guayaquil (Ecuador);
the Most Rev. Óscar Urbina Ortega , Archbishop of Villavicencio (Colombia);
the Most Rev. José Luis Astigarraga
Lizarralde, Vicar Apostolic of Yurimaguas (Perú);
and Msgr. Segundo Tejado Muńoz
(Cor Unum). Dr. Juan Vicente Isaza
Ocampo acts as Secretary of the
Board; he is based in Bogotá.
Each project submitted is accompanied
by a letter of the local Ordinary, which provides a guarantee of the effective
need it is intended to tackle, and of the project’s effective realization within
the times reported. Each project relies on the local Ordinary’s approval and on
the support of the diocese. The mediation of the Apostolic Nunciatures is also
used. The organizational structure of the Church thus makes it possible, without
additional expense, to reach the remotest corners, even the most hidden places
deep in the jungle.
Projects approved
From its origins to the year 2008 the
Foundation has approved and funded 3,102 projects, which have represented a real
source of comfort and encouragement for thousands of indigenous people and
campesinos in need. During this period the total sum granted amounted to $
26.460.219 (US). The annual growth in the number of projects approved and in the
amount of the sums allocated to them may also be noted with satisfaction. The
distribution by years is seen in the following table:
TOTAL PROJECTS
APPROVED FROM THE ORIGINS OF THE FOUNDATION TO 2011 WITH THE ANNUAL AMOUNTS DISTRIBUTED
IN US DOLLARS
|
YEAR
|
PROJECTS
|
AMOUNT
IN US$ |
| 1993 |
124 |
1,066,584 |
| 1994 |
148 |
1,124,680 |
| 1995 |
149 |
1,250,770 |
| 1996 |
158 |
1,179,825 |
| 1997 |
181 |
1,442,250 |
|
1998
|
196
|
1,682,820
|
|
1999
|
215
|
1,705,890
|
|
2000
|
209
|
1,923,500
|
|
2001
|
216
|
1,773,700
|
|
2002
|
223
|
1,895,300
|
|
2003
|
221
|
1,843,200
|
|
2004
|
231
|
1,881,000
|
| 2005 |
212 |
1,876,200 |
| 2006 |
215 |
1,820,500 |
| 2007 |
204 |
1,885,700 |
|
2008 |
200 |
2,108,300 |
|
2009 |
193 |
2,128,500
|
|
2010 |
186 |
2,091,500
|
|
2011 |
189 |
2,102,500
|
|
TOTAL |
3,670 |
32,782,719
|
The average contribution per
project amounts to approximately 10,000 US dollars. This is an
indication that preference is given to supporting microprojects. The
contribution is given as a one-time donation. However, attempts are made
to promote and recommend, where possible, the creation of revolving
funds, managed by the respective communities, thanks to which the sum
donated by the Foundation achieves greater social utility.
Distribution by countries
The distribution by countries has not
been homogeneous. This is partly due to the diversity of the indigenous
component in each country and partly due to the varying degree of knowledge of
and interest in the Foundation.
DISTRIBUTION BY
COUNTRIES OF THE VARIOUS PROJECTS APPROVED FROM THE FOUNDATION’S ORIGIN TO
2008
|
COUNTRY
|
NUMBER
OF PROJECTS
|
| ANTILLES
|
8 |
| ARGENTINA
|
57 |
| BOLIVIA |
288 |
| BRAZIL |
436 |
| CHILE |
170 |
| COLOMBIA |
565 |
| COSTA RICA |
103 |
| CUBA |
42 |
| DOMINICAN REPUBLIC |
128 |
| ECUADOR |
349 |
| EL SALVADOR |
144 |
| GUATEMALA |
135 |
| HAITI |
156 |
| HONDURAS |
27 |
| MEXICO |
193 |
| NICARAGUA |
166 |
| PANAMA |
73 |
| PARAGUAY |
96 |
| PERÚ |
444 |
| URUGUAY |
28 |
| VENEZUELA |
61 |
| T O
T A
L |
3,670 |
Types of projects
The projects approved by the
Foundation concern the various aspects of a community's integral development:
health care, housing, drinking water, schooling, communal infrastructures,
production, nutrition, religious and civic formation.
Each of them is part of a process
that the community or group itself conducts and experiences. It is not the
result of improvisation. The projects must be planned, implemented and evaluated
with the participation of the community itself.
DISTRIBUTION OF
PROJECTS APPROVED FROM 1992 TO 2007
BY AREAS OR SECTORS OF
DEVELOPMENT; IN PERCENTAGES
| AREAS |
COMPRISING
|
PERCENTAGE
|
|
CONSTRUCTION: |
|
11.27% |
| |
Health
Centres |
|
| |
Schools |
|
| |
Housing |
|
| |
|
|
| EDUCATION:
|
|
11.27% |
| |
Capacitation
|
|
| |
Communication |
|
| |
Endowment |
|
| |
Publications |
|
| |
|
|
| COMMUNAL INFRASTRUCTURES |
|
36.27%
|
| |
Drinking
water |
|
| |
Sewage |
|
| |
Roads, bridges |
|
| |
Fencing |
|
| |
Electrification |
|
| |
Hygienic services |
|
| |
Community buildings |
|
| |
|
|
| PRODUCTION: |
|
38.73%
|
| |
Agriculture and animal husbandry |
|
| |
Handicrafts |
|
| |
Microbusinesses |
|
| |
Community shops |
|
| |
|
|
| HEALTH CARE: |
|
2.46% |
| |
Capacitation |
|
| |
Endowment |
|
|
T O T A L |
|
100% |
A young Foundation projected
towards the future
The Foundation “Populorum Progressio”
is still young. It was born, it has grown up and developed in the space of a few
years. It has expressed its solidarity and concern. It has provided practical
help. Thanks to the commitment and dedication of many, it is now a well
consolidated Foundation, with good prospects for the future, with effective
responses to real needs, and with the advantage of very reduced running costs.
Postal address:
Secretariat
of the Board of Directors
Carrera 7 B Bis N.124-78
Bogotá, D.C.
Colombia
Tel.
+ 57 [1] 213.40.43
Fax
+ 57 [1] 620.42.97
e-mail:
fundapp@cable.net.co
|
