Ending Extreme Poverty Now: Working Together with the Poor
Catholic University’s Institute for Policy Research & Catholic Studies recently co-sponsored an event focused on Pope Francis’s call “to confront the poverty of our brothers and sisters, to touch it, to make it our own and to take practical steps to alleviate it.” Other sponsors were the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Catholic Relief Services, Catholic Charities USA, U.S. Agency for International Development, and the Africa Faith & Justice Network.
The event was titled “Ending Extreme Poverty Now: Working Together with the Poor.” It included a welcome from Special Assistant to the President and Executive Director of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships Melissa Rogers, and keynote addresses by Archbishop Bernardito Auza, apostolic nuncio and permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, and Alex Thier, assistant Administrator, Bureau for Policy, Planning and Learning, U.S. Agency for International Development. A musical reflection was performed by Sara Groves, singer/songwriter and recording artist nominated for 7 Dove Awards.
A panel discussion followed that included:
Anne St. Amant, IPR undergraduate fellow, The Catholic University of America;
Dr. Stephen Colecchi, director, Office of International Justice and Peace, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops;
Rev. Aniedi Okure, director, Africa Faith & Justice Network;
Kathy Brown, senior director for mission and Catholic identity, Catholic Charities USA; regional coordinator, Caritas North America, Caritas Internationalis;
Michele Broemmelsiek, vice president for overseas operations, Catholic Relief Services.
J. Mark Brinkmoeller, director of the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, U.S. Agency for International Development, gave the closing remarks.
> More
