Integral Dev’t key to Church’s mission

The Participants at the Workshop

The Secretary General of the National Catholic Secretariat (NCS), Very Rev. Fr. Lazarus Anondee, has underscored the critical role of integral development of the human person in the Church’s mission.

“As a Church we do not only hold the Bible and preach, but we also look at the integral development of the human person for their salvation” he noted, stressing the need for all stakeholders to work together to make the integral development of the human person a sustainable venture.

He made these remarks recently during a two-day brainstorming workshop at the Samaritan Villa in Kumasi, which brought together stakeholders including the Diocesan Development Officers (DDOs), representing the various Dioceses in Ghana, as well as representative of Caritas Ghana, the Justice and Peace Commissions and the Social Economic Department at the NCS.

The Christian Mothers Association, and representatives of Superior Mothers and the Federation of Muslim Women Association, Ghana (FOMWAG) participated in the deliberation to formulate the new Medium Term Programme Critical Pathways.  

The thematic sectors highlighted in the process of formulating the Medium Term Programme Critical Pathways (MTPCP II), successor to the MTPCP I: 2012-2016, includes education, socio-economic, health, environmental preservation, and sustainable livelihoods.

MTPCP II among other things aims at consolidating the gains made in the previous plans of Caritas Ghana, as well as ensure a collective sense of ownership of projects, which could enhance the implementation of the new programme.

Fr. Anondee commended the participants for making time to attend the workshop, adding that the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference was interested in working together with stakeholders to promote the attainment of inclusive development for everyone.

The Secretary General pledged working on the concerns raised on the need to ensure adequate funding and ownership of MTPCP II, as well as report to the Bishops’ Conference for appropriate action to be taken.

In assuring participants of the Conference’s support, Fr. Anondee also observed that the “planning exercise is the beginning of greater things to happen.” 

According to Mr. Samuel Zan Akologo, Executive Secretary of Department of Human Development/ Caritas Ghana, the workshop which reviewed the strides of the previous medium term plans, sought new direction in effecting the Church’s charity work in coming years.

The Secretary General addressing the particiants

He said the workshop would be guided by the Pope’s call for “no one be left behind” in the mandate of the Church’s charity work, and the global context of Sustainable Development Goals in their deliberation and formulation of the new Medium Term programme.

While thanking the Secretary General for attending the meeting, he expressed optimism that the participatory nature of the planning process would help bring out suggestions that would contribute in shaping a more inclusive MTPCP II.

Participants keenly took interest in the planning process facilitated by Mr. Chris Bakaweri and Mr. Vitus Adaboo Azeem, both Consultants of the MTPCP II.

Among some of the strategic objectives under the MTPCP II Strategy Framework, were to provide support for good Governance, Democracy and Rule of Law; to improve livelihoods incomes and climate resilience for the poor; to promote effective delivery of social services and youth self-employment and empowerment.

Other strategic areas comprised strengthening emergency and crisis response, and the promotion of Justice and Peace among people and in our society.   

Similarly, Mr Azeem, led participants through the rudiments of advocacy plaining process, and the steps of executing the advocacy plan, in order to make the attainment of the strategic themes of MTPCP II achievable.

Participants who largely agreed on ensuring continuity of the programme strongly touched on the need to ensure sustainable means of resource mobilization for the success and continuity of the Church’s charity work in Ghana.

The Medium Term Programme Critical Pathways is a carefully planned programme that provide the broad framework towards achieving the objective to ensure integral human development.

It also seeks to be a blueprint of working together internally, and a basis for networking and external engagement with partners, stakeholders, as well as serve as a guide for resource mobilization for the execution of projects.

The MTPCP II is expected to be ready by the end of the year.