Justice for all: 2000 onwards

The organisers of the first Fast Day met forty years later to celebrate the success of the organisation that grew out of their work [CAFOD]

2000

CAFOD won Best Public Information Campaign award at the annual One World Media Awards for its Liberian youth football tour, which highlighted the horrors of war and showed what Africans are doing to help themselves out of the cycle of destruction.

CAFOD marked the end of the Jubilee 2000 campaign by pledging to carry forward the debt campaign until the unpayable debts of the poorest countries are cancelled.

2001

Supporters travelled to the G8 Summit in Genoa, Italy to call on the world's richest nations to 'Drop the Debt.' CAFOD hosted a virtual newsroom on the web edited by three young reporters.

CAFOD partners in El Salvador responded to major earthquake with long-term rehousing programme. CAFOD secured funding for humanitarian work with Roma people in Serbia.

Today, Tomorrow, Together, a parish fundraising initiative, is launched, aiming to bring parishes closer to the lives of poor communities worldwide.

CAFOD launched its Trade Justice Campaign, calling for a radical change in trade rules that discriminate against the poor. The first focus was on the World Trade Organisation.

2002

CAFOD helped organise a conference of Sudan’s religious leaders in London and put pressure on warring parties in Sudan to peacefully resolve the conflict in Sudan.

CAFOD celebrated its 40th anniversary by inviting friend and partner, Jon Sobrino from El Salvador to share reflections with staff and volunteers.

Together with other aid agencies, CAFOD expressed concerns that war on Iraq could have a devastating impact on ordinary Iraqis weakened after years of sanctions.

An appeal is launched responding to food shortages across Southern Africa. More than £2 million was raised.

2003

Julian Filochowski resigned as a Director after 20 years of inspiring leadership. Chris Bain, who worked for both VSO and Oxfam, becomes CAFOD’s new Director.

In June, CAFOD campaigners joined others in Scale Up for Trade Justice, the largest ever lobby across the UK, giving a clear message that the UK government must start pushing for trade justice.

When a massive earthquake strikes in Iran, CAFOD immediately sent £100,000 to provide emergency relief for families left homeless. In the aftermath, CAFOD contributed a further £80,000 for housing and humanitarian work.

2004

In January, CAFOD launched its Clean Up Your Computer campaign to improve conditions for electronics workers in Mexico and China. It persuaded leading computer companies to adopt codes of conducts protecting workers.

Around 6,000 campaigners converged on Brighton for the opening day of the Labour Party conference, demanding trade justice. More than 60,000 votes for trade justice were cast on the day.

Fighting in the Darfur province of western Sudan caused one of the world's worst ever humanitarian crises. CAFOD supporters responded generously, giving £4 million.

2005

A year dominated by two issues - emergency relief for the devastation caused by the Asian tsunami on Boxing Day 2004, and the global campaign to Make Poverty History. CAFOD was at the forefront of both.

More than £9 million is raised directly by CAFOD’s supporters for its tsunami work, coupled with a further £14 million through the Disasters Emergencies Committee (DEC).

The unprecedented level of global campaigning on poverty is fantastic. Nelson Mandela addresses more than 20,000 people in Trafalgar Square, 25,000 people take part in the Trade Justice Vigil, and a phenomenal 250,000 people march the streets of Edinburgh to demand world leaders make poverty history.

CAFOD is greatly saddened to learn that one of its founding members, Elspeth Orchard, passed away in 2005 at the age of 86.

2006

CAFOD launched its Unearth Justice campaign, calling on mining companies in developing countries to share their profits with local communities, and also improve their environmental impact.

It also launched Focus Africa, a parish fundraising scheme to raise £1million for projects across the continent aimed at eradicating poverty.

2007

CAFOD played a leading role in the livesimply challenge, which asks us for an individual commitment to a just and sustainable world, marking 40 years since the landmark Populorum Progressio by Pope Paul VI.

He said we should "all act to improve the human condition, which impoverishes millions of God’s children".

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