Caritas Danmark | |
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| Type | Nonprofit |
|---|---|
| Legal status | association (forening)[1] |
| Headquarters | Gl. Kongevej 15 |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 55°40′26″N12°33′27″E / 55.67385°N 12.55748°E /55.67385; 12.55748 |
| Origins | Catholic Social Teaching |
Region served | Denmark and worldwide |
| Fields | development aid,humanitarian aid,social services |
Secretary General | Maria Krabbe Hammershøy |
President | Christa Bonde |
Main organ | board of directors |
| Affiliations | Caritas Europa,Caritas Internationalis |
| Revenue | 82,5 millionDKK[2] (2022) |
| Website | www |
Caritas Denmark (Danish:Caritas Danmark) is a Danish nonprofit organisation. It is the official aid organisation of theCatholic Church in Denmark[3] and implements some social services in the country, while the core of its work arehumanitarian anddevelopment programmes abroad.
The organisation is a member of the globalCaritas Internationalis confederation and ofCaritas Europa.
In 1947, Knud Ballin and Kaj F. Meldahl founded Caritas Denmark to organise emergency aid for German refugees in Europe afterWorld War II. Since its founding, the organisation has grown from a small church initiative carried by a few enthusiasts to a professional organisation, working both through employed staff and with volunteers.[4] In 2007,Jann Sjursen, a former politician, assumed the position of Secretary General, which he held until 2019.[5][6]
Its values are rooted inCatholic social teaching and in theUN Universal Declaration of Human Rights.[4] Despite being a Catholic organisation, persons are supported based on need, regardless of religious affiliation.[7]
Its work is funded by collections and donations from individuals, companies and foundations in Denmark, includingDanida.[2] Caritas is one of the 18 strategic NGO partners of theDanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the 2022–2025 period.[8] The organisation is one of the NGO partners ofDG ECHO[9] and certified against theCore Humanitarian Standards since 2018.[7]
The bulk of Caritas Denmarks work takes place at the international level. The organisation supports the development and humanitarian programmes of its partner organisations inBangladesh,Burkina Faso,Jordan,Lebanon,Myanmar,Niger,Uganda andUkraine.[10] Caritas Denmark works according to thelocalisation principle, i.e. by supporting local partners as opposed to directly implementing activities abroad. As part of this committent, Caritas Denmark is one of the signatories of the internationalCharter for Change.[11]
In Denmark, Caritas provides social services to vulnerable populations, mostly migrants and refugees, for example by operating a clinic and a shelter for migrants. Both are located inVesterbro, in proximity toCopenhagen Central Station.[12] In 2022, Caritas Denmark first published itspodcastJeg har set verden styrte i grus ("I've seen the world come crashing down") with the purpose of raising awareness among the Danish public about those experiencing humanitarian emergencies.[13]
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