1. Cheryl Mrazik
Catholic Relief Services
Global Issues Affecting
the Poor and Vulnerable

2. “Not only our beneficiaries…
…But also our teachers”
-Dr. Carolyn Y. Woo, CRS President and CEO
Partnership and Solidarity

3. We are an
Easter people!

4. Good News For a Change!
#GoodNews4aChange

11. But challenges remain…
Poverty:
21% of the world’s population still lives below
$1.25/day
Poverty is linked to violence:
– 1.5 billion people live in areas affected by fragility,
conflict, or large scale criminal violence
– 73% of the world’s poorest billion lived through or
are in a violent conflict

12. Migration
An integral part of the Biblical story…
Adam and Eve
Noah
Abraham
Moses
Joseph and Mary
Jesus
…and human history

13. “For I was hungry and
you gave me food, I was
thirsty and you gave me
drink, a stranger and
you welcomed me…
Amen, I say to you,
whatever you did for
one of these least
brothers of mine, you
did for me.”
—Matthew 25
Our Gospel Mandate...

14. “The Church’s approach to
migration has and will continue to
include both
the reduction of the need to migrate
and
the protection of those who have
little choice but to do so.”
-Mary DeLorey, CRS

15. CRS’ Focus
• The right NOT to migrate: “Persons have the
right to find opportunities in their homeland.”
(Strangers No Longer)
• Address root causes of migration by developing
economic/political/social conditions that
preclude necessity to migrate (JFI campaign principle)

16. International Migration
• More than 200 million people in the world live
outside their country of birth.
– Doubled in past 30 years
– 3% of the global population
• The number of the migrants worldwide would
constitute the fifth most populous country in
the world.

17. Who are our migrant brothers and sisters?
• Asylum seekers (983,000)
• Refugees (10.4 million)
• Internally Displaced Persons (15.6 M)
• Economic migrants
• Climate/Environmental Migrants
• Trafficked persons (int’l 800,000-2 M)

18. Facts & Figures
1/3 of migrants: Developing  Developing
1/3 of migrants: Developing  Developed
Urban migration(1/2 of world population in2008, growing to
2/3 by 2030)
49.6% are women
30-40 million are unauthorized in host country

19. If you know someone or a group of people who
has migrated, what specific factors led
to that decision?
If not, what factors would motivate you to leave
your home?

20. • Low wages
• High unemployment/lack of jobs
• Corrupt governments
• Lack of social safety net
• War & Natural disaster
• Culture of migration
Push Factors

21. Pull Factors: Jobs
• Liberalization of trade
– Employment sectors can
move, but not people
• Changing demographics
– Aging populations, low
fertility rates in developed
countries
– Service sector economies

22. Economic Reality ≠
Political Reality
The United States has about 500,000
unskilled jobs available each year.
 Current Immigration System only allows for
66,000 low-skilled labor positions = gap of
434,000
 Most Americans with college degrees do not
and will not do these types of jobs

23. Pull Factors: Wage Disparities
Migrants can earn 20-
30 times more than
in their home country!
Ratio of average income
of 5 richest countries to
5-10 poorest countries:
In 1900, 9:1
In 1960, 30:1
Today, 100:1

24. Pull Factors
Family reunification &
social networks
Equality/Freedom
Safety/security/protection

25. Past CRS’ Responses
Farmers in Mexico
Greenhouses in Afghanistan
Displaced Persons in Colombia
Human trafficking in Moldova
Drought interventions in Kenya

26. Conflict: Syria
• 3 years
• 150,000 killed
• 2.5 million refugees
• 75% are women and
children
• 65% of children show
signs of PTSD
CRS and partners: currently supporting 3,000 refugee children (250,000
refugees total)
Goal: 10,000 children

27. Child-friendly spaces

28. Art therapy

29. “Please know that Syrians are kind. We
are hospitable. It is a beautiful country
and we will be happy to get back there
and to rebuild. But right now we wish for
more attention to our kids. We wish that
nobody will see what they have seen. We
need help.”
-Hanan Yousef Abdel-Razaq,
young mother from southern Syria now living in Jordan

30. What Can You Do?
•Pray
•Learn
•Act/Advocate
•Give

31. www.confrontglobalpoverty.org

32. What Can You Do?
Tell President Obama and your Members
of Congress:
Stop the violence and provide adequate
humanitarian assistance to people
affected by violence in Syria!

33. Central African Republic (CAR)

34. 700,000 displaced

36. Peacebuilding

37. What Can You Do?
*Action Alert this week*
Tell Congress: I care about peace in
the Central African Republic!

38. Natural Disasters:
Typhoon Haiyan

39. The Toll
6,245 people killed
28,626 injured
1,039 missing
16 million impacted
1.1 million homes damaged, including
550,928 homes destroyed
4 million+ displaced

41. Shelter

43. Coconut farmers

44. What Can You Do?
Tell Members of the House and
Senate Judiciary Committees:
Approve Temporary Protected Status
(TPS) for 18 months for the
Philippines!

46. Centro Independiente de Trabajadores Agricolas
(Independent Agricultural Workers' Center –CITA)

47. Sonora, Mexico

48. Youth Builders program
Countries
• El Salvador
• Nicaragua
• Honduras
• Guatemala
• Haiti
• Dominican Republic
Impact
(Since 2007)
84% finish
secondary degree
58% find employment

49. Managua, Nicaragua

50. What Can You Do?
Support the USCCB’s Justice for
Immigrants (JFI) campaign for
Comprehensive Immigration
Reform, including language in legislation to address
root causes of migration.

51. What Can You Do?
Support the Fraudulent Overseas Recruitment and
Trafficking Elimination Act of 2013 (FORTE Act), H.R.
3344., which would:
• Incorporate anti-trafficking and anti-slavery measures into foreign
assistance programs
• Creates requirements of foreign labor contractors who bring
laborers to the U.S., and of employers who use these contractors,
and measures in order to address complaints against contractors
and employers

52. Fair Trade/Conflict-Free/Sweat-Free
crsfairtrade.org

53. What Can You Do?
•Pray
•Learn
•Act/Advocate
•Give
Always
think local
and global!

54. 54
Social Media
Catholic Relief
Services
@CatholicRelief
CRS Rice Bowl

55. www.crs.org
www.confrontglobalpoverty.org
Cheryl Mrazik
CRS, Northeast/Mid-Atlantic Office
610-293-4669
cheryl.mrazik@crs.org
For more information….