New association formed to help Jersey’s minorities

Sunday 27 May 2018

A Rome-based Catholic charity with branches around the world is expanding its services locally.

Caritas has teamed up with some of the island’s minority communities to form the Caritas International Association.

Officially launched by Senator-elect Kristina Moore earlier this week, the charity has six main goals: 1. To provide an advisory and advocacy service to those living in Jersey for whom English is not their first language. 2. To encourage member nationalities to take a full part in the democratic process. 3. To provide advice, information and recommendations to the States, its departments and politicians, on the problems and issues facing the migrant population. 4. To encourage each nationality to share good practice and be a support for one another. 5. To assist Caritas Jersey in the implementation of its Social Inclusion Project. 6. To share and explore common issues and to come together to take appropriate action.

The Caritas International Association has already initiated two projects: · an information booklet for the minority nationalities living in Jersey, and a short academic research paper on the current state of social integration in Jersey.

John Scally, Executive Director of Caritas Jersey said, ‘’The Association will be the engine room of the Caritas Social Inclusion Project designed to empower local people of whatever nationality to take as full a part as possible in Jersey Society.’’

Senator-elect, Kristina Moore, said, ‘I am delighted to launch this excellent initiative and wish the Association every success. Jersey enjoys a safe and friendly community. We all enjoy and appreciate that. The work that the Caritas International Association does is about bringing people together and strengthening our community.”