News Release
President of Catholic Relief to speak at Pacific
(February 1, 2008) -
The leader of the official international relief organization for the Catholic community will speak at Pacific on Wednesday, Feb. 13 about the organization’s global humanitarian efforts. The event is at 7 p.m. at Pacific Theatre on the University’s Stockton campus.
Ken Hackett, president of Catholic Relief Services, will give a lecture titled “Solidarity Will Transform the World: Humanitarian Trends and the Work of Catholic Relief Services.” The lecture is part of College of the Pacific’s 2008 Pope John XXIII Lecture Series, designed to bring Catholics to Pacific to discuss important contemporary issues.
“Extreme poverty and global inequality are some of the urgent questions of the 21st century,” said Political Science Professor Brian Klunk, organizer of the event. “Given Pacific’s commitment to preparing students for responsible leadership in a global context, Ken Hackett will add richly to our ongoing conversation about how Pacific and its students can contribute to a good society.”
Hackett oversees a global staff of nearly 5,000 at Catholic Relief Services. Before becoming its president in 1993, he served as the organization’s regional director for Africa. Under his leadership, the organization launched a strategic plan to clarify its mission and identity, incorporated a justice-centered focus in its programming and engaged more of the U.S. Catholic community in its work around the world.
The Catholic bishops of the United States founded Catholic Relief Services in 1943 to serve World War II survivors in Europe. Since then, it has expanded to more than 100 operations on five continents, including Africa, Asia and Latin America. With an annual budget of almost $600 million, it is considered one of the most prominent non-governmental organizations working in the international development field.
The organization aims to help people in the developing world break the cycle of poverty through community-based, sustainable development initiatives such as agricultural initiatives, community banks, health education, and clean water projects. More information about Catholic Relief Services can be found at http://crs.org/.
For more information, contact Brian Klunk at 209.946.2927 or bklunk@pacific.edu.
