Between December 4 and 8, directors and members of 17 National Caritas and the regional coordinator for Latin America and the Caribbean, Nicolás Meyer, participated in an emergency leadership workshop promoted by Catholic Relief Service (CRS), through the Empowering Partner Organizations Working on Emergency Responses (EMPOWER) project. The meeting took place in Baltimore, United States.

The objective was to advance discussions and practices on emergencies in Latin America, in the areas of training and advocacy, ensuring more resources for local organizations, migration and climate change, among others. EMPOWER in Latin America and the Caribbean aims to strengthen local humanitarian workers to prepare for and respond effectively to emergencies.

They were also part of the presentation by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). More than 30 advocacy meetings were held, including the visit of the CRS and Cáritas delegation to the Capitol on December 7.

Nicolás Meyer highlighted that the experience shared with the CRS Empower team was of great relevance for Cáritas in Latin America and the Caribbean.

“They allowed us to share experiences and challenges on emergency risk management, as well as delve into the new scenarios presented by the climate crisis. The advocacy day in Washington DC very well complemented this proposal, since we were able to achieve high-quality conversations with decision makers from the United States government.”

(Featured photo: Philip Launber/CRS)