Viewpoint: Sad demise of Progressio

Paul Donovan

The sad news that Progressio is to cease operating will have dismayed if not surprised many in the social justice world - Paul Donovan writes in his latest blog.

The organisation seems to have been in terminal decline for some years, becoming increasingly dependent on government money to perform its aid work. Now that this funding has diminished so the organisation has ceased to operate.

Progressio has a proud record stretching back over 70 years to its founding in the 1940s by Cardinal Hinsley. Originally called the Sword of the Spirit, it was renamed the Catholic Institute for International Relations (CIIR) in 1965 before its most recent metamorphosis into Progressio in 2006.

A major strength of the organisation has been its ability over the years to read the signs of the times. It provided aid via sending out skilled workers overseas but also developed an education and advocacy role at home. The latter function brought international injustices to the attention of politicians, opinion formers and media.

The development of the education and advocacy role, under the leadership of Mildred Nevile, saw the organisation again well ahead of its time, doing something that would later be copied and effectively taken over by the big agencies like Oxfam, Christian Aid and CAFOD.

To read on see: http://paulfdonovan.blogspot.co.uk/