The COVID-19 pandemic has been reshaping our world as it continues to unfold. This gives us the opportune time to come together and introspect our approach and perspectives.

There is a globalization of solidarity and interconnectedness. The fallout from the crisis is both amplifying familiar risks and creating new ones. This creates new openings for managing systemic challenges and ways to build back better. In the New normal as development actors, we are called to optimize and capitalize on our resources and pave the onward journey to remain relevant and connected with the communities we serve.

Caritas India has set up a new platform named CIDAL, Caritas Institute of Development, Action and Learning a platform for learning and exchange of knowledge based on the needs of the partners in the given context of COVID, to address and minimize some of the challenges as part of Partnership Management.

CIDAL envisions to redraft a new vision and mission focus in the context of New Normal, capitalize on the networks, collaborations, financial and human resources, strengthen system building and organizational Capacity and conduct Participatory Action Research (PAR) on different Thematic areas

It is with this endeavour, Caritas India has conducted 4 regional meets in the Northern, Western, North Eastern and Southern (Kerala and Karnataka) regions to brainstorm and deliberate together towards evolving the framework of CIDAL in the coming days.

Most of our diocesan and Regional Forum directors shared their challenges, concerns and suggestions of how, under the umbrella of the Social Apostolate, Caritas India can widen the horizons and scope of leveraging and making optimum usage of the emerging context for an enhance service-oriented approach.

On the sidelines, Caritas India also shared the Campaign on Laudato Si that emanates from the ecological concern of unchecked human activity and the urgent need for radical change in the conduct of humanity for safeguarding the Earth our common Home.

As a future Road ahead, Caritas India shall culminate and collate all the inputs from across the country through these Regional Meets and design a broad framework that would have chapters of training, research and development with a collaborate engagement of the stakeholders within and outside the country for dynamic knowledge exchange.