Caritas Papua New Guinea was founded in 1974 by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands as the National Committee for Development and Peace – a member of the Pacific Partnership for Human Development (PPHD). A few years later, it was renamed the Catholic Commission for Justice, Peace & Development, more appropriate to its role and function in PNG society. In early 2000, its current name, Caritas Papua New Guinea, was adopted to make it part of the larger Caritas family worldwide. Today, it is the organization for justice, peace, development, and humanitarian aid of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

Caritas Papua New Guinea exists to play an active role in social justice, peace, human development, and emergencies. Its goal is to end the root causes of dependency, inequality, poverty and injustice that undermine the true nature of human dignity in Papua New Guinea. It follows the pastoral mission of the Church to promote Catholic social teaching. As well as to be the voice of the poorest and most excluded to build a better Papua New Guinea.

Whenever a disaster occurs in the country, the organization can respond immediately and provide essential humanitarian assistance to those in distress. In 2007, when Cyclone Guba hit Oro province, causing widespread flooding that killed more than 150 people and affected an estimated 145,000 others, Caritas Papua New Guinea responded by providing shelter, food, and hygiene kits to flood victims and the homeless.

Once the immediate needs were covered, the organization moved on to long-term development projects, rebuilding homes and rehabilitating local agriculture. The national office provides coordination while the dioceses implement projects such as :

• Coordination of the Caritas network
• The relationship with Caritas partners
• A voice for social justice issues at the national level
• Facilitate information exchange
• Managing the Lenten Appeal
• Collaboration with other CBC commissions
• Communication with stakeholders
• Risk management
• Social education
• Child Protection
• Gender advocacy
• Research & Advocacy

The national office in Port Moresby is headed by the national director who is assisted by four program officers: Integral Human Development and Peacebuilding, Disaster and Humanitarian Assistance, Research and Advocacy, and Caritas and Lenten Programs, which also include finance and administration. Each division has a team of 2-4 people who are hired as needed. The national office serves the 19 diocesan Caritas and 400 parishes with its group of “basic Christian communities,” schools, and health services.

The organization works closely with the Caritas network on international development programs including Caritas Oceania, Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand and Caritas Australia. Partners in the development of the country include law and justice sector organizations within the government at the national and local levels, parishes, and like-minded NGOs.