Progressio marked its 75th birthday with two special events, drawing on its rich history and the warmth of its staff and supporters to create memorable and inspiring evenings.

Although they took place in very different settings, both events celebrated Progressio's rich legacy of working with some of the world's poorest and more marginalised communities. We welcomed old and new supporters - from recently returned International Citizen Service (ICS) volunteers to those who remembered Progressio's days as the Catholic Institute for International Relations (CIIR).   

The first, “Voices in Celebration”, was held in London’s Covent Garden on Wednesday 28 October. Head of Policy Lizzette Robleto de Howarth and Regional Manager Fiona Mwashita, who'd travelled especially from Zimbabwe, took the stage to share some of their most important memories from their time at Progressio.

Lizzette spoke about her involvement in the landmark illegal logging campaign, that ultimately led to new legislation prohibiting the sale of illegal logged timber in Europe. 

“It took so many years to get to that point [of the ban coming into force],” said Lizzette. “I remember thinking: this is a very long journey and I don’t think I could make it. But hey! Here we are.”

Lizzette, who has spent almost a decade at Progressio, reminisced about her first impressions of the organisation. “I was immediately struck by level that this small-to-medium sized organisation was able to achieve,” she said.

Fiona, meanwhile, reflected on the story of a former Zimbabwean ICS volunteer who, an orphan himself, went on to work with orphans, vulnerable children and unemployed young people after his project had ended. She spoke enthusiastically about Progressio's model of ‘people-powered development’.

"We discovered that, if we build at local partner level, these partners would eventually build – sustainably - for themselves,” she said.

After the speeches there was a time for mingling, drinking wine and eating cake, with Progressio staff member and talented singer Jemma Reid providing a musical accompaniment.

The following Monday, 2 November, 200 Progressio supporters gathered at Temple Church in Central London to enjoy a choral service led by President Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor. Notable clergymen, including the Archbishop of Birmingham, were among those in attendance.

Temple Church was a fitting venue for Progressio’s celebration with its close links to the Magna Carta and to the early foundation of democracy, justice and respect for every human being.

In his homily, the Cardinal spoke warmly about Progressio’s values and history, and encouraged all attendees to “renew their commitment to working in solidarity with others, rather than in narrowed self-interest”.

Progressio’s engagement with all faiths was reflected in readings from Meryl Noronha, a young Catholic volunteer and Saba Di Roberto, a former staff member and Muslim member of the Somaliland diaspora.

Saba described how Progressio’s work has changed the attitude of Yemeni Iman Abdulla Mohammed El Qadesi towards HIV and AIDS.

“My views on HIV were old-fashioned and conservative,” she read. “After I participated in a workshop on HIV awareness organised by Progressio and its partner organisation, I changed my mind on this. Now I preach at the mosque on how important it is to focus on helping people living with HIV to integrate into society.”

Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor concluded his homily by encouraging support for Progressio’s work so that it may flourish long in the future. He asked people to remember:"there can be no peace without true justice for all”.

Both evenings were great successes which brought to light many fond memories of Progressio’s history – from its 1940 foundation as the Sword of the Spirit, through to its work to support burgeoning democracies in Africa, South America and further afield, to its focus on governance, women's rights and sustainable livelihoods today. 

Thank you to all who attended, and here’s to the next 75 years!

We hope you enjoy the slideshow of pictures from both events. 

You can listen to the Cardinal's Homily from the event at the Inner Temple below. A full transcript is available here. 

 

Progressio offer their thanks to Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, the Inner Temple and Diversity Travel for their generous support with the Temple Church event.