UCAM Universidad Católica de Murcia and Mensajeros de la Paz have joined forces through this new Iberoamerican Chair of Development Cooperation, with the aim of helping those who are most underprivileged against child poverty, to support families who lack resources, immigrants and refugees who are in a situation of risk or exclusion. To that end, they will develop cooperation projects in countries with serious social, economic and environmental problems, as well as researches that may allow the transfer of results in order to provide them with an answer. José Luis Mendoza, president of UCAM, and Father Ángel, founder and president of Mensajeros de la Paz, signed the agreement at the University’s headquarters.

“The chair is going to help poor people and will continue what UCAM Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia already does. The most important thing in this world it to do good, especially with the most vulnerable, the poor, the unemployed, the elderly", affirmed Father Ángel, who highlighted society’s need for love; “today, I have had a wonderful time with the president of UCAM, who is a man of God; he insists on the need to bear witness of love, and Pope Francis always talks about the dignity of people, which is what we must give”.

The Chair is directed by Víctor Meseguer, director of the Chair of Corporate Social Responsibility of UCAM, and José Osuna, vice-president of Mensajeros de la Paz, who highlighted that this will be a tool by means of which these two institutions “are going to create synergies for sustainable development and circular and inclusive economy, as well as to help the people who suffer from lack of food, illnesses caused by unclean water, drought, energetic poverty, etc.”.

This platform will integrate the initiatives of development cooperation arising from the public and private fields, and it will manage patronage projects so that any natural or legal person can participate. Furthermore, “we would like to continue with the development of the School of Missions (Escuela de Misiones), to train clerics and lay persons, and we will promote the social function of journalism”, said Meseguer and Osuna.

A long trajectory of helping those who are most in need

UCAM Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia and Mensajeros de la Paz are institutions inspired by the values of Christian humanism, who provide services in the educational and social fields to the most vulnerable, both in Spain and in many countries all over the world; a work that is going to be improved, especially in Latin America, through this Chair.