“The projects of Caritas are important because they act as pillars of support for the stability of the European house”: with these words pronounced in recent days in Vienna, Franz Küberl, president of Austrian Caritas, presented its new aid programme “Donating for the future”, in favour of the countries of Eastern Europe: Ukraine, Romania, Belarus, which are asking to join the European Union. “‘Donating for the future’ means giving a chance to the populations of the most remote countries of Eastern Europe”, points out Küberl; “naturally he continues Caritas cannot tackle the enormous difficulties alone”, but is able to provide, with its projects, positive models of non-state assistance to the governments and local authorities of these countries”. Examples at the present time are projects for the provision of kindergartens in the Ukraine, hospices in Romania, which are far more efficient than those of the State, and counsellors in Russia for women victims of physical and sexual violence. Küberl, addressing himself to the government of his own country, recalls that the promotion of the Union’s enlargement must entail “not only economic investments, but the willingness to contribute to the development of social structures”.
