The Centre for Social Concern

The Centre For Social Concern (CfSC) is a project of the Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers). In line with their vision and mission, the CfSC seeks to promote Justice and Peace and the Integrity of Creation (JPIC) and Interfaith Dialogue in Malawi and beyond. The Centre was started in 2002 and in its short history has been working on issues like:

A monthly review of the cost of living through the Basic Needs Basket survey
The international debt burden, its causes and debt cancellation
The linkage between the international trade system and poverty and the rising cost of living in Malawi
The plight of the tobacco tenants and the promotion of the passing of a bill regulating tobacco tenancy labour
A survey on how people who have very low salaries cope with the ever-rising cost of living
Marginalization of religious communities and (the lack of) participation in development
Dialogue between Islam and the Catholic Church on their social teaching
Conflict management and mediation, mainly in conflicts involving religion

An Assessment on the Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Among Communities on Climate Change
(A case of Kasiya, Lilongwe; Maseya in Chikwawa; Chingale in Zomba and Mayani in Dedza)
Climate Change Research Report
By Kondwani N.G. Hara
(Project Officer-Rural BNB)
Centre for Social Concern
March 2012 CfSC

http://www.cfscmalawi.org/CfSC Climate Change Survey Report 2012.pdf

The survey was conducted to assess knowledge, attitudes and practices among communities on issues of climate change that would inform policy makers on climate change as well as come up with IEC materials which will be important to stakeholders including communities themselves. The results are also intended to provide baseline data to stakeholders who may wish to start similar activities in these areas.

The full study can be downloaded from this web site by clicking this link CfSC Climate Change Report

2011-12 Budget CfSC Press Release

The Honourable Ken E. Kandodo MP, Minister of Finance, presented the Malawi Budget for 2011-12 to Parliament on 3rd June 2011. It has been tauted as a Zero Deficit Budget but this definition has been questioned by many experts and NGOs in Malawi. The press statement giving CfSC's reaction to the budget can be downloaded as a Word document by clicking on the following link: CfSC 2011-12 Budget

CfSC Publications

Some of the publications coming from these projects can be found on the publications page of this site. The latest contributions are the BNB data and press release, the Press Review and the homilies for Advent and Lent.

The Annual Reoprts give a good idea of the activities undertaken by CfSC and they can be downloaded as a PDF file in a booklet format ready for printing.

Taxation Justice

In 2010 the Malawi College of Accountancy carried out a Study of Malawi Taxation System on behalf of CfSC as part of its Taxation Justice activities. This report can be downloaded in PDF format from this web site by clicking the link above.

Mangochi Interfaith Project Code of Conduct

On the 5th March 2009 the Mangochi Interfaith Project launched a Code of Conduct for the forthcoming elections. The Code of Conduct booklet in pdf format and the text of the Code of Conduct can also be downloaded from this site in Word. There is also an article about the launch avaiable.

The Code of Conduct was also part of a presentation given by Tobias Jere to the "AFCAST Working Group Meeting", in Dar - Es Salaam,Tanzania, between 4-7 May 2009. This document gives some good background information to the elections that are to be held on the 19 May, and also on the work that we do here at CfSC.

Tobacco Tenants

For many years the Missionaries of Africa have been working to improve the lives and working conditions of Tenant Labourers in Malawi. CfSC has continued this work with the Tobacco Tenants and Allied Workers Union of Malawi (TOTAWUM) and they are trying to get the Government to enact the draft Tenancy Labour Bill into law.

To build awareness concerning the Bill and the plight of Tobacco Tenants in particular CfSC hosted several events March and April 2009. On 16 and 17 March 2009 there was a workshop from which a press statement was issued. On the 17 April 2009 a press conference was held to present a petition to Govenment and from which there were two documents: one on the presentation of the petition and the second was a press release. There is also an A4 poster or hand out entitled 'Price of Tobacco' that can be downloaded in pdf or jpg format for printing.

For further information about CfSC please see the contact page.