Overseas With an American Voluntary Agency Refugee Programs Implemented by Catholic Relief Services of the National Catholic Welfare Conference in Italy 1952 – 1955
Abstract
It might be well to begin this study by answering the question: What is an American voluntary agency and what are its functions abroad? In brief, the American voluntary agencies working abroad, especially since the end of World War II, were organized by various religious, sectarian, national and international organizations in the United States in order to bring relief to the many millions of war victims, displaced persons and refugees who were spread over the face of Europe and Asia after hostilities ended. The broad program of welfare activities carried out by these voluntary agencies has been inspired by a charitable love for the miserable and unfortunate victims of man’s inhumanity toward his fellow man.The refugees who will be discussed in this study are the tragic victims of political upheavals followed by intolerance, despotism and persecution. The great changes of our century: the Russian Revolution, the rise of the Fascist regime in Italy, the Nazi rule in Germany, the Spanish Revolution, the re-drawing of political boundaries after the first and second world wars and the Communist persecutions in the countries of Eastern Europe have caused waves of refugees to seek asylum in the countries traditionally tolerant of race, religion and political opinion.
Subject Area
Social work|Social studies education|Political science
Recommended Citation
Garra, John Joseph, "Overseas With an American Voluntary Agency Refugee Programs Implemented by Catholic Relief Services of the National Catholic Welfare Conference in Italy 1952 – 1955" (1957). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI30724985.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI30724985
