History:

At the stroke of midnight, on 15^th August 1947 India awoke to freedom. The cost of this freedom was phenomenal in terms of loss of property and human lives as a consequence of partition. The exchange of population across borders forced millions to live in alien surroundings and subhuman conditions. In this hour of agony and grief, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru requested his very close friend Bishop Picket to initiate a response from the Indian Protestant and Orthodox Churches. On his request, the National Council of Churches in India responded by forming the ‘NCC Relief Committee’ for immediate response as an expression of solidarity with the suffering masses, which later went on to become the Church’s Auxiliary for Social Action (CASA).

Growth:

Though its initial focus was on providing immediate relief to victims of natural and human induced calamities, CASA has today grown into a premier relief and development organization in the country, acting as the outreach arm of 24 Protestant and Orthodox Churches in India.  Its primary objective today is to strengthen the poor and promote the efforts of marginalized groups of the Indian society towards sustainable development leading to social justice and self-sufficiency.  While CASA is a Christian organisation constituted and supported by the Churches, its outlook is secular and it is mandated by the Indian Protestant and Orthodox Churches to carry out its interventions irrespective of religious, ethnic, caste or political considerations.

CASA’s registered headquarters are located in New Delhi.  It has established 3 Zonal offices in the cities of Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai, and 18 sector offices in Guwahati, Imphal, Aizawl, Dimapur, Shillong, Bhubaneshwar, Ranchi, Lucknow, Indore, Raipur, Udaipur, Nagapattinam, Cuddalore,  Tirunelveli, Allapuzha, Bapatla, Port Blair and Shimla, from where its country-wide programmes are implemented and monitored by more than 500 employees. We are operational in more than 4,500 villages with around 350 partner organisations.  Financial support for our programmes comes mainly from Indian Churches, Government Agencies, and from multilateral grants made by ecumenical resource channelling agencies from overseas, corporate bodies and socially-concerned individuals who make a small but significant financial contribution to the programmes of CASA.  

Organizational Vision and Mission:

The various processes and the assessment of the context, organization development and capacities have led to re-articulation of organizational vision, mission, role, strategy and programmatic thrust area.

Vision:

CASA's vision is inspired by the Christian faith and values.  CASA visualizes a society in which peace, justice and equality prevail and wherein all citizens – irrespective of caste, creed, language and religion – love in peace and communal harmony.  CASA also envisages a society where the poor, women, the marginalized and the underprivileged lead a quality life with dignity and have equal opportunity for their involvement in the development process which is value based and sustainable, and also have an appropriate environment to develop their fullest potential.

Mission:

CASA actively supports and works for a just and sustainable society by creating opportunities for the participation of socially and economically marginalized sections in the development process through networking, alliance building and strengthening of their organization.  CASA also supports local self-governance, peace and reconciliation and sustainable livelihood measures and responds to the environmental issues, natural and manmade disasters and strives to bring the victims to the mainstream while upholding the human dignity.  CASA promotes gender mainstreaming at all appropriate levels, mobilizes resources in favour of the poor and optimises all potentials and capacities existing within the organization and other partners.

CASA (Church’s Auxiliary for Social Action)

Rachna Building, 2 Rajendra Place, Pusa Road, New Delhi - 110008
Ph: 25730611, 25730612, 25731218, 25731219, 25761579, 25767231
Fax: 011-25752502
E-mail: casa@del6.vsnl.net.in        

Website: www.casa-india.org