Fighting for a better world in 2026: why it's worth trying

By Helen Moseley, CAFOD's Campaigns and Outreach Manager (shown far right in photo above)

There was a time in the 2000s when those of us campaigning against global poverty felt like we might be reaching a mountaintop moment. The Jubilee 2000 campaign had captured the attention of the world’s leaders: the G8 meeting in the UK in 1998 put the issue of low-income countries’ unpayable debts on their agenda in clear response to the 70,000 people gathering in the streets of Birmingham and events around the world.

A global consensus was built, and eventually $130 billion of money was freed up from debt payments and used to send children to primary school and fund hospitals in dire need of resources. In 2005, 250,000 people greeted the G8 when they came to Scotland, and again they responded with words and action. It was a great time to be a global campaigner, as it felt that making poverty history could, incredibly, be in reach.

Times have changed

Since then, a lot has changed. The global financial crash of 2008 impacted millions of people for years to come. The covid pandemic, a huge escalation of conflict and a surge of support for extreme ideologies has left many of us feeling less hopeful.

The world has got a lot more complicated, too, in terms of information flows. Back then we could communicate our message and people would hear it. Now, many of us feel bombarded, in our inboxes, via social media, by the plethora of channels, podcasts and websites. As campaigners, it’s a challenge to be heard.

But there is so much to encourage us

But we are people of hope and faith. We are fresh from the Year of Jubilee, a sustained reminder for us all to anchor ourselves in joy, and never give up working for the Kingdom of God. There is so much to encourage us.

Campaigning for change has been a vital part of CAFOD’s mission for 40 years and we’ve had many successes along the way. Working with others, we’ve persuaded governments to invest more in clean water and sanitation, and to change climate legislation. Our partners have lobbied for better rights for their communities, with our support. We’ve influenced global summits’ agendas, heard our words reflected back to us by decision-makers and lobbied MPs and seen policy change.

We keep going with faith and hope that a better world is possible and that we always have agency to try to influence things for the better. And we take encouragement from each other, knowing that there are so very many of us who feel the same and who are willing to join our small, thoughtful actions with those of others.

Stay with us in 2026

In 2026, with the renewal brought about by the Jubilee, we’ll continue to look at the big issues of debt, food and climate. The debt that lower-income countries are struggling with, the dysfunction of the global food system and the devastating impact of climate change are huge drivers of poverty, and they are interconnected. Look out for messages from us that invite you to take a small, helpful action.

If you’ve never campaigned before, it’s just using your voice to call for something better. Signing a petition in church is campaigning. It’s all about having a vision of how things could be, and despite all the challenges, it is still a beautiful thing to be part of.