Our Objectives

The historical links forged by L’Oeuvre d’Orient with local communities over 170 years and its presence in the field make it a privileged actor to raise awareness among national, European and international public actors of the cause of Eastern Christians in the countries where they act through:

-> Promoting their missions of education, health, social actions, culture at the service of all and peace and reconciliation between communities.

-> Defending fundamental rights and the equality of citizens before the law, regardless of their origin or religion.

Our four major commitments of advocacy

Education: Supporting the educational network of Christian communities          

As an essential part of the Middle East’s education system, the schools of the Christian communities open to all offer quality education and a future to students by anchoring them in their environment. More than 400 Catholic schools, i.e. 400,000 students,  are supported by the Œuvre d’Orient. L’Oeuvre d’Orient has also been a partner of the French State since 2020 on the “Fonds pour les Ecoles d’Orient” (Fund for the Schools of the Orient) for more than 300 schools in the Middle East.

-> Through these actions and as an international NGO with consultative status with the International Organization of La Francophonie, L’Œuvre d’Orient supports the Francophonie and the values of liberty, equality and fraternity.

-> L’Œuvre d’Orient is a member of the International Catholic Centre for Cooperation (CCIC) with UNESCO and contributes to advocacy actions.

Citizenship and Human Rights: Ensuring Citizenship and Fundamental Rights for All                                                

L’Œuvre d’Orient insists on the importance of maintaining the different components of the societies of the Near and Middle East, which is essential for the stability of these regions. Christians, sometimes forced to leave their ancestral lands, are crucial actors for reconciliation and peace in multi-confessional societies in their countries of origin. It supports freedom of thought, conscience and religion, respect for human rights, equality before the law and the emancipation of women.

-> To convey these messages, L’Œuvre d’Orient has consultative status with ECOSOC and intervenes with the Human Rights Council and other United Nations mechanisms.

Heritage: preserving the cultural and religious heritage of Eastern Christians

Wars and iconoclastic violence in the Middle East have severely affected the two-thousand-year-old heritage of Christian communities as well as other religions. Targeting cultural and religious heritage has thus become a strategic instrument  like the recent conflicts (Syria, Iraq, Nagorno-Karabakh, etc.). L’Œuvre d’Orient contributes to the preservation of the tangible heritage (places of worship, libraries, etc.) and intangible heritage (access to knowledge and training, restoration of manuscripts) of these communities.

-> Since August 2024, L’Œuvre d’Orient has been accredited to the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage at UNESCO.

Health and disability: contributing to better access to health care and a dignified life for vulnerable populations

Conflicts and wars in the Middle East are causing  catastrophic humanitarian, health and medico-social (trauma/mental health) consequences on already vulnerable populations. By financing the care of more than 3 million patients and by accompanying people in vulnerable situations, L’Œuvre d’Orient is at the service of the populations of its countries of action to help them live with dignity.  L’Œuvre d’Orient works in favour of free (or semi-free) care for solidarity purposes in healthcare facilities in the Middle East, as well as to increase the number of quality care facilities for people with disabilities in the region.

Our partners

We actively advocate with many public, institutional and political actors: here

Our advocacy actions

Available here

Contacts:

Aymeric Fuseau: Head of International Affairs – afuseau@oeuvre-orient.fr

Madeleine Putois: mputois@oeuvre-orient.fr