“The new Share Lent campaign is an opportunity for individuals to show their solidarity towards all men and women facing the injustice of poverty, war, lack of food and insecurity," said Michael Casey, executive director of D&P. "Through this campaign, each person can contribute to building a world where rights are respected and every person has a voice, even the most poor and marginalized.”

Ten per cent of donations collected during the Share Lent campaign go towards an emergency relief fund, which allows the organization to respond to humanitarian crises created by conflict and natural disasters like the March 11 earthquake and tsunamis that struck Japan.

Since its origins in 1967, the organization has supported more than 15,800 development projects and emergency relief programs, including 289 in the last year, representing a contribution of $575 million. It also organizes annual education campaigns to inform the Canadian public on social justice issues affecting populations in the Global South.

This year, D&P has created an interactive blog (http://sharelent.devp.org/blog/) that will use testimony of members to publicize the work carried out by its partners in the Global South. Each week will see a new region of the world featured. The blog went up March 9 and will remain up until April 24.

Donations can be made by telephone (1 888 234-8533), online at www.devp.org, by sending a cheque to 1425 Rene-Levesque Blvd. W., 3rd floor, Montreal, Que., H3G 1T7, or by giving at their parish on the fifth Sunday of Lent, also kown as Solidarity Sunday.