The Penang Office for Human Development is a social service organization set up
in 2000 under the Catholic Church of the Diocese of Penang. It was established as
an expression of the Catholic Social Teaching, which stems from the teachings of
Christ in the Gospel, with the main intentions of responding to the needs of the poor, needy and marginalized, and promoting justice and peace in the Diocese of Penang.

We strive to:

• actively promote and sustain the knowledge and experiences of integral
  human development that is the development of the whole person and all
  persons to exercise their responsibility and dignity as human beings.
  

   

   

• initiate projects to serve as a platform for all people to journey and 
  participate in the lives of the marginalized and, as a result, act as catalysts
  in encouraging amendments both for the people and the marginalized.
  

   

   

• promote and work for justice and peace.

   

   

   

Our Vision

That all human persons experience the fullness of life that is willed by God through
the exercise of their responsibility and dignity as human beings.

Our Mission

Motivated by the love of God, we strive to bear witness to that love in our
community by ensuring the above vision becomes a reality in the lives of the
margnalized through the achievement of the following objectives.

Our Objectives

1.  Organizing ministries

To initiate and sustain:

2.  Empowering the marginalized

To initiate, sustain and support:

• programmes that help the marginalized experience the           
  development of the whole person which enables them to    
  live a full and dignified life.     

• activities/projects that provide the motivation and opportunity to the
  marginalized to reach out to fellow marginalized persons.

• activities/projects that empower the marginalized to identify and eliminate
  the root causes of their oppression.

3.  Providing a solidarity experience for the people of God

• To provide a platform for all people to journey and participate in the lives
  of the marginalized and through that journey, experience the inner change
  that accompanies the understanding and living out of the poverty of Christ.                                          

This platform will provide an opportunity to: 

• Listen to the plights and struggles of the marginalized.

• Share in the pain of the marginalized.

• Respond to the needs of the marginalized.

4.  Promoting Justice and Peace

• To study, identify and remove structures, policies, mechanisms
  and laws that oppress the marginalized.

Historical Background

(Renewal of 1976) identified Integral Human Development (IHD) as one of
the core needs for the Church in Malaysia to begin its renewal.

This saw the gradual establishment of Offices for Human Development
in each of the Dioceses in Peninsular Malaysia.

The Diocese of Penang set up its Office for Human Development in the year 
2000 to express the Church’s ‘preferential option for the poor’ through
Charity, Integral Human Development, Justice and Peace.