Julianne Hickey is stepping down as director of Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand. NZ Catholic spoke with her about her decade leading the New Zealand Catholic Bishops’ agency for Justice, Peace and Development.
NZ CATHOLIC: In your first annual report director’s message, you wrote that 2011 was a challenging year, with the Christchurch earthquake, ongoing uncertainty over Government support for Caritas’s programmes, a shaky global economy and an increasingly punitive approach to welfare. In the 2020 annual report, your director’s message spoke of meeting many challenges in the face of an explosive, unpredictable pandemic. Your work with Caritas began in times of crisis, and your work is coming to a conclusion in a different crisis. How has Caritas risen to the challenge of facing such crises and others in your decade as director?
JULIANNE HICKEY: The nature of the humanitarian work of Caritas is that we often work with people in crisis – whether that be the Christchurch earthquake, global economic uncertainties, climate change or the Covid pandemic. Many of the communities we partner with face violence and war, food insecurity, inadequate access to clean water, or threats to the very land on which they live. So, the presence of crises is not unusual in a sense. What is critically important is the way we respond in the midst of those crises and to recognise the linkages between them. In terms of how we have risen to the challenge, I’m sure that many would agree with me that we’ve been blessed with some remarkable people in the Caritas team (both on the staff and among our local partners) who often go above and beyond in the work they do to help vulnerable communities through times of crisis. The current pandemic is no exception.
This mahi is inspired by our faith, and our desire to ensure that the dignity of each and every human being is upheld. At times it has been hard, but it has been an immense privilege to have been able to participate in this mission.
NZ CATHOLIC: Your role has involved much more than working in head office in Wellington. What has your experience been of getting to the “coalface”, where Caritas really is “love in action” in different communities?
JULIANNE HICKEY: I have been privileged to have seen first-hand what a difference the Catholic community has made when I have visited our overseas partners. Your support through fundraising, through Lent, the Caritas Challenge and emergency appeals, has made life-changing differences. In turn, I have visited communities that have been able to access food, shelter, water, toilets and education as a result of your support. Throughout my time at Caritas, I have always made the effort to visit the communities where we work. It has been a real highlight for me. For example, in my early days, I went to a remote island in Papua New Guinea where we had a project with fresh water, toilets and cocoa growing. We were welcomed to the island with a sing-sing, everyone dressed in full traditional regalia and singing, dancing, praying, and eating together. This experience made me realise what a truly unique and privileged position it is to work for Caritas. It is at the “coalface” that you are invited to encounter the human person, and I am always inspired by the resilience of communities. For example, after cyclones in Tonga and Fiji, it was inspiring to hear the stories of community members helping each other, with Caritas being able to provide appropriate support.
NZ CATHOLIC: Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand is part of a confederation of similar organisations in Caritas Internationalis. In your experience, what difference does Caritas make on a global scale?
JULIANNE HICKEY: Caritas is the second largest humanitarian network in the world. Many people don’t know that because we go about our work without great fanfare and advertising. Our global network of “love in action” means that we are able to respond quickly, effectively, and with an understanding of the local issues and needs because the Caritas people are local. You truly see the Catholic Social Teaching principles of solidarity and subsidiarity brought to life in the work of the global confederation.
With our contribution to the network, as in many other spheres such as sports, science or the arts, Aotearoa often makes a stronger than expected contribution in the international arena. Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand has been recognised globally in the Caritas confederation and further afield for its significant contributions – particularly in our work for environmental justice, our work in Oceania for women and girls, and the work we have done on behalf of refugees and migrants. Closer to home our recent work in developing indigenous frameworks for monitoring and evaluation has been said to be world-leading.
NZ CATHOLIC: Part of the work of Caritas involves advocacy to promote the common good and to fight injustice. Often you have been the public face of that work, especially in working with politicians. How has that gone? Do you feel that New Zealand politicians really listen to organisations like Caritas?
JULIANNE HICKEY: Yes. Of course, political leaders have to grapple with what are often competing demands from various interests. But I think that, over the years, Caritas has earned a very good hearing among political decision-makers and among officials. We frequently make submissions on issues of concern to our communities and appear before Parliamentary select committees. I think, if you asked our Pacific partners, they would say that we have achieved some real success in helping to amplify their voices in key decision-making forums, whether that is in various international assemblies on climate change, in front of New Zealand parliamentarians, or locally in communities. Our seven years of the State of the Environment in Oceania reports are part of that. So too is the work we do each year providing comment on the Government Budget statements to ensure that the interests of the poor and the marginalised are represented. In all our work, we seek to be active peacemakers through resolving injustices, and ensuring the voice of the poor and of creation is being heard.
NZ CATHOLIC: The work of Caritas would not be possible without the backing of its many supporters. What word do you have for them as you leave your role?
JULIANNE HICKEY: Getting to know our community of supporters has been a real privilege. Without the parishes, schools, and our incredible donors and supporters, we wouldn’t be able to do all the things that we do to make the world a better place.
Parishes, schools and our incredible donors and supporters are part of the “love in action” story, and we wouldn’t be able to do all the things that we do to make the world a better place. It has been a joy getting to know the community of supporters that we have.
I’d like to highlight, in particular, our education programmes over the years. I have absolutely loved contacting the winners of the SINGout4JUSTICE competition and hearing their joyful screams! Being part of the Justice Leadership Days with senior leaders in different parts of the country and being inspired by their enthusiasm and authenticity has always brought a smile to my face. Visiting schools and answering imaginative questions, and seeing young people do fun creative events for the Caritas Challenge, has continually encouraged me.
I’d like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all of our donors and supporters throughout the motu. We really could not have achieved all that we have without their support. I am just one individual, but our work has been a collective effort by many.
NZ CATHOLIC: When Lesley-Anne Knight finished as secretary-general of Caritas Internationalis in 2011, she said that her successor would need “the courage of a lion, the skin of a rhinoceros, the wisdom of an owl and the patience of a polar bear”. What qualities do you see as being essential for leading Caritas in Aotearoa New Zealand going forward?
JULIANNE HICKEY: Yes – all those qualities would be helpful.
I think that, whoever my successor is, he or she will need a strong faith, the ability to read the signs of the times, and to bring a Catholic lens to the issues of the day. In addition, they will need plenty of energy, a track-record of building great teams, great relationship management, and the ability to prioritise among competing demands for limited resources.
I’d also like to share the inspiration we received when we had our annual hui-a-tau in Panguru in the Far North in 2015. We had the honour of being welcomed onto the marae by Pā Henare Tate and celebrating Mass together in the church where Bishop Pompallier was buried. Within the homily that Pā Henare gave to us that day, he said: “Caritas is love. You could just translate it as aroha, but you don’t, because you are whakaaroha. It is to live, it is to breathe, to touch, to smell, to taste, you are becoming love. It is living love. It is every aspect and fibre of your being and all your senses. That is who Caritas is and what it means to be Caritas– whakaaroha.”
The key quality for leading Caritas will be to embody whakaaroha.
NZ CATHOLIC: What does the future hold for Julianne Hickey?
JULIANNE HICKEY: At time of writing, I have no specific role that I will be moving into. However, by nature I’m an optimist, and I believe that God will guide and lead me to a role where I can continue to make a difference. Sometimes, when you’re very busy, it’s not easy to see the next steps, but I’m confident that, wherever the Holy Spirit leads me, I will be able to make a contribution, and continue in some way to advance the Kingdom. I’m taking the month of February off, as a Sabbatical (and the children will be back at school!) and then volunteering at the Cricket World Cup in March. So, you’ll find me at the Basin Reserve before I move into another full-time role.
I’m grateful for my time at Caritas, but this is the right time for me to make this change. The organisation is in good shape and has been remarkably resilient – particularly in the face of recent challenges like the pandemic, and so I’m confident about the future personally and for the work of Caritas. But overall, I do hope that I’ve stirred up the dust, fed the hungry, comforted those in need, and listened to those on the margins and peripheries. I know that I’ve met the broken, wounded, dying Christ on this journey, but I have also seen the Resurrection hope, the light and the love in encounter and dialogue with communities – and for that I will be eternally grateful.
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