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Ethiopian Orthodox Church Development and Inter-church Aid Commission (EOC/DICAC) was established as a development wing of the church by a legal notice in 1972. Since its establishment, it has performed emergency relief, rehabilitation, development, refugees & returnees support, and HIV/AIDS prevention and control activities.
As one of the ancient churches, EOC is a founding member of the World Council of Churches (WCC), the all-African Conference of Churches (ACC), Joint Relief Partnership (JRP), Christian Relief and Development Association (CRDA) and has good relations with other faith based organizations and various humanitarian institutions both abroad and in the country.
As we all know, the church is truly broad-based. It has over 40 million followers, half a million clergies in 40,000 churches and monasteries, and about 6.5 million registered Sunday school youth. One can find a church in every district including remote and inaccessible locations throughout the country North, South, East and West. The clergies are highly integrated within the communities and their moral integrity and acceptability over the laity has a strong foothold in the Ethiopian society.
This broad-based presence in the country is sited as the greatest potential for the church to play significant role in the country’s development endeavor. Throughout its history, the church has remained part and parcel of the Ethiopian society and has prominent stake in its social and economic development. Moreover, the Church is recognized as the first to arrive at disaster scenes to reduce human suffering. More recently, the profile of the Church has been enhanced by its prominent role in development and in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
EOC-DICAC organizational arrangements
The Ethiopian Orthodox Church Development and Inter-church Aid Commission (EOC-DICAC) has a wide network over parish churches, monasteries and clergies nation wide.
The supreme power of the church, the Holy Synod, chaired by the Patriarch, issues rules and regulations of the Commission, appoints board members and approves the policies and regulations proposed by the board. The board approves annual programs & budgets, initiates & reviews policies, and appoints a commissioner to manage the day-to-day managerial activities of the commission. The board is from the church officials, scholars and the laity on the basis of professional qualification and religious devotions.
The commission has five departments (development, Refugee & returnees, HIV/AIDS prevention & control, planning, and Human resources and finance departments) and one service (internal audit). The three departments are operational departments and the two are supporting departments.
Program focus
EOC-DICAC is committed to the goal of poverty reduction with a primary focus on vulnerable groups of the community and prevention & control of HIV/AIDS through building the overall capacity of the church to carry out development and social services. In consultation with its partners has adopted a holistic approach to rural development concentrating on the empowerment of the communities for sustainable food security. It also plays important role in emergency & humanitarian assistance and HIV/AIDS prevention & control issues.
EOC-DICAC Brochure March 22, 2006
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