World Family of Radio Maria - Annual Report 2022

WORLD FAMILY OF RADIO MARIA ONLUS

Bilancio sociale al 31/12/2022

Dear Associates,

In compliance with the provisions of Legislative Decree no. 117 of 2 August 2017 and the guidelines published by the Ministry of Labor and Social Policies in the decree dated 4 July 2019, this report on the organization’s corporate impact is divided into the following sections:

Section 1: The Methodology Adopted in Preparing the Corporate Balance Sheet

Section 2: General Information about the Organization

Section 3: Structure, Governance, and Administration of the Organization

Section 4: Persons Working for the Organization

Section 5: Objectives and Activities

Section 6: Economic and Financial Situation of the Organization

Section 7: Other Information

Section 1: The Methodology Adopted in Preparing the Corporate Balance Sheet

This document follows the numbering and treatment of topics, structured in accordance with the provisions of the decree dated 4 July 2019. The corporate balance report refers to the fiscal year running from 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2022.

Section 2: General Information about the Organization

a) Organization’s name: WORLD FAMILY OF RADIO MARIA NON-PROFIT

b) Tax code: 97152910580

c) VAT number: 07079841008

d) Legal form: Non-profit association

e) Registered headquarters: Via Rusticucci, 13 – 00193 Rome

f) Territorial areas of operation: National and international (global)

g) Values and goals pursued

The organization is enrolled in the registry of non-profit organizations maintained at the region of Lazio’s DRE with the protocol number 0030681 dated 30 April 2015. The organization pursues the following aims of social solidarity in the areas of cooperation and international solidarity and charity. Pursuing these goals takes place within the framework of the “Radio Maria” Project and the related trademark, registered by Radio Maria, an association recognized by the Italian government with the decree dated 6 November 1996 published in the Official Gazette of the Italian Republic on 21 November 1996, general series part I no. 273, reg. P.G. Milan no. 1539.

In particular, this organization’s project aims, through the medium of radio as well as other means, to protect and affirm the dignity of human rights, to support processes of peacemaking, of stabilization after conflicts, and of strengthening democratic institutions through affirming the uniqueness and centrality of the human person, bearer of inalienable rights.

h) Statutory, institutional, and related activities

Within the scope of the above-mentioned purposes, which are included among those stipulated in article 10 of legislative decree 460/97, the organization pursues the following activities:

- training, including vocational training, of third world populations in order to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality, promoting human development focusing on the centrality of the person;

- support for the social and cultural growth of the countries it operates in by promoting their social, cultural, and religious values to improve coexistence and enhance human resources with the help of radio broadcasts and establishing specific local events;

- granting goods and money to disadvantaged persons and/or nonprofit entities that carry out any of the activities envisaged for non-profit organizations in order to implement socially useful projects;

- promoting the spread of the Gospel message of joy and hope with a particular focus on the sick and the poor according to the teaching of the Magisterium of the Catholic Church.

i) Liaison with other Third Sector or non-profit entities

The Association collaborates with Radio Maria aps, which is among the founding members. The Association also collaborates permanently with the Peace and Reconciliation Association that while operating from the Italian territory, carries out activities in Arabic for those who have left their country, in particular Syria and Iraq, due to the war.

During the year 2022 began the collaboration with the Foundation Radio Maria Sociale nonprofit organization, which is responsible for developing social projects in the field of social and health care, of charity, training and scientific research of particular social interest.

Section 3: Structure, Governance, and Administration of the Organization

a) System of Governance and Control, Arrangement, Responsibilities, and Makeup of the Branches

Pursuant to article 9 of the bylaws, the organization is administered by a board of directors made up of 7 (seven) to 12 (twelve) directors and a possible 3 (three) alternates appointed by the assembly of members, taking territorial representation into consideration. The executive board that is currently in office was elected on 26 June 2021 for three fiscal years and consists of 12 members who will serve until 25 June 2024.

The following is the list of council members and other individuals who hold institutional positions;

Pursuant to art. 16 of the Statute (ETS), the Sole Auditor has been appointed as a monocratic control body, which also performs the tasks referred to in Article 30 of Legislative Decree 117/2017, in the person of Dr. Damiano Zazzeron as appointed on 21/06/2022.

Legal auditing is entrusted to a third-party firm, namely KPMG S.p.a.

b) Mapping Main Stakeholders

The following is a summary analysis of the organization’s main stakeholders:

Number of persons working in the organization: 23 + 1 intern

Number of members: 79 (associations)

Number of financiers: (10 private funders)

Number of providers: (20)

States/governments: (76)

Parishes and local communities: (about 6000)

Universities: (5)

In its daily operations throughout the year, the World Family interacts continuously and dynamically with each category of the stakeholders highlighted in the graphic above in order to pursue, with them, its institutional goals. The World Family, through the Radio Maria Project, brings a message of hope and support to many people around the world.

Section 4: Persons Working for the Organization

a) Types, Makeup, and Composition of Staff

The organization’s paid staff is composed as follows:

Number of employees: 23 + 1 intern (17 men + 7 women)

Age groups:

Under 30 years 1

Between 30 and 39 years 6

Between 40 and 49 years 9

50 and over 7

Employee contracts are of the type: Tertiary “National collective bargaining agreement” (Contratto collettivo nazionale di lavoro – CCNL) and Journalists.

Volunteers working in the organization are 77 (foreign), (59 men + 18 women). The activities performed by the volunteers are as follows:

• Organizing promotional and developmental events

• Carrying out projects in their regions

• Handling administration and resources

b) Training and Enhancement Activities that are Carried Out

During the year, the following training activities were held, which involved staff and collaborators:

- Formational days for employees on the use of the INFINITY management system held by the Format company

c) Structure of Compensation, Remuneration, Compensation for Positions Held, and Terms and Amounts of Reimbursement for Volunteers

The Board of Directors and Oversight Board positions receive no compensation. Board members are reimbursed for expenses related to the position (travel, food, and lodging) within the limits and in the manner provided for in article 9.6 of the bylaws.

The ratio between minimum and maximum gross remuneration paid to the organization’s employees is as follows 1:4.25 (one to four and a quarter).

Section 5: Objectives and Activities

a) Qualitative and Quantitative Information on the Objectives and Activities Implemented in the Various Areas of Outreach

The activities carried out in the year covered by this document are listed below and fall within the areas of outreach provided for by statute, identified among those referred to in article 10, para. 1 of Legislative Decree 460/1997:

• Human rights

• Empowering vulnerable persons

• Health education

• Peace and Development

• Food security and Agriculture

• Literacy

• Formation in sustainability

• Promotion of local cultures

The World Family of Radio Maria operates in 82 countries around the world. In 2022, despite the restrictions and related difficulties dictated by the pandemic situation, there were 83 ongoing projects. The pandemic situation has increased online support and training. Wherever possible, the materials needed to implement the projects has been acquired locally. The World Family of Radio Maria is committed to giving a voice to the voiceless by supporting its members to assist those categories of people who are forgotten by society. The World Family of Radio Maria’s Member Associations are currently present in 82 countries. More than 30,000 volunteers are involved in these associations. Our organization also uses the radio to carry out its projects of cooperation towards development. This is why we are committed to creating an infrastructure that will enable our signal to reach the greatest number of people, even in locations that are far from major city centers. In fact, the radio is able to reach places that are unserved by other forms of communication.

Currently, the radio network used – which is different in each country but always within the context of the Radio Maria Project – reaches the following number of persons, who thus become recipients of some of our cooperative projects:

Here we will report just a few of the projects, chosen for their particular importance in their country and for the impact they have on those benefitting from them.

“Child Protection”: Educating for a Better Future

In partnership with local organizations and experts in the field who work with youth, as well as with the support of the World Family, Radio Maria Nigeria has aired the project “Child Protection” in the city of Abuja. Its goal is to teach listeners educational ways to relate to children in order to protect them from all forms of abuse and raise them in a constructive and healthy environment.

In Nigeria, more than 23 million girls are victims of child marriage; children’s rights are still not widely known or respected.

RM Nigeria’s program aims at educating families and adults to recognize physical, verbal, and emotional abuse so that it can be reported and replaced with communication and relationship practices that improve children’s mental and psychological health. This will help children to mature in a positive way and to become balanced and responsible individuals. The project has been very successful at both the Church level as well as in society at large, with many people actively participating, sharing stories and ideas that foster an inclusive narrative capable of generating positive practices and habits in society.

Being Communicators for Peace and Progress

Communications play an increasingly important role in peacebuilding. In 2022, the world experienced the beginning of a war in Europe as well as conflict around the globe, including some in Africa. Radio Maria Rwanda, with the support of the World Family, initiated a communications project aimed at training communicators for peace and human development. The project’s goal is to provide journalists and radio presenters from various African countries with the means and techniques of communications that nurture peaceful conflict resolution and build healthy and productive family, community, and societal relationships so as to further human development. The training, taking a holistic approach, involves learning content that relates to human life as a whole. Indeed, it is impossible to promote peace without considering the human person in his or her totality, imparting human values derived from the spirituality and cultures they hail from. We learn to communicate by emphasizing what unites instead of what divides, what builds up instead of what destroys. Courses are being taught in Kibeho, Rwanda, the foremost center of Marian spirituality in Africa.

Youth and Entrepreneurship Forum

In a continent where the vast majority of the population is under the age of 25 and lives on less than $2 a day, it is essential to provide opportunities for young persons to learn and grow, in the official school sphere as well as beyond it. The social media play a key role: social networks, radio, and TV are opportunities for learning how to manage their lives and improve them every day.

In Tanzania, the “Forum for Young Entrepreneurs” project aims at involving hundreds of young persons, who communicate with each other about different opportunities that the communities, the country, and the world have to offer. Guided by adults, they can learn the moral and ethical principles needed to face the economy and lay the groundwork for their own productive activities.

This project involves young people from 30 dioceses in Tanzania who want to learn how to “make a living” from modern opportunities, acting with respect for persons, the community, and the environment.

THE AMERICAS

An Integral Formation for the Human Person

New social programs have been created in Argentina thanks to the collaboration between the World Family and Radio Maria Argentina, programs which have given the local population the opportunity to receive content of great social importance.

The Hearth of the Great Family of Christ is a network of neighborhood centers focused on an integrated response to situations of social vulnerability and the problematic consumption of psychoactive substances, putting the person and their qualities first. Created in 2008, in the working-class neighborhoods of Buenos Aires, the organization today encompasses 190 neighborhood centers in 19 provinces of Argentina. Through each program broadcast by Radio Maria, the work they do for the common good is made deeper and, with every center referenced, the various “Houses of Christ” in Argentina are made known.

The “Blessings” program creates a space for reflection – in light of the beatitudes – on the communitarian strength of shared work, extending an invitation for us to rediscover the opportunities that exist in working alongside others: the variety of gazes and the encounter with stories that are interwoven in the “yes” that we assert together with our brothers and sisters. Additionally, the program aims to provide formation for the volunteers of Mary’s Work throughout the area of charitable efforts to accompany women with at-risk pregnancies and their young children, families with food difficulties, and young persons in vulnerable contexts. It combines efforts to ensure that each of our brothers and sisters can find shelter, a plate of food and a family to welcome them so that, together, they can achieve a more dignified life. The program offers testimonials and experiences, a place to meet one another and grow in service and fellowship.

Educating in the Home

Radio Maria Ecuador, with the collaboration of local organizations and agencies as well as the support of the World Family, has initiated a “Teacher at Home” program.

Broadcast on Sunday evenings, it is hosted by the Faith and Joy Radio Institute (Istituto Radiofonico Fe y Alegría – IRFEYAL), which was established by the Jesuits in Ecuador in 1974.

Radio Maria transmits weekly educational lessons to give those following the program the opportunity to educate themselves and thus complete their schooling. In Ecuador, Radio Maria is present in all of the country’s regions, so these weekly lectures are very helpful in achieving its educational goal.

Caring for One Another

Radio Maria Bolivia, with the support of the World Family, has produced several healththemed programs. In particular, it has launched a program on “Our Mental Health,” focused on raising awareness among the country’s population and providing useful tools – from a Catholic-Christian approach – to address problems related to the mental health of the general population.

Created by Jorge Dájer, a recognized clinical psychologist, the program encourages listeners to reflect on mental health issues, explaining behaviors that often arise from mental illness,

whether mild or severe. This information can help prevent harmful behaviors that stem from mental health problems.

Another of our noteworthy programs is called “Symphony of Inclusion.” It aims at raising awareness about visual health care and the problems that can result from various eye ailments.

The program, a collaborative effort between RM Bolivia and the San Ignazio de Zalles Foundation, teaches its audience about every stage of the many ocular conditions, with explanations from medical experts on the subject. Its goal is to convey to listeners the necessary information about eye problems affecting people in every stage of life so that serious diseases can be prevented and to provide counseling in difficult cases.

Our Roots

In 2022, Radio Maria Uruguay, with the support of local organizations and the World Family, started several socially beneficial programs. These are a few of them:

“Our Roots,” directed by Dr. Pedro Gaudiano, is a weekly program that first aired in April of 2022. It presents interviews with people from different socioeconomic and ecclesial backgrounds: bishops, priests, consecrated men and women of different charism, lay persons, youth and adults, professionals, and couples. All of them shared the roots of their faith journeys and their encounter with Jesus as well as their service to the Church and Uruguayan society. The program aims at helping listeners seek and find their roots in God and at promoting service to society and the Church in people’s daily lives.

There were many important issues in Uruguayan society to discuss in 2022. Without a doubt, the most important was the bill to legalize euthanasia in the country. RM Uruguay started a special program that was very helpful in forming the awareness of all listeners. It featured two doctors specializing in palliative care and a congressman who, as a practicing Catholic, staunchly opposed the bill’s passage so the practice of euthanasia would not be advanced in Uruguay. It was an emotional program, widely followed, that defended the supreme value of life.

A True Voice for Peace

Thanks to support offered by the World Family, Radio Maria Ukraine was born in Kiev in 2010. It is a good example of a station that unites and strengthens the population’s sense of belonging. With 15 repeaters located throughout the country, RM Ukraine has become –especially since the beginning of the conflict with Russia – an element of hope and comfort for millions of people. In many cities, the radio is the only means of receiving information, getting news from other places and having a few moments of relief. Despite countless logistical and technical difficulties, the station has never stopped broadcasting from its headquarters, and has even implemented new small mobile studios wherever possible.

Giving Assistance and Support to the Least Among Us

Radio Maria Kosovo was born in 2013, thanks to collaboration with the World Family. It is a radio that serves the people. The development of radio and advocacy efforts was crucial throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, broadcasting important health information. With two active frequencies covering 35% of the population, the station is especially directed towards those with little education who are living in poverty in the outskirts of the cities and the more agricultural areas. Kosovo, the poorest province of the former Yugoslavia, is now among the five least wealthy countries in Europe and has a fragile transitional economy. Always at the center of conflicts in the Balkans, Kosovo has received little foreign investment, which has resulted in slow development. The presence of a communications tool to gather and unite the population is at the heart of a path to societal, individual, and values growth.

A Family of Minorities

Recently, in collaboration with the World Family, Radio Maria England was born. Debuting in October of 2020, the young station headquartered in Cambridge, with a small studio in London, has only a 22% coverage at the moment. In a multi-ethnic, modern society and a progressive nation, there is not always room to give voice to all its constituents. That is why RM England seeks to offer a programming schedule that serves the needs of so many, sometimes forgotten, groups: the elderly, the sick, foreigners, and the incarcerated. It is also trying to reach those at the “peripheries of the world” with its promotional activities and small groups of volunteers, to defend and spread values such as the peaceful coexistence among peoples, solidarity, welcome, and dialogue.

A Radio for a People in Diaspora

In December of 2011, in the small town of Gyumri, Radio Maria Armenia was born thanks to the support of the World Family. Today it also boasts a studio in the capital, Yerevan. From the very beginning, it was clear that its work could not be limited to just the frequency available and investments were made to offer its content to the many Armenians – about 8 million of them – living abroad. They are thus able to listen over the internet and via satellite throughout Central Europe. Armenia has always been a tormented land, but one with a strong and willing people. Through wars, poverty, genocide, and earthquakes, the people have never lost hope. RM Armenia is a tangible sign of this will and, at the same time, is an instrument for consolidating the development of the Armenian people’s identity.

A Voice of Hope in Arabic

For 60 years, Sweden has been a refuge for Christians from the Middle East, especially Syrians and Iraqis fleeing the hell of war in their countries.

Over the past decade, Christian immigration to Sweden has increased sharply and the city of Södertälje – described as a meeting point for Eastern Christians in general – is considered a destination for Arabic-speaking Syrian and Iraqi Christians who have fled ISIS persecution.

In 2022, Radio Mariam, with the assistance of the World Family, responded to the request of Arabic-speaking Christians by sending a mobile studio. An important goal for Radio Mariam has been to serve as a bridge between Christians in the diaspora and their loved ones who remain in the motherland, broadcasting Masses in the different denominations and portraying the strong witness and solid faith of Christians in the diaspora. Just as the Virgin Mary was present at the cross of her Son, we will be near to those peoples who have fled persecution in the Middle East.

The Christians in Jordan are part of one of the oldest Christian communities in the world. Their spread dates back to the early first century – 70AD. Many of them are descendants of the first Arab Christian tribes that settled in the area.

Christians in Jordan belong to the different denominations that have taken root over the centuries.

In recent years, Jordan has been a safe destination for Christians fleeing ISIS oppression in both Iraq and Syria.

Since its inception in 2015, Radio Mariam has understood the importance and rich culture of Jordan, which was the first country to receive a mobile studio.

Christian migration has caused a sharp drop in the percentage of Christians present in the country, from 12% to 4%. Migration especially affects young persons, who tend to go to the West, fearing the arrival of the wave of Islamic extremism that hit Iraq and Syria.

In an increasingly troubled region, the Christians remaining in Jordan need to hear a Voice of Peace so, through Radio Mariam and with the help of the World Family, other useful communications materials (a computer, camera for live broadcasts, and audio equipment in addition to the 2016 mobile studio) were sent in 2022.

The Christian presence in Jordan faces great challenges and Radio Mariam is there alongside them, in the place where Jesus was baptized.

A Radio in Support of People in Need

The collaboration between Radio Maria the Philippines and the World Family has created many socially beneficial programs in the Asian country. We have programs tackling civil law issues (Batas ang Katumbas) that are helpful in answering listeners’ questions about protecting the rights of the poor. Particularly important is the programming time dedicated to looking into health issues, especially during the coronavirus 2 pandemic.

Ample time is also given to the Church’s social outreach program (Oras Caritas), which provides information on the Church’s efforts that offer support to the poor and to people in need.

Section 6: Economic and Financial Situation of the Organization

a) Source of Economic Resources, public and private streams individuated

The organization’s revenues and income amount to €12,127,881 and are broken down as follows:

Public contributions referring to the 5x1000 are as shown below:

Amount allocated in 2021: €268,186

Contributions and income refer mainly to allocations from member associations of the World Family of Radio Maria Non-Profit, from private persons, and from (non-member) companies.

b) Specific Information on Fundraising Activities

The World Family of Radio Maria does not conduct fundraising activities. Contributions come from grants paid by members.

The World Family proposes developing the Radio Maria Project in certain countries to its members who – during the event known as the Mariathon – raise funds directly from their supporter to underwrite such projects. In this sense, fundraising is carried out directly by the World Family's associated members through specific campaigns directed toward their supporters.

The funds raised by members have the express purpose of supporting and developing the previously described work. The main tool for providing information to the public about the resources collected and their destination is the informational brochure used in the various meetings with the members and made available on the internet.

The main members who have raised funds for projects in 2022 are:

- Collection of donations from Radio Maria: Austria, Costa Rica, Croatia, Germany, Italy, Malta, Panama, Romania Erdely, Slovakia Slovensko, Spain, Switzerland Ticino.

- Specific purpose: mainly developing countries;

- Tools used to provide information to the public about the resources collected and their designated use: Financial reporting/project presentation brochures.

c) Critical Issue Reporting by Administrators

Pandemic-related restrictions, especially during the first part of the year, have caused delays in the shipment of materials and assembly of some installations of existing projects needed to

ensure safe operation. Where possible, it was decided to acquire materials locally, in the project beneficiary countries, and to use local or foreign installers where destinations could guarantee safe conditions for the interventions carried out.

Section 7: Other Information

a) Information on Pending Litigation and/or Disputes

The organization is not involved in any litigation.

b) Information of an Environmental Nature

The work that the organization carries out has no significant environmental impact.

c) Other Non-Financial Information

The organization has established the following actions to ensure gender equality: All training activities and projects are planned to benefit both genders. In particular, in some countries where women need to be more highly valued, radio programs suited to that purpose have been established.

The tools adopted to combat corruption are as follows: The organization ensures that all projects have transparent administration and that administrative staff are trained to ensure maximum transparency.

With regard to respect for human rights, the organization has adopted the following measures aimed at preventing violations and discriminatory attitudes and actions.

Through the Radio Maria Project, the organization promotes projects and activities aimed at raising awareness of respect for human rights and the integral development of the person; this includes through countless initiatives and projects in the area of training and human and socio-cultural promotion as well as through communication and the radio that, still today in poor countries, is the most effective tool in the formation of the human person and global citizenship.

The other traditional areas of intervention are vocational training, health care and prevention measures, agriculture, and the environment.

d) Information on Institutional Meetings

During the year, the following board meetings were held:

2 February 2022

President Vi?orio Viccardi, Fr. Livio Fanzaga, Alicia del Cid, Fr. Jorge Antonio Luna Casillas, Carlo di Maggio, Peter Sonneborn, Josè Manuel Quintanilla, Julius Humphrey Kira, Fr. Roger Wawa, Milad Shajrawi and P Fr. Raymond Cruz.

1. Membership fee for the year 2022.

2. Con/nental mee/ngs.

3. Any other business.

All the points were approved.

19 May 2022

President Vi?orio Viccardi, Fr. Livio Fanzaga, Alicia del Cid, Fr. Jorge Antonio Luna Casillas Peter Sonneborn, Fr. Aleksey Samsonov, Julius Humphrey Kira, Fr. Roger Wawa, Milad Shajrawi and Fr. Raymond Cruz.

1. Approval of the balance sheet and the statement of ac/vi/es at end for the year ended on 31ST December 2021 (drad version).

2. Proposal for the nomina/on and approval of the board statutory auditors.

3. Proposal for the nomina/on and approval of the independent audi/ng company.

4. Next General Mee/ng convoca/on.

5. Mariathon 2022

6. Any other business.

All the points were approved.

20 June 2022

President Vi?orio Viccardi, Fr. Livio Fanzaga, José Manuel Quintanilla, Alicia Del Cid, Fr. Jorge Antonio Luna Casillas, Carlo Di Maggio, Peter Sonneborn, Fr. Aleksey Samsonov, Fr. Roger Wawa, Julius Humphrey Kira, Fr. Raymond Cruz

1. Approval of the Mission Report for the year ended on 31st December 2021.

2. Approval of the Budget Review 2022.

3. Any other business.

All the points were approved.

12 October 2022

President Vi?orio Viccardi, Fr. Livio Fanzaga, Alicia del Cid, Fr. Jorge Antonio Luna Casillas, Fr. Aleksey Samsonov, Peter Sonneborn, Julius Humphrey Kira, Milad Shajrawi, Fr. Raymond Cruz, Fr. Roger Wawa

1. Prepara/on of the next board mee/ng of the year 2022.

2. Worldwide situa/on of the first half of the year (Key Indicators).

3. provisory Financial Statement of the first 8 months of the World Family of Radio Maria.

4. Any other business.

All the points were approved.

29 November 2022

President Vi?orio Viccardi, Fr. Livio Fanzaga, Alicia Del Cid, Carlo Di Maggio, José Manuel Quintanilla, Milad Shajrawi, Peter Sonneborn, Fr. Jorge Antonio Luna Casillas, Padre Aleksey Samsonov, Julius Humphrey Kira, Fr. Roger Wawa e Fr. Raymond Cruz

1. Balance sheet at 30.09.2022 forecast to 31.12.2022

2. Budget for 2023

3. Any other business.

All the points were approved.

This document was submitted for approval to the organization’s assembly on 29 June 2023.