Dr René Padilla. Photo: Mike Webb/Tearfund
Dr René Padilla is Tearfund’s International President, and brings great knowledge and wisdom to this role. Passionate about social justice and the part the church plays in bringing this about, he started the Kairos Foundation in Argentina, which encourages Christians to meet the physical, social and spiritual needs of poor communities.
Dr Padilla grew up in Ecuador and Colombia, studied in England and now lives in Buenos Aires in Argentina. He is the President of the Micah Network, a worldwide group of campaigning organisations aimed at mobilising Christians against poverty.
He states: “Poverty is powerlessness. It is about people being unable to meet their basic human needs. Most often this is due to a lack of opportunity in a society marked by oppression and injustice which has led to disempowerment. The poor and the non-poor are created in the image of God. They are designed to grow into mature human beings able to meet their own socioeconomic, personal, social, cultural and spiritual needs. Poverty is powerlessness to fulfil that God-give role.”
Dr Padilla says, “I am especially pleased that Tearfund is engaged not only in convincing supporters to give money, but also in helping them to address some of the global causes of poverty.”