I understand the attraction of partnership arrangements between parishes in relatively wealthy countries and parishes in more impoverished countries (Parish Practice, 24 January, and Letters, 7 February). However, the practice also raises some concerns.The major one is that funds raised for projects in the partner parish could displace funds that would have been donated to Cafod. Cafod is highly regarded internationally for its expertise in humanitarian work and has dedicated specialist staff. All projects are rigorously evaluated and monitored. They form part of a comprehensive development strategy for the region to ensure efficiency, effectiveness and maximum benefit to the local community. A parish group is very unlikely to have the capacity or resources to undertake such work. In his