ACT Assembly - Page 4 of 11

ACT Ethiopia Forum takes home ACT’s Good Forum Practice Award

ACT Alliance is pleased to present the Good Forum Practice Award to the ACT Ethiopia Forum. The Good Forums Practice Award was launched in 2017. The initiative aims to strengthen the Alliance through the sharing of knowledge, expertise and experiences of ACT Forums around the world.

The ACT Ethiopia Forum has demonstrated its engagement with other forums in the Alliance on ACT’s Global Strategic Aims. Using Geographical Information Systems (GIS), ACT’s Ethiopia Forum mapped its presence in various sectors throughout Ethiopia. The Forum made use of GIS technology to demonstrate the diversity and reach of ACT at a national level. The GIS map provides an opportunity to identify potential areas for cooperation and leverages the alliance as a key national partner in humanitarian and development work.

Mr Girma Borishie Bati, from the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus Development and Social Services Commission(EECMY-DASSC), received the award on behalf of the Forum.

“On behalf of the ACT Ethiopia Forum, we would like to express our sincere thanks and gratitude to ACT Alliance for preparing such an inspiring mechanism to encourage forums,” said Mr Borishie Bati.

“We know very well that we’re not perfect but we are moving towards better country-level collaboration and coordination with an enhanced capacity and commitment for the implementation of projects on the ground, putting people first as much as possible,” he continued.

The Forum has received USD 5,000 in seed funding to implement an initiative in line with ACT’s Global Strategy.

ACT hopes that the collection of good practices will help to celebrate, motivate and encourage forums to work together effectively.“This award and certificate of recognition will substantially motivate us as members of the Alliance, to work hard, hand in hand to sustain and further strengthen our collaboration and coordination in the future to promote and realise the underlying strategic objectives of ACT Alliance,” said Mr Borishie Bati.

More on the work of ACT Ethiopia Forum is available here.

An Evening of Reflection and Worship

Yesterday evening, hundreds of participants of ACT’s General Assembly and representatives of the Church of Sweden filtered into the Uppsala Cathedral for the Opening Worship of the 3^rdGeneral Assembly of ACT Alliance. The service provided an opportunity for assembly participants to worship and reflect together and to commit the week ahead into God’s hands.

The service included prayers of gratitude from faith leaders of ACT Alliance, which was delivered in the three official languages of ACT: English, Spanish and French. “Loving God, we thank you for Action by Churches Together, for our membership of churches and related agencies working together in unity to serve in the world, participating in your mission of reconciliation and healing, and of lifting up signs of hope,” reads a section of the prayer.

“We thank you that through the work you have called us to do, ACT has been able to positively influence and witness change at local and global levels; supporting communities enduring or recovering from crisis, assisting communities to realize their hopes and visions for a better world for themselves and their families,” the prayer continues.

At the heart of the service was the theme of ACT’s Assembly, Hope In Action: Putting People First. “What a great topic for a General Assembly! Our world is yearning for hope, for credible hope. Behind the most tormenting issues facing humankind, the question of hope looms large,” said Lutheran Archbishop of Sweden, Antje Jackelén.

Putting people first is at the core of ACT’s work, it highlights ACT’s proactive approach to bringing hope to situations of crisis, poverty and injustice. It builds on ACT’s Christian values and the hope that we have in Christ.

“Hope In Action, claims to be credible hope, liberating and empowering… It does not put one’s own particular interests first. It puts people and their natural and social environments first. Also, it does not put human failure first; it puts human rights first,” continued Archbishop Jackelén.

The Assembly theme of Putting People First will remain relevant as ACT continues to mobilise ambitious commitments and actions from members that put people first.

The full sermon is available in English, Spanish, French here

“Migration is not a crime; it’s a right.”

Forced displacement around the world has reached an alarming 68.5 million. The United Nations Refugee Commission reported that in 2017 alone one Commission reported every two seconds.

The pressing humanitarian and human rights challenges affecting communities fleeing wars, persecution and climate calamities prompted ACT Alliance to organise a pre-assembly day to raise awareness on this global emergency among the participants of the ACT Assembly.

ACT Alliance members Church of Sweden and Diakonia hosted the pre-assembly exposure day on migration and provided an opportunity for ACT members to learn about the work of the European churches on migration and integration.

Eva Ekelund, Deputy Director for International Affairs, Church of Sweden had a powerful opening statement: “Migration is not a crime, it’s a right”.

Today, fewer migrants make it safely to Europe. The ones who do are often met with suspicion exacerbated by growing right-wing populism. The shift in how society looks at migrants has changed the way that local churches are now operating.

“Churches are playing a critical role in upholding core humanitarian principles, as many governments are not fully taking on the responsibility of safeguarding the human rights and safety of refugees,” said Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, ACT’s General Secretary.

As part of the pre-assembly day, ACT members visited the “Good Neighbours”, a joint initiative of local parishes of the Church of Sweden, the Stockholm Southside Mosque and the Islamic Relief of Sweden. The interfaith and ecumenical initiatives aimed at fostering religious dialogue between migrants and locals to find common grounds for integration.

After the initial effort to provide a place to sleep for approximately 4000 people passing through, Good Neighbours now works to integrate migrants offering language cafés, counselling and networking events. The stories that the migrants and the ecumenical workers and volunteers shared with the assembly participants provide evidence that the program’s mantra, “We don’t help others, we help each other”, is more than a slogan and lies at the core of this successful initiative.

ACT’s Migration and Displacement programme seek to advocate for fairer migration policies and the dignity and rights of migrants and displaced people. will continue to promote rights-based, locally and regionally informed, and globally coordinated advocacy on the rights of people on the move.

Press conference: Faith-based organisations and the 2030 Agenda

October 29 13h00-13h25 CET Press Conference: the role of faith-based organisations in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals

Uppsala 2018: Celebrating History, Planning the Future

Uppsala, Sweden – October 28 2018 – The Governing Board of Action by Churches Together (ACT Alliance) has called all ACT members to the General Assembly (28 October – 1 November). The third General Assembly of ACT Alliance is taking place within the context of global and local ecumenical commemorations: the 70th anniversary of the World Council of Churches, the 50th Anniversary of the Uppsala Assembly of the WCC and the Swedish Ecumenical Weekend. The full and diverse agenda offers many opportunities for reflection and celebration.

ACT Alliance is rooted in a history of ecumenical commitment for joint social service. It was founded by the WCC, the Lutheran World Federation and related agencies with the goal to establish a coordinated platform for ecumenical diakonia, expressing the joint vision to assist people in need and work for a better world.

Founded in 1948, in Amsterdam, the WCC has been commemorating its 70th anniversary throughout the year, with highlights that include a visit of Pope Francis to the WCC headquarters in Geneva last June.

This year also marks the 50th Anniversary of the 4th Assembly of the WCC, held in Uppsala, in 1968 which shifted the WCC into social engagements on the world’s stage. In commemoration of the historic assembly, the Executive Committee of the WCC will meet in Uppsala 2-8 November.

“Behold, I make all things new” was the message of the event, and through its alliance with liberation movements in the ‘Third World’, including with the anti-apartheid movements in South Africa and the Civil Rights Movement in the US, the assembly took up political and liberation theologies into the ecumenical movement. The strong focus on peace and justice experienced in the Assembly led the ecumenical movement into a focus on social service and development work.

The ACT assembly will overlap with the WCC Executive Committee meeting on 1 November, where the day will be dedicated to reflecting on how the organisations work together in service to the world and how that work contributes to the broader agenda for sustainable development.

“We hope that this joint day will deepen our understanding of what it means to be both faith- and rights-based,” said ACT’s General Secretary Rudelmar Bueno de Faria. “We believe that prophetic diakonia and advocacy are integral parts of the work the two organisations,” added de Faria.

The joint day of reflection on ecumenical diakonia and sustainable development include case studies, speakers, and small group discussions.

The closure of the full ecumenical agenda in Uppsala will be the Swedish Ecumenical Weekend, 3-4 November, promoted by the Swedish Christian Council, the Church of Sweden and the Uniting Church in Sweden.

The program includes lectures and seminars on contemporary issues like migration, inter-religious dialogue, mission, racism and ecumenical cooperation. On Sunday, Church of Sweden’s Archbishop Antje Jackelén and WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit will lead an ecumenical worship at the Uppsala cathedral.

ENDS

For more information contact Simon Chambers, Head of Communications, ACT Alliance +1-416-435-0972 simon.chambers@actalliance.org

Faith-based organisations and the 2030 Agenda

A plenary session of the ACT Assembly October 29, 2018 11h30 (CET)

Gender justice “a win-win concept for everybody”, says Swedish church leader

Uppsala, Sweden – October 29, 2018 – “A key element of our faith is based on the conviction that every person is loved and is created by God and has the same dignified rights”, said the head of the Church of Sweden, Archbishop Antje Jackelén, during a press conference held after a gender justice event at the General Assembly of ACT Alliance, on 28 October.

“Gender justice is a win-win concept for everybody”, said Jackelén, who also emphasised the transformative power of faith communities in addressing unjust realities for women.

Dr Phumzile Mlambo-Nguka, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women, emphasised the opportunities that faith communities have to push for a transformative agenda on women’s rights, and staunch the alarming pushbacks that have been progressing across regions of the world.

According to the UN Women Executive Director, 19% of women and girls aged 15 – 49 have experienced sexual violence by their partners in the last 12 months alone.

“We need the church to help minimise pushbacks and to build on the historical role that it has played to promote gender equality”, said Mlambo-Nguka.

For Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, General Secretary of ACT Alliance, faith-based organisations have been historically at the forefront of protecting women’s rights and dignity, especially during humanitarian crisis and in fragile contexts.

“ACT alliance promotes human dignity for all. Faith-based organisations must be part of the solution and help shape a narrative where women and girls are equal”.

The 3^rdGeneral Assembly of ACT Alliance goes on in Uppsala until 1 November.

For media inquiries please contact Simon Chambers, +1-416-435-0972, simon.chambers@actalliance.org, Head of Communications, ACT Alliance

La responsabilidad teológica para promover la Justicia de Género

Todas/os hemos sido creadas/os iguales, fue el tema del evento sobre Justicia de Género que dio inicio a la Asamblea de la ACT Alianza, que tiene lugar en Uppsala – Suecia, del 28 de octubre al 1º de noviembre de 2018.

ACT Alianza trabaja fuertemente en el tema de justicia de género y en este evento participaron entre otras personalidades, la Directora de ONU Mujeres, la Dr. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka y la Arzobispa de Suecia Antje Jackelen. La Arzobispa subrayó que la injusticia de género sigue siendo uno de los retos más grandes en el mundo, y como Organizaciones basadas en la Fe (OBFs), tenemos una gran responsabilidad de luchar contra estas injusticias. En muchos lugares del mundo son justamente estas organizaciones las que frenan el progreso hacía la igualdad. Sin embargo, como Iglesias y cristianas/os tenemos un llamado a trabajar por comunidades más justas.

Dr Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka comentó que aunque hubo avances positivos con respecto a los derechos de la mujer, no ha sido posible cambiar las normas y leyes que perpetúan las desigualdades y agregó: “De la misma forma que históricamente la gente se ha unido para luchar contra el colonialismo y el racismo, tenemos que seguir uniéndonos para crear justicia de género y un mundo donde todas y todos gocemos de los mismos derechos y oportunidades.”

La directora de ONU Mujer, hizo un llamado a todas y todos a alzar la voz para decir “NO en mi nombre”, cuando se quiera usar la religión para discriminar. También mencionó el movimiento de #YoTambién, como una muestra de la fuerza que tiene romper la cultura de silencio y cuando nos escuchamos y le decimos “yo te creo” a otra mujer que ha sido víctima de violencia sexual o de estructuras patriarcales.

En la Asamblea participan representantes de más que 140 organizaciones miembros de la Alianza ACT. Según uno de los participantes de Latinoamérica, el Licenciado Nicolás Rosenthal, Director de la Fundación Protéstate Hora Obra, en Argentina: “Es muy importante que hablemos de la responsabilidad teológica que tenemos cuando se trata de trabajar hacía la justicia de género. Hay que de construir todas las estructuras de poder que son discriminatorias. Creo que las iglesias juega un rol fundamental en esta de construcción ya que han sido y siguen siendo instituciones patriarcales y que tienen que demostrar que un cambio es posible”.

Press Conference: the role of faith-based organisations in achieving gender justice

Press conference with Ms Sylwyn Sheen Alba, National Council of Churches, Philippines, Archbishop Antje Jackelén Church of Sweden, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director, UN Women, Mr Rudelmar Bueno de Faria and Communications Director Simon Chambers, moderator.

“Created Equal”- Launch of the Global Gender Campaign

Day 1 of the Assembly provides participants with the opportunity to join a special event on gender justice. We will hear from high-level church, youth, UN, and civil society leaders why they think it is imperative to work for gender justice and celebrate and showcase our gender justice work from across the alliance. We will also call for enhanced engagement from faith actors to address gender injustice and discuss together how we can move forward. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director, UN Women