A multifaceted project that spans three South Asian countries is the winner of the 2021 Resilience Award. 

“It was really a very difficult decision, there were so many innovative and interesting projects, but in the end, we chose this one because of its many dimensions and impact on a great number of people,” said Julius Mbatia, ACT Climate Justice manager. The selection was made from 14 worthy entries by ACT’s Climate Justice Reference Group and the ACT CoP on Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction.

The Transboundary Flood Resilience Project was awarded the $6,000 US Resilience prize at an ACT Climate Justice meeting in February 2022, where project representatives spoke about their project and its impact.    

Involving households, communities and local governments, the project has also built disaster response links between governments in Nepal, India and Bangladesh. Lutheran World Federation Nepal (LWF Nepal) and Lutheran World Service India Trust (LWSIT) joined forces with RDRS Bangladesh as partners on the community-based project.  

The project addresses climate-related flooding and soil erosion where the Gandak-Ganges/Brahmaputra and Padma River basins converge, upstream from the mouth of the Ganges at the northern tip of the Bay of Bengal. The two river basins and their tributaries traverse heavily populated areas. Floods regularly cause heavy loss and damage, including to human life. 

Technology and nature-based knowledge 

The project has helped the communities develop and enhance a disaster warning system that incorporates both technological and nature-based knowledge.  

Local communities manage gauge stations that measure water changes, part of a transboundary community-based early warning system. People living upstream share real time flood information with downstream communities in all three countries, using a cell phone messaging service. They are linked to government meteorological departments.  

The project incorporates local traditional knowledge and Indigenous practices, so that bird and animal early warning signals are tracked. “Nature-based solutions are some of the most influential activities the project has supported,” note the implementers.  

As a result of the project, communities now use indigenous and local seeds to help with disaster resilience, planting fruit and trees along the riverbanks to help manage flood impacts. They are engaged in environmental protection and biodiversity conservation. Organic integrated farming is on the rise. Locally available materials ranging from banana leaves to bottles have been adapted for use during floods, for example, as flotation devices. Outreach to local forest groups has led to a growing number of forest-based green enterprises and livelihoods.  

Community and local government partnerships 

The Transboundary Citizen Forum (TCF) was created to encourage collective advocacy on cross-border issues. It also builds local capacity and encourages knowledge sharing between communities in all three countries. TCF advocacy has resulted in greater commitment from national and regional governments to emergency preparedness training in the communities. The TCF has equal representation of women and men, due to involving women in all project activities. 

The partnership between communities and local governments has contributed to local ownership of the program and to local solutions for disaster preparedness. It has strengthened participatory policy and planning processes that address the needs and priorities of communities. This includes grain and seed banks and access to crop and livestock insurance. 

Local government has endorsed the initiative in their fiscal policy, a commitment that will continue after the project is phased out. 

Cross border links 

The governments of the three countries now share information on managing water-related disasters. Frequent meetings between their various government departments have led to improved communication, greater emergency preparedness and improved government responses to crises.  

Links between upstream and downstream communities at the national and transboundary level have contributed to their greater understanding of shared socio-economic and cultural values and this has eased existing tensions due to political boundaries. 

Amplifying lessons learned 

Information about the program is widely shared through collaboration with researchers and academics, and through newsletters, journals, and workshops with the stakeholders and in South Asian networks. 

A significant publication on ecumenical diakonia, providing a common platform for the churches and ecumenical partners worldwide for acting and reflecting together, has just been published by ACT Alliance and the World Council of Churches (WCC). 

The joint publication, “Called to Transformation – Ecumenical Diakonia,” provides the theological foundation for the humanitarian and development work carried out by ACT members around the world. “It not only helps churches to share ideas and lessons with each other, but also offers a prophetic perspective of being a church in challenging times”, said ACT General Secretary Rudelmar Bueno de Faria in a presentation of the document on June 9. “This is motivating the joint work of churches and church-related organizations to promote justice, inclusion, and solidarity.”  

The document provides a solid base for discernment for churches and specialized ministries to address the complexity of issues facing humanity today, he added. It features resources to strengthen the diaconal capacity of the churches and to advance cooperation with specialized ministries. 

“Writing of this document was a recommendation of the Malawi consultation in September 2014, when churches and specialized ministries’ representatives from all the continents gathered to reflect on the work they are supposed to do together,” said Prof. Dr Isabel Apawo Phiri, WCC deputy general secretary, in the presentation. 

Besides adding the geographic and confessional contexts of practicing diakonia, the study document also addresses the diaconal response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with examples of diaconal ministry from every continent. 

“With this publication, we now have a common understanding on diakonia – and that should take churches and their partners toward the next level of ecumenical cooperation in diakonia,” said Phiri. The WCC central committee has recommended that churches and specialized ministries all over the world use it. 

“In learning from each other, and in sharing, we can make a real difference to the lives of many people,” said Rev. Karin van den Broeke, chief programme officer of the Kerk in Actie (Netherlands), moderating a June 9 presentation of the ecumenical diakonia document. Inviting everyone to discover the publication now available online, van den Broeke encouraged them to “move and act together on our pilgrimage of justice and peace in the world.” 

The publication “Called to Transformation – Ecumenical Diakonia” is available here:

ACT and WCC joint publication “Called to Transformation – Ecumenical Diakonia”

This photo story is reprinted with permission from the World Council of Churches.

Following a mid-March visit to Ukraine and the bordering countries of Hungary and Romania, an ACT Alliance and World Council of Churches (WCC) and ACT Alliance delegation visited the Russian-Ukrainian border area around Rostov-on-Don on 22-26 May.

Both visits have taken place against the backdrop of a war causing millions of people to flee Ukraine. As the month of May drew to a close, UNHCR figures indicate nearly 7 million people have crossed the borders to neighbouring countries, close to a million to Russia.

Upon invitation from the Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) – a member of the WCC and whose Department for External and Church Relations is a member of the ACT Alliance – the delegation visited aid centres and places of temporary accommodation for refugees from Ukraine in the Rostov-on-Don and Shakhty dioceses, both of which border the Donbas region of southeast Ukraine.

 In Rostov-on-Don and Shakhty, the Russian Orthodox Church accompanies refugees primarily from Donbas, and while some refugee families receive accommodation and food support from the Russian state, the church also accompanies them through spiritual and psychosocial support, as well as by collecting and distributing aid packages for self-housed refugee families.

The visit also included opportunities to meet and listen to local church leaders and how they work to respond to current realities in the region.

For the general secretary of the ACT Alliance Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, this visit evidenced the traumatic and stressful experience refugees face in conflict situations. “It is crucial that humanitarian actors, including churches, affirm the primacy of the humanitarian imperative, and take action to prevent and alleviate human suffering arising out of this war. Refugees must be assured that humanitarian principles are upheld, and nothing should override them,” Bueno de Faria said.

For WCC deputy general secretary Prof. Dr Isabel Apawo Phiri, the visit served as a reminder of the importance of churches engaging in ecumenical diakonia – a substantive publication on which is forthcoming from the WCC.

“Churches, specialized ministries, ecumenical organizations have shown deeply inspiring work to support those who are fleeing inside and outside Ukraine since the beginning of the war this past February. We see the importance of the role of ecumenical diakonia in the life of the church, and pray that this heartfelt response will continue,” Phiri reflected.

Recalling the experience of travelling along the border west of Ukraine, WCC director of international affairs Peter Prove reflected on the importance of witnessing humanitarian realities on all sides of the war, in order to support adequate measures for peace long-term.

“While it may be difficult to see a clear path to peace in this conflict, as a worldwide fellowship of churches we must continue to engage and to support efforts for genuine dialogue between all parties involved. And in the midst of all this, it is essential that humanitarian efforts – of which churches form a significant part – remain neutral and provide for people in need wherever they are and from wherever they come,” Prove said.

The ACT Europe Forum released a statement at its annual meeting on May 12, calling on the EU and European governments to maintain their Official Development Assistance commitments. The forum is deeply concerned about the multiple crises triggered or exacerbated by the war in Ukraine and their impacts on other countries, especially in the Global South.

The forum has been heavily engaged in responding to the Ukraine crisis through humanitarian response and advocacy. Its members are also responding to crises in countries including Ethiopia, Syria, and Yemen, and to the growing drought and potential famine in the Horn of Africa.

The ACT Europe Forum is concerned by the decisions by several European governments to move ODA funding- previously committed to long-term development assistance and humanitarian efforts across the globe– to receive Ukrainian refugees in Europe.

The forum stands united in asking the EU and European governments to retain previous commitments to ODA and to fund the necessary reception of Ukrainian refugees from other sources.

“We are deeply concerned about the multiple crises facing the most vulnerable people in the world today,” the statement reads. “Conflict, Covid-19 and the climate crisis have pushed more people into poverty, food insecurity and displacement. The number of people in need of humanitarian aid is rapidly increasing.”

ACT’s European members are “very worried about a number of European countries that have reduced their development aid funding to countries and groups affected by poverty, or are planning to do so,” noting that “these political actions are weakening trust in international commitments, and weakening the critical fight against poverty and the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals.”

The Forum urges the EU and its member governments “to keep up the ambitions and meet the targets they have set for humanitarian and development funding.”

Dagfinn Høybråten, the Secretary General of Norwegian Church Aid and chair of the Europe Forum, highlighted that “it is our moral obligation to stand with our brothers and sisters wherever they are and regardless of how that might benefit ourselves. Our message is quite simple: Do Ukraine well, without dropping the ball on other crises.”

Read the full statement here.

With shock and great sadness, the Middle East Council of Churches headquartered in Beirut, the Ecumenical Palestinian organizations, and members of the ACT Alliance working in Palestine and the region, received the news of the murder of the beloved journalist Ms. Shereen Abu Aqleh. Shereen was killed by a bullet fired from the Israeli occupation forces in Jenin, a city in the northern part of the West Bank, while she was on the job. She is not the first nor will she be the last voice silenced by the violence of the Israeli occupation, as her death is, unfortunately, one among many in the world of Palestinian journalism.

All of us in Palestine, Lebanon and throughout the Middle East are devastated by this news. Shereen’s death impacts all who fight for freedom of speech across the globe. Shereen was not just a journalist, she was a clear voice of the pain and hurt that we have all felt as a result of Israeli occupation here in Palestine. On this tragic occasion, we once again reaffirm the right of the Palestinian people to a state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

We salute Shereen and what she represented through her persevering and thorough journalistic work. Shereen aimed at exposing the truth of the occupation and conveying the oppression and persecution of us, Palestinians.

We offer our heartfelt condolences to the family of Shereen, and to the Palestinian people at home and in the diaspora for this heavy loss.

May her soul rest in peace and may she always be remembered.

“Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses (Paul First Letter to Timothy 6:12)”

Rest in Power, Shereen.

ACT Palestine Forum

Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan & the Holy Land (ELCJHL)

Department of Service to Palestinian Refugee / Middle East Council of Church (DSPR)

East Jerusalem YMCA (EJ- YMCA

PHOTO: Albin Hillert/LWF

In recent years governments have made several promises to tackle climate change. UN summits have led to decisions about climate finance, an increased focus on adaptation and climate-induced Loss and Damage, and commitments to reduce emissions. But these decisions should only be celebrated if they are acted upon.  

This week, ministers from more than 40 countries will meet in Copenhagen to discuss how the existing agreements are being implemented. This is an important initiative which can remind them of the importance of turning words into action.  

There are a few key promises I would like them to remember.  

Firstly, at last year’s Glasgow climate summit, COP26, all Parties promised to return home to revisit their national climate plans. This decision was made because they were forced to acknowledge two things: the existing plans to reduce emissions are far from being ambitious enough; and the agreement to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees is realistic only if countries scale up their ambition. So far, there seems to have been no follow up to this decision. I believe Brazil is the only country which has updated its national plan, and its targets are still not ambitious enough. I do hope that the ministers at the meeting in Copenhagen will confirm that they have now started to revisit their national plans, as promised in Glasgow.  

Secondly, COP26 concluded with a commitment by developed countries to double their support for adaptation. This decision should be seen in the light of more than a decade of broken promises. Developed countries continue to fail on commitments to mobilise adaptation finance. I have not heard of concrete pledges to ensure this promise will be kept, but I could be wrong. Hopefully, developed countries will raise their hands in Copenhagen and confirm that adaptation is a top priority in their new climate budgets.  

Thirdly, climate-induced Loss and Damage received its own chapter in the 2015 Paris agreement. There are limits to adaptation, which is why parties agreed to address the Loss and Damage that people and communities may face when climate-related disasters devastate their livelihoods. Despite this text in the Paris agreement, there is still no agreement on how to mobilise the necessary support. If Loss and Damage is to become more than text in a document, decisions about how to tackle these events must be made.  

Finally, several promises about climate finance need to be kept. One is the promise by developed countries to deliver USD 100 bn a year, starting in 2020. Developed countries have promised that these funds should be “new and additional” to ensure that an increased focus on climate change will not erode support for other important development needs.  

The list of promises is long, and we should remember that each promise is meant to address one specific problem. That problem is that we have a climate crisis, and it cannot be tackled unless all the promises are kept.  

I hope the ministers enjoy a good meeting in Copenhagen. Even more importantly, I hope they reaffirm their commitment to keep their promises and turn them into action.  

 Mattias Soderberg of DanChurchAid is co-chair of the Climate Justice Reference Group

Survivor and Community-Led Response is a new paradigm in humanitarian relief work which puts the power to choose how their community can affect change to improve their situation in the hands of the communities themselves. The ACT Haiti Forum has been working with communities to develop SCLR work for several years, and the 2021 earthquake provided a chance to see how this approach works in a major disaster response.

ACT interviewed Naomie Beaujour from the LWF/NCA joint office in Haiti and Charlotte Greene from the DKH Haiti office to discuss this new approach to humanitarian relief and how it is being implemented within the 2021 ACT Haiti Appeal. Here is the video of that interview: