As the G7 Health Ministers stated, with the rise of Omicron, “[t]he global community is faced, at a first evaluation, with the threat of a new, highly transmissible variant of COVID-19, which requires urgent action.” (G7 Joint Statement on the Omicron variant) We, at ACT Alliance, appreciate the G7 Ministers’ recognition of the strategic relevance of ensuring access to vaccines while also providing operational assistance, taking forward donation commitments, and tackling vaccine misinformation, as well as supporting research and development. However, we worry that this rhetoric will not translate into action. We are particularly concerned that ‘donors’ often fail to deliver on their commitments and/or to give good advance notice of upcoming donations, coordinate with ‘receiving’ governments, and to share adequate doses that have sufficiently long ‘shelf lives’. 

Some of our members and faith partners (See, for instance, call for endorsements related to a faith-based statement calling on the WTO to urgently waive patents.) have already highlighted that failure to properly rollout vaccines globally is costing lives and is further delaying the end of the pandemic. For instance, jointly, ACT EU members have been working on targeted and concrete action focusing on the inaction of Member States (See more at Vaccines for all: time for the EU to rise to the challenge (brusselstimes.com).) Inaction is not only unwise, as it stalls our ability to revert back to a new normal and to recover from the social and economic shocks of this crisis, it is also a moral failure. Whereas in Global North countries like Portugal vaccine coverage is remarkable, only 6% of people in low-income countries have received at least one dose- a far cry from the whopping 54.5% coverage globally. This is wildly unjust and unfair. 

What is needed to tackle the current vaccine apartheid? In the ACT Alliance vaccine equity brief,  we warned back in July 2021 that we would not see the end of the pandemic until everyone, everywhere, was safe and vaccinated. To make sure calls to tackle Omicron translate into concrete outcomes, we urge countries housing vaccine production and those with large vaccine stocks to: 

• Immediately share doses, guaranteeing affordable prices, fair allocation and prioritisation while taking into consideration the price in relation to GDP.  
• Resolve liability issues and avoid distributing vaccines too close to expiry or those coming in slow waves between doses. 
• Based on the available scientific evidence, commit to at least 5% of overall supply to equitable vaccine distribution and prioritise vaccine equity over booster shots. 
• Increase production and transfer capacity, technology and production, temporarily waiving patents and IP rights to enable manufacturing in the Global South as well as sharing of technology and know-how through the C-TAP mechanisms. 
• Be responsive to where there is untapped potential and a strong call from faith leaders in relation to the moral responsibility to value human life and dignity above all else. 
• Ensure COVAX is inclusive and responsive to civil society’s demands as well as supporting the initiative for a treaty on global pandemic preparedness that protects the health and livelihoods of all. 
• Prioritize high risk groups including the people living with HIV/AIDS, people with palliative care conditions, the key and most vulnerable populations. 
• Create a more robust form of global pandemic preparedness that protects the health and livelihoods of all, that strengthens public health systems and recognises the fundamental role played by civil society actors, in particular faith actors, in COVID-19 mechanisms. 
• Remove ineffective travel bans from countries who have shared the information about new variants, which only impose economic hardships on these nations without effectively slowing the spread of the variants. 
• Reject the immoral prioritisation by manufacturers of new vaccine supplies to Global North countries with high rates of vaccination and instead prioritise the fulfillment of commitments to the COVAX Facility. 

In summary, we call for action and an end to the empty political rhetoric. We must protect our common home and our brothers and sisters with the same passion and energy as we protect ourselves. As ACT Alliance, we are a Christian network and we share with our constituencies and those of many other faith-based networks the basic thirst for global justice. We think the issues formulated above are part of the long road to global justice. 
 
We also urge all Global North countries to call out blockages and maneuvering as well as to put an end to fallacies that argue that vaccine hesitancy is an adequate reason to avoid the sharing of doses. Evidence has clearly shown that there is uptake when vaccines are available and distributed in a predictable way. We therefore demand all countries to end vaccine inequity. 

Rudelmar Bueno de Faria  
General Secretary, ACT Alliance  

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ACT Alliance is the largest coalition of Protestant and Orthodox churches and church-related organisations engaged in humanitarian, development and advocacy work in the world, consisting of more than 140 members working together in over 120 countries to create positive and sustainable change in the lives of poor and marginalised people regardless of their religion, politics, gender, sexual orientation, race or nationality in keeping with the highest international codes and standards. 

At its closing plenary on December 3, the ACT Electronic General Assembly elected its new governing board, the officers of the board, and the membership and nominations committee (MNC).  

Officers, members of the board, and of the MNC must demonstrate active engagement in the life of the Alliance prior to being nominated for the positions. The elected individuals will serve for a period of three years, until the next Assembly in 2024. 

ACT’s governing board is made up of 22 members representing the various regions, as well as two seats for youth.  Congratulations to the newly elected board, and a warm thank you to all who put their names forward for these roles. Here is the new board:

The officers of the board are the Moderator, Vice-moderator, and Treasurer.  Erik Lysén, from Act Church of Sweden, was elected as the new moderator.

Lysén serves as the Director of International Affairs with Act Church of Sweden, and has been involved in ecumenical justice work for over 30 years, beginning his work in 1991 in South Africa, and said, “the lasting memory of that time is one of being together in a global struggle to combat racism, ending apartheid. It holds similarities with our mission today. We’re in the alliance because we have a common cause, a global faith-based struggle for climate justice and social justice.” 

Lysén went on to say, “I am proud to moderate an alliance that embodies commitments to sustainable development, multilateral cooperation, respect for democracy and human rights, peace, dignity, and equality – a global coalition of actors that work together to contribute to a just, inclusive, and peaceful world. A church-based alliance with its roots in faith-based communities at the local level. An alliance that puts Christian faith and hope into action.”

Lysén picked up on the importance of youth to the Assembly and to the life of the alliance. “This general assembly has shown that we can be proud of our youth COP and their expertise, not only on climate change, but also on all the conversations we’ve had during this week… We’re on the way to building a strong youth movement, but will only do it through your experiences, advice, and competence.”

“The value of ACT Alliance members working together is so much more than members acting alone”, he concluded.  “So, let us be brave and see the light. Let us put faith and hope into action. Let us be the change ourselves!” The full text of his speech can be found here.

Erik Lysén will work with Minnie Anne Mata-Calub, from the National Council of Churches in the Philippines as Vice-moderator, and Simangaliso Hove, Lutheran Development Service in Zimbabwe, will serve a second term as treasurer.

The Membership and Nominations Committee will be composed of:

One seat will remain vacant for the moment until a process for filling it is agreed to.

Members of ACT Alliance Canada recently hosted a virtual consultation exploring both the results of COP26 and the impacts of the climate crisis as they affect Eastern and Southern Africa. The consultations were a collaboration between agencies and ACT members in Canada and with ACT members and forums in the region. 

Structured as moderated discussions with experts followed by small group participant discussions, the intent was to look for new pathways to strengthen Canadian agencies’ collaborative work in the region, identify challenges and opportunities and share experiences.  As noted by one of the hosts, Guy Smagghe (Presbyterian World Service and Development), the consultation would “stay clear of the blah, blah, blah and identify what we have agency over.” 

Panellists and moderators included ACT Alliance members from Eastern and Southern Africa, as well as members of Canadian Foodgrains Bank, Lutheran World Service and the All Africa Conference of Churches. The hosts, Canadian Lutheran World Relief, Presbyterian World Service and Development, the United Church of Canada, the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund, World Renew and the World Alliance of Christian Communicators, are members of ACT Canada. 

Day One: Naming the challenges 

First day panellists were moderated by Jim Cornelius of Canadian Foodgrains Bank, and included Julius Mbatia (ACT Alliance Global Climate Justice Programme Manager), who began with the inequities facing Africans. “Africa has contributed 3.8% of the world’s greenhouse gasses,” he said. Yet today, 600 million Africans have no access to power. “That’s 48% of the continent, and this restrains economies.”  At COP26, financing for loss and damage from climate change was “pushed back several years,” said Mbatia. “We need to advance the conversation to give communities hope,” and support “locally-led initiatives, technical accompaniment and transformation at the local level, where it’s needed.” 

Lillian W. Kantai (LWF World Service Kenya) pointed to humanitarian issues in the region: “There are millions of refugees,” she noted, creating a “burden for host countries that are already burdened economically.” Governance issues affect climate finance. “How much of the money reaches locally-led initiatives? From a human rights perspective, we must hold our governments accountable and hold locally led initiatives to account as well,” she said. Kantai also spoke eloquently of women’s unfair burden under the climate crisis.  

“More impacts from climate change are coming,” said Paul Hagerman (Canadian Foodgrains Bank). Money needs to reach those most affected, and African people need to be heard on these issues. A further issue is that “donors in the north see climate finance as optional, as aid or charity,” said Hagerman. “Developing countries see it as a justice issue.” He added that more analysis of the impacts of climate change will allow those involved to plan improved adaptation projects. 

Day Two: Best practices, lessons learned, new opportunities 

Day two of the consultation was moderated by Elizabeth Kisiigha Zimba (ACT Alliance Regional Representative, Africa). Panellists began by describing the effects of the changing climate in their countries. “Cyclone Idai … killed people and displaced others from their homes. It impacted the economy and lives,” said Collins Shava (All Africa Conference of Churches). Melton Luhanga (ACT Malawi Forum and Churches Action for Relief and Development) added that changing rains and the increasing number of floods in Malawi mean that “food insecurity is now widespread in most areas.”  

When asked to discuss opportunities for action and collaboration, Patriciah Roy Akullo (ACT Uganda Forum and ACT’s Climate Justice group) advocated putting youth “at the forefront” and collaborating with the private sector for solutions in research and innovation. The need for private sector engagement was echoed by some other panellists. 

Philip Mato Galgallo (ACT Burundi Forum and Christian Aid Burundi) noted the “paradox” that when communities lose livelihoods suited to a past climate, they “may be pushed into industrial work that further destroys the environment.” As well, African countries “don’t lack policies, but do lack enforcement,” he said. “We can collaborate” to change this. 

Collins Shava added that there is still room to push for commitments at future COPs, and to “push for our countries to take responsibility.” Building capacity in faith leaders remains important as “religion and faith are more influential than politics in my country” of Zimbabwe. He also advocated for promoting women in decision-making.  

Melton Luhanga pointed to the consultation itself as an important example of collaboration. “What we are doing here is one of the greater opportunities. This is capacity-building,” he said. “Between and amongst us, there are appropriate technologies” that with adequate financing and promotion can solve the problems created by a changing climate. 

Next steps 

In summarizing the two days of discussions, PWS&D’s Guy Smagghe began by noting that “our Earth is a temple that has become a marketplace. We need to bring it to another level.” He pointed to some key threads in the consultation, such as building consortia and encouraging effective youth involvement, and to issues that need more exploration, such as Indigenous knowledge and appropriate technologies. He noted that some of these issues can be brought to ACT Alliance.  

“We are challenged,” Smagghe said, “to strengthen the livelihoods of people now facing climate change impacts that destroy their livelihoods.” Finally, he said “We need to digest the input of all who contributed during the last few days … This is just opening the door to trying to make a greater difference together.”  

There is a famous statement by Malcolm X, “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare today.” This statement is especially true for the ACT Alliance Youth CoP, as education and capacity building was a recurring theme in the discourse and dialogues on the third day of the 2021 ACT Electronic General Assembly. Fernanda Zúñiga, a young climate activist with LWF said, “mobilizing young people to be involved and empowering them to participate in negotiations and creation of policy will ensure knowledge is gained by listening and retained  by practising.”

Are there opportunities for youth In climate justice? The youth are especially excited by the commitment of Matias Söderberg, co-chair of the ACT Climate Justice Reference Group, who said the group is committed to work with the youth. This is a good place to begin; creating a network which will provide a platform for learning, exchanging ideas and participating. A good suggestion was brought forth to establish a programme in the ACT secretariat to involve the youth and member organizations in Climate Justice to drive this agenda and Climate Justice advocacy.

Marcelo Leites of WCSF said, “There is a need for a radical change, because young people are not only the future but the present.” As ACT identifies the opportunities to involve youth, “We have to establish that there is no climate justice without social justice” he said, “because young people are the most impacted by climate change effects and many times they are left with no dignity.”

It is a win that the youth are already doing the basics, “Planting trees, saving water, restoring water bodies and taking personal responsibilities to preserve and restore the environment.” It is a first step of many towards the change we want for planet Earth. 

There come moments in every generation, when the Lord reintroduces Himself to a generation and amplifies His message (William McDowell). For Climate Action, the moment is now. The youth are awake and aware of the need to be in the frontline and they will be instrumental, but only if guided and supported to channel their energy wisely.

In the 2021 assembly, we have laid the foundation through the intergenerational dialogues. Let it advance to intergenerational action with those that went before us mentoring us, imparting knowledge and creating space for youth on the boards, reference groups and communities of practice to strengthen youth engagement and build youth synergy. In Kenya, we say, “Umoja ni nguvu, utengano ni udhaifu,” which means, coming together as individuals, strengthens us to achieve what we set out to do.  Together we can make climate justice a reality!

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Irene Sebastian-Waweru. Youth Volunteer with Anglican Development Services a member of ACT Alliance Kenya Forum. Currently co-chair ACT Alliance Kenya Forum and ACT Africa Youth CoPs.

Birgitte Qvist-Sørensen reflects on her 3 years as ACT Alliance Moderator as her term comes to an end.  She is General Secretary of DanChurchAid.

Please share a few highlights from your 3-year term as Moderator. 

A regular feature of governance meetings included reflecting on the external context, and how the Alliance can adapt and respond in a rapidly changing world to remain relevant, cohesive, effective and accountable.  

ACT Alliance is in a very exciting time, where important changes are taking place in many areas and on many fronts. These changes range from new partnerships to a more proactive engagement in humanitarian response. At the same time, the Alliance faces financial challenges that need to be addressed. These challenges require ongoing revision of approaches, structures and procedures, all designed to promote cohesiveness, relevance and effectiveness.  This will benefit not only the Alliance, but also its individual members. 

The revised model for membership, also called the “engagement model,” came into effect January 1, 2020. In 2019 the Governing Board, with the support of the Membership and Nominations Committee and the Secretariat, began to further develop an implementation plan for the revised membership model. Although the new model improved members’ active engagement in the Alliance, it also presented some challenges. 

In May 2021, the revised ACT Humanitarian Policy was approved by the Governing Board. Planned improvements in enabling mechanisms, such as ACT Appeals, the Global Rapid Response Fund and the Emergency Preparedness and Response Plans, are scheduled to roll out beginning in 2022.  

We also implemented a system of “reporting back” to respective regional members on important decisions made by the Governing Board. In this way, ACT members were given the opportunity to share views and insights on important matters affecting the life of the Alliance.  

One major decision was adding two Youth seats on the Governing Board, which I am personally very happy about. These were filled in the first half of 2021. 

What were some of the challenges the Board overcame during your tenure, and how? 

In June 2019 the ACT Secretariat started a discussion with key funding members of the Alliance to address its unstable and unpredictable financial situation.  

A revised funding model for the Secretariat was produced and presented to the CEOs of the member organizations. It provided concrete and constructive feedback and requested reconsideration of the ambitious timeline to put the new model in place despite the urgency of its critical financial instability and the inherent risk of the current funding model.  

The ACT Governing Board endorsed the direction of the proposal and encouraged continued discussions with funding members in order to have a sustainable and predictable model in place considering the financial challenges that the main funding members are currently facing. 

What advice do you have for the next Moderator? 

Recognise the competencies and skills in the Board – this is a joint effort, and everyone wants to contribute. 

And recognise the amazing work of the Secretariat – they work hard, find solutions to challenges, and demonstrate a high degree of responsibility. 

The 2021 ACT Electronic General Assembly, which began on 29/11/2021, was ACT’s first Electronic General Assembly in this format, an online meeting that guaranteed increased participation with member organizations able to invite more staff and workers to participate from around the world. This year’s assembly saw more youth participate not only as delegates but also as moderators, panelists and contributors.

The assembly included an intergenerational panel dialogue on the topic of Youth and Climate Justice, a cross-cutting theme running throughout the assembly’s programme. “We have diverse views on worship as a religion but as Christians, we have the same calling to environmental stewardship,” introduced Collins Shava, Executive Officer for Youth from the All Africa Conference of Churches, who was moderating the session. His statement was echoed by Patricia Mungcal, a youth climate activist from the Philippines, “Faith translates to values and values translate to action.” It is this action that the youth are demanding not only in words but also through activities including organized strikes such as the #fridaysforfuture.

“The Seas are rising and so are we”, said Patricia, the ACT global Youth CoP co-chair, as she gave a case study of the solutions she has witnessed in the Philippines where individuals in the grassroots are taking localized actions to adaptation and mitigation of climate change. She urged young people to “rise up from participating as a token to participating in decision making, policy making and strategies”. The youth bring energy and innovation and it can be channeled into positive outcomes in the fight towards climate justice but only when “the youth are educated and empowered with knowledge to equip them for Climate Justice work.”

Capacity building is vital to impart knowledge to the youth, as knowledge is power. Knowledge on policy or best practices is a lever for a youth in any part of the world to use as a climate justice champion. Romario Andrés Dohmann, youth coordinator of the Evangelical Church of Rio de la Plata in Argentina, said, “Climate change affects all but not the same way,” Romario is a member of the Young Reformers program of the Lutheran World Federation. He is responsible for the program Crece Selva Misionera, an initiative that aims at mitigating climate change effects with the reforestation of native rainforests, coordinated by Fundación Hora de Obrar. He continued, “there is no climate justice without social justice hence the need to put in place policies to protect the vulnerable.” Knowledge will help to elevate and empower the youth to participate in all levels of climate justice.

Matias Söderberg, co-chair of the ACT Climate Justice Reference Group said the group is committed to work with the youth and other member organizations and that “there is still hope, there is always a possibility to make changes. Let us lean on our faith in God as a people and an organization.” He continued, “Youth calling for action now gives me hope as it shows that they are engaged for today and for the future.”

Prof. Dr Cornelia Füllkrug-Weitzel, ACT Goodwill Ambassador for Climate Justice, added “Let us spread the hope to the youth at the grassroots and in vulnerable communities who are in despair, to involve and mobilize them to participate in their own ways in their communities.”

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Irene Sebastian-Waweru. Youth Volunteer with Anglican Development Services a member of ACT Alliance Kenya Forum. Currently co-chair ACT Alliance Kenya Forum and ACT Africa Youth CoPs.

The Action by Churches Together (ACT) Alliance began its Electronic General Assembly on November 29, 2021. Over 270 representatives will elect a new governing board, officers, and membership and nominations committee for the alliance, as well as engaging in discussion on a range of issues.

There will be a particular focus on the issue of youth and climate justice, with an intergenerational panel discussion on the 29th kicking off further discussions through the week.

The assembly is taking place virtually, allowing for greater participation from around the world, including the opportunity for all 137 ACT members to send a youth observer to the event. The virtual nature of the assembly is by design, rather than in response to COVID-19 restrictions. ACT’s general assemblies take place every 6 years in person with a virtual assembly at the midpoint between presential assemblies. 2021 marks the first such virtual assembly.

“In the next days, our members will be gathered in this virtual space to discern, discuss and deliberate on issues that require our action as Christians and faith-based organizations,” said Birgitte Qvist-Sørenson, moderator of the ACT Alliance governing board. “And we do that when the world is affected by war and humanitarian crises, sectarianism and violent extremism, by poverty and inequalities, by climate change and environmental degradation.”

Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, ACT Alliance’s general secretary, underscored the challenges facing the world but also ACT’s role in helping to address those challenges. “We are entering a unique window of opportunity to build a new social contract that honours the dignity of every human being, we cannot ignore the opportunity for faith-based organizations to offer insights and an ethical compass to help inform all those who are determining the future of humanity, global relations, and priorities of societies,” he said.

“When ACT Alliance was formed, many referred to the WCC as its parent,” said Rev. Prof. Dr. Ioan Souca, acting general secretary of the World Council of Churches in his opening remarks. “Today we are siblings, serving the churches side-by-side as an expression of unity and common witness.”

“As we look to the future, discerning together how best to serve God’s justice and peace in the world, I pray that the conversations during this assembly will inspire the members and sharpen the mandate of the ACT Alliance,” concluded Father Sauca.

The elections will take place on Friday, December 3, and the newly elected governing board will have its first meeting immediately after the closing plenary session.

Media contact:
Simon Chambers
Director of Communications
+1-416-435-0972
Simon.chambers@actalliance.org