The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) has embarked on a wide-ranging Season of Creation campaign this year. Thanks to their efforts, the Season of Creation Celebration Guide has been translated into Arabic, and is available on their website along with Spanish and English versions. MECC is also planning a series of activities to mark the Season of Creation, which begins September 1, the Day of Prayer for Creation, and ends October 4, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology.

“Our campaign includes prayer services in the entire Middle East with Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon as highlights,” says Rev. Dr. Rima Nasrallah of MECC’s Eco-Justice Unit and a member of ACT’s Governing Board. “There are also youth-oriented activities and forestation projects.”  Short videos, podcasts and interviews will be aired on regional television and social media.

To find out more about Middle East Season of Creation activities, follow the hashtag  #SeasonOfCreationME on Twitter (MECC, @MECChurches) and Facebook (@MECChurches). ACT’s Twitter account will share MECC’s Season of Creation activities.

The Season of Creation begins on September 1 with a global prayer service streamed on YouTube  (English: ask to be notified here; Spanish; Italian and other languages). The Season of Creation Celebration Guide is available in several languages in addition to Arabic through the pulldown menu of languages on the Season of Creation homepage. Churches around the world are engaged in hosting activities, which you can read about here.

The 2021 ACT Alliance Annual Report is now available in English, French and Spanish.

“The Alliance has a unique ability to hold space for difficult discussions within the ecumenical movement, and to listen deeply to communities which have been silenced,” says Rudelmar Bueno da Faria, ACT General Secretary in his message. “Our common ground is rooted in our diakonal involvement and our faith. This gives us the energy we need to face the challenges of our time.”

This issue features special interviews on ACT’s gender and humanitarian programmes along with reports on the Electronic General Assembly, ACT governing board elections, ACT Goodwill Ambassadors and youth engagement. Read about the work of the ACT regions and  the 2021 activities of the Climate Justice, Migration and Displacement and other ACT programmes.

We hope you enjoy this review of 2021.

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By Christian Wolff  

ACT Alliance and its members participated in the International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) in New York this spring. We spoke to Mercedes Perez of Honduras ACT member CASM (Mennonite Social Action Committee) about the impact of climate change on migrant women in Central America, and about the results of the IMRF. CASM assists returning migrant women with skills training and reintegration. They also work with national authorities on disaster response, often with support of ACT appeals. 

Central America, especially Honduras, is highly vulnerable to climate change. In addition to hurricanes, communities suffer from droughts and floods. Mining concessions and Honduras’ form of development contribute to communities’ displacement from their lands. Once rural communities, particularly Indigenous ones, lose their livelihoods they try to migrate. A significant number of migrants are unsuccessful and forced to return. Returning migrant women, especially Indigenous women, are often unable to recover their land. They suffer the most from the plundering of natural resources and the absence of land rights. 

This is an edited version of the interview, which can be found at the end of this article.  

Climate change and women’s migration 

Mercedes: Because of its geographic location Honduras is very vulnerable to the effects of climate change, as is all Central America, but Honduras is most affected by storms. Families who have lost their livelihoods, have joined the famous migratory caravans, which are now much larger and stronger. 

Climate change has led to more frequent and more intense natural disasters. This has had a direct impact on people, primarily women and their families. They are forced to look for a migratory route. Most of them chase the American dream.  

The policies of our countries don’t respond fairly to people’s needs. Every day we see women and families lose their livelihoods.  

Little protection for migrants 

When women go on that migration route, they are exposed to human trafficking. The risk is high. A family, a woman, obliged to leave our country, is at high risk because they have no protection system, and they may end up in prostitution. Boys and girls on that route are also at high risk.  

We ask countries to provide more protection and some humanitarian aid. We want the United States to provide work visas and regularise the status of migrants affected by the storms Eta and Iota so they can work there and recover the livelihoods they lost.  

International Migration Review Forum 

At this Forum we talked about the review; about progress on agreed objectives for a safe, orderly and legalised migration; about climate change; and about states’ commitments. We believe it is rhetoric.  

Much more is needed; more commitment as well as more investment. Above all, the industrialised countries, these powers which most harm the planet, should make commitments to the so-called Third World populations.  

Mining increases migration 

In these underdeveloped countries communities have always cared for their environment. But governments are the main ones that have been selling our territories.  

In Honduras, many families are displaced by mining concessions and open-pit mining. Some areas are being sold as special employment and economic development zones. Indigenous peoples, the ones who have looked after these areas, are forced to migrate. There is more economic interest in exploiting resources than in protecting the planet. 

We have protected these resources, and now we are the most affected. The great powers are not interested in protecting them.  

Looking forward 

They could give carbon credits to those who preserve the environment, to provide a living for them. If I live in a region with a big, beautiful forest and I look after it, someone could compensate me for protecting it. There’s a long way to go. We need a serious commitment from governments. 

We need stronger partnerships, solid commitments and guarantees that investments will reach the people. Women must be able to reclaim their land and Indigenous peoples to use resources responsibly. 

Harmony with nature 

We could have harmony in the world and with nature. We could narrow existing gaps, the clear gap between women, Indigenous peoples, youth and the effects of climate change. These gaps should be narrowing, but they grow wider every day. 

Our approach at CASM will always be protecting people and the environment and establishing a direct relationship with governments and other agencies to increase our effectiveness. We commitment is to children, women, subsistence farmers and people living at the margins who need assistance.  

Christian Wolff is the ACT Alliance Programme Manager for Migration and Displacement

<div style=”padding:56.25% 0 0 0;position:relative;”><iframe src=”https://player.vimeo.com/video/735893702?h=26a54ae22c&amp;badge=0&amp;autopause=0&amp;player_id=0&amp;app_id=58479″ frameborder=”0″ allow=”autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture” allowfullscreen style=”position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;” title=”Migration, climate and gender in Honduras”></iframe></div><script src=”https://player.vimeo.com/api/player.js”></script>

From 18th-20th July , The ACT Angola forum convened a regional  drought and hunger southern region advocacy conference which was held in Lubango, Huila province. The conference was aimed at addressing the prolonged drought in Angola’s southern region provinces of Namibe, Huila, Cunene and Cuando Cubango provinces. As food stocks are depleting, the situation has deteriorated and it is predicted to  worsen during the next lean season when traditionally food stocks run low. Humanitarian assistance  until the next harvest is  therefore needed to prevent further deterioration. 

“When I wake up every morning, I see people gathering at our local church. They say the only place they feel safe, respected and receive something is at the church. I receive a lot of people, especially the elderly, women and children” says the Catholic priest ,Father Jacinto Pio, at Chiange local church in Huila province. They say “we have faith and hope but our flesh is weak”. I remember when I advocated to the ACT Angola forum in mid-2012 when the crisis started, to visit the southern region to see for themselves.  “we managed to do something together as faith-based organizations who put the vulnerable communities at the Centre of all what we do”.

We have established a coalition of civil society organizations “Plataforma Sul” which is monitoring and advocating with well-wishers and the government to accept and recognize this situation as a humanitarian crisis. The impacts of drought will not end  in five years . People need immediate support in all sectors to ensure safeguarding their livelihood and remain in their areas of origin.

Every year between June and December,  people  move within the province, outside the province and migrate to neighboring countries in Zambia and Namibia. The elderly and women are left behind after their children and family members migrate. This situation leaves to be more vulnerable to all sorts suffering. These people need immediate support and protection. Children stop schooling to go and search for food and water, and even look after their parents.

The situation has not improved but worsened extending to other provinces of Namibe and Cuando Cubango. The central region has been hit also since last year. “Let us not joke with climate change and its impact. Let us protect the creation so that in turn we live peace with it. This is our obligation instructed by God in the Bible”, says the Catholic priest  during the drought and hunger southern region advocacy conference supported by ACT Angola Forum in July held  in Lubango, Huila province.

The ACT forum members in Angola are  appealing for more support and funding to support vulnerable communities affected by the prolonged drought. The main sectors are food security, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Livelihoods, Preparedness and Prevention, Shelter and Households NFI, Gender and Advocacy.

written by Mr. Abrao Mushivi ,National Country Director for LWF Angola and ACT Angola forum Appeal Lead

Angola is experiencing the worst drought in 40 years resulting in poor harvests and rising food prices have resulted in an acute food insecurity in Angola’s southern region provinces of Namibe, Huila, Cunene and Cuando Cubango provinces. As food stocks are depleting, the situation has deteriorated and will likely worsen during the next lean season when traditionally food stocks run low. Humanitarian assistance is until the next harvest is needed to prevent further deterioration. Since January 2021, an estimated 3.81 million people have been reported to have insufficient food consumption in the six southern provinces of the country, namely Cunene, Huíla, Namibe, Huambo, Benguela and Cuanza Sul. Angola’s main IDP camp in Kaluheke, Cunene province received more than 7,800 people after months of hunger and water shortage in their respective areas. Another estimate of 16,000 people those that were repatriated from the Republic of Namibia.

“We are in the middle of hunger crisis. Drought impact and hunger is not a story but something visible to everybody” says the Provincial Vice Governor during the southern region conference opening speech in Lubango, Huila province southern Angola. This is the third regional conference after two others which were conducted in the south and at national level in Luanda  in March  and October 2021 respectively. All these conferences have been conducted by the Angolan civil society organizations (Plataforma Sul) a network/coalition composed of several CSOs supported by LWF Angola.

The Lutheran World Federation, (LWF), Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) and the Council of Christian Churches in Angola (Conselho de Igrejas Cristã em Angola – CICA) are members of the ACT Angola Forum. The two organizations (LWF and NCA) have well established programmes in Angola and share a vision of fighting poverty and exclusion by working with local  churches and rights-based approaches and to promote a life with dignity for all.

On 1st April 2022, the ACT Angola Forum  launched an appeal (ANG-221) for joint efforts towards responding to the drought impact crisis, strengthening of civil society organisations,  faith-based institutions and local leaderships including government institutions. The ACT Angola Forum Drought Appeal under ACT Alliance appeal mechanism is implemented by the Lutheran World Federation, Norwegian Church Aid and Conselho das Igrejas Cristã em Angola (CICA).

The main response sectors are food security, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Livelihoods, Preparedness and Prevention, Shelter and Households NFI, Gender and Advocacy.

Read more about the ACT Appeal for Angola Drought Response  and consider supporting. 
Article  by Mr. Abrao Mushivi ,National Country Director for LWF Angola and ACT Angola forum Appeal Lead

ACT’s general secretary, Rudelmar Bueno de Faria joined a delegation from the World Council of Churches (WCC) visited Syria for the first time since 2008, expressing solidarity with Christians and with all people facing the struggle for a presence and witness in their land.

The delegation, led by WCC acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, also included Dr Michel Abs, secretary general of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)  and Michel Nseir, WCC senior advisor for peace building. 

They met with heads of WCC and ACT member MECC member churches, and visited restored churches and schools as well as development projects and community and health centres in Old Aleppo and in Damascus.

After the visit, Bueno de Faria said, “After 11 years of war, the Syria crisis is characterized by unparalleled suffering and humanitarian needs. Economic distress caused by the sanctions is affecting ordinary people, especially youth and the elderly.“

He added, “Churches and church-related organizations are providing humanitarian assistance, but urgent political decisions and actions are needed to revert the suffering of the Syrian people. Human dignity needs to be restored in Syria.”

Sauca said the WCC stood in solidarity with Christians in Syria and in the whole region as they struggle continuously to keep a living faith in the midst of unprecedented challenges that threaten their presence and witness. “There should be an ecumenical effort to support them in their steadfastness,” said Sauca. “One of the major challenges particularly felt by Christians in Syria is that being fewer in number makes them more vulnerable than other communities in facing common challenges in their societies.”

Young people are migrating to look for a better future abroad, said Sauca, a tide that churches and humanitarian groups could help turn around. “Christians in Syria have developed institutions that specialise in humanitarian and development fields that are serving all people without any discrimination,” he said. “In addition to the schools, medical, health and community centres, psycho-social services are provided, and small businesses are supported.”

The delegation also saw that many destroyed churches and schools have been rebuilt. “This contributes to encourage people to remain steadfast in their land,” said Sauca.

Dr Michel Abs, secretary general of the Middle East Council of Churches, stressed “the need for a meeting between spiritual leaders at the local, diocesan and pastoral levels, aiming at increasing the level of interaction between churches and coordinating their activities.“

This story is based on the WCC’s release here: https://www.oikoumene.org/news/wcc-delegation-visits-syria-expresses-solidarity-with-those-who-remain-steadfast-in-their-land.

In June 2022, ACT Alliance members in Lebanon convened for a two-day training course on the Core Humanitarian Standard. Rizwan Iqbal, Global Quality and Accountability Officer, led the workshop for 14 participants, and was supported by Interim MENA Regional Representative, George Majaj.

The energising course gave participants a deeper understanding of the Humanitarian Principles, Code of Conduct, Complaint Response Mechanisms and the Structure of the Core Humanitarian Standard. With a number of participatory elements, members were able to discuss and apply these principles and standards to their context.

Participants reflected on the contextual challenges of implementation in Lebanon. In a country where a number of complex and intersecting crises are being experienced, the workshop emphasised how CHS can provide a framework for ensuring key actions and organisational responsibilities are delivered.

The practical sessions provided the foundations for ACT members to further integrate and implement Humanitarian Principles and CHS into their project cycles. 

ACT Board Member, Dr. Rima Nasrallah, joined the workshop on the second day to further emphasise the importance of Quality and Accountability in the work of the ACT Alliance. As Rizwan Iqbal underscored, “we are working with humans” and thus quality and accountability cannot be reduced to a ‘tick box’ exercise. The Core Humanitarian Standard is a framework, which promotes a process that puts the communities that we serve at the heart of humanitarianism.

You can visit the Core Humanitarian Standard Fabo page for a short introduction and online training module: https://fabo.org/dca/Core_Humanitarian_Standard_Training_Course .