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ACT Alliance Statement on the Announcement of a Ceasefire agreement in Gaza

After 471 days of relentless violence, devastation and investigations around the claims of genocide1 in Gaza, ACT Alliance welcomes the announcement of a ceasefire agreement. We also express our satisfaction with the agreement to release the detainees and hostages that have been held captive by both parties. We thank all those who supported the demand for a ceasefire and the respect of humanitarian principles and human rights for all civilians. This emerging agreement marks a critical first step towards an end to the war, the loss of lives and the widespread suffering.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to the countless families who have lost loved ones and to those who have been displaced or injured. The toll of this prolonged conflict has been profound, affecting every aspect of life, including access to essential services, education, and basic human dignity. This moment of respite must be a time for reflection, solidarity, and urgent action. We underscore the need for a long term and sustained ceasefire that ensures peace, security and justice in the region.

ACT Alliance urges the international community to maintain pressure on all parties to respect the agreement and not to violate it to keep hope for a better future alive. All parties should abide by the agreement after completion of the first phase. All possible efforts must be made to keep the borders open for humanitarian assistance and peoples’ movement from and to Gaza. We reiterate our position that violence and aggression cannot build peace; the only path to peace and security is through justice that upholds the Palestinian people’s rights, especially their right to self-determination. This is a call to not only support the immediate cessation of violence but also to address the profound injustices and root causes of this conflict. The world must ensure that the people of Gaza are not once again abandoned in their time of greatest need but are instead met with compassion, solidarity, and the means to rebuild their lives.
The future is vague and unclear. The scale of destruction is staggering, Homes, schools, hospitals, and vital infrastructure have been obliterated, leaving survivors to navigate a landscape of grief and ruin. As families begin to return to what remains of their homes, they are confronted with the harrowing reality of loss—the absence of their loved ones, the trauma of violence, and the daunting task of rebuilding their lives from the ashes. This moment of respite must be a time for reflection, solidarity, and urgent action. As faith-based organizations, we maintain hope and faith in this process, and we will work alongside the Palestinian people to restore and rebuild.

We call on all governments and donors to direct funds reflecting the extent of the destruction, to help the reconstruction of Gaza and support its people to build a future of hope.

Today, as the smoke begins to settle, the air is heavy with cautious relief and extreme grief. This is not the end—it is the beginning. The time has come to rise, to rebuild, and to save what remains of Gaza. The tears of the grieving oblige us to act, now more than ever. This ceasefire brings much-needed relief to the people of Gaza, who have endured unimaginable hardship and destruction during this war.

Why COP matters – ACT members speak

Photo: Simon Chambers/ACT

Many of us are familiar with comments from members, allies and friends along the lines of “Why bother with COP? There are so few results. It’s inefficient and slow.” Or “With so much participation by oil and gas companies at COPs, is it still worth going as civil society?” We invited members’ thoughts on why the global UNFCCC climate conference matters. Their responses below might help you answer similar questions in future.

As frustrating as the COPs can be, and as slow as they seem in making substantive progress on tackling the climate emergency, members’ responses give a range of reasons for continued engagement on the part of the ecumenical movement and other civil society organisations.

ACT’s engagement with the global climate processes is driven by our humanitarian work and the impact of climate change our members have seen in vulnerable communities – the climate crisis makes everything worse for those communities and risks the gains of decades of development progress.

Why go?

Graham Gordon, head of Global Advocacy and Policy at ACT member Christian Aid recently summarized key reasons for civil society and faith-based organisations to stay involved in a LinkedIn article here.

First, he says, COPs help bring both the world’s and key political actors’ attention to major climate issues for the two weeks. He points to the example of Tuvalu’s prime minister standing knee deep in water to talk about rising waters caused by a changing climate. The mainstream media attention at COPs also gives activists a platform to draw attention to issues such as the amount spent by developed countries on fossil fuel subsidies.

“It is a chance for decision-makers to interact with those at the sharp end of climate change and step up their actions … COPs do bring bilateral and multilateral commitments,” he adds. These have included a commitment to 1.5 Celsius and to national climate change plans (NDCs).

As well, he notes, faith-based actors who attend COPs join with all those calling for climate justice. “We stand in solidarity, recognising that we are not calling for charity, but for wealthy nations to accept their historical responsibility for the climate impacts and to take action that is needed,” he says.

Youth perspectives: “our future at risk”

In their recent ACT News article, Rosa Pedersen and Sofie Pultz, climate assistants at DanChurchAid, said:

“Without NGOs, researchers, and activists relentlessly holding leaders accountable [at COP29], the outcomes would have been even weaker … if civil society steps away, who is left? Fossil fuel lobbyists and indecisive politicians? That’s a scenario we cannot accept…it’s the only global political forum we have for coordinated climate action. Without it, the future becomes even more uncertain, even more vulnerable…As young climate delegates, we know the stakes. This is our future at risk.”

Learning as citizens of the world

Frank M. Mbilinyi of the Evangelical Lutheran Church In Tanzania (ELCT) noted the impact his COP experiences have on his teaching and his students.

“Two of my students asked me: ‘Why are you busy with COP29 and you are not an international leader, how can your voice be heard from where you are?’ I explained my position as a youth to learn more from experienced people, activists and leaders from different big and small institutions….Through C0P29 I have a chance to share my perspectives from an educational point of view on matters like adaptation, mitigation and gender. My experience of observing how matters are handled during COP29 negotiations on climate finance and how questions are being asked gives me power and strength to keep teaching students on climate change. And to advocate for change.”

Collins Omondi Omundu, Advocacy Officer for LWF’s Kenya-Somalia Country Programme notes:

“In addressing climate change and doing advocacy on climate justice, we all need in our programming and in our personal capacities to be part of the conversation. We are a part of our communities and citizens of the world and thus have an obligation to contribute to such discourses which affects people across religions, nationalities and social class no matter their circumstances.”

“As we work around our programming, we influence the policies and demand for accountability on concrete actions on addressing climate change in an effort to make the world a better place for the human race to enjoy optimal life. We can only enrich what we do by including best practices of what works from such gatherings as COP29.”

As people of faith

ACT participates in COPs as part of a larger ecumenical delegation which includes ACT members and partners, including the World Council of Churches. ACT brings a faith-based perspective to its engagement in the climate conferences, as those below note. Not only that, it is a way of acting upon our Christian beliefs and Gospel teachings, including that all are made in the image of God.

Lizzy Harnett, COP29 delegate for the Episcopal Church, USA:

“The energy transition is already underway, and we should not give up hope or discount the progress made in the last 30 years of COPs. The Paris Agreement from COP21, for example, has transformed the narrative and expectation on climate change mitigation and adaptation. Yet, we know there is so much more to do. We must ensure that the climate actions being taken by governments, companies and civil society reflect the needs of the most vulnerable and most at-risk countries and communities.”

“Although imperfect, the COP process is the best avenue for such conversations and consensus on a global scale. Joining with our brothers and sisters from around the world to unite for the better stewarding of God’s creation is a source of great hope and responsibility, and a truly unique opportunity to witness for and contribute to climate action.”

Rev. Fred Milligan, Presbyterians for Earthcare, USA:

“People of faith must become engaged in the conversation around climate change if ever religious leaders or the leaders of our international and national governments are to act in meaningful ways for climate justice. As climate change is a global phenomenon, this engagement must necessarily include opportunities such as the annual COPs.”

“These gatherings enable us to coordinate with and learn from members of the global community of faith and other partners of good will as well as the scientific community and political leaders. They help us to inspire and be inspired to continue the struggle for the sake of both current and future generations and other forms of life.”

Rev. Matthew Zemanick, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) / LWF:

“Frankly, I am still wrestling with the question of why we participate in COPs. When I worked at a grassroots, local-led environmental justice NGO, this was a question my colleagues and I would ask those going. Now working in the context of directing an international program which facilitates the ELCA’s disaster risk reduction and mental health and psychosocial support work, I would answer my own question with three reasons:

The Church has an obligation to ensure needs are met, especially those of society’s most vulnerable, including with the government.
COP is the only international forum among those with power to mobilise collective resources to address the needs to mitigate, adapt, and respond to the climate emergency.
People of faith from frontline communities have expressed a profound need for emotional and spiritual support. Faith leaders provide an invaluable ministry of presence as an expression of giving solidarity with all crying for justice.

Rvdo. Richard Acosta Rodríguez, La Iglesia Episcopal:

“COP no ha sido lo mejor ni lo que se esperaba, pero es lo que hay, es decir, sigue siendo el espacio más propicio de participación y de elevar la voz ante las naciones y líderes del mundo en favor de las voces sufrientes del mundo que no son escuchadas y en favor de los seres de la creación que no tienen voz o cuya voz no es entendible en lenguajes humanos y que también están clamando al cielo.

El Hijo de Dios se encarnó, se hizo creación, la asumió; es decir, en su designio salvador tomó la forma de criatura. También, como cristianos, debemos asumir los dramas y las realidades humanas y las del mundo, por tanto debemos aprovechar los espacios brindados, así a veces parezca que se nada contra la corriente.

Aunque realizamos nuestro trabajo en pequeñas congregaciones o desde nuestras diócesis, a veces ese trabajo no tiene la repercusión esperada (al punto de ser llamados “gigantes dormidos”). Sí se está trabajando, se está creando consciencia, se están moviendo corazones, pero esa voz a veces tiene que hacerse escuchar desde las instancias más altas como voz profética que grita en el desierto. Sí, debemos aprovechar esos espacios y plantar la perspectiva cristiana, la de la vida, la justicia, la de la mayordomía con la creación. Debemos gritar al mundo que estamos llamados a administrar, no a depredar; estamos llamados a cuidar a imagen y semejanza del Dios de la vida y la armonía. No nos podemos callar aunque el Goliat se vea difícil de derrotar.”

A vital forum for all countries to come together

The COPs remain one of the few places where countries of the world come together to negotiate a crucial issue. This has far reaching effects, some of which are only clear after the dust of the event has settled.

Robin Okumu, COP29 delegate for The Episcopal Church, USA:

“While sometimes the formalities of parliamentary procedure can ring of hollow rhetoric, COP is still very important for giving visibility and voice to all parties – allowing everyone to speak – especially the least developed countries and small island states.

In our world filled with shouting and noise, the COP structure itself sends a powerful message. We, from the Global North, have a unique chance to hear from the voices of the Global South. This helps counter growing isolationist mindsets, as it broadens our perspective, widens our understanding of what is happening across the world, and sows the seeds of empathy for those suffering the worst effects of climate change.

The pavilion spaces at COP are especially exciting – the Faith Pavilion, for example, brings together people from different traditions across the world united under a common goal. Pavilion spaces like this bring humanity and hope. They balance large scale, dry discussions with a necessary spirit of compassion and interconnectedness. They underscore the moral and ethical dimensions of this crisis, and remind us of our humanity and hope. COP allows parties to collaborate in all their diversity and to work towards unity. Even though it’s imperfect and progress can be very slow, COP still provides the vital forum where the world’s countries come together to discuss the climate crisis.”

Blog: Climate change threatens community cohesion

By Collins Shava

On the 30^th of November 2024, my paternal grandfather Sekuru Shava, “VaChibvoora,” gave up life on earth to embark on a journey to the ancestors. He was approximately 92 recorded years old. If you had seen him walking, you would think he had a 25 year-old engine in his body. He was physically and mentally sharp. He could walk for more than 20km in a day, and he would remember a promise you made to him three years ago. We laid him to rest on the 3^rd of December 2024. May his soul rest in peace. I will forever miss him.

I write this blog as a tribute to his life. It is the stories he told me that triggered my interest to further understand climate change issues from a community perspective. He had vivid memories of life 50 to 60 years ago. He told me that about 70 years ago the place we call our rural homestead was a huge wetland that would sometimes flood. They resettled there during the years of the war in the 1970s when the place started drying up. There are traces of a small river that passes just outside the homestead, but now it only flows when there are good rains.

With the drying up of the area and increase in temperatures, rain is now a scarce resource. They are less each year. This puts the 200,000 people who live in the Mberengwa district at risk, as most depend on rain-fed agriculture. Another drought year will be devastating. When I was there, I saw a community on the brink of experiencing some of the worst effects of climate change, and they are not ready.

Do they know?

As we completed the rituals of burying my grandfather, the village head (Sabhuku) opened up a platform during the funeral gathering for announcements. This was an opportunity for whoever wanted to send a message to everyone as the mourners came from different parts of the villages. One elderly man stood up and in an angry voice shouted “tinoda kuita musangano wemasabhuku ese pamutamba nemugovera. Tinoda kutaura Nyaya yekusanaya kwemvura, chirikuita kuti mvura isanaya, hunhubu hwe vanhu.” (“We want to have a meeting with all villages heads at the Mutamba Tree this coming Saturday. We need to discuss the issues of the rains, because we think it’s the mischief of our people that is causing the rains not to come.”) His message was not well received by the community. The village head who was the master of ceremonies ignored him.

Although no one seemed to pay attention, I was sitting close to him and the other nearby elders. They were whispering in support of his call and they felt outnumbered. It crossed my mind that the effects of climate change may not only have an impact on people’s livelihoods but will influence social and community cohesion, as people have different beliefs about what is happening. A group of elders believe it is because young people of today are so mischievous that the gods are angry with the community. It is their belief, as they can attest and refer to the past. Whether it was by coincidence or it in fact happened that rains did not occur when people were mischievous in the past remains a mystery that needs to be told.

According to science and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports, the future holds hotter and dryer conditions across Southern Africa, Zimbabwe included. Dr Elisha Moyo and his colleagues did a study a few years ago on future climate simulations over Zvishavane, Zimbabwe, about 50 kilometres from Murongwe, Mberengwa, our reference point in this blog. The study indicates a hotter and dryer climate over the coming years.

A conversation that could divide communities

I am intrigued by community elders’ understanding of what is happening. It is unfair to suggest that their voices represent what the whole community believes in. But the fact that some believe that others are causing the absence of rain shows there is a conversation that threatens to further divide communities over issues that the community has no control over. I also imagine that during drought, people are trying to defend themselves and preserve whatever is available to them and their families. Selfishness already exists, and it will be further cemented with beliefs of such a nature.

The collective goal of the UNFCCC programme Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) is to empower all members of society to engage in climate action through six elements. These include climate change education and public awareness, and public access to information. While I appreciate the work done by the national government, there is a need to accelerate further climate change education, particularly in rural communities and hard to reach areas. The idea is not only to teach but to integrate existing knowledge and align it with current issues informed by science.

Elders custodians of indigenous knowledge

There is value that rural communities and elders can bring to the table. They are the custodians of our country’s indigenous knowledge. We can tap into this in addressing climate change issues. Inside the bag of indigenous knowledge lie solutions and ideas for community adaptation strategies that are unique and conform to the needs of the community. There is a need to integrate such knowledge into the country’s national adaptation plans, aligned to the dictates of science.

In the spirit of leaving no one behind, responsible authorities, development partners, and climate finance holders need to focus on building the adaptive capacity of communities that are already feeling the effects of climate change. At the same time, climate education is needed to reach every person. This will go a long way in debunking some of the myths and mysteries, while aligning people’s knowledge to the current science. In this way, we can build whole communities that collectively identify a problem, solve it and define ways to adapt to the current climate crises together.

Collins Shava of Zimbabwe is co-chair of ACT’s Climate Justice campaigns and communications group. The photo is provided by Collins and shows him with his grandfather.

A message from the ACT Alliance Syria Members

We, the ACT Alliance Syria members remain steadfast in our commitment to serving the Syrian people during these critical times. On the ground across Syria, our members are monitoring the situation closely, ensuring that the safety of staff and rights holders remains our top priority. Guided by our mission of humanity, we continue to serve the most vulnerable with unwavering dedication.

Today, Syria stands at a pivotal crossroad—a moment that requires wisdom, solidarity, and unity. The future must reflect the aspirations and dignity of every Syrian and embrace democracy, justice and hope to build a country that respects human rights and the principle of equal citizenship.

As the nation navigates this transformative chapter, ACT Alliance members call upon all stakeholders—local, regional, and international and its ACT Alliance family—to prioritize the needs of the Syrian people This moment demands that we work together, transcending divisions, to ensure a future of justice, peace, equity, and resilience for all Syrians.

May God give our members the strength, wisdom, and courage needed to go forward in their mission of serving the most vulnerable and bringing hope to those most in need.

ACT has been active in Syria for a long time. To learn more about our appeals in Syria, click here

As UN Global Humanitarian Overview for 2025 is launched on Wednesday 4th December, ACT and Caritas Internationalis call for increased support to Sudan and locally-led crisis response

COP29 Blog: Young Delegates After the Disappointment of COP29: We Can’t Afford to Give Up

COP29 Press Release: ACT Alliance calls COP29 decision profoundly disappointing

COP29 Press Release: ACT Alliance disappointed with NCQG draft of November 22

COP29: Mitigation means survival

By Fred Milligan

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the phrase “We are all in the same storm, but we are not all in the same boat” was often heard. This saying aptly reflects the global disparity in how different nations experience the impacts of climate change, largely driven by greenhouse gas-induced global warming.

For historically high-emitting nations, whose current economic power is closely tied to their contributions to the climate crisis, it is imperative to acknowledge their responsibility and explore its implications. Conversely, for many developing nations, particularly small island developing states (SIDS), mitigation—halting and reversing climate change—is not just important but existential. For them, the rallying cry is clear: “1.5 to stay alive!”

At COP28, nations committed to “transitioning away from fossil fuels.” However, at COP29, substantive discussions on how to advance this commitment have been lacking. We propose that this COP take a decisive step forward by initiating negotiations for a global agreement on the fossil fuel transition. Such an agreement should set specific, measurable targets for both fossil fuel production and consumption, grounded in scientific projections of sea-level rise and ecosystem collapse, rather than driven by political, economic, or bureaucratic considerations.

As all parties to the climate accord and convention are currently in the process of revising their national climate plans (NDCs), they should take this opportunity to ensure these plans are aligned with the 1.5 target. Moreover, greater attention must be directed toward other significant sources of greenhouse gas emissions, including agriculture, transportation, construction, and military activities. Comprehensive mitigation efforts in these sectors are essential to complement reductions in fossil fuel emissions. But most importantly they should follow up on the Global Stocktake from last year where parties agreed to transition away from fossil fuels, to triple renewable energy, and double energy efficiency.

While we commend the various declarations and initiatives announced under the COP Presidency, they are often disconnected from the broader commitment to phase out fossil fuels and fail to explicitly advance specific provisions of the Paris Agreement. Ensuring alignment between these initiatives and overarching climate goals is critical.

Leaving COP29 without tangible progress on reducing greenhouse gas emissions would represent a grave failure to uphold the spirit of the climate convention and an abdication of responsibility toward the world’s most vulnerable populations.

Fred Milligan is a member of Presbyterians for Earth Care and the ACT Climate Justice Group.

PHOTO: Sean Hawkey/ACT