Today, on International Youth Day, ACT Alliance is celebrating the work of young people from within its network across the globe who continue to strengthen and amplify the work and impact of the Alliance. The theme for this year’s celebration, Youth Engagement for Global Action, allows us the opportunity to highlight and celebrate ACT’s youth in the life of the Alliance.

Through ACT’s Youth Community of Practice (CoP), young people continue to actively engage in various forms of advocacy and actions at the local and global level, ranging from demanding climate justice, to campaigning for gender justice and inclusion, to taking measures to mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since the ACT Alliance General Assembly in Uppsala (2018), significant efforts have been made to mainstream young people in the life of the Alliance. ACT is currently in the process of integrating young people to the Governing Board to ensure that youth directly contribute to the decision making processes of the Alliance.

“Youth engagement in ACT Alliance has various purposes. It provides a platform for youth organisations within ACT’s network, and it gives youth the opportunity to participate and to raise a unified voice in global discussions and in the decision making processes of ACT Alliance,” says Amanda Björkell, Co-chair of ACT’s Youth CoP.

Today, ACT’s youth are present and active in national and sub-regional forums, the newly established reference groups, and in various global processes within which ACT engages. ACT Youth have participated in key platforms and processes including the Beijing +25 youth taskforce, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change negotiations, the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, the Civil Society Partnership for Development Effectiveness, among other platforms that are key for facilitating Global Action.

In these spaces, youth contribute their voices, perspectives, experiences, and solutions from the local to the global level. By acting together, ACT’s youth demonstrate the Hope in Action that is needed to enrich national and multilateral processes for a better and more sustainable world.

As we celebrate these milestones, ACT also recognises the various challenges that young people across the globe are currently facing, particularly amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

ACT stands in solidarity with youth affected by discrimination, increased domestic and gender-based violence, the humanitarian crisis in Beirut, the protracted and violent conflicts in South Sudan and Syria, the human rights violations due to anti-corruption protests in Zimbabwe, the post-electoral protests in Belarus, and youth affected by other challenges in their attempts to contribute to a better future.

ACT’s youth are committed to continuing to set an example for youth engagement in global actions by building on the learnings of St. Paul to young Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:12, “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity”.

Background

ACT Alliance’s members work through national, sub-regional and regional forums, supporting each other and leveraging collective action in humanitarian, development and advocacy engagement. ACT Alliance is in a key position to act to transform gender injustices by bridging the discourse of religion with that of secular and human rights, and by mobilizing faith leaders.

ACT Alliance, through support from Sida, will fund projects that will help to implement overarching priorities in six gender thematic areas. The application process is open to all ACT Alliance Forums. Projects will be developed by Forums with direct implementation by ACT Alliance members. Collaboration with other Forums and members is highly encouraged.  

Interested Forums should submit concept notes directly to the ACT Alliance Secretariat contacts found at the bottom of this call by September 13, 2020..

Objective

This call for concept notes will be the first of two steps towards supporting projects that contribute to gender just societies and build on the Global Strategy for ACT Alliance 2019-2026 and ACT’s Gender Justice Policy.^[1] ACT Alliance seeks practical initiatives that strengthen the engagement of faith in the service of human rights. Developed by and with ACT Forums and members, the objective of the proposed initiatives will be to mainstream gender into member projects and programmes, as well as address gender justice issues directly, to ensure that:

• Women have a voice, agency and increased decision-making power,
• Gender norms, roles and inequalities have been considered, and measures have been taken to actively address them (including work on transformative masculinities), and
• Gender security sensitivity has been raised in the ACT Alliance membership in order to address security threats to women, men, and LGBTI-people that work for gender justice.

The projects will have to address one or more of the following thematic areas of the Gender Justice Programme:

1. Gender-Based Violence
2. Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights
3. Economic Justice
4. Transformative Masculinities
5. Family Law
6. Migration and Displacement

Selected projects will receive up to USD 50,000 and guidance from ACT’s Gender Programme team. A small number of proposals could be considered and receive funding up to USD 75,000 based on their strategic or innovative contribution to gender justice. Please indicate in your application if you consider your project as strategic or innovative.

Ultimate Outcome

Under this call, your concept note must address the following outcome:

• Contribute to changes in policy, practices, narratives and attitudes on gender justice in faith communities, by positively affecting the commitment of churches and other faith-based organizations within the Alliance, as well as their programming, and their advocacy to promote and realise gender justice.

Additional Guidance

Gender Policy

Applicants should indicate whether they have a gender policy, or if a policy is not in place they should indicate their interest in developing a policy through ACT support.

Advocacy

Concept notes may contain advocacy activities aimed at lifting existing barriers and reducing the occurrence of harmful social norms and practices that prevent rights-holders from realizing their fundamental rights.

Preference may be given to proposals that:

• Demonstrate collaboration, in the form of partnerships with other forum members.
• Include innovative approaches that are adapted to the specific context of their implementation.
• Demonstrate clear strategies for addressing sustainability and local ownership, including enhanced participation by local organizations.

How we assess your concept note

Please note that this call will use a two-step application process. In this call, applicants must submit a brief concept note based on the template found as an annex in this document. Successful applicants will be asked to work in collaboration with ACT’s Gender Programme in a second step in the process to refine aspects of the project concept and develop full project proposals. Successful applicants will also be expected to work with ACT staff to ensure that effective monitoring, evaluation and reporting is integrated into projects. Where appropriate, applicants should seek guidance from ACT’s Gender Programme team.

Applications under this call will be assessed on the ability of applicants to sufficiently demonstrate how they will contribute to the objectives and outcomes appearing above. Applications will be assessed by a selection committee that will include ACT members who are part of ACT’s Global Gender Reference Group and by Gender Programme staff. Applications that do not fully demonstrate a contribution to the expected requirements will not be further assessed but could benefit from other ACT Gender Programme initiatives and support in the near future. ACT Alliance Secretariat is also anticipating a call for gender justice projects during 2021. You will be notified if your concept note is selected or if it does not meet expected requirements.

Submissions and questions specific to this call

Please send your complete concept note by September 13, 2020, to Elaine Neuenfeldt, ACT Alliance Gender Programme Manager, at elaine.neuenfeldt@actalliance.org, and to Jaime Hidalgo, ACT Alliance Gender Project Coordinator, at jaime.hidalgo@actalliance.org.

 If you have any questions about this call, please email both contacts above by August 28, 2020.

^[1] Global Strategy for ACT Alliance 2019-2016: https://actalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/10-Global-Stategy-2019-2026.pdf — ACT Gender Justice Policy: https://actalliance.org/documents/act-gender-justice-policy/

The scale, resilience and rapid transmission of COVID-19 has caught the world by surprise, leaving nations, healthcare workers and the general population scrambling to obtain access to adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) overnight. To ensure that the most vulnerable of communities and health workers on the frontline are well-protected and guarded from the virus, Community World Service Asia (CWSA) distributed PPE kits to provincial hospitals in Laghman province of Afghanistan. This intervention is supported by the ACT Alliance’s Rapid Relief Fund (RRF) in response to humanitarian crises.

Laghman’s provincial health directorate facilitated with the smooth implementation of the project activities. A hundred-and-fifty PPE kits were distributed to health workers and hospitals that are engaged in COVID-19 screening[1]. Each kit includes a head cover, a heavy-duty apron, surgical scrubs (trousers and shorts), a patient coversheet, disposable gown, gloves, facemask, face shield, goggles, safety shoes and hand sanitizers. These kits will help provide front-line aid workers with a safe environment for monitoring, diagnosing and treating COVID-19 cases.

The distribution took place on June 20^th in the presence of Laghman’s Provincial Health Director, Director of Economy, Governor Representative, Hospital Director, CWSA’s project team and health workers from the provincial hospital. “These kits are vital to protect frontline health worker from the virus when they are on duty. I urge the health workers to use these kits responsibly to avoid the spread of the coronavirus and help overcome this pandemic with limited number of lives lost,” remarked Dr. Samad Ali, Public Health Director.

Discussing the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on the global economy, Shafiqullah Shafaq, the Economy Director, shared, “This pandemic has impacted not only human lives, but has also weakened many countries’ economies, contributing to employment losses, industry declines, and reducing income production for both households and companies. Many countries’ GDP has been hit hard like Afghanistan. This form of assistance that humanitarian organisations offer plays a significant role in working together to overcome this pandemic and bring back normal life.”

“There is a desperate need for PPE kits for health workers at several hospitals in Afghanistan. Immediate provision of such safety kits to heath staff will enable them to respond quickly to COVID-19 positive cases. We intend to conduct an internal training to educate personnel on the correct usage of such packages and to prevent their misuse,” Director of the Provincial Hospital further added.

[1] ‘Emergency Response and provision of Personal Protective Equipment Project’, implemented by Community World Service Asia and funded by ACT Alliance in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar and Laghman Province.

Public Statement on peace and human rights along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border

ACT Alliance welcomes the cessation of direct military action on the Armenian-Azerbaijan border last month. We urge the parties of the conflict to continue to respect the ceasefire and de-escalate the situation in order to avoid further casualties. We deeply regret all loss of lives, and offer our sincere condolences . We stand in solidarity with those who lost a loved one in the hostilities.

We recognize the efforts of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group Co-Chairs and reiterate our full support to their efforts to peacefully address the situation.

In the current context, with the novel coronavirus pandemic, efforts to ensure peace are more important than ever. As both sides have been badly affected by the pandemic, we are concerned that the threat of violence could exacerbate both the health risks and have heavy socio-economic implications for the citizens living in the border regions. Difficulties with access to water reservoirs and farmland present an increasingly greater risk to the civilians’ livelihood in the area. The hardship faced by civilians reconfirms the need for mutual understanding and cooperation across the border. Such cooperation has to consider the duty to protect all civilians as per commitments to uphold human rights and International Humanitarian Law.

Therefore, ACT Alliance calls for:

• The engagement of faith actors and civil society in peacebuilding efforts along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border. 
• All parties to continue to respect the ceasefire, de-escalate the situation and avoid further casualties.
• All parties to respect the duty to protect all civilians as per obligations to uphold human rights and International Humanitarian Law.
• All parties to engage in existing opportunities for peaceful negotiations as well as enhanced mechanisms for communication to ensure the safety of all civilians.
• Inclusion of local faith actors and civil society from all sides in dialogue processes that seek solutions to the conflict.

Download the statement here

ACT Alliance EU collaborated with Islamic Relief Worldwide, Caritas Europa and EU-CORD to address a significant gap in the COVID-19 response at EU level: engagement with religious leaders and faith communities. A large proportion of EU assistance is operational in countries and regions where religion and faith play a large part in shaping customs, practices and frameworks of well-being. The EU itself has noted:

“Sometimes religious leaders are the only way to reach out to local communities.

Religion and the EU’s external policies: Increasing Engagement, EPRS, pp.8–9

Evidence and input from ACT Alliance global members and field teams contributed to shaping tools provision of practical considerations for policy makers and civil society on ways of collaboration with religious leaders and faith communities, navigating complex and significant challenges in doing so and developing religious literacy. We also evidence many examples where religious leaders and faith communities play an essential role in helping the broad community to prepare for, respond to, and recover from shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

When faced with a crisis with the urgency of a pandemic, what can staff in EU Delegations or the ECHO field office do to engage with religious leaders and faith communities?

The toolkit aims to answer this question.

Download it here: Toolkit – Engaging with religious leaders and faith communities

ACT member Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe (DKH) has trained volunteers in the Hobyo district to inform community members about the dangers of the Coronavirus.

Nasteha Nor Abdi is 27 years old and lives in Wisil, a small town in the Hobyo district of eastern Somalia. Nasteha was trained as a volunteer health worker in May with Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe’s partner organization Center for Peace and Development (CPD). Since then, she has been travelling with other volunteers to public places and to markets in her community to raise awareness of how communities can protect themselves from the Coronavirus, and how to deal with those who are ill.

“We have social values and beliefs that make it difficult to fight the pandemic. Due to a lot of misinformation, many people here believe that this is a disease that only non-Muslims can be affected by. It is difficult to educate people about the dangers of COVID-19.” Nasteha believes that her calling is to support the health of her community. “The health care system in Somalia is weak. Here in Hobyo, the health center is already struggling to treat underlying diseases. Therefore, prevention is our only hope.”

“So far, the volunteer team has educated about 500 people in Wisil,” Nasteha proudly reported. Through this initiative, Nasteha and other community mobilizers have trained youth groups on how to wash their hands properly, to use masks, and to be aware of possible treatment options. The volunteers also worked with community leaders, including elders, religious leaders and women’s groups to disseminate their messages.

“Thanks to our efforts, local communities have now accepted that COVID-19 is a real threat and are practicing preventive measures. This motivates us to reach out to even more people in Hobyo, Wisil and the surrounding area to protect them from the disease,” said Nasteha.

“Our biggest threats are misinformation and misperceptions, and I am pleased that people are now better informed about the pandemic. They know how to deal with patients and suspected cases and how to protect themselves,” she continued.

Nasteha is happy to be able to help to protect her community and is grateful for the support of CDP,” without that help, we could not have accomplished so much,” she concluded.

As part of the Committee of Religious NGOS at the UN (CRNGO), the ACT Alliance is engaged in another official side event at the U.N. High Level Political Forum in New York. Take the unique opportunity to participate, as this year’s events are all online and accessible for everyone!

A Shift in Mindset: Faith-Based Solutions to Climate Action Obstacles
Implementing the Agenda 2030 and the Paris Agreement at the Grassroots

Monday, July 13, 12:00 to 13:30 pm New York time

Please register here. 

Whether an activist, a representative of the UNHCR, or a scientist, all participants at the official side event co-organized by ACT at the U.N. High Level Political Forum in New York agreed: Faith-based organizations play a decisive role in society. All of them see the current situation created by COVID-19 as an enormous disaster, but also as an opportunity to create a better “New Normal” and to get ahead in addressing urgent issues.

Asia Pacific Faith-Based Coalition for Sustainable Development” (APFC), where ACT Alliance is one of the founding members, hosted the side event “Faith-Based Organizations Accelerating Action and Delivery in Advancing the 2030 Agenda: Partnership in Action in Asia-Pacific“ on July 7. It was of great interest, especially for those who work for faith-based organizations (FBOs) around the world. The objective was to explore the role of faith communities and faith-based organizations in realizing the decade of action and delivery in advancing the 2030 Agenda in the Asia-Pacific region through effective partnerships among FBOs and with states, international organizations and civil society groups. It also sought to identify potential obstacles to fulfilling the role, and to explore ways to overcome those.

Critical words of Alternative Nobel Peace Prize winner

The social activist and winner of Alternate Nobel Peace Prize Swamy Agnivesh started with a critical view of the religious establishment, which in his eyes is highly patriarchal and cements injustice in this world. He reminded that there were so many sects and sub-sects which found a very good way to call themselves faith-based, but that in fact there was only one faith, one God and one universe, and that we were all part of a human family. According to Swamy Agnivesh, nature is an integral part of the universe. Therefore he stated: “Belief in God also means respect for nature, for the environment, for human rights and the equality of all people. The real God is love, compassion and justice”.

The role of the coalition

The Asia Pacific Faith Based Coalition for Sustainable Development (APFC) brings together ACT Alliance, Arigatou International, Islamic Relief Worldwide, Soka Gakkai International, and World Vision International. James Munpa and Cyra Bullecer from the ACT Alliance highlighted the contribution that faith-based organizations made to sustainable development. APFC-members including ACT Alliance are active in more than 20 countries in Asia and the Pacific, supported by over 1.5 million staff and volunteers, and with a budget of over four billion US-Dollars. They are deeply rooted in communities, complementing the localization agenda by being local, but strongly connected with the national and global levels. They are rights-based, promote social cohesion and contribute to risk prevention, reduction, humanitarian action and development wherever they are.

No better time

Shinji Kubo, UNHCR representative from the Philippines, noted that the timing for this event could not have been better “…as we are starting to debate the latest progress of the SDGs, when COVID affects the lives of millions of people around the globe. It is an unprecedented wake-up call reminding us all of the inequalities, division and failures that had to be addressed in the 2030 agenda,” he said, highlighting that: “Apart from the massive COVID-related response, it is important to remember that the SDGs are the compass to build a better post-pandemic society in the ‘new normal”.

The role of faith-communities and FBOs, according to Mr. Kubo, is critically important, now more than ever, especially when addressing the local- and the community-based approach. “Faith-based organisations and communities, especially through powerful coalitions such as the APFC, can meaningfully continue to drive a progress across the SDGs through building communities which are more empathetic, more equal, less fearful, less polluted and more in tune with nature. UNHCR and other agencies are looking forward to continue the partnership with the APFC”, he summarised.

Six points concerning the future role of faith-based organisations

Katherine Marshall, Senior Fellow at Georgetown University’s Berkley Centre for Religion, Peace and World Affairs, regretted that the world of faith-based and not faith-based communities was so divided. Concerning the role of FBOs in advancing the 2030 agenda, the potential obstacles and the ways to overcome those, she highlighted six points:

1) Universality

The universal human rights are the grounding for our different institutions and for bringing us together. The SDGs, which were approved by all countries, provide a compass for these principles.

2) Vital importance of the role of faith communities and finding better ways of engagement

The COVID-crisis has shown the unfairness and injustice of different opportunities in life that affect people across the world. The question is what we can do against inequality, for this principle of leaving no-one behind. FBOs have an extraordinary ability to enrich the global (human rights) agenda with this compelling urgency of action. This role of engagement is of vital importance.

3) Faith-based organisations are affected by shrinking space for CSOs

In forums talking about the shrinking space of civil society organisations, people often don’t mention the faith-based ones. It’s important that the religious component comes out much clearer in that discussion.

4) Gender-based violence

We need religious communities to be at the forefront of one of the world’s most critical challenges.

5) No-one left behind

This demand applies particularly with refugees and other marginalized people like street children: We need to give the resources and the common view to these communities.

6) Education

Education might be the challenge for the next months and years ahead with 1.5 billion children out of school. Religious communities are very much engaged. What will education look like in the future?

It’s a unique moment in history and important to rethink of what we need to do differently. Faith communities have a capacity to see the reality but also the vision for the future. If we don’t take this opportunity now, we will never have it again. So many are conscious that it is urgent, because our planet and the faith of our children lies in the balance.

It is a sad reality that the COVID-19 Pandemic is ravaging our globe and the spread of the virus is serious and terrifying. It is on this note that I have decided to check on the well-being of my friends and loved ones, hoping that we shall overcome this challenge together. We are frail and weak when we stand alone but we are strong and formidable when we stand together. We trust God that this pandemic, like others in history, will pass away and that we will be strong, healthy and alive to witness that.

The lockdowns to help stop the spread of COVID-19 have made things even worse for the poorest members of our society who don’t have the means of survival due to inadequate and unsteady flow of income. We need to remember the needs of the most vulnerable now more than ever and act together as people of faith to ensure that they are supported, and are able to care for themselves and their families in this difficult time.

Let the poor and destitute feel loved because it can and will increase their chances of staying safe. All that we have has been given to us by God, “For what makes you to differ from another? And what have you that you did not receive? Now if you did receive it, why do you glory as if you have not received it? (1 Corinthians 4:7).

Remember “We are the Hands and Feet He (God) needs to reach out to the poor and destitute, 

don’t break the chain, reach out”

—–

Jantiku Ijasini Jamare is a young person from Nigeria, and a co-chair of ACT’s Youth Community of Practice, representing Africa.

Following up on its 14 Rapid Response Fund (RRF) projects responding to COVID-19 around the world, ACT Alliance has launched the first 6 sub-appeals within its overall Global COVID-19 Appeal.  The sub-appeals are for Bangladesh, the Caribbean region (Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic), Jordan, Palestine, Somalia, and South Sudan. More sub-appeals will be forthcoming in the next few months.

Within ACT’s humanitarian response mechanism, Rapid Response Funds are for shorter-term projects, led by national members, with a more local scope and budget.  Appeals have a longer time horizon, engage both national and international members, have a larger budget, and often a broader scope. 

ACT’s Global COVID-19 Appeal incorporates both RRFs and appeals, working to meet the needs of communities as identified by ACT members in many countries. More information on the global appeal can be found here.

The 6 sub-appeals respond to the unique situation in each of the countries/regions represented, and will address a variety of needs:

Bangladesh ($998,638)- 3,825 refugee and host community households will receive livelihood and food security support, community-based hygiene education, and the communities’ health care facilities will be better able to prevent and respond to COVID-19 infections.

Caribbean ($749,683)- 12,245 households in Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic will benefit from health, food security, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), psychosocial support, and gender justice work through this sub-appeal.

Jordan ($844,960)- 10,255 refugee and host community households particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 will receive support towards their basic needs of shelter, protection, food security, livelihoods, and WASH.

Palestine ($634,398)- 15,667 refugee and non-displaced affected households will benefit from public health education and access, vouchers or cash to provide food and hygiene, psychosocial support, and increased protection, assistance and advocacy for refugees particularly vulnerable to COVID-19.

Somalia ($1,000,000)- 16,900 IDP, host population, and non-displaced affected households will benefit from improved access to WASH, hand hygiene education, nutritional support, access to education during and after COVID-19, psychosocial support and social protection.

South Sudan ($989,942)- 18,967 households, including refugees, IDPs, returnees, host population, and others will benefit from timely and accurate information on COVID-19, healthcare services to help prevent, manage, and stop the spread of the virus, hygiene training, access to gender-sensitive WASH, food security and livelihood support, disaster risk reduction work to decrease vulnerability, and health care supplies and equipment, training, and psychosocial support for affected communities.

To support the ACT Global COVID-19 Appeal and its sub-appeals, please email Line Hempel [Line.Hempel@actalliance.org], Director of Operations for ACT Alliance.