This is an excerpt of the World YWCA / YMCA Week of Prayer booklet. To download the

full booklet click here

Breathing together in solidarity

By: Elaine Neuenfeldt, Act Alliance Gender Programme Manager

At times of catastrophes and calamities it is difficult to breathe.

Catastrophes are not affecting everyone equally – they tend to intensify inequalities and exacerbate injustices.

The current pandemic is taking away of breathing capacity, as well as our analytical capacity to understand and explain the changes the world is going through. Our words and concepts are not broad enough, are not fitting in this new reality, the “new normal” we are facing. We need to find how to breathe and how to live in this new reality where social distance, loneliness and fear seems to rule relations. We need to find ways to flourish relationships that are framed in solidarity and love, in the midst of this unjust world, and to transform this world for the better. To find words that help us to breathe through this pandemic – as the Latin term suggests – cons-pirar (conspirāre) – to breathe with, to breathe together. To breathe in communities that are rays of hope, helping each other to shine, in resilience and in resistance.

Biblical inspiration

In the Old Testament story, there is this story of the widows of the famine, the widow of drought, in the book of Kings Chapter 17. The story is telling us that there was no rain in the land; In times of calamities, like draught, it is so common that women, especially widows and children are the most affected. The widow of this biblical story has only one son and to increase the drama, he dies. She cries out questioning the prophet. In her understanding, the death of her son is because of her sin. She feels guilty – which is a very common feeling for women, especially mothers, and even more, after the death of a child: what have I done wrong? I should have done this better…. I could…now is too late…

The prophet, going against the purity law that prohibits touching corpses, with the risk of becoming impure, took the death body in his arms, and laid it down; then he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried out to the Lord. The Lord listened to the voice of the prophet and the life of the child came into him again, and he revived!

Bringing this son back to life is crucial that this family group will be restored in their social context. For a widow, to be alone, would be a path to more suffering and loneliness, hungry and increased poverty.

Prophetic task here is to restore life and restore family relations, by bringing back a son for a widow. This is a religious experience that enters into houses, deals with concrete issues of daily life: drought, empty pots of food, ill bodies.  It is a religious practice that goes beyond the temple, the sanctuary and its traditional rituals and ceremonies formatted in the officially instituted spaces. The prophet also seems desperate: he demands God: Have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I am staying, by killing her son?

Death and suffering question our faith. Who has not gone through moments of doubt, disbelieve, skepticism especially, when facing difficulties, like death and loss? Who has not felt like in the limit of faith and hope in experiences of suffering? It is like this. The woman cried and wept; the prophet, alone with the death child, in desperation cried to help.

It is in touching death, in the encounter with the suffering where life is restored. The prophecy here happens in embracing, in touching body with body, in a kind of ritual that warms up life, warms up hope and reconnects relationships. The text is saying that the breath came back to him, he started breathing again and his life was restored.

Faith is not a mere abstract reflection about God. A faith experience is interwoven with daily life – and life is not always easy is not predictable or simple.

Prophecy is the courage to act restoring life to a death body. Is the brave gesture of touching death to reestablish relations – because life comes first… Faith experiences in the margin of life, when life is at the limit, can restore breathing. And then life is coming back because relationships are restored.

Because sometimes we are losing our breathing… sometimes we are losing our faith… sometimes we are losing our relations… with God, with others, with ourselves. Sometimes there are moments that impede us to breath. And it feels like life is going away… 

But there is the prophetical announcement that God is not restricted to geographic limitations, ethnic borders, or limited officially constituted spaces and rooms. This prophetical announcement is crying out that the love and compassion of God will enter in our homes, our pots, our tables and beds… and will touch us, will touch the body, breaking down any notion of impurity, untouchability – and life will be restored, breath will come back, bodies are going to feel the warm breath of life again. This is a spiritual practice that shines like rays of hope, creating resilient communities.

It is so interesting that touching and carrying the suffering in the arms is recognized as a prophetic gesture from these biblical texts. In times when is so difficult look in the eyes, and seeing the suffering, it is much needed to stay in solidarity, take diaconal responsibility with whom is next, the stranger, the one who is alone, who is in trouble.

Faith moves us to experience life coming back, being restored… to touch and to be touched by the Spirit of love, compassion and solidarity – being in the arms of God, embraced by the love of God, life is inspiring life, is dwelling life in the midst of our lives.

Questions for reflection

• What is this that makes us feel the warm and tender touch of life back to our body?
• Where the compassionate touch of love that nurtures our faith and hope can be experienced in today’s world, where individualism, loneliness, and indifference for human suffering are daily reality. How can we, as individuals and as community/congregation of faith work as a space where the touches of compassion, that bring back life can be felt?
• How can we do all this “touching” when physical distance is required as part of sanitary measures in times pandemic?

Blessing

Breathe in this blessing; consider how you might influence ONE life. 

As you breathe out, speak a blessing on those around you.

God bless our world, our habitat.

Enable us to respect and treat our earth with the dignity it deserves.  

Empower us to preserve its resources to provide for all people.

Enable us to protect our people, especially the vulnerable: women and children.

Enable us to do what is good, resist evil and to protect each other from evil.

Enable our men to transform themselves from beneficiaries of patriarchy to contributors of human dignity. 

Inspire our leaders to be transformed for the good of all people.

Enable us to be transformed into Servant Leaders.

Enable us to be open to restore your image in us.

Inspire us to have healing relationships.

Enable us to live with dignity.

Empower us to heal our communities and give us your peace.

Amen.

ACT Alliance has followed the deteriorating situation over Nagorno-Karabakh with dismay at the escalation of the conflict. We are highly concerned by the renewed violence and use of military force. The new bloodshed adds to the long history of pain that people in the whole region and on different sides to the conflict have been suffering over the past 30 years.

We are deeply saddened by the increased suffering and loss of life, both civilian and military, that have been the result of this violence, and wish to express our sincere condolences to the grieving families and pray for the full and swift recovery of all the injured.

We are concerned that the geographical scale of the fighting and military operations may expand beyond the current conflict zone and result in a humanitarian crisis that would exacerbate the already difficult humanitarian situation caused by the COVID-19 outbreak in the region.

As faith based actors who over the past three decades have been fostering understanding among the people in the region, and have been promoting local perspectives for peace, we deeply regret that violence has returned at a scale that had not been seen in the region for decades. We stand with our members and partners in the region in these painful times. We stand in solidarity with all who call for and work towards a peaceful solution to the situation.

United in the view that peace and security cannot be imposed by violent means, we call upon all belligerents to immediately end further military action, and to agree on and implement a humanitarian ceasefire (in line with UN Secretary General’s call for a worldwide ceasefire given the COVID-19 pandemic), in order to allow civilians to seek shelter and gain access to much-needed assistance, as well as to collect and mourn their dead.

We call upon the political leaders of the opposing sides to tone down belligerent rhetoric, abstain from further military action and resume peaceful negotiations. We call upon all leaders of states with stakes in the region to refrain from exacerbating the conflict, but rather use their influence in order to stop the bloodshed, support a humanitarian ceasefire and pave the way for a negotiated resolution.

We insist other nations should desist from any intervention in the conflict, except in pursuing and encouraging its peaceful resolution and offering humanitarian aid. In the view of allegations and reports concerning the involvement of foreign mercenaries as well as the continuing influx of weapons to the region, we call upon all parties to finally respect and implement the OSCE’s request for an arms embargo dating back to 1992.

As organisations engaged in both humanitarian assistance and community development, we face the negative impact of the unresolved conflict on the local populations on a daily basis. We know that the lack of political will on the different sides of the divide to engage in serious and meaningful negotiations – as well as the failure of the international community to prepare the ground – has translated locally into long-term uncertainty and instability, a lack of perspectives for development, a growing hostility and deadly volatility along the line of contact, as well as the continuous suffering of many under the so-called ‘status quo’.

While continuing our efforts to minimize this impact at the local level, we call upon the international community – OSCE, EU, Council of Europe, NATO, UN and their member / participating states, and in particular upon the countries represented in the OSCE Minsk Group – to increase their efforts to revive the negotiation process within the Minsk Group format, and to fully back the Minsk Group Co-Chairs in their work.

The current military escalation constitutes a severe backlash for the peace process and exposes the extreme volatility of this unresolved conflict and its inherent risks for the whole region. But it also offers a new window of opportunity for more meaningful, more serious and more effective negotiations. Such meaningful negotiation will challenge all parties to take bold steps by showing goodwill as well as the readiness to compromise that others might interpret or depict as weakness.

As ACT Alliance whose actions are guided by faith, we stand together with and encourage our members in Armenia to engage in all possible actions that favour the peaceful resolution of the conflict that is acceptable for all sides and ensures safety for all peoples. We take pride in remembering the strength and courage of the faith leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan during their joint calls for peace in the past. Inspired by their leadership, we call upon all people of faith and particularly faith leaders, be they Christian or Muslim, to raise their voices and urge all parties to stop the bloodshed, as well as to encourage the swift resumption of peace talks.

The ACT Alliance is a faith-motivated, rights-based, impact-focused network committed to working ecumenically and inter-religiously, with the communities we seek to serve and accompany at the centre of our work.

Together, we strive for a world where all may live with dignity, justice, peace and full respect for human rights and the environment. The 2019 Annual Report is available for download below.

English version

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ACT member, The National Council of Churches of the Philippines (NCCP) launched a youth climate art contest as part of an initiative to engage more young people in climate advocacy.

The competition titled, “Churches Unite for Stewardship and Rise for Life: Climate Justice Now!” was hosted in partnership with Kalipunan ng Kristiyanong Kabataan sa Pilipinas (KKKP). The competition featured two categories: poster (freehand and digital) and song-making and was open to people aged 13 -30 from NCCP and KKKP member and associate churches and organizations.

ACT Alliance had the opportunity to connect with Twenty-four-year-old Kjerrimyr R. Andrés, winner of the digital poster-making section.

Why is taking action on climate change important to you?

“What really bothers me is that rising sea levels will submerge cities and small island nations around the world. As someone who lives in Metro Manila (many areas in Metro Manila are below sea level), I fear the threat that climate change poses on the places that I love,” says Kjerrimyr R. Andrés.

Please tell us a bit more about your piece.

The church people are united and voyage with the Filipino masses for climate justice. They carry different calls and act to protect their environment and ancestral lands, to stop destructive activities such as large-scale mining, and to assert justice for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan. The voyagers surrounding the islands symbolizes their efforts to go into communities for proper and fair investigation coming and to push for climate action. They also surround the archipelago to protect its territories.

Through the drawing, I explore how different sectors, including religious peoples and national minorities, are essential in caring for the environment. People can move from place to place around the country, and in doing so, they can gather concrete information, best practises and can be in solidarity with people’s environmental concerns.

When did you realize that action must be taken on climate change?

Through the years, I have seen the news describe the ways that worsening typhoons were hitting the country, I have watched documentaries on climate change. My realization of the need to take action on climate change happened gradually.

I was also inspired during my high school years. The Patron Saint of the school was Saint Francis of Assisi, and as a result, the school instilled in us the importance of caring for the environment. During that time, I volunteered with local task groups to pick up litter and clean the environment.

What message do you have for youth around the world?

Individual action, although essential, can be very limited. We must act collectively and hold to account those who are the key contributors to climate change. This includes large corporations that have incurred numerous violations. We should transition to a system that is not overdependent on consumption and corruption. Collective action is a must –  our future is our collective concern.

Kjerrimyr R. Andrés is currently the National Spokesperson of the Student Christian Movement of the Philippines (an associate member of the National Council of Churches of the Philippines). 

@TheKejOfGlory

ACT Alliance and members Church World Service (CWS) and World Student Christian Federation (WSCF) hosted a webinar to explore gender equality and human rights in a time of COVID-19 and climate change. Speakers included representatives from CSW Africa, ACT Brazil Forum- KOINONIA, and the Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO).

For ACT Alliance, the fight against climate change is a fight for justice. “It is clear in the work we do that climate change impacts along with the COVID-19 pandemic have disproportionately affected women, indigenous groups, and human rights defenders,” says Jasmine Huggins, co-chair of ACT Alliance’s Climate-Gender and Human Rights team.

Mary Obiero of Church World Service Africa explored the connections between gender and climate change in the context of COVID-19. “The effects of the pandemic could reverse the limited progress that has been made on gender equality and women’s rights,” she said. 

“The situation has deteriorated. With schools and borders closed and restrictions on movement, there has been an increase in old, bad traditions i.e. forced marriages, teenage pregnancies, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and other forms of gender-based violence,” said Obiero. Despite the challenges faced by women, Obiero emphasized, “women are not only victims but also powerful agents of change, and possess specific knowledge and skills to effectively contribute to climate adaptation and mitigation”.

Alexandre Pupo Quintino of KOINONIA and the ACT Brazil Forum shared insight into the situation faced by local communities and indigenous peoples with regards to climate justice and human rights. 

“Brazil is burning, both in terms of the forests and the local communities,” he said. Since 2019, Brazil has seen an increase in fires in the Amazon. The fires are mainly on indigenous lands and conservation areas. “In the first six months of 2020, 3 000KM2 of amazon had been deforested,” said Pupo Quintino.  

“Apart from the immediate risks associated with the fires and deforestation, we can’t forget that these communities have a precarious social status in Brazil,” said Pupo Quintino. The dismantling of environmental policies and the environment itself puts the survival of those who rely on it at risk.

Tara Daniel of WEDO, in partnership with Tebtebba, the Indigenous Peoples’ International Centre for Policy Research and Education, provided insight into the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform (LCIPP), the Lima Work Programme on Gender (LWPG), and the Gender Action Plan (GAP) within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). These mechanisms intend to proceed the work related to indigenous peoples rights and gender equality in the context of climate change governance.

Many CSOs, including ACT Alliance, WEDO and others are working to shift policymaking to influence the negotiations to be centred on human rights. “We are trying to set normative expectations for the defacto inclusion and participation of indigenous peoples, and people of all genders, especially historically marginalized people and those on the frontlines of climate change,” said Daniel. Daniel noted that although there have been some successes in ensuring gender-just approaches, there is still a lot of work to be done. 

ACT Alliance has supported the communities that were affected by the earthquake and subsequent tsunami in September 2018 through its members in Indonesia. Two years later, we went back to the people we assisted to see how they have recovered. 

The 7.5 magnitude earthquake in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, had disastrous consequences, as it also triggered a tsunami which hit the provincial capital of Palu. More than 4,300 people lost their lives, over 200,000 were displaced and nearly 70,000 houses destroyed. Many shops and other small businesses as well as the irrigation systems for family farms were destroyed, causing countless families to lose their incomes.

ACT Alliance members Yakkum Emergency Unit (YEU), Indonesian Christian Association for Health Service (ICAHS/PELKESI) and Church World Service (CWS), with their partners coordinated, their responses through the ACT appeal, targeting 100,000 vulnerable people affected by the earthquake and tsunami. All three organisations supported the Sigi district in Central Sulawesi, which had one of the highest numbers of casualties caused by mudflows and liquefaction after the earthquake. Several aftershocks damaged more buildings and houses causing even more people to become homeless.

More independence for people with disability

One of the persons supported by ACT Alliance in the Sigi district is Sudirman (picture above right), a man who has lived in Ngatabaru all his life and is paralyzed from the waist down. He can inspire you with stories about his adventures as a driver for tourists before his sickness made it impossible for him to drive again six years ago. After that, it was difficult for Sudirman to move around his house – even going to the toilet was an ordeal on his own. He needed a caretaker all the time.

Sudirman’s house was damaged by the earthquake and he and his family had to live in the part of it which was relatively safe for them. YEU organized workers to help them build a new home specifically designed for people with disabilities. Sudirman and his wife assisted, supervising the work and selecting the materials used. With YEU’s support, they could also learn new skills and earn some income while work was difficult to find. His new home allowed Sudirman better mobility which made him more independent. He and his family, in YEU trainings, learned more about how to manage his health issues. The house was completed in April 2019, and he has been living there ever since. “I can now do things on my own without needing a caretaker with me all day, since I can move around the house without assistance. My family also knows how they can support me better while also enjoying their own lives”, he says.  

Focus on infrastructure as well as on psychological aspects

Disasters often leave people traumatized as they have to handle their losses and recover from the fear they experienced. YEU trained schools and communities on psychosocial care and support while at the same time ensuring safe space and a protected environment to develop, learn, play and build resilience. 

CWS provided water tanks and safe water during the early days after the disaster in Sigi while they as well as the government worked on repairing pipelines and improving water supply in the villages. The organisation also supported communities to set up Water Management Committees so that people could manage the water system themselves when the project ends. “We now have enough clean water, without needing to worry about where to get it. Better still, we are managing the water system ourselves, so we know that when something goes wrong, we can fix it”, says Badrun, Committee member in Sikara Tobata village, Donggala district.

Ensuring health services

Maslia, a village health cadre from Enu, Donggala, received health training and support from PELKESI which she was grateful for since their health clinic was closed for several months after the disaster. PELKESI’s mobile clinics with volunteer doctors and nurses provided the health services during this period, while the government health clinics were unable to do so as the staffs were affected by the disaster themselves. Health workers and villagers in the areas where PELKESI was active after the disaster learned about traditional health techniques, acupressure, and herbal medicine using local resources. Mothers were also taught how to cook food using local foodstuffs and herbal drinks from plants that they used to think of as weeds or useless, that can be found in their backyard. 

PELKESI assisted the health cadres to get an official policy and budget to provide supplementary food for the infants and toddlers in ten villages (Simoro, Tuva, Sibalaya Utara, Sibalaya Barat, Pantoloan, Baiya, Enu, Lero Tatari, Desa Wani Satu, Desa Wani Dua) through a village grant. Before the earthquake and tsunami, there were only two villages which provided supplementary food cost for children. Now, through several discussions between health cadres and host governments, all ten villages have policies to provide budget for supplementary food for children. This achievement is particularly meaningful during the COVID-19 pandemic.

New sources of income

New ways to earn a living had to be found after the disasters. Yohanes Rombe a year ago was able to plant corn, peppers, and other vegetables thanks to irrigation being available for the crops from a new well built by CWS. He has now been able to harvest a crop to feed himself and his family

Besides facilitating farming by building or re-establishing irrigation systems, CWS and its partners also collected new ideas from community members to restore or create opportunities to earn a living. These initiatives were initiated months before the outbreak of COVID-19, but later on also helped people to get through the lockdown. Introducing relevant safety measures, people could still run their local kiosks, do fish farming and drying, brown sugar milling, produce snacks and coconut oil for home use. “We learnt how important it is for all of us to think of alternative ways to process and sell our local products. Why shouldn’t we do something new with it?”, states Mirnawati from Lende Tovea village, Donggala district.

How did COVID-19 change the situation?

Due to the pandemic at the beginning of 2020, humanitarian response activities that were nearly done had to be slowed down or adapted. Prevention education needed to be prioritized, printing and distributing educational materials for families and leading public education and correct information sharing about the virus. ACT members adhere to health protocol as required in all of our interventions through several actions; did local radio broadcasting in Palu, introduced safety measures to staff and visitors in hospitals, were active on social media, and distributed face masks for the vulnerable groups (elderly, persons with disabilities and children). Although having to deal with COVID-19 represented an additional challenge to the disaster response, the ACT Alliance members are optimistic that they will reach the objectives of the appeal in the coming months.

What is needed for the future are educating communities on the importance of growing vegetables and fruits for food security, health trainings and hygiene promotions to prevent the local transmission of the virus, ensuring permanent safe-water (gravity-fed piped water systems and boreholes), livelihood supports for small and medium enterprises (including home-based business) and community-based disaster preparedness initiatives.

Pictures: Yakkum Emergency Unit YEU 

Infographic: YEU (cf. high resolution here)

Building Churches for Future –  Churches that are political

Fridays for Future is back in the public sphere. Friday, September 25^th is the next global climate strike.

But how can we strike in times of the Corona Virus?

As huge demonstrations and gatherings are discouraged, young people have been considering other strategies, ways and places to mobilize people on climate change, because climate justice is still important. This message must remain in people’s minds, even if we are unable to gather in huge numbers as before.

A peaceful revolution and climate protests

What place would be a better fit to amplify our messages and voices on climate justice on this day than the St. Nicolas church – the church of the peaceful revolution in Leipzig, Germany? This church was home to peaceful prayers that led to peaceful marches in the 1980s. It is where marches that contributed to a reunion of the separate German nations started. For many years, St. Nicolas church in the heart of Leipzig, Germany, has been known by Christians who engage in politics.

In 1989 St. Nicolas church was home to the peaceful revolution – and in 2020 it is home to protests for climate justice. Today this protest is visible to everyone, as banners with slogans have been placed all around the church.

We are calling for climate justice and for sustainable lifestyles. We are calling for a church that is also going to be a church to future generations.

The local Friday For Future group focuses primarily on public transportation and sustainability, and we urge the church and every human being to be a part of it. Climate justice and sustainability are not new topics for the church, they have been part of Christian life for decades. For instance, as part of the conciliar process, Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation.

Theology Students of the Leipzig University, (former) volunteers of the Leipzig Mission Center, students of church music and St Nicolas Church have all engaged in some way or another. Besides the banners and protests happening outside the church building, a prayer tree and regular devotion have invited people to reflect on the theological aspects of climate justice.

I am proud that Christians in Leipzig are speaking up on the need to care for God’s creation. I am proud that the St. Nicolas church supports this call and has put itself the centre of this movement. It is a church that does not shy away from politics, a church that cares for current and future generations; it is a Church for Future.

Churches For Future

Churches for Future is an ecumenical alliance of churches and Christian institutions that stand in solidarity, and support the youth movement Fridays For Future. Churches need to be political and be part of the overdue changes in our economic and ecological world systems. Churches should care for our worldwide community. We see the impacts of climate change around the globe and we know how marginalized people and communities suffer. We need a church that is political and willing to fight for justice for current and future generations.

Season of Creation

Since 1^st September, Christians all around the world have been celebrating and reflecting on the Season of Creation. It is a period of time that invites everyone to reflect on God’s creation, and the ways that we humans treat creation. Similar to the peaceful revolution, where people of faith walked outside the church and marched on the streets, we are building momentum by bringing our messages of climate justice to the church, making them visible for everyone to see that, “yes, we care!”

Caring alone is not enough. I aim to make people aware of the urgent need to shift our lifestyles and politics, and also to act accordingly. The church also still has a lot of work to do to become more sustainable and to become Churches for Future.

Blog is written by Helena Funk, Member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Northern Germany.

Helena has been engaged in climate justice advocacy for many years – at the local level in Germany and at the global level. She was a delegate of the Lutheran World Federation to the UN Climate Conferences COP23 and COP24 in cooperation with ACT Alliance. Helena is currently studying Theology and completing a Masters degree in African Studies. During the last years, she facilitated interfaith events on climate justice at her University, worked with YOUNGO at the UN High-level Meeting on “Climate Justice and Sustainability for All” in 2019 and participated in the 4th Laudato-Si Conference. Photo: Susanne Stark (DIE LICHTBILDNEREI)

Christian organizations representing 2.8 billion people—about one-third of the world’s population—have released a statement on the dire situation of migrants and refugees in Europe, and they are demanding a more compassionate approach.

“Solidarity should be the guiding principle governing migration and particularly refugee reception,” the statement says. “We expect the EU to reject the discourse and politics of fear and deterrence, and to adopt a principled stance and compassionate practice based on the fundamental values on which the EU is founded.”

The organizations issued the statement in advance of the EU Commission’s presentation of its new Migration Pact on 23 September.

“We have but one precious human family within which we are entrusted with caring for one other,” said World Council of Churches interim general secretary Fr Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca. “Every nation’s asylum policies must reflect this sense of caring and trust as a shared journey, a solemn responsibility and a common witness. We have high expectations of the EU Commission’s presentation of its new pact on migration and asylum on 23 September.”

Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, general secretary of the ACT Alliance, noted that the tragic fire in Moria “was a poignant reminder of the entirely predictable and avoidable consequences of an EU asylum and migration policy that puts the integrity of borders over that of human lives, and favours populism over dignity and humanity. We expect better from Europe and its leaders. It’s time to change course.”

Dr Jørgen Skov Sørensen, general secretary of the Conference of European Churches, stated: “Churches and Christian communities throughout Europe are witnessing the disturbing situation with migrants and refugees in the region, especially following recent developments in the Moria camp. The human consequences of the situation are of deep concern to us.”

“We call upon all our member churches and indeed all people of faith to commit to prayer, taking on our role as messengers of courage and hope. In whatever way possible, we must continue and strengthen our joint efforts in giving hope to the vulnerable in a hopeless situation,” he said.

Dr Torsten Moritz, general secretary of the Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe, reflected that, over the last years and, most tragically, two weeks ago with the fire at the Moria camp, we have witnessed the awful consequences of the current EU migration policy. “A policy which tries to keep refugees and migrants at the border, push them back there or return them at any price,” said Moritz. “The new asylum and migration pact can’t be more of the same.”

Moritz added that the EU needs an honest and courageous new start, in which it accepts its own responsibility rather than denying it. “That makes it necessary to create safe passages, offer decent reception and a welcoming society and look at how Europe continues to create reasons for displacement,” he said. “Churches continue to stand ready to support the EU and its member states if it really is willing for such a fresh start.”

Rev. Dr Chris Ferguson, general secretary of the World Communion of Reformed Churches, said that the situation of those seeking refuge and asylum in Greece and elsewhere is symptomatic of the deeper roots of colonialism and imperialism that have exploited people and resources for profit. “As people of faith we stand with the migrant, the refugee, those seeking asylum and call for hospitality and welcome,” he said. “We believe that our calling is to work continually for justice for all the oppressed.”

The Evangelical Church of Greece has been actively responding to the refugee situation since its very beginning and continues to support the refugees in multiple ways. They “urge the ecumenical church along with the international community to act decisively in offering relief and reinforcements to Greece, best serving both the needs of the ‘Moria refugees’ as well as those of the indigenous people of Lesvos, by accepting and accommodating many of the refugees who have already been granted asylum in their countries,” said Rev. Dimitris Boukis, secretary of the Executive Committee of the General Synod of the Evangelical Church of Greece.

Martina Wasserloos, president of the World Communion of Reformed Churches in Europe, expressed her happiness about this common initiative to urge European authorities to take, at last, responsibility for human dignity and life.

“As the World Communion of Reformed Churches in Europe, we are facing the hardship of migrants,” she said. “We are convinced and confess in the face of refugees, we see the image of God. As churches, we offer help to overcome this crisis in manifold ways, but we expect as well benevolent and humanitarian solutions from those who have to take political decisions.”

Within the Anglican Communion, people are called in the Five Marks of Mission to “respond to human need by loving service…transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind and pursue peace and reconciliation,” noted Most Rev. Dr Josiah Idowu-Fearon, secretary-general of the Anglican Communion. “Across our world, millions of women, men, and children need to feel this faith in action within their lives, as they flee conflict and violence, and seek to escape from the devastating effects of poverty and climate,” he said. “This demands a more intentional collective response in which the churches and other faith communities—including the Anglican Communion—are ready to take their place.”

The World Methodist Council has identified radical hospitality and advocacy on behalf of “the stranger” as a central theme for the years 2016-2021, reflected Bishop Ivan Abrahams, general secretary of the council. “We continue to work together with everyone, everywhere in accompanying migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers sharing their tears, hopes, and dreams for sustainable life and livelihood,” he said.

For Rev. Dr Martin Junge, general secretary of the Lutheran World Federation, this is an opportunity for European countries to grow in mutual solidarity. “They can lead by example in welcoming and protecting the stranger by upholding international obligations.”

He said that “one of the first tasks of the LWF, like the European Union, was to respond to the needs of European refugees after the Second World War. Our member churches worldwide stood in solidarity with the millions that were displaced in Europe. Multilateralism, compassion, and service are at the heart of LWF’s humanitarian work with displaced people worldwide. We must not forget that refugees lose many things when they flee, but never their human rights.”

The Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity shared reflections on a message from Pope Francis. “In his message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees to be observed in the Catholic Church next Sunday 27 September 2020, Pope Francis states: ‘Situations of conflict and humanitarian emergencies, aggravated by climate change, are increasing the numbers of displaced persons and affecting people already living in a state of dire poverty. Many of the countries experiencing these situations lack adequate structures for meeting the needs of the displaced.’ He urges public authorities, churches, and all of us to welcome, protect, promote and integrate displaced persons. As Christians, we urge the European Union country members to develop and implement equitable and just solutions respecting human dignity and human rights.”

The European Region of the World Association for Christian Communication also voiced support for the statement, as well, emphasizing the need to counter hate speech against migrants and refugees, especially in social media.

“Our public discourse, particularly in social media and via media agencies, must respect the human dignity of migrants and refugees,” said Dr Stephen Brown, president of the Europe regional association of the World Association for Christian Communication. “At the same time, media professionals need to ensure balanced coverage of migrants and refugees, avoiding stereotypical portrayals and oversimplification.”

The statement is co-signed by the ACT Alliance, the Anglican Communion, the Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe, the Conference of European Churches, the European Region of the World Association for Christian Communication, the Evangelical Church of Greece, the Integration Center for Migrant Workers – Ecumenical Refugee Program, Non Profit Organisation of the Church of Greece, the Lutheran World Federation, the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity , the World Communion of Reformed Churches, the World Communion of Reformed Churches (European Region), the World Council of Churches and the World Methodist Council.

Read the full statement of 22 September 2020

Photo gallery: Churches’ work supporting refugees in Europe

Social media package

ACT joins global religious leaders urge end to “broken state of European migration” (ACT press release of 22 September 2020)

Archbishop of Athens and All Greece: “Welcoming the stranger is an integral part of Christian heritage” (WCC press release of 21 September 2020)

Media contacts

ACT Alliance
Simon Chambers
Director of Communications, ACT Alliance
Skype : simon.chambers1
Mobile : +1-416-435-0972
simon.chambers@actalliance.org

Anglican Communion
Jack Palmer-White
Permanent Representative to the United Nations
Tel: +44 (0)20 7313 3938
jack.palmer-white@anglicancommunion.org

Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe, Conference of European Churches
Naveen Qayyum
Communications Officer, Conference of European Churches
Tel +32 2 234 68 37
Email naveen@cek-kek.be
Rue Joseph II, 174 – 1000 Brussels

European Region of the World Association for Christian Communication
Stephen Brown
Email: sgbrown.wacceurope@gmail.com
Mobile : +33-6 61 84 11 80

Evangelical Church of Greece
Paris Papageorgiou
parispapageorgiou@yahoo.gr

Holy See press office
Via della Conciliazione 54, 00120 Vatican City
Phone: +39 (0) 6 698 45600
Fax: +39 (0) 6 686 8810
info@salastampa.va

Lutheran World Federation
Rev. Arni Svanur Danielsson
Head of Communication
Email arni.danielsson@lutheranworld.org
Mobile +41 78 929 9686

World Communion of Reformed Churches
Philip Tanis
Executive Secretary for Communications & Operations
philip.tanis@wcrc.eu

World Communion of Reformed Churches Europe
Martina Wasserloos
mwasserloos@gmx.net
0049 1772146934

World Council of Churches
Marianne Ejdersten, WCC Communication director
+41 79 507 6363
+41 22  791 60 18
Email mej@wcc-coe.org

World Methodist Council
Michaela Hannah
Communications
World Methodist Museum Coordinator
Contact: communications@worldmethodistcouncil.org

This blog post has previously appeared on Religion and Diplomacy

By Ruth Watson ~

A new toolkit published by ACT Alliance EU, Caritas Europa, EU-CORD and Islamic Relief Worldwide gives EU decision-makersand civil society a concise practical tool to encourage engagement with local religious leaders and faith communities in humanitarian, development and peace response. It has been produced in the context ofpandemic response and looks ahead to the post-recovery phase. Yet its considerations apply broadly across programming sectors: from addressing conflict and fragility to defence of civil liberties.

Why another resource on faith actors?

A large proportion of development and humanitarian assistance and peacebuilding programming sponsored by the EU and Member States’ focusses on countries and regions where faith and belief play a large part in shaping customs, practices and frameworks of well-being.

Global epidemics such as Zika and Ebola and the World Humanitarian Summit of 2016 inspired action to improve the quality of partnerships with and funding to local civil society and affected communities high on the agenda. The importance of engaging with religious leaders and faith communities specifically came into sharp relief when errors made by international NGOs in the West Africa Ebola crisis hit media headlines and brought the issue into the focus of humanitarians and leading academics. By failing to involve faith actors in the response, the epidemic mushroomed as unsafe burial and behavioural practices continued and hard to access communities remained out of reach of international efforts.

In recent years NGOs, the EU and agencies of multi-lateral organisations have made uneven progress. The World Health Organisation and UNICEF accelerated engagement with faith actors in the COVID-19 response by creating advisory bodies and written guidance recognising the central role of faith actors. While the EU has made strides in recent years in projects to engage on the issue of Freedom of Religion or Belief, and has piloted approaches for locally-led response, the EU response to COVID-19 lacked deliberate recognition of the role, support, recognition and involvement of religious leaders and faith communities.

Our new Toolkit aims to both raise awareness and expand traditional perceptions of the role played by religious leaders and communities of different faiths beyond the often-recognised history as key service providers for health and education: from defence of civil liberties in lockdown measures to protection of vulnerable groups including women, the disabled and the hard to reach.

Of increasing urgency in the context of pandemic crisis and ongoing global impacts of climate change are the contributions to resilience. We highlight a wealth of actions across faith groups including Buddhist networks and the Caritas network. Moreover, the holistic frameworks of resilience used by many religious leaders and faith communities provide valuable insights for policy makers and NGOs seeking to shift toward people and community-centred programming: that is, frameworks that capture factors such as socio-economic conditions an understanding of wellbeing, identity and belonging.

A maze with no exit?

While we value and raise awareness of these important aspects of the role played by faith actors, we recognise the highly complex and sensitive challenges in many operational contexts which betray simplistic engagement with faith actors. For many policy makers and in-country NGO programmers there is reluctance to engage religious leaders due to concerns that they are drivers of gender inequalities and abuses, have partisan affiliations which may compromise neutrality and impartiality, and in fragile contexts may be drivers of tensions along religious lines.

The Toolkit draws on programmes and research from contexts worldwide to provide positive ways to engage as well as considerations for addressing these challenges where appropriate. We consistently found that interviewees and research endorse regular dialogue, creation of committees inclusive and led by women and youth, and facilitation of peer-to-peer exchanges as important ways for actors to establish common ground, expectations, interests and limitations.

Literacy of the religious dynamics

We encourage policy stakeholders and agencies to also reflect internally on their own literacy of the frameworks of understanding, beliefs and values of the communities they seek to support and collaborate with. Civil society reporting highlighted in the toolkit demonstrates the possibility to address harmful practices which on the surface appear to be rooted in religion, but on closer analysis result from cultural customs and norms either developed recently or passed through generations. Being able to discern between culture and religion, which become tightly intertwined, can open avenues for dialogue and opportunities for common ground.

Expanding existing approaches

The ongoing dialogue, identification of appropriate actors and mapping exercises endorsed in the toolkit require time. For genuine partnership and collaboration with communities, trust is key. Giving religious leaders and communities a leading role in identifying and communicating their own needs and having a stake in response will entail flexible time frames and investment in developing those relations. In short, we must incorporate longer-term thinking into project-based approaches.

ACT Alliance is one of a dozen global and regional religious organizations released an advocacy statement on the situation of migrants and refugees in Europe that defines their calling as Christians to “welcome the stranger,” and urges the creation of a world in which “we become human together.”

“Solidarity should be the guiding principle governing migration and particularly refugee reception,” the statement says. “We expect the EU to reject the discourse and politics of fear and deterrence, and to adopt a principled stance and compassionate practice based on the fundamental values on which the EU is founded.”

The organisations have issued the statement in advance of the EU Commission’s presentation of its new Migration Pact on 23 September.

“Our organizations represent churches throughout Europe and globally as well as church-based agencies particularly concerned with migrants, refugees and asylum seekers,” the statement reads. “As Christian organizations, we are deeply committed to the inviolable dignity of the human person created in the image of God, as well as to the concepts of the common good, of global solidarity and of the promotion of a society that welcomes strangers, cares for those fleeing danger, and protects the vulnerable.”

The statement refers to the recent fire at the Moria camp, which left 13,000 migrants without a home.

“The events of the night of 8 September 2020 in the Moria camp and during the following days have once again exposed the fundamentally broken state of European migration and asylum policy and the suffering it has created,” the statement says, pointing to “the desperation of people seeking protection who have often been forced to live for years in inhumane conditions, the anger and frustration of locals who feel that Europe has left them alone with the challenge of reception and care, the current response has addressed the symptoms of a greater problem but not the actual cause, and a reaction by the EU which expresses sympathy but shows a profound lack of responsibility and no real commitment to helping those in need of protection as well as the Greek state and the local population hosting them.”  

COVID-19 has exacerbated already inhumane living conditions for migrants, the statement notes. “COVID-19 and its consequences have in many places rendered the already difficult situation in these countries and for the displaced populations they host even more precarious: be it due to inadequate hygiene in these facilities or the dramatic cuts of food rations and other assistance available to them,” the statement reads. “Widespread restrictions on internal and cross-border movement in the wake of the pandemic have further reduced people’s access to protection. In addition, the economic survival of many people on the move, as well as their hosts, has been imperiled by lockdowns and related measures, which have hit those employed in the informal sector particularly hard, and have had a disproportionate effect on women and their livelihoods.”

The religious organizations commit themselves to “advocating for a more dignified approach to the reception, protection, and care of people on the move.” It states that “churches and church-based agencies have been and will be proactive in offering a compassionate welcome, and promoting social integration and a just and peaceful living together, in Greece and the whole of Europe and beyond.”

The statement also addresses the public discourse in which “migrants and refugees are often the focus for hate speech in social media, as well as distorted and dehumanizing portrayals in the media” and calls for media to “respect the human dignity of migrants and refugees, ensure balanced coverage of their stories, engage with migrants and refugees and enable them to tell their own stories, and to avoid stereotypical, negative expressions, as well as victimization and oversimplification.”

“We also share the conviction that the core values of the European Union regarding human dignity and respect for human rights must be reflected in its day-to-day politics,” the statement says.

The statement is co-signed by the ACT Alliance, the Anglican Communion, the Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe, the Conference of European Churches, the Evangelical Church of Greece, the Integration Center for Migrant Workers – Ecumenical Refugee Program, Non Profit Organisation of the Church of Greece, the Lutheran World Federation, the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, the European Region of the World Association of Christian Communication, the World Communion of Reformed Churches, the World Communion of Reformed Churches (European Region), the World Council of Churches and the World Methodist Council.

Read the full statement of 22 September 2020

Photo gallery: Churches’ work supporting refugees in Europe

Social media package

Media Contact:
Simon Chambers, Director of Communications
Email: simon.chambers@actalliance.org
Tel: +1 416 435 0972