ACT Alliance has signed on to the Unity Statement for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights in the Philippines.

Keep Watch and Bear Witness with the Filipino People

#DefendCivilLiberties #StopTheKillings

“When all the prisoners of the land are crushed under foot, when human rights are perverted in the presence of the Most High, when one’s case is subverted – does the Lord not see it?”

 (Lamentations 3:34-36, NRSV)

We are Church people from around the world, responding to the call to stand with the Filipino people in light of the deteriorating situation of civil liberties and human rights in the Philippines. Filipinos have been under quarantine and various forms of “lockdown” for more than six months. They are a witness to a militarized response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has unraveled lingering social inequalities and has further deepened economic misery in the country.  The 45 percent of the Philippine workforce is now unemployed.  The worrisome heightening of human rights violations and intensifying curtailment of civil liberties are unduly facilitated by restrictions put upon democratic discourse, including legitimate assemblies to express grievances, in a civil space so severely shrunk.

We are alarmed by the passage into law of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, which poses serious threats on civil liberties. This law runs counter to the Bill of Rights clearly enshrined in the Philippine Constitution and to obligations arising from international human rights instruments and mechanisms that Philippines has acceded to.  This law practically legitimizes unlawful arrests and detentions, thereby undermining due process of law and equal protection of the law that are guaranteed by the Philippine Constitution.  Compounding the concern about this law are reports that retired military generals have been positioned within the civilian bureaucracy to wield this draconian law, instrumentalizing it to  impinge on the exercise of free speech, thought, religious belief and association, as well as other civil and political rights.

The proliferation of extrajudicial killings, including the killing of thousands of people under a so-called “war on drugs”[1], is reprehensible. We are concerned that a general climate of impunity has been synergized with the Philippine president’s unabashed incitement to violence and regular calls for state forces to punish legitimate dissent by the citizenry.  At least 6,000 killings have been reported by the Philippine police as a result of their drug operations.  Human rights organizations provide a larger figure, calculating that approximately 27,000 people including children have been killed, with casualties resulting from widespread ‘vigilante’ killings, discovery of dead bodies, and executions from what are described as resistance to police arrest[2].  Extrajudicial killings of “suspected rebels” are categorized and alleged as shoot-outs in the dead of night, while multiple witness testimonies report these as execution-style operations.  The human rights group Karapatan has documented more than 300 political killings, including scores of rural farmers and indigenous peoples, workers, environmental defenders, lawyers, human rights activists, and church people.  The Philippine Commission on Human Rights remains saddled with the investigation of 89 cases of deaths of human rights activists dating back to 2017.

We call for an end to these killings.  We stand with the Filipino citizenry in denouncing state impunity and the wanton display of violence and brutality by state forces. We affirm that due process of law and the equal protection of the law are constitutive of a just and democratic governance and guarantees protections arising from both domestic and international laws that the Philippines have sworn to abide by.

Continuing violations of human rights under COVID-19 pandemic quarantines in the Philippines accentuate the urgent need for intensified accompaniment and solidarity from Church formations and people of goodwill within and outside the Philippines.  A few of the present maneuvers to repress the Filipino people include the intimidation and trumped-up charges leveled against the political opposition, peoples organizations, journalists, government critics, peace advocates, and human rights defenders; the closure of a  major media outfit; “red-tagging” of activists, including church people and churches[3]; attacks on indigenous communities and their schools; and threats to workers humanitarian aid groups and agencies.

Civil rights are deprived further with the unhealthy overcrowding and dismal situation of Philippine prisons, bulging to as high as five times their capacity. Widespread hunger and joblessness, and inadequate provision of and access to health services and care, thereby putting at greater risk populations that have been made more vulnerable by at least a triple of pandemics—those of COVID-19, endemic poverty, and climate change that have assaulted the health and integrity of the people, their land and livelihoods, and the planet.

Therefore, in continuation of our historic commitment as faith-based bodies within the wider ecumenical community worldwide to peace, justice and the integrity of creation, we hereby join to keep watch and bear witness to the hopes and struggles of the Filipino people.

We continue to raise the alarm on the disturbing proliferation of killings, human rights violations and attacks on civil liberties in the Philippines.  We commit ourselves to bear witness in word and indeed, by advocating and educating about these commitments in our own countries, with our governments and diplomats, and in our agencies and work places.  We will aid in broadening international support for and solidarity with the Filipino people. Their call for the Philippine government to uphold human rights, provide reparations to victims of state abuses, seek peace, and enact justice are equally our call. In particular, we support the recommendations of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, including recommendations from at least two dozens of UN human rights experts for the UN Human Rights Council to “establish an on-the-ground independent, impartial investigation into human rights violations in the Philippines”.[4]

We will continue to uphold God’s gift of human dignity in the Philippines and everywhere, working with human rights defenders, and maximizing all venues and platforms to put a spotlight on those who violate and undermine human rights so that they are called to face justice and account for their transgressions.

May the liberating God be with us in this commitment and in our continuing quest for peace based on justice and the integrity of peoples and their lands.

We will bear witness, and we will keep watch.

Signed by (as of September 17, 2020):

ACT Alliance

Anglican Church of Canada*

Christian Conference of Asia

Council for World Mission

Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ

International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines

Kairos: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives

National Council of Churches in Australia

National Council of Churches in Korea

National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA**

Presbyterian Church USA

United Society Partners in the Gospel, UK

United Church of Canada

United Evangelical Mission

Uniting Church in Australia

United Methodist Church – General Board of Church and Society***

United Methodist Church – General Board of Global Ministries

Uniting World

World Communion of Reformed Churches

World Student Christian Federation

* The Most Rev. Linda Nicholls, Primate; The Most Rev. Mark MacDonald, National Anglican Indigenous Archbishop (Anglican Church of Canada)

**Jim Winkler, General Secretary and President (National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA)

*** Rev. Dr. Susan Henry-Crowe, General Secretary (United Methodist Church – General Board of Church and Society)

[1] https://globalnation.inquirer.net/188186/unhrc-report-near-impunity-in-ph-drug-war-killings-tokhang-must-end

[2] https://rappler.com/nation/children-killed-duterte-drug-war-philippines-report

[3] The National Council of Churches in the Philippines and its members and associate members like the Iglesia Filipina Independiente, United Church of Christ in the Philippines and the Student Christian Movement of the Philippines have been labelled by state security forces and government agencies as “front organizations of communist terrorist groups”. Some church leaders, members of the clergy and lay leaders are also “red-tagged” including those from the United Methodist Church and the Roman Catholic Church.

[4] See the High Commissioner’s report here: https://bit.ly/3jHsawQ , and the recommendations of UN human rights experts at https://bit.ly/2EPgDNv

The Statement is available for download here.

ACT Alliance has joined over 170 peacebuilding organizations in issuing an urgent call to action for peace. The statement points out that responses to the COVID-19 crisis that increase violence, injustice and exclusion will increase human suffering and deepen development losses. A focus on peace, justice and inclusion must be at the heart of the response to COVID-19.

The statement, released at the opening of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly, calls on governments and the international community to: mainstream peace in the response to COVID-19; prioritize inclusion in analysis and action; make space for building peace; and reaffirm multilateralism and international norms as a safeguard for the most vulnerable.

The full statement can be read here.

The 18^th of September is International Equal Pay Day which symbolizes how far still have to go to guarantee women earn the same as men. According to the UN, ‘[a]cross all regions, women are paid less than men, with the gender pay gap estimated at 23 per cent globally’. Evidence shows that Equal Pay Day is about much more than just pay. For example, World Bank’s Women Business and the Law 2020 report states that we still have laws and regulations imposing job restrictions on women which go beyond the gender wage gap. Not only. I argue that we should even go one step further by recognising that toxic sexist work culture is also responsible for the slow progress on gender equality. That is, while fighting for equal pay, we must make sure we acknowledge and fundamentally change unequal power structures to ensure equality in all senses when it comes to the workplace.

Let’s put this into a concrete picture. More than 10 years ago, when I was working for a prestigious law firm, had been there for over 3 years and had raving reviews from colleagues, I was told that someone else was being hired for my role because, and I here quote, they ‘simply preferred working with a man’. They (or rather He) added quite abrasively: ‘It’s not personal’. How on earth that is not personal? Telling me I was discriminated against for the mere fact of being a woman? Being able to tell me that and get away with it because you are a white middle class privileged man? Or perhaps disregarding good professional performance to create your very own ‘boys club’?

That incident could have crushed my self-esteem and erased my prospects of actually putting my skills to good use. Instead, I quit that job two days later and decided that my mission would be preventing similar issues from happening. Unfortunately, that was not the only time I was discriminated against and certainly it will not be the last. God knows how much I work (and overwork) to prove that I am just as good as the people being deemed ‘suitable’ by the system (which of course changes depending on the setting you are in). But, the reality is that when I look back I am actually grateful. That was a defining moment. It sparkled my love (unapologetic and fully committed love) for human rights and gender equality; it gave me the courage to actually pursue a new career track in spite of my family’s resistance; and it gave me the opportunity to learn and meet many other feminist activists that devote(d) their whole life to changing our inherently patriarchal and racist system. 

I speak from a perspective now which I simply could not have done back then. In fact, I was only able to share this history with my parents and siblings last year. This is the first time I actually write about it. The first time I spoke about this openly was at the beginning of 2020 when a group of young girls asked me about my career path during a CSW 64 discussion. I have met my past co-workers (who where well aware of what had taken place) several times but they never mentioned the incident directly or reached out to me with a word of encouragement. I don’t blame them. The system demands silence as it only awards those that circumscribe by its rules. That must change!

Last month, when someone asked me if I had suffered discrimination in my recent past, I answered fully but felt like crying as I did it. It is soul crushing to think that we still live in a world where people thrive by having power over other people; by creating artificial socially constructed categories to benefit from your oppression. I never accepted the status quo but also know that not everyone has the privilege of options. I had that privilege and think it is my obligation to use it strategically. I would urge others in similar positions to do the same. This is of course not a novel call to action, it is a personal plea. Many social movements such as #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter highlighted the discriminatory face of our ‘normal’. If the COVID-19 pandemic taught us anything is that the moment to change things is right now!

My bottom line is: Fight discriminatory systems…whatever it is that you face and whatever they discriminate against. Fight it! If you feel you can’t fight it, take a stand. Make it clear that you are not complicit with it. And then define what that means to you rather than being defined by it. Take the power from those trying to have power over you. That in itself is a radical thing to do.

A luta continua!

ACT Alliance joins Civil Society around the world to call for a Global Fund for Social Protection to respond to the COVID-19 crisis and to build a better future.

Despite agreements on the fundamental human rights of all people to social protection and health, over two-thirds of the world’s population are still denied the right to comprehensive social protection. This is especially concerning as the number of people without protection as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic increases. For example, as a result of COVID-19, the number of people that are food insecure is projected to double to a quarter of a billion this year.

“We, civil society and faith-based organizations, trade unions and members of the Global Coalition for Social Protection Floors, in view of the global harm from the COVID-19 pandemic, call on governments worldwide to ensure – through national and global solidarity – that national social protection floors are made available to all people with the help of a Global Fund for Social Protection,” reads the Civil Society Call.

The Call explains that national floors of social protection can help to ensure that no one is left behind by securing universal access to essential health care and basic income security. 

“Social protection systems can help to reduce and prevent poverty, counter inequality, and can unleash the creativity and productive capacity of people,” reads the Call.

Signatories to the Civil Society Call also recognize that while the financing of social protection systems falls to national budgets, some countries will require technical support and co-financing from the international community.

The Call further outlines the envisioned governance structure of the board, potential financing sources and notes that the Fund would operate under the principles of accountability, transparency and participation.

The full Civil Society Call is available here.

ACT Alliance joins various humanitarian and development organizations calling on Heads of State and Government ahead of UNGA 75 to make bold and ambitious decisions to halt and reverse biodiversity loss and put nature and ecosystems on a path to recovery by 2030.

ACT Alliance members around the world are witnessing the various ways that the rapid loss of nature, ecosystems, and biodiversity are threatening our environment, health, diets, development, social equity and human rights. 

The Call to Action states, “Biodiversity is essential not only for poverty and inequality eradication but also for social justice and human rights, including the rights to food, water, human health and a healthy environment.”

The Call to Action further reads:

We must take action now to set nature, ecosystems and societies on the path to recovery, to build a safe, healthy and equitable future for people and the planet. Together, we can reset our relationship with nature and secure a resilient carbon-neutral, nature-positive world.

We call on the Heads of State ahead of UNGA75 to make bold and ambitious decisions to halt and reverse biodiversity loss and put nature and ecosystems on a path to recovery by 2030 by:

1. 1. Embracing a green, sustainable and just post-COVID19 recovery, protecting and regenerating nature as a sustainable foundation for a healthy and just society, and equitable economy, in line with WHO Manifesto.
   2. Transitioning to sustainable carbon-conscious agriculture, fisheries and forestry by harnessing agro-ecology, food sovereignty and alternative livelihoods. Eliminating subsidies harmful to nature, climate and health, without compromising on food security and nutrition for all.
   3. Strengthening resilience to climate change and environmental degradation of the poor and vulnerable. Ensuring fair and equitable distribution of and access to natural resources as a condition for social and gender equality while investing in public services that ease the burden of care for all in society.
   4. Halting the loss of and restoring natural habitats, while applying a human rights-based approach and respecting indigenous people and local communities’ human, land, water and tenure roles and rights.
   5. Ensuring that the benefits from biodiversity, including healthy and nutritious diets and fresh water are equitably shared by all people.

The full Call to Action is available for download here.

In September 2018 the UN IATF established the Multi-faith Advisory Council (MFAC), an informal and voluntary entity which consists of 45 religious leaders and heads of faith-based organizations (FBOs).  The composition reflects the diversity of religions, regional and national presence, and covers different thematic areas that mirror the UN’s mandate. In 2019 Rudelmar Bueno de Faria was elected co-chair of this body.

ACT Alliance joins the other members of the MFAC to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the UN.

Watch the trailer below

The World Council of Churches (WCC), ACT Alliance and the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) present their condolences to all Lebanese people who lost their loved ones in the catastrophic explosion that ripped through the heart of Beirut on 4 August 2020.  We stand in solidarity with the bereaved, the injured, the

displaced and the suffering.

On behalf of the international ecumenical community, ACT Alliance is launching an appeal as part of the international humanitarian response to this disaster, and we join in calling on the international community for a comprehensive humanitarian mechanism of coordination and collaboration with Lebanese civil society.

We recognize and lift up the swift and effective actions taken by Lebanese civil society to respond and to alleviate the suffering of those affected. The civil society response to the disaster is a significant sign of hope, strengthening people’s capacity to overcome this enormous crisis and to restore hope in the society for the future of the nation.

Together, WCC ACT Alliance and MECC emphasize the following elements as crucial for a sustainable recovery:

1. There must be real accountability for this disaster, through an independent investigation. We call on the international community, through the UN, to ensure that the causes of this disaster are investigated and established by a credible independent process, that those responsible are brought to justice, and that impunity is avoided.
2. While immediate humanitarian assistance is essential and fundamental, ensuring long-term resilience is crucial for Lebanon’s sustainable recovery from multiple shocks – bringing together humanitarian, development and peace and human security components in a comprehensive systemic approach. The explosion and its consequences compound a deep pre-existing economic and social crisis, with 50% of Lebanese people living under the poverty line and 400,000 suffering displacement. A comprehensive, detailed and sustained engagement is required to ensure lasting positive impact.
3. WCC, ACT Alliance and MECC join in calling on all their members and partners to galvanize their resources – human, financial, communication/technical and spiritual – to support the Lebanese people to overcome this profound crisis.
4. WCC and ACT Alliance affirm and support the role and response of the Middle East Council of Churches, the Lebanon ACT Appeal, and all initiatives faith-based organizations and churches take to respond to not only to the humanitarian needs of the Lebanese people but also spiritual needs through trauma-healing interventions and counseling.

This is a critical and historical existential moment for Lebanon – a haven for religious and social diversity in the Middle East – and as such, we are all concerned and called upon to help ensure Lebanon’s survival. With all the tragedies and challenges of its past and present, Lebanon stands as a sign and symbol of living together in diversity.  The people of Lebanon deserve our support to survive and endure, and to regain hope for their future.

MIDDLE EAST COUNCIL OF CHURCHES

Dr. Souraya Bechealany   | Secretary General 

WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES       

Rev.Prof. Ioan Sauca   | Acting Secretary General 

ACT ALLIANCE            

Rudelmar Bueno De Faria | Secretary General

Download the statement in English here

Download the statement in Arabic here

Global celebration urges “radically new ways of living” to protect our common home

The Season of Creation, an annual celebration of prayer and action for the environment, begins on 1 September. During this annual event, Christians around the world renew their relationship with the Creator and all creation through celebration, conversion, and commitment.

Although Christian communities have incorporated this annual event into their calendars for years, this year’s celebration has particular resonance. During the health, economic, and environmental crises that have shaken our world, the season asks Christians to enter a “jubilee for our Earth,” which is the suggested theme for the season, and to find “radically new ways of living.” 

The season begins with a prayer service led by young people. With their prophetic stand for radically new ways of living, young people are urging adult allies to act now, while the option for acting is still with us. 

Throughout the season, thousands of digital commitments and hundreds of local events continue the momentum in locations as diverse as Nanyuki, Kenya, where shade and fruit trees will be planted to protect an ecologically sensitive site, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where a group will plant trees in commemoration of the Amazon, and Wellington, New Zealand, where an ecumenical group will hold a walking reflection on the Genesis creation story. These events will draw from the celebration guide available here. 

In addition to commitments from the laity, high-level leaders including the Vatican and Catholic bishops’ conferences and bishops, Anglican Bishop Holtam of Salisbury, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, and other leaders have made statements in support of the season and its opening day, the World Day of Prayer for Creation. 

The history of the Season of Creation reveals its true ecumenism. Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios I proclaimed 1 September as a day of prayer for creation for the Orthodox in 1989. The World Council of Churches was instrumental in making the special time a season, extending the celebration from 1 September to 4 October, the Feast of St. Francis. Pope Francis made the Roman Catholic Church’s warm welcoming of the season official in 2019.

An ecumenical steering committee suggests resources for the season each year. More information is available at SeasonOfCreation.org

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Through the ACT Alliance’s Global Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, ACT continues to respond to the needs of affected individuals, families and communities around the world.

ACT members PELKESI, YAKKUM Emergency Unit (YEU) and the Center for Disaster Risk Management and Community Development Studies (CDRM & CDS), share two human impact stories from communities that they have supported during the pandemic. In line with ACT’s commitment to the Localisation Agenda, national ACT members are working with local partners, churches, faith actors, and governments to support the most vulnerable.

The first story highlights the impact of ACT member CDRM & CDS through their support to 38-year-old Mrs Jernita Sababalat, a small store owner from the Makukuet Hamlet of Matobe Village, Indonesia. Despite her disabilities and being a mother of three children, the support provided by CDRM & CDS has allowed Mrs Jernita to continue to work in her store and provide for her family amidst the difficulties that they face during COVID-19.

Mrs Jernita is one of the many women who received support from CDRM & CDS back in 2016 to set up her store, which, serves as an important source of income for her family. Today, CDRM & CDS continues to support the Matobe Village, this time raising awareness of COVID-19 and sharing transmission prevention tools and strategies.

“First, I heard about the Corona Virus through the TV/media. More and more people were infected and died. This situation scared our family of being infected by the deadly virus,” said Ms Jernita. “We got more scared and decided not to go out because we did not want to get infected,” she said.

Mrs Jernita’s family is one of the many who received informational materials and personal hygiene tools including buckets, soap and masks. “It is not because the virus is no longer dangerous, but the health information and personal hygiene kits make me and my family less worried of being infected as long as we follow the recommendations of CDRM & CDS,” said Mrs Jernita.

Mrs Jernita’s husband echoed sentiments of gratitude to the ACT member, “thank you very much to CDRM & CDS for sharing information on how to prevent COVID-19. More communities are aware of prevention techniques. Thus, I am calmer now,” he said.

The second story sheds light on the work conducted by ACT member YEU in supporting female-headed families, persons with disabilities, the elderly, and those with chronic illnesses.

Ms Mugiyem is a 76-year-old woman who harvested rice, cassava and peanuts. While some of her harvests were unsuccessful, others have been destroyed by monkeys. The destroyed crops, along with worsening pain in her knees, which have left her unable to work her farm and in need of support.

She has not sought medical assistance due to a lack of funds for the treatment and has also been worried about the risk of contracting COVID-19 at the Community Health Center.

Ms Mugiyem’s is one of 150 families that received cash-transfer assistance during the pandemic. Through a cash transfer program supported by ACT member YEU in collaboration with the local church, she received Rp.600.000 (approximately USD 41), enough to seek the necessary treatment for her knees and some needed household items.

“I used the money to buy things for my daily needs, such as seasoning, and clothes for my daughter.  I also used the money to pay for the treatment for my knee. Before I received this assistance, I did many things to meet my daily needs, but this assistance has helped me a lot,” she said.

These stories have been adapted from Human Impact Story, July 2020. The full stories are available here.

The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic hit people hard all around the world. But it hits people like Sani and her parents-in-law in Nepal particularly strongly. Single mothers, persons with disabilities and elderly people with no or very small incomes have no resources to bridge a crisis like the current pandemic. That’s why ACT Alliance-members like Christian Aid focus their aid on highly vulnerable groups like these.

Sani Tamang lost her eyesight due to an illness when she was eight years old. She didn’t have the opportunity to study or learn a vocation skill. Currently, her life revolves around her four-year-old son who is her reason for living. Her husband left her a few years ago just after a month of marriage. She now lives with her elderly in-laws in Tamakoshi, Dolakha. Padam Lama is 77 years old and his wife, Batuli Lama, 73 years old. The couple are tenants on a small farm and their only regular income is the old age allowance they get. Sani helps them by cutting grass and peeling vegetables to cook. Her father-in-law works as a labourer whenever he can to meet the family’s needs. When the government of Nepal announced the lockdown due to the COVID-19 crisis though, he had no option but to stay home. As a result, the family has problems earning enough income to cover their daily needs.

Desperate situation

Sani says that there was no cash to buy food and the grocery shop also stopped giving anything on credit as they already had old debts to pay. Due to the lockdown, Sani couldn’t get the social security allowance for disabled persons as the government offices were closed for some time and the money was not released. This meant that they were not sure when they would get the allowance. Sani’s family urgently required support to meet their basic food needs. They had very little savings so they were depending on some food they had in the farm, including millet and maize. With their little available money, they had to buy vegetables, oil and lentils. They could not afford much and also had to save some of their money as they were not sure how long the lockdown would last.

Happy moment

However, the local government of Tamakoshi included Sani and her relatives in the list of families to receive support from organisations like Christian Aid and the Community Development Forum (CDF) Nepal that provide food supplies for the families in need.

It was really a happy and delightful moment for the family as they received enough food supplies for a month. For Sani it meant that she could feed her son a proper meal and not worry about food. “We are cooking the food we got and enjoying our meals. My son heartily savours eating and that makes me content and joyful,” she expresses.

Positive changes in the Municipality

The Tamakoshi Rural Municipality realised the difficulties that people were going through due to the lack of a social security allowance. So after a few weeks of lockdown they released the money to help them in these critical times. The municipal government in spite of the restrictions due to COVID-19 allowed development and construction work so that people could earn money for their daily household needs by working for the building owners.

As part of their response to COVID-19, Christian Aid Nepal has been supporting the communities of Rasuwa, Khotang, Dolakha, Dhading, Bardiya and Kailali districts, focusing on women, persons with disabilities, elderly and other vulnerable groups.

ACT Alliance Response

ACT Alliance launched its global COVID-19 response globally, directly funding ACT members’ support of communities affected by COVID-19. ACT’s total response includes members like Christian Aid who have raised their own funding. ACT members support people like Sani and her family in improving their own lives by supporting national health systems, working with community leaders in providing accurate and timely information to communities, and providing sorely needed support.  Always with a focus on gender, and the protection of the most vulnerable communities while engaging local faith actors to actively participate in humanitarian action. 

Sunjuli Singh Kunwar, Christian Aid Nepal