Hope, community, complexity– these were some of the words that participants used to describe the connection between faith and development at the Canadian Council for International Co-operation’s virtual event on Faith as a Competency in Development. ACT Alliance was pleased to join World Vision Canada and Islamic Relief Canada as speakers at the event.

Faith is deeply rooted in the cultures of many of the communities that ACT Alliance serves. It shapes identities and informs worldviews. “Faith is a critical element with the potential to build relationships, solidarity, and inclusive communities that can transform cultural systems. Through faith, we can address stereotypes and stigmas. Faith actors and communities have a role to play in promoting hope, social cohesion, and community resilience,” said Dr. Rev. Elaine Neuenfeldt, ACT’s Gender Justice Program Manager.

Rev. Neuenfeldt explored the role of faith in ACT’s Gender Justice work, noting ACT’s potential to harness faith as a positive element to build networks, connect local to global initiatives and to transform policies practices, and attitudes. She shared the case of ACT member Presbyterian World Service & Development (PWS&D) whose work with the Presbyterian Church in Ghana has been successful in addressing traditional practices that had previously discriminated against and oppressed women.

Maereg Tafere of World Vision Canada noted that faith competencies can facilitate a holistic approach to problem-solving. He explored World Vision’s Channels of Hope Approach (sensitize, strategize, empower), noting that development is about challenging world views and that, “faith leaders have the moral and spiritual authority and potential to set and transform world views.”

Tafere also expressed that integrating faith in development work can bring a quicker and more sustainable change as it is driven by local leaders who have the ability to navigate sensitive issues.

The panelists recognized that while awareness and sensitivity to faith could enhance the effectiveness of development practices, a lack of understanding could hinder positive development outcomes.

Reyhana Patel of Islamic Relief Canada noted that faith is often one of the factors that people use to justify acts of violence against women and girls and that a challenge has been in the interpretation of religious texts.

Patel shed light on Islamic Relief Canada’s approach and success in informing faith leaders about alternative interpretations of texts that counter acts of violence against women and girls. “We found that when people are properly informed about religious texts and debates around it, we see a profound change in attitudes and beliefs.”

Rev. Neuenfeldt further explored this issue, expressing that the interpretation of texts also has the potential to promote agency. “Agency is promoted by faith when sacred text interpretation is provided in a manner that deconstructs cultural and traditional values that are limiting women’s agency, and critically addresses the elements that faith leaders have been educated in.”

In order to ensure that development initiatives can continue to benefit from faith competencies, the panelists identified the following next steps:

• A greater acceptance of the expertise that FBOs have on specific issues including their unique relationship with communities, often allowing FBO’s to work in sensitive situations.
• An acceptance that FBO’s have the language and understanding of faith literacy and have the potential to identify the common ground that is needed to transform societies.

ACT Alliance Members in Canada:

Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR)
Presbyterian World Service & Development (PWS&D)
Primates World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF)
United Church of Canada: Justice, Global and Ecumenical Relations Unit (UCC)
World Association for Christian Communication (WACC)
World Renew

The COVID-19 pandemic has had severe implications for countries with already fragile social, economic, and political systems. Countries experiencing fragility, conflict, and recurring disasters are now facing additional burdens.

In countries where access to basic health and sanitation services are lacking, populations are experiencing inhumane conditions and are bearing some of the highest numbers of COVID-19 related deaths.  These circumstances are further aggravated by political stances that prioritize the economy over life.  The COVID-19 pandemic is uncovering inequalities and is exacerbating already existing poverty and injustices.

International collaboration and solidarity are essential to combatting the pandemic. While all governments and institutions should be ensuring inclusive, safe, and immediate medical access to their people, the reality is that some governments are withdrawing their international commitment to public health. This is raising human rights concerns.  

Given that the need for a COVID-19 vaccine will be global, a shortage of supply is to be expected. While governments are already developing initiatives to grant their citizens immunization, a “first come, first served” approach risks leaving the most vulnerable behind and could trigger a humanitarian catastrophe with “winners” and “losers”.  

It is also concerning that some governments are investing in the research and development of the vaccine primarily for economic and political purposes rather than advancing universal solidarity and humanity.

Achieving global, equitable, and criteria-based access and distribution of vaccines will not be an easy task. The rise of populism and nationalism presents a challenge to multilateralism and international cooperation and solidarity. As we have seen in the past few months, the hoarding of medical supplies and unilateral policies do not work when faced with a global crisis of such magnitude.  Therefore, ACT Alliance:

• Supports the call of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance for governments to provide equal access to vaccines for all, and in particular, for those at the heart of the pandemic and in greatest need.
• Supports the joint efforts by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation (CEPI) to develop and secure COVID-19 vaccines on an equitable basis.
• Urges governments and the pharmaceutical industry to establish a global mechanism, under the leadership of WHO in collaboration with Gavi and CEPI, to ensure an equitable and criteria-based distribution of the new vaccine. This framework must be organized around the principles of global solidarity, inclusion, and justice and should establish transparent criteria on how to prioritize vaccine allocation. 
• Requests governments to refrain from exclusively prioritizing the vaccination of their own populations but rather to give priority to those most in need, especially vulnerable people living at the epicenter of the pandemic.
• Calls for the engagement of humanitarian agencies and organizations in the access and distribution of the future COVID-19 vaccine. As frontlines working at the heart of the pandemic, humanitarian agencies and NGOs are able to reach the most vulnerable communities, including migrants, internally displaced people and refugees.

Rudelmar Bueno de Faria

General Secretary ACT Alliance

Portuguese version | French version  | 

Working in different parts of Asia and the Pacific, and having different focuses within gender justice: the Chair and Vice-chairs of ACT’s new Regional Gender Community of Practice for Asia and the Pacific reflect the various faces of this fundamental strategic goal in a region representing more than 60 percent of the world’s population.  

ACT Alliance’s Communities of Practice (CoP) create and support spaces within the alliance for members to work together on issues of common interest and concern. ACT recognises knowledge and learning as a key asset to the alliance and seeks to provide ways for members to work together as learning organisations. ACT CoPs are established to nurture this process. In spite of the COVID-crisis, the Regional Gender CoP for Asia and the Pacific has just been launched in online meetings, and the Chair and Vice-chairs were elected on May 7th 2020.

The new Chair from South Asia

Joycia Thorat, the new Chair of ACT’s Regional Gender CoP, earned her PhD for the thesis on “Gender differences, leadership style and contribution to social justice: A study of global ecumenical leaders” in October 2017. Having been working with the Church’s Auxiliary for Social Action (CASA) in India for 20 years, she has deep knowledge of the grassroots work CASA does in about 6000 Indian villages with a focus on the most vulnerable and socially excluded, including Dalits, Adivasis as well as differently abled and sexual minorities. Joycia is the gender focal point in all of CASA’s programs, and a member of numerous organisations and networks fighting for equal rights in the country. She has represented CASA in many national and international conferences and is well-known from her years as Co-Chair of ACT Alliance’s Advisory Group on Advocacy and Chairperson of ACT Alliance Capacity Development Initiative. Joycia is professionally and personally deeply committed to gender justice and ACT highly appreciates her engagement in this CoP.

Vice-chairs from Australia and the Pacific …

Belinda Lauria, as one of the two new vice-chairs, will be particularly focused on the influence of the church in civil society and the power of faith to address gender justice. She is Program Manager Quality and Compliance at Anglican Overseas Aid (AOA) and Gender and Safeguarding Focal Point for her organisation based in Melbourne/Australia.

Belinda works closely with international partners through an intersectional approach to gender with a strong focus on safeguarding. Her work includes accompanying partners to develop and strengthen gender equitable organisational practices through safeguarding policies, trainings and other knowledge resources that address gender injustice through locally-driven initiatives. She is actively involved in AOA’s national and international networks, working collaboratively with key actors through working groups; building into the sector’s evidence base to better understand and address gender injustice, namely within the Pacific. Belinda has developed and facilitated baseline studies with local church partners in the Pacific, focusing on attitudes, beliefs, social and spiritual systems that reinforce and perpetuate harmful beliefs and behaviour, as well as the role of local faith actors as influential persons in promulgating and sustaining the advancement of gender justice.

… and East and Southeast-Asia

Ilse Paakkinen, the second Vice-chair, has been based in Hong Kong since November 2017 with the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Mission (Felm) and has been working as the organisation’s gender justice adviser since 2019. Having a doctorate in theology with a background in history of philosophy and gender studies at the University of Helsinki, she is particularly interested in theoretical models and the theological basis of gender justice and human rights. Gender Justice is a crosscutting theme for Felm. As the organisation is active in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar and Nepal, Ilse will be able to share experiences in East and South East Asia with the CoP.

Ilse also has global responsibilities. She is active in working in projects and with partners on PME (planning monitoring evaluation), developing Felm’s new manual for project work and training both the personnel in Felm and partners. A training toolkit she is compiling will be used by colleagues globally.

The ACT Alliance is convinced that with this leadership, the regional gender CoP will further advance in sharing knowledge and experiences and hence in learning how to achieve stronger gender justice in Asia and the Pacific as well as world-wide.

Any interested staff of ACT’s member organisations are most welcome to join the CoP’s next meeting on Friday July 10, 1 pm Bangkok time. If you would like to participate, please kindly email us: asia-pacific@actalliance.org.

Joycia Thorat (top), Ilse Paakkinen (bottom left) and Belinda Lauria (bottom right).

Over the past several months we have seen the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the globe. It is a crisis with far-reaching and profound consequences for the economy and for society. The devastating human health and economic impacts of the pandemic are exacerbated by climate hazards, which threaten communities around the world.

Countries are facing major climate-induced disasters and other hazards in addition to their ongoing response, prevention and recovery efforts to deal with COVID-19– from tropical cyclones in the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji and Tonga in the Pacific to flooding and landslides in East Africa to typhoons in Indonesia. Climate-induced hazards, which have become more frequent and unpredictable due to climate change, are responsible for many natural disasters.

Kenyan example

In my country, Kenya, floods have affected over 810,0000 Kenyans, killed 282, displaced over 160,000 households and caused unknown damage to critical infrastructure since the long rains began in March this year. Heavy downpours are expected to continue in already hard-hit areas in the coming weeks, according to the Kenya Meteorological Services. Climate forecast maps across the world for the period April- June 2020 show that both above- and below-average rainfall is anticipated in many regions where COVID-19 is becoming prevalent but disaster preparedness is limited.

The usual response to the displacement of thousands of people affected by floods is temporary shelter in schools or community centers, or relocation to “higher” ground. However, such actions are not recommended at a time when physical distancing and strict hygiene measures are critical to containing the pandemic which has killed 55 people in Kenya to date. In addition to the COVID-19 pandemic and floods, Kenya is still reeling from the effects of the locust invasion that has devastated crops, negatively impacting food security.

How to respond?

In the midst of these crises lie opportunities to build back better and greener, and to protect the most vulnerable from the impacts while increasing their resilience to future crises.

First, I feel that Kenya needs to institute a multi-hazard disaster risk management approach towards preparedness for climate-induced hazards as we concurrently manage the spread of COVID-19. This includes reviewing various standards and protocols to integrate measures such as physical distancing, PPE provision, and adapting early warning messages to preventive behaviors during evacuations. In addition, Kenya must focus on strengthening the response capacity of its health system for potential double disasters.

Second, my country needs to institutionalize coordination and collaboration. Addressing multiple disasters calls for high levels of coordination between national government ministries, counties and partners at all levels.  The double impact of COVID-19 and climate-induced disasters require integrated disaster risk management approaches with close engagement between health and other sectors. Managing such complex risks cannot be done by any single agency but must be a whole-of-government endeavor.

Third, finalizing and enacting Draft National Disaster Risk Management Bill, 2019 would provide a sound legal basis for effectively responding to simultaneous disasters that are spread across multiple sectors and levels of government.  In addition, civil society organizations involvement will be crucial to scale up community preparedness, response and recovery measures.

Fourth, we must reduce vulnerability from COVID-19 and other hazards. Disasters compound existing vulnerabilities– often linked to gender, age, income, and health, among other factors. The impact of disasters and COVID-19 measures such as cessation of movements, curfews and lockdowns will have even more impact on already marginalized and vulnerable groups. Special focus on identifying and protecting the most vulnerable, including women and children, the elderly, and the poor must be prioritized.

Fifth, Kenya needs to support local efforts in disaster response and preparedness. Community members are the first responders to emergencies and yet often lack the resources to effectively respond. Curfews and cessation of movement will hinder community participation in response and preparedness actions by national responders. Inclusive participatory approaches are vital to overcoming crises.

Sixth, we must protect the first responders and frontline personnel. As with health workers responding to the COVID-19 crisis, disaster response teams, volunteers and humanitarian staff should also be protected from any exposure to the virus while supporting communities affected by climate-induced disasters through development of guidelines on how they can protect themselves from COVID-19 and access to appropriate PPE and training in best practices for protecting themselves.

Finally, Kenya needs to invest in building back better the Ksh 540M Greening Kenya Campaign under the Ksh 54 B 8-point economic stimulus programme announced by H.E President Uhuru on 23^rd May, 2020 is commendable and a step in the right direction, as is Ksh 1B for flood control measures. Greening the recovery stimulus packages will enhance resilience of communities in future by guaranteeing a healthy environment. Future recovery efforts must be linked to climate friendly and nature based actions for shared prosperity.

These measures could help to save lives and promote resilient communities in Kenya.  All countries around the world must look at their own situation and find solutions that allow them to address climate change in the midst of the pandemic, and to work together to build a better world, ensuring that no one is left behind.

Mr. Arnold Ambundo has over 10 years’ experience, and has worked with and continues to support Kenya’s Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change efforts working closely with Government of Kenya ministries and departments and broad stakeholders that include CSOs in policy development and advocacy, capacity building, knowledge generation, coordination and programme management. Arnold currently serves as Climate Justice Project Coordinator for the ACT Alliance.

In 2010 the United Nations created the Interagency Task Force on Religion and Sustainable Development (UN-IATF), which today includes more than 20 UN agencies.  Its purpose is to provide policy guidance around engagement with faith- based actors, deepen UN system staff’s understanding of the intersections of religion and the UN pillars of development, human rights and peace and security, as well as provide strategic policy guidance.

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, ACT Alliance General Secretary, Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, was elected co-chair of MFAC and has agreed to answer a few questions to explain its role and contribution to the increased participation of FBOs in building peace and sustainable development.

What is the role of the MFAC?

RBF: The MFAC provides strategic advice and support to the IATF on thematic priority areas. The idea is to assist the UN system through human rights-based policy advocacy, interaction and engagement with faith-based and faith-inspired entities, and by strengthening the UN’s religious literacy. The MFAC encourages greater partnership and joint actions between UN entities and faith-based/inspired actors and serves the greater faith-based community by increasing its understanding of the UN mandate and engagement.

What are your main channels for engagement?

RBF: Well, there are many fronts of engagement. In terms of events, every year we contribute to the Annual Symposium on the Role of Religion in International Affairs and organize an event on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly called the Kofi Annan Faith Briefings. We also promote and raise awareness on the work of the United Nations within our respective networks through advocacy and outreach initiatives, using both traditional and new media.

The members of the Council also participate in UN meetings, workshops and conferences contributing with their specific areas of expertise. We also prepare a short annual report, where we assess impact and provide practical recommendations to enhance policy coordination and collaboration. The report is part of the broader IATF-Religion Annual Report, which is then shared with the UN System and other stakeholders. Finally, the co-chairs of the MFAC serve as the focal point for communication and collaboration with the UN IATF. We are responsible for the facilitation of the Council’s meetings and for facilitating, coordinating, and ensuring the success of all activities undertaken by the Council to fulfill the Council’s mandate.

Has the MFAC identified specific thematic priorities?

RBF: Yes, the MFAC has identified six thematic areas of engagement, which are in line with the strategic priorities set by the UN and its faith-based partners for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Sustaining Peace Agenda. They are:  a) environment, including forests, climate change and resource efficiency, b) migration and displacement, including children, trafficking and education, c) gender justice, d) financing for development,  e) peacemaking and security, including food security, peace building and reconciliation, and humanitarian engagement, and f) Health, including our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Why do you think the role of the Multi-faith Advisory Council is crucial to strengthen the faith literacy within the UN?

RBF: The notion and norm of secularization has fostered a sort of religious illiteracy. For many people, religion exists as a separate dimension of life. In the last decade, the United Nations, multilateral organizations and governments have demonstrated increased interest in religion and faith-based organizations, whether to enforce shared values and objectives, as humanitarian and development providers, or to counter terrorism and hate speeches.

The MFAC can help bridge the gap and assist the UN understand the impact of religion and religious beliefs in the different spheres of our lives by using practical examples of our work in communities as FBOs.  We can demonstrate, with evidence, the unique role and positive potential of religious organizations in shaping a world based on social justice and dignity. We can show that religious organizations and leadership can help to localize development and empower people to positively participate and engage in their communities.

Why an inter-faith approach and contribution are critical to sustainable development and justice?

RBF: Religious communities and religious leaders have a strong track record of raising their voices in contexts where economic injustice, extreme poverty and widespread inequality are the norm. They have also been instrumental in denouncing the misuse of political power, racism, violence and religious hate speech that can lead to atrocity crimes. Religion is important not only at a personal and household level, but it can also have an influence on the societal the political values that communities rely on.

The nexus between religion and development has been part of the secular-religious debate, but often religion has been ignored and sidelined in international development theories and strategies. The UN and many governments are increasingly recognizing the important contribution of religious leaders and organizations in political processes, such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

They have all come to understand that religion can play both a positive and negative role in the areas of peace and security, sustainable development and human rights. This is why engaging religious actors and leaders is crucial.

What kind of contribution do you expect the council to make concerning gender justice and climate justice?

RBF: Gender justice and climate justice are priority areas of the MFAC. We are aware that our work requires a gender analysis of the roles and relationships of, and between, men and women within society. We also know that transformational development requires equal participation of both men and women in the decision-making. However, due to the diversity of faiths in the membership of the Council, there are still contentious issues that do not allow the Council to speak with one voice around some gender-related issues.  We have a long way to go but opening a constructive dialogue on gender justice is the first step towards walking the talk and changing minds and hearts, both internally and externally.

In terms of climate justice, the MFAC recognizes the importance of moving from a traditional economic analysis to an economic system based on sustainability and justice. Without this shift we risk facing one of the worse crisis humanity has ever been confronted with.  Growing poverty is the result of political mismanagement and greed. We know that climate change will affect the most vulnerable and we need to be bold in imagining a new system that can protect and value all humanity not only the most privileged.  

But, of course, climate justice and gender justice are not separate issues. Efforts to relieve human suffering should use a holistic approach. We cannot operate in a silo and we need to find a nexus that sees humanity’s quest for justice as an overarching goal.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the work of many organizations and shifted their attention to respond to this crisis. How the Council is addressing this topic?

RBF: The magnitude and speed of this pandemic was a surprise but we, as FBOs, have the skills and the experience needed to face it. For instance, during the Ebola crisis FBOs and religious leaders were instrumental in the success of the international response.  The Council has created a working group to help its members have a more coherent understanding of the consequences of this crisis in communities. The initial plan is to produce collated data and information on COVID-19 to help MFAC members and the UN-IATF follow best practices, ensure coherence and leverage potential partnerships between UN agencies and FBOs. For that, it is important to ensure a common understanding and approach around COVID-19 and explore the intersections with the MFAC’s thematic priorities.

Why is it important for ACT Alliance to be part of this body?

RBF: ACT Alliance is one of the world’s largest faith-based networks working on humanitarian relief, sustainable development and advocacy. Our experience and expertise on the priority areas identified by the MFAC allow us to contribute in the debate by providing practical examples of the positive role that FBOs play in these different areas of action.  

Since our establishment more than 10 years ago, we have been engaging with a variety of religious leaders and organizations. We have also been working together with different UN agencies and other stakeholders, as we believe that bringing together different experiences and skills can only strengthen our common quest for justice.

For this reason, I believe that ACT can influence the debate and actions undertaken by MFAC and more broadly by the UN system. 

Our participation can also provide an opportunity for the UN system to better realize the different dimensions of what religions literacy means in practice.

In 2015, a massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal. ACT Alliance-member Lutheran World Relief (LWR) together with other ACT Nepal Forum members supported affected people like Sunita, a mother of four whose husband worked abroad during the earthquake. The community resilience increased five years ago now helps them also through the Corona-crisis.

On 25th April 2015, in a matter of a minute, Sunita’s house was turned into rubble by the devastating earthquake. When it hit, Sunita was around 20 minutes away from her home in Gorkha district, a hilly region in Central Nepal which was the epicentre of the earthquake.

Hard for children, women and the elderly

After returning home, Sunita was relieved to find that everyone in the family was safe. However, like over 600’000 other houses in the country, the family’s house had collapsed during the earthquake and aftershocks. “I was disappointed when I didn’t find anything in my completely damaged house. There were no clothes, bedding, food, not a single thing found in the rubble was usable”, says Sunita. Soon she realized how miserable the condition of her family was.

Other infrastructure was also destroyed or disturbed in the earthquake-affected districts. Sunita’s village was without food, electricity, water, road connectivity, sanitation, supply chain or communication. Sunita and her children, along with millions of other families in Nepal who had lost their houses or felt insecure due to the aftershocks, slept outside. “As I had no food and no utensils, I was not able to cook for a few days,” remembers Sunita. Rain and wind, along with continuous aftershocks, further aggravated the situation, which was hard especially for children, women, and elderly people.

All ACT-members involved

Five ACT Alliance members were involved in the ACT-appeal issued after the earthquakes: DanChurchAid (DCA), Finn Church Aid (FCA), ICCO Cooperation, the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and Lutheran World Relief (LWR). They were organized as the ACT Nepal Forum, working together from day one and meeting daily in the beginning. In the first four weeks following the disaster, they were engaged in life sustaining activities, distributing two-week food rations, non-food items, tarpaulins for emergency shelter, family water treatment and personal hygiene kits to over 42,000 of households. At the same time, they engaged in detailed assessments necessary for focusing the on-going response both geographically and sectorally. Christian Aid (CA), Felm and the Nepal Evangelical Lutheran Church (NELC) who joined the ACT Alliance respectively its Nepal forum at a later stage supported the appeal as well.

Agricultural advice with long-term effect

Along with the relief supplies, the families in the area also received agricultural support– seeds, irrigation systems, tunnels, agriculture tools and livestock inputs. People were also trained in improving their agricultural practices.

The program prioritized community participation and mobilization. For the agricultural support, the local government and communities implemented joint actions which not only helped to mobilize the communities, but also increased social harmony. A study showed that through the livelihood intervention families ensured food sufficiency for an average of two additional months per year. Likewise, the livestock provided through the project helped to increase their food security by a further month.

Sustainable improvement on several levels

Sunita’s family immediately received food for 15 days as well as non-food items from LWR. Later on, with the help of local masons trained for the project, they could move to a permanent shelter with earthquake resistant features and were provided an individual toilet. The toilets also have earthquake-resistant features with a bathing space inside. That’s particularly important for women and girls. “We have our privacy now”, states Sunita.

Women were given priority. Partner organizations assured that a minimum of 40% of the program participants were women. Their participation helped to generate income as well as foster social identity, thereby increasing the women’s self-esteem and self-confidence. Tools were developed to measure not only the number of women who benefited through the intervention in general, but also the role of women in social institutions like farmers groups as well as in cooperatives supported and promoted by the program.

Nobody affected by COVID-19 yet

Sunita’s family has a better life than before the quake. They have an earthquake-resilient shelter which is safer than the previous one. By constructing toilets with bathing spaces, awareness for health and hygiene was increased in the village and led to a safer and more hygienic lifestyle. Also, the input and knowledge received in improved agriculture practices have helped to increase productivity.

Of course, Sunita and her family have been affected by COVID-19 like everybody. They are staying in their village and have restricted access to outside communities. Sunita reports: “My husband and I are working in maize farming, and the school-aged children are helping us and assisting in household chores and in the fields.” She further says: “Fortunately, there is nobody affected by the disease in our village and we are supposed to be safe. There is less trouble than in urban areas. Everybody is busy in farming and caring for domestic animals.”

Long history with Nepal

All of today’s ACT Alliance Nepal Forum members CA, DCA, FCA, Felm, ICCO, LWF, LWR and NELC had a permanent presence in Nepal before the earthquake and benefitted from substantial experience in development and humanitarian programming in the country, both directly implemented by them and by Nepali partner organizations.

The completion date of the second Nepal appeal (NPL161) was 31 October 2017. LWR ended its activities on 30 April 2017. Like all the ACT members involved, the organization continues its work in Nepal in times of COVID-19.

(Photos LWR)

Interview with Rabia Sabri, Programme Coordinator, CWSA Afghanistan

Being a woman or a girl in a patriarchal society like Afghanistan has never been easy. In times of COVID, they face even more challenges. However, the main concern of most women is not the virus, but mere survival. What they need most is financial support for their families.

The number of COVID-cases in Afghanistan is relatively low – a fact which like in many countries says more about the number of tests carried out than about the real number of infected persons. The economic effect which shakes the country however is enormous. Therefore, the highest need at the moment is not related to the virus, but to the question of how to feed the family in times of lockdown – especially among the most vulnerable. Rabia Sabri from ACT Alliance-member Community World Service Asia (CWSA) is Programme Coordinator for CWSA’s education projects in Afghanistan and Pakistan describes her current work and the challenges the organization faces in this situation.

Concern over schooling for girls

Overall, Rabia estimates that the COVID-19 impact has doubled or tripled women’s responsibilities. She says: “My worry is that COVID-19 will slow down the access of girls to education in Afghanistan. There are 9 million school children in Afghanistan, and another 3.7 million children are out of school, meaning that they are not going to school due to economic and cultural issues. 60% of these out of school children are girls.”

Rabia also fears that because of the economic impact of COVID-19, families will further prioritise educating boys rather than girls, while the number of out of school children is feared to increase– especially the number of girls. “It is important to continue to support these families financially and convince them to invest in education, especially for girls, which directly impacts their wellbeing,” states Rabia.

Weak education system

The situation is also difficult for children still attending school. There were no plans for tuition after the lockdown. Poor education infrastructure and a lack of resources and manpower have been the main cause of delay. Afghanistan has a poor economy and mainly relies on financial aid. Only 3% of the GDP is allocated to education, and not even those budgets are fully consumed every year. With World Bank funding, the ministry now has introduced alternative distance learning opportunities for students. Rabia says, “CWSA in the past 10 years has invested a lot in girls’ education. But still in Afghanistan people believe that a girl’s place is either at home or in the grave.”

 Device-based learning creates new divisions

Do TV- or e-learning-programs work as distance learning opportunities in Afghanistan? “Online learning is better than nothing, but it has created a digital divide. People who have access to these devices can benefit, but the majority of the students in rural areas do not have access to computers or TVs. For cases where they have a computer or TV but there is no electricity, we are in communication with the Ministry of Education in Afghanistan for introducing different learning pathways for students who do not have access to TV or to the digital world,” explains Rabia.

A country of widows

Afghanistan is a country of widows and therefore has millions of women-led households. It is extremely difficult for them to face the shock of this disaster. Widowed women are already vulnerable as their literacy rate is only at 17%; the overall literacy rate is as low as 31%. This means that the majority of these women has less access to formal jobs and are more dependent on small earnings – mainly livestock management, as this is the only asset they own. With this disaster it has been reported that widows have been selling the poultry which was the only source of income for them during the past weeks of lockdown. Widows also rely on support from their families and communities, but with the current impact of COVID-19, that assistance has also been reduced. Rabia reports that due to a lack of mobility widows do not get proper information on the availability of aid, so “most of the time they are left out unless special programs are designed for them,” she states.

Small signs of change

Everywhere in Afghanistan the life of women is slowly changing and you can see more women and girls as leaders, contributing to the development of Afghanistan in different aspects. But this occurs still very rarely and is restricted to big cities. Women in rural areas still face discrimination, their mobility is limited, they have no decision-making power and face domestic violence and forced marriages. The main source of these problems is girls’ lack of access to education. This fact increases their dependence on men and reduces their decision-making power and empowerment. Rural women generally do not have direct access to information, they follow what the male tells them, and they certainly they do not have the same information and protection as men have.

Increase of domestic violence and child marriage

Violence against women is a major issue in Afghanistan and in the current situation has become worse. Pressure on men is increasing as they have lost their jobs and are lacking a proper family income, and this in turn leads to disputes and fights in the families. It is unfortunately also common in Afghanistan that during financial crises families marry their girls at young age against dowry. In this emergency, those numbers have been reportedly increased as well.

ACT Alliance has responded to the call for submissions issued by the UN Secretary General’s High-level Panel on Internal Displacement by sharing various lessons from its work with internally displaced people (IDPs) in a letter on Friday. In it, ACT identifies the unique role of churches and faith actors in overcoming some of the challenges faced by IDPs, particularly when it comes to including them in policy discussions at all levels.

In order to address these limitations, and to ensure that age, gender and diversity principles will be honoured during the course of the Panel’s work, ACT puts particular emphasis on the need for an inclusive regional consultation process, which its members have pledged to support in the coming months. The key issues identified by ACT Alliance include:

Acknowledging internal displacement:

ACT criticises the long-standing disavowal of internal displacement by certain governments which has impeded humanitarian response and the development of solutions. “In some cases, this is due to the government’s own involvement in triggering such displacement – whether through armed conflict or through promoting public policies that result in displacement,” reads the letter.

“Concepts of welcoming the stranger, caring for the least of these, and loving our neighbour are deeply seated in the Christian tradition,” reads the letter. ACT suggests that the rich resource of moral language of churches and faith actors, which has the potential to promote understanding and change social behavior (as was achieved during the Ebola outbreak), can be used to promote the need to care for IDPs.

Incentivising compliance with human rights norms:

ACT notes that despite the compendium of international human rights laws detailing states’ obligations to human rights, little progress has been made in achieving compliance.

In light of this, “new coalitions of member states and other stakeholders concerned about internal displacement should be forged and reinforced, and various avenues should be pursued to leverage their influence.” As churches and faith actors have a long history of working closely with UN human rights mechanisms, as well as with monitoring intergovernmental processes, ACT encourages the HLP to consider churches and faith actors as useful resources in encouraging state compliance. 

Emphasising the need for a whole of society approach, as outlined in the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) and Global Compact on Refugees (GCR):

While the issue of internal displacement was side-stepped in the GCM and GCR, ACT recognises that many of the principles proposed in the Compacts are equally applicable to IDPs.

Therefore, ACT calls for a Whole of Society Approach to addressing internal displacement to ensure an inclusive process in policy development, implementation and follow up. ACT also notes the importance of including churches and faith actors in mobilising communities to care for the most vulnerable, “the combined engagement of mayors and local leaders, including clergy, by national leadership on issues related to IDPs can garner practical localised solutions to displacement.”

Considering the interconnectedness of migration & asylum systems and internal displacement:

The letter also addresses the potential effects of increasingly restrictive asylum and migration systems on internal displacement and notes the impact that COVID-19 could have in the escalation of refoulement, premature returns and denial of access to territory. “We are concerned that this will inevitably exacerbate the scale and complexity of internal displacement, particularly at a time when the pandemic is causing stigmatisation against those infected in many countries, forcing them to abandon their habitual places of residence,” reads the letter.

ACT notes the active role of churches and faith actors in safeguarding these standards and calls on states to fulfil their human rights obligations and to proactively implement the commitments they made under the two Global Compacts.

The full text of the letter is available here.

In addition to the above, ACT Alliance supports the following contributions made to the HLP:

• Platform on Disaster Displacement (PDD) submission on “Internal Displacement in the context of disasters and the adverse effects of climate change”.
• Climate, Migration, and Displacement Platform (CMDP) letter to the High-Level Panel on “Addressing the Impact of Climate Change on Internally Displaced People”.
• “Ensuring an Age, Gender, and Diversity (AGD) Inclusive Approach to Internal Displacement”.

As appeared on Devex.com:

https://www.devex.com/news/opinion-the-coronavirus-response-needs-local-communities-and-faith-leaders-97147

With 84% of the world population identifying with a religious group, faith communities and agencies are essential stakeholders during a pandemic like the one we are facing today, affecting all communities and traditions globally. In such a context, if we are serious about leaving no one behind, we cannot neglect local response and community engagement to reach and empower the most vulnerable.

We know from lessons learned out of the response to the Ebola crisis in West and Central Africa that faith leaders played a crucial role in the local response and were on the front line of multilateral cooperation. As trusted sources of information, they have persuaded and supported communities in embracing the lifesaving advice of health practitioners against perceived stigma, discrimination, and fear. To do so, reports explain, many Christian and Muslim leaders have engaged in education campaigns and gone door to door and village to village to give messages on behavior change.

Therefore, to be effective in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, governments and international aid agencies urgently need to further existing efforts to develop their “faith literacy” by prioritizing training staff in the religious and cultural context of the communities in which they work and encouraging the inclusion of faith leaders in program design and delivery. This will allow for straightforward, informed, and comprehensive health interventions — especially in those settings where neither the local government nor international institutions are perceived as present or trustworthy by the local communities.

In fragile contexts where complex political realities and tensions between state and nonstate actors can quickly escalate, this pandemic will most certainly have catastrophic consequences. While government leadership is essential, the response to public health and humanitarian crises needs to adopt a wider approach in strengthening national health systems, building on government, private sector, and civil society capacities, including those of faith-based organizations and leaders.

As trusted authorities in their communities, they are a lasting presence even when the pressing phase of the emergency is believed to be over. This presence ensures continuity and community preparedness for the next crisis. It would be a mistake not to consult them when designing the humanitarian response to COVID-19 and the development of a shared agenda for preparedness and recovery.

Dr. Denis Mukwege — founder of Panzi Hospital in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and 2018 Nobel Peace Prize laureate — has witnessed encouraging reports in Congo of pastors and elders helping to play a key role and of the potential to use church influence to reduce the spread of the coronavirus and support people through the transmission of public health messages and practical assistance to households that need to isolate.

From his own experience, he has seen that in many African nations, religion is a key part of stability and a driver for development. In some countries, it could represent the only viable and legitimate authority when people lose trust in politicians.

In the early stages of the Ebola responses, we saw mistakes when the approach taken was purely medical. When Ebola struck, many thought it needed a wholly medical response. But in fact, the social response was vital for reducing transmissions. To combat COVID-19, we again need to teach people how to protect themselves.

We know that beyond the medical response, strategies to contain Ebola and current coronavirus rely on social mobilization and behavioral change through a careful balance of self-isolation, hygiene measures, and safeguarding well-being — from physical and economic to psychological and spiritual. Many of the practices related to good hygiene and safe bereavement and burial that are central to the health response are informed by belief systems and therefore require the engagement of communities and their leaders — both religious and secular — to reinforce or encourage behavioral change.

The United Nations, European Union, and donors have recognized the needs of the most vulnerable groups and hardest-to-reach in this crisis, and UNICEF has led the way with a global, multireligious COVID-19 response.

This recognition has so far not been matched by a strong partnership with local civil society, including faith-based agencies and leaders. The U.N.-led global COVID-19 response allocates 95% of funding to nine U.N. entities, while local and national civil-society organizations struggle to gain access to the decision-making tables. It is myopic to exclude those who, according to the World Health Organization, are a primary source of support, comfort, and guidance and direct health care and social services for the communities they serve.

Pandemics affect everyone, and everyone has a stake in flattening the curve of contagion. This is a critical moment in our response to COVID-19. World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has cautioned that “this virus will be with us for a long time.” But there is still time to build and strengthen the resilience of communities worldwide.

We must act swiftly and develop locally led, holistic approaches that are able to connect the global to the local level. Who is better-placed than faith-based organizations and local leaders? They are already there.

This article was cowritten by ACT Alliance EU, CARITAS Europa, Islamic Relief Worldwide, and EU-CORD.

The novel Coronavirus has affected every country in the world, bringing massive disruption in its wake. ACT Alliance responded by launching a global appeal and rapid response fund (RRF) programme. 

ACT’s RRF is designed to fund local, national members in responding to humanitarian need in the face of crises.  Over 35 national members submitted proposals to the RRF, and today, ACT is announcing funding to the first 14 projects, totalling over 1.2 million USD in programming.

Through the projects, ACT members will be supporting national health services, working with faith leaders in providing accurate and timely information to communities, and providing sorely needed support to the most vulnerable people in communities.  Much of ACT’s work through this appeal includes a focus on gender justice, the important role of local faith actors and churches, and the protection of highly vulnerable populations.

The 14 projects are:

Afghanistan: Community World Service Asia (CWSA) will provide cash to 580 at risk households to support their basic needs, as well as 200 PPE kits for 2 health facilities.

Bangladesh: Christian Commission for Development (CCDB) in Bangladesh will provide food and hygiene supplies to 5000 households of daily workers who have lost their livelihoods during the lockdown.

Brazil: Coordenadoria Ecumênica de Serviço (CESE) will provide food packages to 4200 indigenous households in the Amazon region, Mato Grosso do Sul and Rio Grande do Sul.

Cuba: Cuban Council of Churches (CIC) will provide protection kits for health personnel from 2 isolation centres, 880 people with personal hygiene kits, food to 140 patients at an isolation centre, and psychosocial support to 2000 people.

Egypt: The Bishopric of Public, Ecumenical and Social Services (BLESS) will provide hygiene kits and food to 3000 households, and will work with local faith leaders to disseminate key messages on infection prevention and good hygiene, as well as reducing fear and stigma.

Ghana: The Presbyterian Church in Ghana- Relief Services and Development (PRS&D) will provide food to 1500 households, handwashing stations in 10 communities, and protective equipment to vulnerable households and three health centres.

Haiti: Service Chrétien d’Haïti (SCH) will engage in a community-led response to raise awareness of COVID-19, encourage families to take appropriate steps to prevent the disease, and provide food to support 420 families losing their daily wage income during lockdown.

Honduras: Comisión de Acción Social Menonita (CASM) will provide biosecurity kits to 40 medical staff in 10 primary health units, cash transfers for food purchases to 1650 families, and COVID-19 prevention and anti-stigma information to 7000 people.

Indonesia: Pelkesi, Yakkum Emergency Unit (YEU) and the Centre for Disaster Risk Management and Community Development Studies will provide PPE and psychosocial support to staff at five COVID-19 referral hospitals, and will reach 10,000 with an information campaign about prevention and mitigation of COVID-19.

Malawi: Christian Agency for Rural Development (CARD) and Evangelical Lutheran Development Service (ELDS) will provide an awareness campaign to reach 2.4 million people with accurate information about COVID-19 and its prevention, and will work with local faith leaders to provide psychosocial support to affected families.

Peru: Diaconia Peru will provide free virtual counselling to 12,000 vulnerable people in Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia and Colombia, with an emphasis on the prevention of gender-based and family violence.  Local faith leaders will be trained in GBV prevention and pastoral responses to illness and bereavement.  Additionally, 600 vulnerable families will receive food and PPE support.

Philippines: The National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) will provide food packs, sanitation and hygiene kits, and unconditional cash grants to 1500 vulnerable families.

Serbia: Ecumenical Humanitarian Organization (EHO) and Philanthropy- The Charitable Fund of the Serbian Orthodox Church will provide food packages to 3000 people, hygiene packages to 4300 people, PPE for frontline workers, shelter for homeless people, psychosocial support to 130 people (focusing on gender), and engagement with faith and religious leaders and groups to provide awareness raising.

Tanzania: The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT), through its network of hospitals and local health facilities, will provide PPE for 480 frontline medical professionals, work with 50 bishops and high-level religious workers on information and awareness messaging, and medical interventions for 25,000 high-risk people to reduce new infections and allay fears and anxiety.

The full ACT Appeal can be found here.