By Mattias Söderberg, co-chair of the ACT Alliance working group on climate change

Climate change is increasingly leaving trails of destruction with devastating human consequences. Earlier this year, we have witnessed the catastrophic impact of Cyclone Idai, which affected vulnerable communities in southern Africa. Imagine if those communities would have had the same preparedness and financial means that people in rich countries have to deal with the effects of climate change. 

Researchers and practitioners from all over the world have stressed the positive influence adaptation efforts have on communities: they reduce the risk of poverty and promote sustainable and resilient development. Members of ACT Alliance, are engaged in adaptation around the world and are witnessing first-hand the power of these efforts.

Adaptation makes a difference!

Whilst it is clear that adaptation has a positive effect, it remains underprioritized, politically and financially, as mitigation is seen as the most pressing matter. Recent reports on climate finance, both from the OECDand the Standing Committee on climate finance, confirm that mitigation continues to be prioritised over adaptation. 

A new global initiative could fix this imbalance.

In 2018 global leaders from the political and business world, such as former UN Secretary general Ban Ki-moon, the entrepreneur and investor, Bill Gates and the CEO of the World Bank, Kristalina Georgieva, launched the Global Commission on Adaptation. Today the commission published a report arguing that there is an urgent need for adaptation and that scaling up the support is top priority.

We welcome how the report stresses local action and financing as critical, given that most sustainable and long lasting results happen at this level.

The report also argues that under prioritization is due to the inadequate inclusion of vulnerable communities at decision-making level. Special emphasis is given to indigenous peoples, who are often on the front lines of climate change. Yet they face constraints in responding due to social and political marginalization. An argument that ACT Alliance supports.

We are happy to see the report bring forth the gender dimension of adaptation. Women and girls are still excluded from decision-making processes, although they are one of the most vulnerable groups to climate change.  

We call on governments to consider the urgent call made in the report and increase their focus on adaptation. Political leaders should live up to their promises and increase the balance between mitigation and adaptation, making it inclusive and more sensitive to the needs of the most marginalised.

Not focusing on adaptation to climate change is myopic and risks losing sight of long-term impact 

GENEVA – The Global Commission on Adaptation has issued a new report, which sheds light upon the threats posed by climate change, but even more, the need for the international community to focus on adaptation to climate change as a preemptive strategy. 

According to the report, climate-related impacts will push more than 100 million people within developing countries below the poverty line by 2030. Without adaptation agricultural growth will decrease by 30 percent and the people facing lack of water one month per year will reach 5 billion USD by 2050.

“Climate change is a terrible threat to creation, to our countries and communities. However, this catastrophic threat can be handled, if we promptly invest in adaptation strategies and projects that help communities adjust.” Said Mattias Söderberg, co-chair of the ACT Alliance working group on climate change.
  
The report stresses how investing in adaptation would reduce displacement due to climate -related disasters, protect biodiversity and have the potential of a 7 trillion USD in total net benefit. 

“ACT Alliance welcomes the findings of the Global Report on Adaptation. There is no doubt that investing in adaptation makes humanitarian and financial sense.  Lack of adaptation will lead to climate-related loss and damage and require additional investments.” Said Söderberg.  

Governments have promised to deliver climate finance to developing countries, but until now, they have failed to prioritize adaptation, and instead focused on mitigation strategies and investments. This attitude is myopic and focuses on the immediate consequences rather than on long term solutions. By 2020 the total annual climate finance will probably reach 100 bn USD; it should be balanced between mitigation and adaptation. 

“I hope governments read the report carefully, especially its conclusions. The Climate Summit will meet in New York on September 23 and we expect to hear more pledges in support of adaptation. That is what is needed now!” Concluded Mattias Söderberg.

We, the ACT Colombia Forum, as part of the ecumenical family and as international organizations with presence in Colombia, promote and defend human rights and international humanitarian law from a human dignity perspective, and we have the fundamental task of continuing to accompany the Final Peace Agreement implementation process, as well as making visible and respond to the humanitarian situation of the most remote and affected communities in this country.

Concerning the decision of a group of ex-combatants of the former FARC-EP to return to armed struggle, and the uncertainty that this generates, we call on the national Government, the international community, the Colombian society and the media to:

• Recognize the positive developments of the Final Peace Agreement since its signing; recognize the lives that it has changed and the violence that it has prevented.
• Accompany ex-combatants who continue to be linked to the process despite the threat of violence against them, and comply with what was agreed for them and their families in the Final Peace Agreement.
• Promote a message of forgiveness, reconciliation and justice, which play a fundamental role in the building of peace and the restoration of human relations and social tissue; we express the willingness of our churches to support these processes.
• Protect the lives of those who work for peace and the defence of human rights.
• Insist on the resumption of the negotiation table between the National Government and the ELN guerrilla, understanding that the only way out of the conflict is dialogue.

September 06, 2019

Signed by the following Forum member and guest organizations:

Statement in Spanish.

The Season of Creation is an annual celebration of prayer and action to care and protect Creation. The Season begins with the day of prayer, today on September 1 and runs through to October 4, the Feast of St. Francis – the patron saint of ecology in many traditions. The celebration began in 1989 with the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s recognition of the day of prayer for Creation and is now embraced and celebrated by tens of thousands of Christians of all traditions from around the world.

Each year, the Christian family unites for this worldwide celebration of prayer and action to protect our shared home. As followers of Christ around the globe, we share a role as stewards of God’s Creation and believe that our wellbeing is connected with that of the planet.

This year’s theme is Web of Life: biodiversity as God’s blessings. The theme encourages reflection on two essential facts about creation: it comes from God, and we play a part in it.

During the Season, we unite as one family in Christ; we celebrate the bonds that we share with each other and with every living creature on earth. We spend time in prayer and reflection of ways to inhabit our common home more sustainably, and we raise the voice of the most vulnerable in various public spheres. In an ecumenical spirit, we acknowledge that creation is a gift to all of us and that we are called to share responsibility for its protection.

As a member of the Season of Creation’s Ecumenical Steering Committee, ACT Alliance plays a key role in designing and influencing the celebrations and activities and in amplifying the voices from communities most affected by environmental injustices.

 Season of Creation connects to the ongoing efforts of ACT’s Climate Justice Project, mobilizing the support of the ecumenical family and enhancing the political momentum for ambitious climate action while building the capacity of ACT members, faith actors, communities and policymakers in developing countries to engage in targeted advocacy towards their governments.

 Throughout the Season of Creation, to the upcoming Climate Action Summit in New York, to the 25th UN Climate Negotiations, ACT will continue to call for renewed global solidarity with people and communities in developing countries, particularly those that are living on the front lines of climate change and are facing slow or sudden extreme weather events. 

How to get involved?

More information on Season of Creation 2019 is available here.

A Celebration Guide is available here. 

Blog written by Arnold Ambundo, ACT Alliance, Climate Justice Project Coordinator.

We congratulate Prof. Azza Karam for being appointed as the new Secretary General elect of Religions for Peace.

Formerly, Prof. Karam was the chairperson of the UN interagency taskforce for cooperation with faith-based organisations and she is widely known for her expertise in religion and development.

ACT Alliance has successfully collaborated with Prof Karam in many occasions, most recently in the context of new chair in Religion and Sustainable development, at Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam that ACT and ICCO launched jointly in January 2019.

“Prof. Karam’s appointment is a tribute to her expertise and years of inter-cultural leadership. She championed interreligious dialogue and cooperation wherever she served.  We, as ACT Alliance, look forward to collaborating with her in her new role” said Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, ACT Alliance General Secretary.

Prof. Karam was affirmed by acclamation in Lindau, Germany where the Religion for Peace met for their 10th World Assembly.

Read Religion for Peace announcement here

Protestant and orthodox leaders join forces and embrace the call of the Catholic Church and Pope Francis to denounce the appalling attack on the Amazon rainforest.

With unprecedented wildfires that are currently destroying the largest tropical rainforest on earth, which contributes to producing 20% of oxygen in the atmosphere, the dangers of permanently compromising the “lung of the earth” are before us.

Human activity and human greed have been harming this precious resource for many years however, the speed of destruction is soaring. The Brazilian INPE (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais) published data showing an 278% increase in deforestation in Julycompared to the same month a year ago.

“The Amazon is being destroyed and there is no time to waste. Religious leaders must act together for the sake of humanity.” Says Brazilian-born Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, General Secretary of the ACT Alliance, a coalition of more than 150  faith-based organisations. “The behaviour of the Brazilian government is inexcusable. Thinking of attracting business by destroying the Amazon rainforest is a visionless  strategy. Disregarding science is a recipe for disaster ”

The Synod of Bishops on the Amazon is scheduled to meet in Rome in October 2019. 79 Faith- based organisations have already signed the  “Somos las Amazonia”, a declaration that expresses support for the Synod’s vision and outlines a pathway for action and political pressure to protect the rainforest, the indigenous communities and those human right defenders who risk their life to preserve the Amazon.

“The growing threats to the Amazon are no accident but the result of weak environmental policies and the little attention paid to those indigenous communities who are the true forest keepers” said Sarah de Roure, Country Manager of Christian Aid Brazil.

For more information about the “Somos las Amazonia” declaration click here

Read the declaration of Fórum Ecumênico Brasil ” Brazil: Our Common Home Aflame” here

During its annual meeting in Milwaukee the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), a member of ACT Alliance, voted to become the first sanctuary church in North America.

With this ground-breaking decision, ELCA pledged to provide shelter to undocumented immigrants and protect them from unnecessary jailing and deportation.

Although churches all over the United States stepped up on several occasions to help immigrants targeted by President Trump’s immigration policies, this is the first time that a church has declared itself a sanctuary, openly challenging the Trump government.

In an interview with CNN, Christopher Vergara, who works on immigration issues in the ELCA’s Metro New York Synod, said “Christians have offered sanctuary for 2,000 years, continuing an ancient biblical practice in which cities and houses of worship provided refuge and asylum for people fleeing injustice”.

The Canadian members of ACT Alliance show the same concerns for policies that target the most vulnerable who are fleeing violence and persecution. In a letter sent to President Trump, they expressed solidarity for their sister churches in the United States that are confronting the crisis and pointed out that “Canada and the United States share a long tradition of welcoming men, women and children who are seeking refuge from persecution and conflict. [ …]  Refugee resettlement plays a critical role both in ensuring safety for people fleeing persecution and in advancing religious and political freedom.”

We are facing the worse migration crisis since WWII. War, conflict, persecution and climate change are forcing millions to flee. There are more than 70 million displaced persons worldwide, including more than 25 million refugees, over half of whom are children. While working for the peaceful resolutions of these crisis, we have a moral responsibility to act today and protect those who seek refuge and safety for their families.

The ACT North America Forum has joined with the Central American Forum in creating a regional appeal to support work being done by ACT members through Central America, Mexico, Canada, and the USA.  The purpose of this appeal is to provide a humanitarian component to help meet the needs of people on the move, to promote legislation and policies that are in accordance with states’ human rights obligations and to solicit the support from international community through the pertinent bodies of the United Nations.

 ACT members seek to guarantee the safety and physical integrity of migrants, especially minors, the elderly and women, and to prevent people from being deceived by international criminal organisations engaged in migrant smuggling. Collecting information about rights violations, and providing evidence of CSO activities is crucial for influencing a rights-based implementation of the Global Compacts for Migration and on Refugees in Central America and Mexico.

Click here to support this appeal.

Getting involved no matter where you are

Climate change is happening, and we all need to contribute to tackling the problem if we want to limit its impacts. Over the last few years, I have studied on the East coast of the United States and have participated in various platforms where I have met many people who care deeply about the environment and climate change.

Living and studying on the diverse east coast of the US, I had more interfaith interactions than I had ever had in Germany, giving me a real sense of what it means to be part of an interfaith community. I received insights into the climate advocacy work of local faith communities as well as civil society organisations. My classmates and I organised an event on “Interfaith Cooperation on Climate Justice”, where I was excited to explore the topic from a Hindu and a Jewish perspective too and to immerse myself in the scripture.

I was also able to stay involved in various climate talks and to amplify youth voices at the international level. For example, I participated in a High-Level-Meeting at the UN Headquarters on “Climate Change and Sustainable Development for All” and also at the UN climate conference in Katowice in December 2018 (COP24). In these spaces, it has become clear that young voices are starting to be heard and appreciated, and this is a notable achievement of the efforts of many youth around the world.

The power of social media

The various experiences that I have had have allowed me to connect with many motivated young climate activists. Through social media, we have remained in touch and continue to plan projects and exchange ideas together. I have also noticed the growing movement of school strikes taking place around the world and the demands from youth calling for political change. Seeing the pictures of hundreds and thousands of students taking to the streets gives me hope that the fight against climate change has not yet been lost. Although I often regret not being physically present to support or participate in the strikes, I have been able to contribute by speaking with my congregation on my experiences at COP24 and exploring ways to improve sustainability in our church.

After the year in North America, my studies have brought me to East Africa (Kenya), where I engage with the Catholic Youth Network for Environment Sustainability in Africa (CYNESA), organisers of the 2^nd international “Laudato-si” conference with UNEP. This conference brought together hundreds of motived young people (mostly from Africa) who care for the future of our common home. There is hope that change is coming, and while young people care and are taking action to care for our home, a significant change will require all of us to adjust our lifestyles and consumption patterns.

I encourage everyone to engage in climate initiatives, our efforts are indeed making a difference- we are influencing each other, the world and politics at all levels and you too can be part of the change. It is on us to ensure that there will be a present and future for us and for generations to come. Virtual engagements make it possible for us all to be part of a movement even if we are miles away from home.

Get involved – no matter where you are.

_______________________________________________________

Helena Funk is studying Theology and completing a Master’s degree in African Studies. She has been engaged in climate justice advocacy for many years – on a local level in (Northern) Germany and a global level as a member of the LWF youth and ACT Alliance delegation to COP23 and COP24.

For centuries, and especially over the last few decades, landscapes around the world have changed. Deforestation and industrialized agriculture have spread, transforming land use and planning. A new report on Climate Change and Land from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) which launched today, stresses that time is ripe for a new transition, but it must happen fast!

Land, the place where we live, work and produce our food is part of the solution but also the problem. It contributes to the solution because trees and soil sequester Carbon Dioxide (CO₂), which absorbs some of the CO₂ emissions out of the atmosphere. In the coming years, I would like to see trees and forests planted in all countries of the world, as quickly as possible. An example of this is already happening in Ethiopia, where a national campaign encourages its citizens to plant millions of trees. 

The reality is that land is also contributing to the problem. Emissions from agriculture constitute a major part of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and the science to support this is clear. With an increasing global population, sustainable food production is a requirement for slowing down climate change.

But what is sustainable agriculture? Well, there are many different techniques and approaches, and the solutions will differ between regions and countries. As we concern ourselves with emissions from agricultural activities, for example, methane, a strong greenhouse gas, we must also unpack food consumption habits, such as food waste. During the launch of the report, listeners were reminded that both farmers and consumers can contribute to the solutions.

For ACT Alliance, the IPCC chapter on food security is of particular concern. Food security is heavily impacted by increasing temperatures and is projected to affect nutrition, yields and eventually food prices, all which will disproportionately affect the poorest communities around the world.

These projections were further noted by ACT Alliance member Christian Aid in a recent report titled, Hunger Strike: The climate and food vulnerability index. The report finds that some of the countries that are tackling severe issues around food security are also countries with low GHG emissions. This suggests that those who have contributed the least to global warming are experiencing some of the most dangerous effects, and this is unfair.

God gave humans the task to care for creation. Caring for our land is a critical element of this task, and the size of this task is increasing as climate change intensifies. We must act now to make sure that climate change does not reach a point of no return. We should care for creation, and we should do whatever we can to transform our livelihoods so that our planet is more sustainable and resilient for all. We need climate justice!

The IPCC report on land and climate change is available here.

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Mattias Söderberg, Senior advocacy advisor at DanChurchAid. Co-chair of the ACT Alliance Climate Change Working Group.

Cyclone Idai devastated large parts of Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi when it made landfall in March 2019 in the city of Beira, Mozambique.  When the cyclone had passed on, much of Beira was underwater and severely damaged.  While the media continued to show the images of the devastation in Mozambique, Idai continued to track inland, into the mountains of Zimbabwe, where it touched off landslides and caused flooding that killed hundreds of people and affected tens of thousands more.

The district of Chimanimani was one of the worst hit in Zimbabwe.  Located in the mountains an hour’s drive from Mutare, over roads that have had many sections washed away by the landslides.  Red scars mar the surface of the mountains, breaking up the lush green of the forests that blanket their slopes.  These scars were caused by the landslides that tore the ground cover off the mountainsides and brought boulders, mud, and trees crashing down through the forests, communities, and roads below them. 

The village of Ngangu lies right in the path of some of those landslides.  About 50 people died, and scores were injured as the landslides poured through the town overnight. 

Vision Chinamira, 21, has lived his whole life in Ngangu.  He is studying human resources management, and wants to work as an administrator in the mines nearby.  “On the 15^th of March, there were heavy winds.  We’ve never had as strong winds since I was born,” he said.  “It rained all day.  The power was out.  We heard a strange whistling sound, and went inside to make dinner.  We were in bed by about 7pm.”

“An hour later, I heard big banging sounds.  All of a sudden, the garden wall around our neighbour’s house burst and all the water and rocks behind it crashed through my bedroom wall, trapping me under mud and rocks.”

“I called for my dad, and he came and pulled me out of the mud, rocks and cement.  We opened the door to our house, and to the right, everything looked the same, but to the left, all the houses were gone.  Three rows of houses- gone.  No foundations, no kitchens- everything was gone.”

Vision and his father went to the Methodist church in the village and spent the night there with others who had fled the landslides.  The rain lasted for three days.  The roads were washed out, so they couldn’t get the injured to the hospital.  The injured and the dead they recovered were all brought to the church.  Some of the injured died of their injuries or the cold before aid could get to them.

Vision joined the teams who went out to find survivors, and it was he who found one of his best friends’ body washed further down the mountain. 

“Those days really affected me,” Vision recalls.  “On the left, I had neighbours, and on the right.  Now there is nothing left.  I don’t feel good.”

Eventually, larger helicopters arrived to evacuate the injured and bring food and other supplies.  He and his father received mielie meal (maize meal), beans, beef, oil, salt and other foodstuffs to help them get through.  But the trauma of the experience was too much for Vision.  “My dad and I moved to another village,” he said. “It’s no longer a good place to live.  Every time I’m in Ngangu, I remember what happened here.”

Mary Chanaiwa works as a cleaner at the Tsuro Trust, a local partner of ACT member Lutheran Development Services Zimbabwe.  She, too, has lived in Ngangu all of her 46 years.  She lives with her husband, three children, nephew and grandchild.  She described how the storm woke her in the night.  There was no power, but as she walked into the living room she could feel water on her feet.  “I woke my daughter, and we saw water flowing in through the kitchen door and through the house,” she said.

They lost most of their possessions in the flooding, and have had to stay with friends and relatives as they clean what they can of their house. 

Mary is a village health worker, working with pregnant women and young children to ensure that they are healthy and cared for.  She put her training to use in helping to treat the injured after the cyclone.

Mary and her family also received food and clothing to help them recover.  She considers her family lucky- no one died, and they did not lose their house, although the land that their field was on was damaged and they lost their crops.

Mary’s dream is to be able to afford a house somewhere else, so her family can be safe, and she can continue to work with Tsuro Trust.

Lutheran Development Service (LDS) and other ACT members are responding to the humanitarian need in Ngangu and other communities in Zimbabwe that were affected by the landslides and flooding of Cyclone Idai with food, shelter, water and sanitation, psychosocial support, and livelihood recovery work.