In Guatemala, Congress might pass Initiative 5272, that provides for approval of the Law “for the protection of life and the family”, any day now. This initiative, which was already discussed in second debate in Congress, might have its third and final debate this coming week. 

“If Congress approves this law, it will violate a wide range of human rights embedded in several national and international legal instruments ratified by the Guatemalan State,” said Carlos Rauda, ACT Alliance’s Regional Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean.  “These include the right to equality before the law, the right to equal protection against all discrimination,  sexual and reproductive rights, rights related to sexual diversity and gender identity, right of access to information, freedom of expression and the right to education.

“Consequently, the provisions of the law would mean a serious setback in access to rights for women and girls, since it penalizes spontaneous abortions, hinders access to therapeutic abortion and prohibits sexual and reproductive education,” Rauda continued.

“This law is another example of the continuing attacks on gender rights being seen in Latin America and around the world,” concluded Rauda.  “While governments should be guaranteeing the rights of all through social protection and just laws, we see the opposite happening in Guatemala now if this law is passed.”

This law will directly affect the LGBTI community and society as a whole, and the law could contribute to augment hatred and violence based on sexual diversity and gender identity.

Moreover, the initiative is contrary to the Lay State as the Guatemalan constitution guarantees the secularity of the State.

The ACT Guatemala Forum has shared and distributed information on the law initiative with their members and allies and has published several messages in their social networks.

The forum will monitor the situation and wants to organize workshops and other activities to promote analysis of this law and generate discussion around the topic. It will actively involve members and keep on supporting the rights of girls, women and other groups affected by this initiative.

The ACT Guatemala Forum and ACT’s Regional Community of Practice on Gender Justice have released a statement about the law, which can be read here.

The Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR) starts today in Geneva, Switzerland. Global leaders and stakeholders will discuss the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the first major agreement of the post-2015 development agenda.

ACT Alliance, a global network of churches and religious organisations present in more than 140 countries, is extremely concerned about the growing impacts of climate disasters on the most vulnerable communities.

As the people in Mozambique and Malawi try to pick themselves up from the catastrophic effects of cyclones Idai and Kenneth, the international community has yet to concretely put measures in place to prevent loss of lives and livelihoods in the wake of disasters. ACT Alliance is on the ground in Southern Africa supporting affected communities through its network of national and local faith actors.

Jeroen Jurriens, ACT Alliance head of delegation to the GPDRR said: “It is disheartening to see the trends of intensified hazards for local communities. Increasing scientific evidence shows that climate-induced disasters will get worse, while the ability of communities in developing countries to cope and bounce back remains limited”.

The recently launched Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction says that ‘surprise is the new normal’. Climate change is a ‘great risk amplifier’ and efforts to protect the most vulnerable must be scaled-up.

Local communities rely on faith leaders and actors as part of their coping mechanism in times of disasters. Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, General Secretary of ACT Alliance said: ‘70% of our members are from the Global South. It is through their voices, first- hand experiences and concerns that ACT Alliance calls for urgent action on addressing the root causes of disasters, which include climate change and growing inequalities”.

Faith-based groups are key to the localization of risk reduction, resilience-building and humanitarian action because they are among those at the first line of defense in preventing avoidable disasters. They are also among first responders in emergencies providing shelter during evacuation, basic needs (i.e. food, water, clothing, shelter) of those affected during emergencies, and social capital for healing and recovery.

Jeroen Jurriens said: “We hope that the deliberations at this year’s GPDRR will provide the necessary steps forward towards the implementation of the Sendai Framework to adequately respond to the multiplicity of hazards and risks, especially those posed by climate change. The world owes it to the most vulnerable and we must take action and increase our efforts”.

Please, find here the official Joint Faith-Based Organizations (FBOs) Statement for the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR)

Wendi Bevins is the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Manager for Lutheran World Relief. She provides MEL technical support to project teams around the world working on project design, set-up, monitoring, analysis, and evaluation. Her research interests include learning how to measure and analyze resilience efforts and how to effectively integrate gender sensitive responses to resilience programming.

Global frameworks to prepare for disasters and adapt to climate change will most effectively reach the people most vulnerable to disasters when their efforts include Faith-Based Organizations (FBOs).

For many people all over the world, and especially people living in remote areas of developing countries, support in times of disaster comes first from their local faith community. The majority of individuals worldwide belong to a religious group. Among the poorest and most vulnerable, religious affiliation is especially important in their daily lives. 

FBOs are uniquely positioned to prepare for disasters and respond in the aftermath of a disaster. People trust us because we are there in good times and bad times. We serve as bridges across space and time: we connect people across political, geographic and linguistic boundaries; we connect this generation to the ones that came before and the ones that will follow. We are in position to understand people’s needs and use our institutions to provide platforms to advocate for those needs.

For people preparing for or building back after disasters, research shows that social capital is incredibly important  for enhancing resilience. Social capital is the trust and cooperation that exists between individuals and groups. The currency of FBOs is social capital. For the member churches and organizations of the ACT Alliance, we serve as a network to facilitate information, goodwill and resources between those who have something to offer and those who need support. We support approaches of communities to enhance resilience prior to disaster, as well as support effective survivor and community-led responses after disasters.

The ACT Alliance Community of Practice for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation has worked with similar institutions from other faith traditions to offer the Joint Faith-Based Organizations Statement for the 2019 Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction. This statement calls on UN Bodies, governments, and leaders of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction to deepen and broaden their partnerships with FBOs.  

Together with the individuals who are most vulnerable to disaster and the faith communities who live with them, we call on the leaders of the GPDRR to use our capacities for communication with communities; allocate resources to FBOs; enhance social capital and social safety nets; strengthen synergy across all the relevant global frameworks; and provide an enabling environment for innovation, dialogue and technology.

ACT Alliance is committed to confronting the climate change crisis which is inhibiting sustainable development and is contributing to more frequent humanitarian catastrophes around the world. ACT endorses the urgent call to limit warming to 1.5°C to prevent irreversible damage and confirms Climate Justice as a key priority in its new Global Strategy (2019-2026).

The ACT Now for Climate Justice Campaign, launched in 2014 at ACT’s second General Assembly, has been an instrumental platform for mobilising faith communities and ACT members and forums around the world. With the aim of harnessing the skills of ACT’s Climate justice network to engage in climate advocacy at the national and international level, ACT’s Global Climate Justice Project was launched in 2017. The project is in its third year of implementation and has been a crucial contribution to ACT’s effectiveness as a leading, trusted and often sought faith voice in the climate movement.

“Bringing participants together facilitates ACT members and forums to build solid relationships and partnerships with their respective national governments and each other. This is needed for a long-lasting and inclusive regional climate movement,” says Arnold Ambundo, ACT’s Climate Justice Officer.

Harnessing the capacities of ACT members

The Global Climate Justice Project harnesses a culture of learning and sharing from ACT’s faith-inspired members and forums around the world. The project aims to galvanise faith voices and leaders to bring to life our shared vision for a more resilient and sustainable future, one which complements the efforts of ACT’s frontline and most climate vulnerable communities.

ACT has embraced a blended learning module to strengthen the capacity of members to engage in national and international climate advocacy. Participants learn and benefit from ACT’s online Advocacy Academy as well as a face-to-face workshop.  

Through ACT’s Advocacy Academy, participants learn about ACT’s ongoing climate work and develop the tools and skillset to be able to plan and implement relevant advocacy initiatives and campaigns to mobilise communities and influence decision makers.

“During the face to face climate justice advocacy workshops, participants share country experiences on climate action and through ACT Advocacy Academy they are able to further connect and collaborate with ACT forums and experts across the globe to address climate risks facing the communities they serve,” continues Arnold.

Participants who complete the online Climate Justice module as well as the face to face training graduate from ACT’s Climate Justice Module and join ACT’s network of Climate Justice Advocates.

To date, approximately 160 people from ACT’s network in 40 countries and five regions have been trained. Many participants have since worked with local governments, academic institutions, civil society and other stakeholders to enhance their climate actions in line with the Paris Agreement, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and the Sustainable Development Goals.

For more information on the workshops, contact Arnold Ambundo, ACT’s Climate Justice Officer (Arnold.Ambundo@actalliance.org).

Upcoming workshop dates:

ACT’s Online Climate Justice Module

More information on ACT’s Advocacy Academy and the online Climate Justice Module is available online. The module is free for all ACT members. Deadline to Apply – June 3^rd 2019.

ACT with us!

International Civil Society Week (ICSW) took place in Belgrade from 8-12 April 2019. Sponsored by the World Alliance for Citizen Participation (CIVICUS), the event brought together Civil Society, activists, campaigners and other stakeholders from around the world.

The session explored the significance of reversing the shrinking space for Civil Society engagement in various platforms, the urgent need to stop attacks on human rights defenders and ways to renew the prospects for an inclusive pathway to achieve Agenda 2030.

ACT Alliance joined 135 organisations from over 60 countries to endorse the Belgrade Call to Action: A Civil Society Call to Stand Together to Defend Peoples’ Voices for a Just and Sustainable World. The Call is addressed to Governments and United Nations Member States around the world, urging an immediate response to the shrinking space for civil society and the deteriorating conditions for human rights defenders.

The Call reads, “Enough is enough! Stop the relentless attacks on civil society, social leaders and human rights defenders!” It also emphasises that the full engagement of civil society is an essential foundation of democracy, and is critical for safeguarding human rights and to make progress on Agenda 2030.

It also acknowledges the challenges faced by many civic actors including threats and other severe conditions such as legal and political obstacles. “Civic actors across many sectors are being threatened, persecuted and killed – including those supporting and representing rural communities, Indigenous peoples, journalists, trade unions, women’s rights activists, LGBTQ activists, youth, people living with disabilities and environmentalists.”

“…Civic leaders are being physically harmed, with women’s human rights defenders facing sexual harassment and abuse. All because they seek to protect peoples’ human rights while promoting democratic participation on issues that affect their lives,” the Call continues.

Along with the Call, an Action Agenda: Positive Measures for Enabling Civic Space towards Maximizing Civil Society Contributions to the SDGs was developed. The Action Agenda identifies a range of initiatives that can be implemented by Member States and International Organizations to alter the conditions that are hindering and threatening the work of CSOs and the lives of Human Rights Defenders around the world.

The full Belgrade Call to Action is available in English, Spanish and French.

The Action Agenda is available here.

ACT Alliance, together with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) have issued a joint statement on the current situation in Gaza, expressing their belief that “the present situation in the Gaza Strip is morally and ethically untenable.”

The statement calls out the conditions for those living in Gaza, “The almost two million inhabitants of the Gaza Strip live under a state of permanent siege, denying them their basic human, economic, social and political rights. The communities around the Gaza border experience the recurring hostilities with serious repercussions to the peaceful conduct of their daily lives.”

The three groups go on to affirm that all people are created in the image of God and that we must respect and protect human dignity and rights. “We call on all parties to work for an end to the recurring confrontations, and for a just peace that will ensure that all may live in peaceful coexistence.”

“WCC,  MECC and ACT Alliance call upon their member churches, organisations and partners to pray for an end to this destructive violence and unconscionable suffering, and to increase their support and efforts for a just peace and human dignity in Palestine and Israel,” the statement concludes.

The full statement can be found here.

The Second Global Summit on Religion Peace and Security: Building bridges, fostering inclusivity and countering hate speech to enhance the protection of religious minorities, refugees and migrants took place at the Palais des Nations in Geneva from April 29 – May 1, 2019. 

The meeting was organised by the United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect, and the International Association for the Defense of Religious Liberty (AIDLR).

It brought governments, practitioners and civil society together for a constructive dialogue on the rise of intolerance including xenophobia and discrimination and to find a common way forward to address these concerns.

At times when political radicalisation and backlash to freedom is growing in the public debate, a strong and unified position must be taken to protect the rights of minorities and those most marginalised.

Evidence suggests that hate crimes against religious minorities, refugees and migrants, are on the rise. This is especially true for those minority groups who have been depicted by conservative voices and groups across the world as a problem more than a vulnerable group in need of protection.

Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, ACT Alliance General Secretary was invited to intervene in a panel focusing on the rights of migrants, refugees, religious minorities and the implementation of the SDGs.

“In many countries, the existing simplistic and polarised fundamentalist narratives monopolise the public sphere. This hinders the task of those who try to bridge the gap with balanced views that acknowledge the multi-causal nature of poverty, conflict, exclusion, discrimination and hate speech,” he said.

Marginalisation and discrimination are not isolated phenomena – they are the symptom of a broader mind-set which systematically denies rights to the different, the weak, the outsider, the foreigner and by doing so, endangers the rights of everyone,” continued De Faria.

Religious leaders have a key role to play in protecting the most vulnerable against the regression of their fundamental human rights. As faith is paramount in the lives of many, faith leaders should provide a way forward by engaging in this dialogue and ensuring that the protection of religious minorities, refugees and migrants takes a comprehensive, whole-of-society approach.

“Bearing in mind the unprecedented backlash on human rights across the world, ACT Alliance has decided to focus on leveraging, and providing a space for all progressive voices who want to protect and work for human rights, gender equality, climate justice, peace and human security, migration and humanitarian action. Religious leaders must act as a moral compass and welcome those who want to protect the most vulnerable against the regression of their fundamental human rights,” concluded De Faria.

On April 26^th, 2019, 215 young people from seven countries and various Christian churches and movements in Latin America, embarked on a path of online learning and sharing for peace through the Emprendemos Paz program.

Emprendemos Paz is an initiative of various regional Christian University movements and youth networks and is promoted by ACT members Centro Regional Ecuménico de Asesoría y Servicio (CREAS) and Christian Aid. The program aims to strengthen the capacity of youth to develop and implement local initiatives that have the potential to transform communities. The training consists of capacity building sessions and the opportunity to engage with a Community of Practice.

“The training process for the Diploma and the Community of Practice will be carried out simultaneously so that feedback is given to the training process through virtual integration and communications,” said Jhon Martínez, coordinator of Emprendemos Paz. Upon completion of the program, participants are awarded a Diploma in Culture of Peace.

Twenty experienced tutors accompany the training process of the youth. The tutors are connected to organisations and networks with links to ecumenical, social and public sectors.

The Diploma in Culture of Peace has been offered five times since 2015. To date, over four hundred youth from nine countries in Latin America have been trained, and there have been approximately 150 social, economic and advocacy projects developed by the graduates.

Testimonials from participants of Emprendemos Paz

“Taking part in the program opened many doors for us. In addition to the financial support received with the formation of the project, we gained many relationships and made contacts with other churches and organisations which we can coordinate with,” said Camila Castaño of Assemblies of God in Colombia.

“I had never formulated a project from a faith perspective, and this experience has enriched me a lot. I feel that I am in communion with God; I will do everything possible to carry out this initiative,” said Hugo García of Nicaragua’s Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

 “The tools acquired in Emprendemos Paz enriched our work with youth in the identification of socio-environmental problems,” said Steve Private of the Methodist Church of Peru.

Testimonials from tutors of Emprendemos Paz

“Emprendemos Paz has generated the confidence that is needed to make impactful change in the lives of youth and in their communities. In the process of formulating their proposals for change, young people have been able to understand social, economic, political and environmental realities and have been empowered to rethink about their lives and projects,” said Marta Soler, a tutor based in Honduras.

“Few are the spaces where youth can forge their critical and reflective thinking skills, shape their leadership, and exercise the Christian values ​​that impact and transform their communities. In this context, Emprendemos Paz provides that valuable, pertinent and necessary space in a time of convulsive social, economic, political and environmental crises that our country is experiencing,” said Sandra Gastañudi, a tutor based in Peru.

“The diploma seeks to take concrete action to understand and analyse the agenda of young people on the realities of their communities. It also aims to encourage cooperation for the formation of sustainable development projects that allow for spaces of peace and reconciliation amidst the violence in the country,” said Julieth Páez, a tutor based in Colombia.

“Not in our name will people die while giving birth,” said Hendrica Okondo during a side event co-sponsored by ACT Alliance at the Commission on Population and Development (CPD) in New York City on April 2, 2019.

“Not in our name will people be discriminated against and denied service.”  Okondo was referencing a multi-faith statement made in 2014 at a UN event. “My call again, as a woman who is working at the local level, and is seeing the faces of young girls and boys who are vulnerable, is for religious leaders to again commit to that statement that was made in 2014.”

The side event Faith-based approaches to sexual and reproductive health from a human rights’ perspective, was sponsored by ACT, UNFPA, UN Women, UN AIDS, Norway, the Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM) of the Philippines, the Faith to Action Network, Islamic Relief USA, World Council of Churches, and the Milstein Center for Interreligious Dialogue.
Mari Skåre, Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of Norway to the UN, said, “There is power in religion and faith, and religious leaders have tremendous influence in the fight for women’s rights.” 

“Everyone should be able to decide freely on matters regarding their own body.  However, too many adolescent girls and young women around the world are denied these rights. Norway will remain a staunch supporter of everyone’s right to make decisions about their own body,” she continued.
Okondo was part of the 17-member ACT delegation which came together from five continents bringing their expertise as theologians, doctors, professors, clergy, and gender experts to the discussions at the Commission. 

Bishop Stephen Kaziimba from the Anglican Church of Uganda, another member of the ACT delegation, spoke of the need to include boys and men in achieving gender justice.  “I know that in most of the programmes we are talking about women and girls. If the men and boys are left out, then all our efforts are good for nothing,” he said. 
“Last year, when I went home after CPD51, I developed a deliberate programme to reach out to boys in schools, and to men,” he continued.  Working with faith leaders from Christian and other denominations through the Faith to Action network, Bishop Kaziimba arranged seminars and advocacy around family planning aimed at men and boys.

The programme was so successful that leaders from other provinces, and even MPs from the Ugandan government have visited to discover how the programme worked.

The Rev. Dr. Lydia Mwaniki of the All African Council of Churches (AACC) described the situation in Africa.  “Many women in Africa face gender-based violence, have no access to maternal health, and too many are dying in childbirth,” she said.  “Faith communities have done so much to provide maternal health and services, sometimes in remote regions where religious services seem to be the only services there.”

“And so, at the AACC, we are doing a lot.  And because of the issues that were raised on maternal health and population and development, we have a pillar in our new strategy on sustainable population growth, where we highlight issues of sustainable population growth and its impact on development.”

Rabbi Burton Vizotsky of the Milstein Center for Interreligious Dialogue at the Jewish Theological Seminary in the USA talked about extreme poverty, lack of education, the lack of jobs, and the lack of direct health care as impediments to sexual and reproductive health. 

“How do we begin to push against the trend of governments seeming to push women backwards?” he asks.  “We in the religious communities… need to work together, and to partner with the UNFPA as much as possible.  Whether it is the UN, religious organisations on the ground, or development programmes, there remain ample opportunities to improve women’s reproductive health and educate them.”

Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, General Secretary of the ACT Alliance, was the final speaker and underscored the need for strong action to ensure gender justice.  “If we will not engage with feminist and civil society organisations, faith-based organisations, governments, and the UN, to support this agenda of fighting against exclusion and gender inequality, we will not be able to advance as humanity.”

Typhoon Ompong, internationally named Mangkhut, made landfall on September 15, 2018. The 900-km wide typhoon carried winds of up to 205 kph across four regions in Northern Luzon. According to the UN Office of Coordination for Humanitarian Action (UN OCHA), more than 1.6 million people were affected by the typhoon, most of whom were from the farming population.

ACT member the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP’s) emergency response has reached 6,975 families in 18 municipalities within 8 provinces and across five regions. The humanitarian response has been supported by various ACT Alliance members and based off of nationally-led assessments.

“Based on the results of our assessment, we opted to concentrate on food relief. We focused on areas that were not immediately reached by the government and those that did not have assistance from other organisations,” said Almond del Rosario, NCCP’s Emergency Response Lead Officer.

Food packs were distributed to provide survivor families with food security for at least two weeks. The faith-based group, International Care Ministries, supported NCCP’s emergency response with a generous donation of 45,000 nutrient-enriched rice packs, known as ‘Manna packs’ which were distributed in addition to the standard food packs.

“We ensure this quality of food relief to help alleviate hunger and to support the capacities of survivors to recover from the disaster,” said del Rosario.

The Council assisted isolated families affected by Typhoon Rosita in Natonin, Mt. Province. It also responded to the needs of the Dumagat, indigenous people in Rodriguez, Rizal that were affected by the monsoon rains that followed Typhoon Ompong.

Continued support towards early recovery

Issues of landlessness and inadequate government support to the agricultural sector have placed Filipino farmers among the poorest in the country.

The poorest farmers of Northern Luzon faced the brunt of the disaster inflicted by Typhoon Ompong, “at the time when the typhoon struck the Northern Luzon region, farmers in the Cagayan area were just a few weeks from harvest,” said del Rosario.

“The vulnerabilities that Filipino farmers experience are escalated in disaster situations. Some families scavenged for crops that were meant as feed for livestock for their consumption after Typhoon Ompong swept through their farms,” said del Rosario.

In the coming months, the NCCP will continue providing support to the recovery of the disaster-struck communities through agricultural assistance initiatives, including the provision of seeds and farm tools. The Council also plans to help rehabilitate community water systems and to repair shelters that were damaged by the typhoon.

Support for community disaster resilience

High exposure to hazards including typhoons, extreme weather events and severe physical, environmental and socio-economic vulnerabilities makes the Philippines extremely prone to disasters. As NCCP provides immediate relief and support for the recovery of disaster-affected communities, it also engages in advocacy for community-based disaster preparedness.

Alongside churches, the Council partners with local government units are highlighting the importance of community-based disaster risk reduction (DRR) in strengthening the resilience of communities. NCCP provides educational activities in locally-recognised high-risk areas to increase awareness on DRR and reminds community members of their role in disaster preparedness.

“It is important to recognise that each community has the capacity to be resilient and to be proactively prepared for hazards. Educational activities remind disaster-affected communities that each member has a role in creating a culture of disaster preparedness and resilience,” said Patricia Mungcal, NCCP Education and Training Officer.

Churches in solidarity

“Typhoon Ompong came when we were just wrapping up our emergency response to the flooding caused by the monsoon winds in the various areas of Luzon. We were in Mindoro, an island in the southern part of Luzon when Typhoon Ompong made landfall,” said Edward Santos, NCCP’s Humanitarian Response Manager.

“It is good that the church people organised in regional Ecumenical Disaster Response and Management Committees, and they were active and alert at that time,” he added.

“A strong partnership between the church and the community makes big tasks lighter. The presence of the churches in the community also serves as an inspiration to the community to unite and organise themselves, and to move towards resilience,” concluded Santos.

The Council’s interventions in the impacted communities are in partnership with its member churches in the affected regions including, the Cagayan Valley Regional Ecumenical Assembly, Ilocos Regional Ecumenical Council, Regional Council in the Cordillera, Pangasinan and Central Luzon Ecumenical Assembly, other faith-based groups, volunteers and people’s organisations.