PRESS RELEASE

As the international community gathers in Cancun, Mexico for the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, ACT Alliance calls for the reduction of vulnerabilities and an increased focus on the human rights and dignity of people currently facing significant risks as a result of different types of catastrophes.

“Communities and people in all the corners of the world that are daily facing disasters as a result of the impacts of climate and other threats should be at the center of the Cancun discussion; we want to see their resilience as the highest priority,” said John Nduna, ACT Alliance’s General Secretary.

At the Cancun conference, ACT Alliance is showcasing best practices from the work of its members in communities and calling for the realities of people to be prioritized in the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, which guides global policy and action.

The Global Platform is the main forum at the global level for strategic advice, coordination, partnership development and the review of progress in the implementation of international instruments on disaster risk reduction. It was established in 2006 and is now the world’s foremost gathering of stakeholders committed to reducing disaster risk and building the resilience of communities and nations. The Global Platform holds biennial sessions. The current Global Platform marks the first platform since the adoption of the Sendai Framework for DRR.

“ACT Alliance calls upon governments and all stakeholders to identify and address vulnerabilities by increasing investments towards building resilience,” said Jeroen Jurriens, the leader of the ACT community of practice on disaster risk reduction, and also the head of the ACT Alliance delegation at the Cancun conference.

“Furthermore, ACT Alliance calls for the recognition of the synergy between the implementation of the Sendai Framework for DRR, the Paris Climate Agreement, and the Sustainable Development Goals. In the reality of people’s lives disasters, climate change and poverty do not come as separate events,” said Jurriens.

“Stakeholders should recognize the value of empowerment and enhancing social capital. In the process of implementing the Sendai Framework, ACT Alliance also calls on the various stakeholders to recognize the key role that faith-based organizations can play in risk prevention and reduction, preparedness and humanitarian action,” added Nduna, General Secretary of the ACT Alliance.

ENDS

1. Read the full ACT Alliance statement for the Global Platform here.
2. See: http://www.unisdr.org/conferences/2017/globalplatform/en
3. Contact person:

Jeroen Jurriens
Program Specialist Disaster Management
ICCO & Kerk in Actie  / ACT Alliance
Phone: +31 6 10884863
Email: jeroen.jurriens@icco-cooperation.org

“Give us today our daily bread.” We know the prayer, we need the prayer and the prayer reminds us of who is the ultimate giver. But the next prayer seems to deal with something totally different: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us”. It does not.

On this Global Day of Prayer to end Famine, the problem is not a greedy God, who does not equip us with resources to end famine. There is enough food. There is food in abundance. Humans are the problem, those who have in abundance – that is: we who have in abundance. With stronger will and more imagination many of us could eat differently, not so close to the top of the nutritional chain. With stronger will, more imagination and less greed the resources could be shared, the distribution made more effective and the right to food could become a fully accepted Human Right.

Through ACT Alliance, we work to ensure that all have enough to eat.  Humanitarian relief provides food and water to those in need in the face of disasters.  Churches and agencies work on sustainable development programs to increase people’s and communities’ access to enough good, healthy food to eat every day.  ACT members join their voices in advocacy around climate change, gender justice and other issues to encourage governments to respect human rights, to support the most vulnerable people, and to provide necessary protections and actions to ensure that there is enough for all.

We have reason to ask for forgiveness, that God forgives us and that others forgive us.  And we have reason to act, as people, as Churches, and as society.

These two prayers belong together. It is when we are aware of our responsibilities, realize our shortcomings, ask for forgiveness and are given forgiveness that we get new strength – and an even greater responsibility to work for change.

_____________

Anders Wejryd, Archbishop emeritus, WCC-president for Europe.  Anders Wejryd served as Archbishop of Uppsala and primate of ACT member the Church of Sweden from 2006-14.

“Give us today our daily bread.” We know the prayer, we need the prayer and the prayer reminds us of who is the ultimate giver. But the next prayer seems to deal with something totally different: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us”. It does not.

On this Global Day of Prayer to end Famine, the problem is not a greedy God, who does not equip us with resources to end famine. There is enough food. There is food in abundance. Humans are the problem, those who have in abundance – that is: we who have in abundance. With stronger will and more imagination many of us could eat differently, not so close to the top of the nutritional chain. With stronger will, more imagination and less greed the resources could be shared, the distribution made more effective and the right to food could become a fully accepted Human Right.

Through ACT Alliance, we work to ensure that all have enough to eat.  Humanitarian relief provides food and water to those in need in the face of disasters.  Churches and agencies work on sustainable development programs to increase people’s and communities’ access to enough good, healthy food to eat every day.  ACT members join their voices in advocacy around climate change, gender justice and other issues to encourage governments to respect human rights, to support the most vulnerable people, and to provide necessary protections and actions to ensure that there is enough for all.

We have reason to ask for forgiveness, that God forgives us and that others forgive us.  And we have reason to act, as people, as Churches, and as society.

These two prayers belong together. It is when we are aware of our responsibilities, realize our shortcomings, ask for forgiveness and are given forgiveness that we get new strength – and an even greater responsibility to work for change.

_____________

Anders Wejryd, Archbishop emeritus, WCC-president for Europe.  Anders Wejryd served as Archbishop of Uppsala and primate of ACT member the Church of Sweden from 2006-14.

“Give us today our daily bread.” We know the prayer, we need the prayer and the prayer reminds us of who is the ultimate giver. But the next prayer seems to deal with something totally different: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us”. It does not.

On this Global Day of Prayer to end Famine, the problem is not a greedy God, who does not equip us with resources to end famine. There is enough food. There is food in abundance. Humans are the problem, those who have in abundance – that is: we who have in abundance. With stronger will and more imagination many of us could eat differently, not so close to the top of the nutritional chain. With stronger will, more imagination and less greed the resources could be shared, the distribution made more effective and the right to food could become a fully accepted Human Right.

Through ACT Alliance, we work to ensure that all have enough to eat.  Humanitarian relief provides food and water to those in need in the face of disasters.  Churches and agencies work on sustainable development programs to increase people’s and communities’ access to enough good, healthy food to eat every day.  ACT members join their voices in advocacy around climate change, gender justice and other issues to encourage governments to respect human rights, to support the most vulnerable people, and to provide necessary protections and actions to ensure that there is enough for all.

We have reason to ask for forgiveness, that God forgives us and that others forgive us.  And we have reason to act, as people, as Churches, and as society.

These two prayers belong together. It is when we are aware of our responsibilities, realize our shortcomings, ask for forgiveness and are given forgiveness that we get new strength – and an even greater responsibility to work for change.

_____________

Anders Wejryd, Archbishop emeritus, WCC-president for Europe.  Anders Wejryd served as Archbishop of Uppsala and primate of ACT member the Church of Sweden from 2006-14.

Churches pay witness to disasters whether human-induced or natural.   The shared mission of bringing the Good News of solidarity, service, compassion and love to those affected, regardless of their faith, is central to very existence of ACT Alliance and its members.  Devastation is not part of the calling of Churches. Ours is a calling to life and life at its fullest.

Churches have for years used their resources and social capital to build the resilience of communities, provide early action where necessary to avoid disasters. We stand at the frontline of service delivery where emergencies arise.

ACT Alliance engages in making sure that the community of nations and governments commit to risk prevention, risk reduction, preparedness and humanitarian action to ensure that we avoid loss of lives and assets in all their forms.  This is why ACT Alliance has been engaging in the processes leading up to the formulation of the Sendai Framework of Risk Reduction and its review process via the Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction that will be held on 22-26 May 2017 in Cancun, Mexico.

We journey to Mexico not only to celebrate gains as we recognize the successes of partners in risk reduction work, but also to continue our advocacy because the work is not yet done.  In 2015, during the formulation of the Sendai Framework on DRR, ACT Alliance lobbied hard to ensure that nations committed to addressing vulnerabilities (i.e. inequalities, poverty among others) as these are left unaddressed.

Vulnerability is a key element that contributes to disaster risk along with hazards and exposure.  Sadly, vulnerabilities do not seem to be addressed effectively and efficiently. ACT Alliance, once again, calls on governments and other stakeholders to identify and address vulnerabilities by increasing investments (in all forms) in building resilience.  In the process, we also call on the various stakeholders to recognize the key role that faith-based organizations can play in risk prevention and reduction, preparedness and humanitarian action.

____________

Jessica Dator Bercilla works for ACT member Christian Aid

PRESS RELEASE

As two weeks of UN climate negotiations end in Bonn, international faith-based humanitarian and development network ACT Alliance sees signs of progress towards the implementation of the Paris agreement. However, progress is slow, and a number of difficult issues still remain to be resolved.

Despite threats of US withdrawal from the Paris agreement, the alliance is happy to see that many other governments engaged in the process to make climate transformation happen.

Speaking from Rajasthan, India, co-chair of the ACT alliance working group on climate change Dinesh Vyas said;

“The urgency to raise ambitions is acknowledged by all governments. In 2018 governments have agreed to take stock of progress under what is called a “facilitative dialogue”, It is crucial that this process becomes a participatory process rather than a one-time event”

Climate finance has been high on the agenda in Bonn as governments have gone deeper into detail in the negotiations over how to properly count and report on climate finance. Despite different, and in many cases opposing views, small steps were taken. Co-chair of the ACT Alliance working group on climate change, Martin Vogel, from Sweden, commented:

“We welcome progress towards establishing clear rules for what should count as climate finance and how to make sure that finance flows are reported in a transparent way ensuring that developed countries commitments to provide both development aid and climate finance are met. The lack of a clear definition for climate finance is a serious problem today and hurts countries that are most in need by leaving them without the necessary support.”

While agreeing on a clear set of rules for climate finance will be difficult to resolve, it is one of the most important matters in climate policy.

The Bonn session was also included discussions on the future of the Adaptation Fund and how it should serve the Paris agreement. ACT alliance co-chair, Martin Vogel, said:

“The issue of the Adaptation Fund should have been easy to solve by governments. Instead, discussions were lengthy and slow. This unfortunately took time away from many other important discussions that governments should have had, like how to increase and make sure that financial support for adaptation reach the communities that need it most”

Looking ahead, the next COP will be held in just 6 months, this time under Fijian presidency, but again taking place in Bonn. Dinesh Vyas said,

“We strongly believe the next COP should focus on addressing the impacts of climate change. We are convinced that urgent action to combat climate change needs to be urgently taken. As a development and humanitarian network we work closely with poor and vulnerable people who suffer the adverse effects of climate change. It is important to always keep the elements that are closest to these communities on the agenda.

ENDS

1. ACT Alliance is a coalition of 144 churches and faith-based organisations working together in over 100 countries to create positive and sustainable change in the lives of poor and marginalised people regardless of their religion, politics, gender, sexual orientation, race or nationality in keeping with the highest international codes and standards.
2. For more information or and interview about this press release contact Isaiah Kipyegon Toroitich. Tel: +41 79 825 7899; Email: Isaiah.Toroitich@actalliance.org

When ACT members around the world reach out to poor and vulnerable communities, there is no doubt about the need for support. There is urgent need to strengthen their resilience, and to adapt to the effects of climate change. To make that happen there is a need for funding.

In the UN, rich and poor countries have an ongoing argument about these funds. Rich countries claim they have provided their support, while developing countries ask where it is. A new report, commissioned by the ACT member DanChurchAid, as well as CARE Denmark and Oxfam IBIS, dig directly in to this conflict. The result is worth considering. Lack of transparency and weak accounting practices are found to be the core of the problem.

Lack of clear definitions, and agreement about how to account and report on climate finance leads to misunderstandings, and lack of action. To get the full picture we need to take a step back and look at developed countries’ commitments to support developing countries.

The promise about Official Development Aid…

There are many development needs. The global Sustainable Development Goals outline 17 areas where international development cooperation must be mobilized. Developed countries have an old commitment to allocate 0,7% of their GDP as aid to developing countries. It should be noted, that unfortunately very few countries have delivered on this commitment, but formally the agreement still persists.

…and a new commitment about climate finance

However, in the early 1990s scientists highlighted the need for climate action, and explained how climate change causes additional problems for development. Consequently, it was agreed that developed countries should mobilize additional support to help developing countries to tackle these additional challenges. Later a target, to annually mobilize $100 billion USD from 2020 and beyond, was adopted.

Finance confusion

The report mentioned above highlights four key problems with the current practice used by developed countries to mobilize climate finance.

First, there is no agreement about where the money should come from, or how it should be spent. This explains a big part of the confusion, as rich and poor countries have different perspectives on climate finance.

Second, there is a lack of transparency, and developing countries may in fact receive climate finance which they are not aware of. The lack of transparency is also linked to the method of assessing whether projects should be classified as climate finance or not. With limited information, assessments become weak, and as a result, big programs with limited elements related to climate change may be misreported as climate finance.

Third, the current reporting approach is, to a large extent, based on a bottom up approach where projects on the ground are assessed and reported to the UN. While this is good, to promote greening of concrete activities, it will not help donors to deliver on their commitment to support both adaptation and mitigation, or to increase climate finance in general. To achieve these commitments, there is also a need for top-down, political guidance. The report points at the lack of balance and the risk for increased imbalance when more private finance, which is more likely to support mitigation, becomes part of the reporting.

Finally, and this is where the broader debate about development becomes relevant, the report highlights that most climate finance also is reported as development aid. This means that developed countries deliver on two of their international commitments at the same time, when they channel support to developing countries. Overall, negotiations about climate finance will thus not necessarily increase the support, but only promote greening and increased resilience of existing development aid.

UN Climate Negotiations in Bonn this week have a focus on how to count and report climate finance. As ACT delegation, we hope that negotiators will take this debate seriously. We need agreement about how to assist developing countries, and we must always remember that money and funding must be translated into actual support to people, families and communities. It is their future which is at stake!

_____

Mattias Söderberg, Senior advocacy advisor in DanChurchAid. Was elected co-chair for the ACT Alliance advisory group on climate change advocacy and was the acting head of the ACT delegations to UN climate talks from 2010 to 2015. Was co-chair of the ACT EU climate change working group from 2007 to 2009, and head of the ecumenical COP15 secretariat in 2009. Mattias is originally from Sweden, but live in Denmark.

Instead of country delegates, civil society observers fill the Chamber Hall in the UNFCCC World Conference Centre in Bonn. Two young men are standing behind one of the few country-signs: “When we get home, we will give lectures to 5000 young people about the Climate Negotiations,” they say.  They are youth delegates from the Netherlands. In the very formalised setting of a four-hour workshop about involving non-state actors, they convincingly address how youth delegates encourage young people back home to fight for climate justice. This powerful intervention was the first time we encountered the important role that young people have in the UNFCCC.

Walking around the conference area you see young people participating and engaging on all topics. The climate fight is especially important for youth, as we are the ones who will be inheriting the planet. Leaders are not doing enough so we have taken responsibility, leading the climate fight and pushing governments to increase ambitions.

As ACT youth we want to make sure that the decisions in the climate conference reflect human rights, environmental integrity and the common but differentiated responsibilities of the countries.

The involvement of youth is relevant, fair and rational. Youth can break patterns of the past and be innovative in creating a better and fairer world. Changing the structures should be for the better, and by involving youth we can create structures that are sustainable through generations. Not only is influence important, but spreading information and inspiring youth is essential in a fast changing climate. Mobilizing and activating the young offers an opportunity to act rapidly against climate change and work harder for climate justice! With this in mind the youth delegate initiative seems to be an obvious step.

As ACT youth we want to make sure that the decisions in the climate conference reflect human rights, environmental integrity and the common but differentiated responsibilities of the countries. Though the Paris Agreement is ground-breaking in many ways (we actually have an agreement now!) there is still a lot to be done. Promises of emission reductions will not limit global warming to 2 degrees, and definitely not 1.5 degrees. A temperature rise of 1.5 degrees will lead to catastrophic consequences, such as small islands flooding and disappearing. Our job is to make sure that temperature rise is as low as possible and that vulnerable people and ecosystems get the possibility to adapt to changes, and get compensation for loss and damage. To do this, action is needed and promises need to become more ambitious. We are in Bonn to push leaders to set high goals, and hold them accountable.

This is not an easy task, especially when the UN has created its own language about climate issues. Being used to youth slang such as; LOL/LMAO, BTW and BFF, understanding UN slang such as; LMDCs, MPGs, SBSTA and UNFCCC, is SRSLY confusing. Also, when sitting through hours and hours of discussions where nobody ever gets to the point and they yell at each other while still keeping a formal and respectful tone, your brain kind of turns into cake. Still we try to keep our tongues straight in our mouths (as we say in the Nordic countries), when we speak to delegates and important people in suits, and we think we can say with confidence that we have contributed to this conference being fruitful!

_________

The blog was written by Sofie Sødal Eiksund, Mari Einang, Iris Secher Kristensen, Emilie Riis Larsen and Anna Wulff Zinck

We are four days into the negotiations in Bonn and the spirit is high. Not only are the chestnuts in the city in full bloom, but constructive discussions on many of the topics under the Paris agreement are underway, including the crucial topic of how to enhance the implementation of gender related mandates and decisions under the Paris agreement and the climate convention. A UNFCC workshop on how to develop a Gender Action Plan has taken place over the past two days here in Bonn, and several ACT Alliance members have taken part. Together with country delegations, UN agencies officials and other CSOs we havecollectively been working on priority areas and key activities that the gender action plan should include.

As ACT Alliance, we believe that any strategy or plan devised to address climate change must be gender-responsive and include the guiding principles of justice, equality, solidarity, sufficiency and sustainability. It must have the rights, needs and interests of people – particularly those who live under the most vulnerable conditions – as a point of departure.

In our vision of a climate resilient society, women and men have equal access to power and resources and equal opportunity to participate in decision making linked to development and climate adaptation, from the local level to UN climate negotiations. The competence and experience of both women and men contribute equally to shaping climate and development interventions, to ensure that these meet everyone’s basic needs and strategic interests. In a climate resilient society, vulnerability is not a matter of sex or linked to gender roles.

In order to find the best solutions to the climate challenges at hand, the perspectives and experiences of all people and groups are crucial. But as women have relatively less influence over planning and decision making in most societies, their views and ideas are not put to the use that they could be.

One of the main challenges we are already facing is how to make sure the gender responsiveness approach is embedded in the policies at the national and local levels. In order to really start thinking about transformational change we need to bring new perspectives into all the different arenas where solutions for the future are crafted. We must not forget how important is to also include indigenous women and those living in the most vulnerable areas.

At the current session in Bonn, the UNFCCC has organised the workshop to convene parties and observers to share ideas on how to address this issue practically within the framework of the international negotiations. We have discussed how to improve capacity of all responsible actors, how to increase women’s representation and active participation in the negotiations, how to coordinate activities under the many different topics of the negotiations as well as with other UN processes, how to make sure that finance and technology work for both women and men and how all of this should be followed up.

The Gender Action Plan will be drafted by the UNFCCC secretariat in the coming months and then negotiated by Parties at COP23. Our hope is that it will contain concrete and achievable targets and that it will be accepted and adopted by all Parties so that we will see strong action to improve gender equality over the coming years.

___________

The blog was written by Anna Axelsson from  Diakonia Sweden and Sagrario Monedero Lopez, Inspiracción

This week, ACT’s General Secretary John Nduna is attending the Twelfth Lutheran World Federation Assembly in Windhoek, Namibia.  “The Lutheran World Federation, together with the World Council of Churches, were the founding members of ACT,” said Nduna in his address to the Assembly.  “Membership in the alliance is mainly drawn from LWF and WCC member churches and their related agencies.”

The Assembly, which brings together representatives from 145 Lutheran churches around the world, is focused on the theme “Liberated by God’s Grace”, and is a key moment for Lutherans to come together to work, worship, and learn together.

That togetherness is key to the work of agencies like ACT.  “Together we have a voice at the table, we respond to disasters, and we learn and share in development practice,” Nduna told the almost 800 people gathered at the Assembly.  “Together we work with the most vulnerable, marginalized and excluded communities and people. Together we live out diakonia.”

Nduna highlighted the LWF’s role as one of the global leaders in working with refugees and displaced people, and also in standing with affected people and communities in the fight for climate justice.

ACT members and secretariat staff will be active at the Assembly, leading workshops, present in plenary sessions, hosting booths in the display area and more.

The full text of Nduna’s greeting to the LWF Assembly can be read here.