ACT Alliance General Secretary Rudelmar Bueno de Faria has begun his tenure with ACT by focusing on enhancing ACT’s relationships with the United Nations and other global agencies.  In his first weeks he has held meetings with UNICEF, UNFPA, UN Women, UNDP, the UN Deputy-Secretary-General´s office, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, and the World Bank.

“There are two unique things about ACT that open doors,” said Rudelmar. “We are the world’s largest Protestant/Orthodox alliance for humanitarian, development and advocacy work.  And we have engagement at all levels- from the community to the national, regional and global.  Our forums bring together national and international members to work together in a way that no other organization does.”

Another factor that is helping to begin conversations is the ongoing dialogue throughout the sector on faith and development, and the role of religious leaders in issues ranging from disaster risk reduction to gender equality.  “Gender needs to be at the centre of all our work—humanitarian, development and advocacy.  Without significant changes in gender equality in all levels, we will not make any change,” Rudelmar said during a meeting with Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women.

A goal of these meetings is to begin to link UN agencies with ACT forums- to begin relationships that will lead to collaboration, building synergy between both groups and enhancing our ability to advance key development, humanitarian and advocacy topics by bringing local people together to talk and learn at the national level, and by feeding in to international discussions.

Adama Dieng, Special Adviser to the Secretary General on the Prevention of Genocide, has put forward a Plan of Action for religious leaders to prevent incitement that could lead to atrocities.  The UN recognizes the power of religion both to incite, but also to help diffuse, situations around the world.  ACT, with its 145 faith-based members around the world, can enable practical engagement with communities and also with faith leaders in over 100 countries around the world.

Dr. Azza Karam, the Chair of the UN Task Force on Religion and Development, noted that ACT is well positioned as a potential partner with the UN because of its strong focus on gender rights and its engagement at the national level.

At meetings with with Dr Natalia Kanem (Acting Executive Director of UNFPA,) Anthony Lake (Executive Director of UNICEF,) Magdy Martinez-Soliman (UN Assistant Secretary-General and Assistant Executive Director of UNDP) and Sheila Redzepi (Vice-President for External and Corporate Relations at the World Bank), these agencies confirmed the importance of organizations like ACT to establish partnerships to advance sustainable development, human rights and humanitarian action.

Work is underway with five of the UN agencies to build partnership agreements and memoranda of understanding with ACT.  Rudelmar will keep building relationships with these and other international agencies, opening doors for ACT members to continue the conversation and the work, to be cohesive, relevant and effective in our work as an alliance.

ACT Alliance, together with a range of other ecumenical actors, today issued a joint ecumenical statement for World Refugee Day 2017. Calling the unprecedented global refugee crisis “an opportunity to grow together,” the statement calls on all of us “to build bridges of solidarity rather than walls of division.” Reflecting on the statement’s assertion that, “[w]ealthy countries cannot evade their responsibility for the wounds inflicted on our planet – environmental disasters, the arms trade, developmental inequality – that drive forced migration and human trafficking,” ACT Alliance General Secretary Rudelmar Bueno de Faria said, “the current levels of human displacement are unacceptable. States are bound by their commitments under international law – including the Refugee Convention – and by their commitments outlined in last year’s New York Declaration on large movements of refugees and migrants, to fulfill these obligations, as the world community works towards agreeing on new global compacts on refugees and on migration in 2018.”

Joint ecumenical statement for World Refugee Day 2017

The Christian Bible tells the story of two men, Peter and Cornelius, utterly divided by religious belief and culture, who in encountering each other discovered a truth about God’s common will for them that neither had previously grasped. They learnt that the Holy Spirit brings down walls and unites those who might think that they have nothing in common.

All around the world, women, men, and children are forced by violence, persecution, natural and human-caused disasters, famine, and other factors, to leave their homelands. Their desire to escape suffering is stronger than the barriers erected to block their way. The opposition by some countries to the migration of forcibly displaced people will not keep those who undergo unbearable suffering from leaving their homes.

Wealthy countries cannot evade their responsibility for the wounds inflicted on our planet – environmental disasters, the arms trade, developmental inequality – that drive forced migration and human trafficking. While it is true that the arrival of migrants in more developed countries can present real and significant challenges, it can also be an opportunity for openness and change. Pope Francis poses this question to us: “How can we experience these changes not as obstacles to genuine development, but rather as opportunities for genuine human, social and spiritual growth?” Societies that find the courage and the vision to go beyond the fear of foreigners and migrants soon discover the riches that migrants bring with them, and always have.

If we, as a human family, insist on only ever seeing refugees as a burden, we deprive ourselves of the opportunities for solidarity that are also always opportunities for mutual learning, mutual enrichment, and mutual growth.

It is not enough for Christians to profess to love Christ: belief is authentic only if it is expressed in loving action. We are one Body of Christ, undivided. In the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “It is only through Jesus Christ that we are brothers and sisters of one another…. Through Christ our mutual belonging is real, integral, and for all time.” If we are one body, we are knitted into a solidarity that defines us and makes demands of us.

Signs of solidarity can be multiplied beyond the borders of religion and culture. Meeting believers of other persuasions encourages us to deepen our knowledge of our own faith, and in our encounter with our refugee brothers and sisters, God speaks to us and blesses us as He did Cornelius and Peter.

In every genuine encounter, an exchange of gifts takes place. Sharing with others what we have and own, we discover that all is given freely by God. At the same time, in welcoming those whom we encounter, we meet the God who is always already present with the vulnerable, at the peripheries, and in the other.

Increasingly around the world we witness the building of walls to keep out the displaced: not just physical walls, but also walls of fear, prejudice, hatred, and ideology. Let us all, as one human family, strive to build bridges of solidarity rather than walls of division. Our refugee sisters and brothers present us with opportunities for mutual enrichment and flourishing: it is God who brings us together.

With the development of new international frameworks – Global Compacts on Migrants and on Refugees – in 2018, States should not only ensure a more effective responsibility-sharing in response to large movements, but they should also accept the opportunity to recognize and highlight the significant contributions that refugees and migrants make in their host communities.

ACT Alliance

Alboan

Anglican Alliance

Caritas Internationalis

Catholic Charities USA

Community of Sant’Egidio

Dominicans for Justice and Peace

Entreculturas

International Union of Superior Generals (UISG)

Franciscans International

Jesuit Refugee Service

Lutheran World Federation

Pax Christi International

Scalabrinian Missionaries

Scalabrini International Migration Network (SIMN)

Talitha Kum – Worldwide Network of Religious Life against Trafficking in Persons

Union of Superior Generals (USG)

Vivat International

Voices of Faith

World Union of Catholic Women’s Organizations (WUCWO)

ACT Alliance, together with a range of other ecumenical actors, today issued a joint ecumenical statement for World Refugee Day 2017. Calling the unprecedented global refugee crisis “an opportunity to grow together,” the statement calls on all of us “to build bridges of solidarity rather than walls of division.” Reflecting on the statement’s assertion that, “[w]ealthy countries cannot evade their responsibility for the wounds inflicted on our planet – environmental disasters, the arms trade, developmental inequality – that drive forced migration and human trafficking,” ACT Alliance General Secretary Rudelmar Bueno de Faria said, “the current levels of human displacement are unacceptable. States are bound by their commitments under international law – including the Refugee Convention – and by their commitments outlined in last year’s New York Declaration on large movements of refugees and migrants, to fulfill these obligations, as the world community works towards agreeing on new global compacts on refugees and on migration in 2018.”

Joint ecumenical statement for World Refugee Day 2017

The Christian Bible tells the story of two men, Peter and Cornelius, utterly divided by religious belief and culture, who in encountering each other discovered a truth about God’s common will for them that neither had previously grasped. They learnt that the Holy Spirit brings down walls and unites those who might think that they have nothing in common.

All around the world, women, men, and children are forced by violence, persecution, natural and human-caused disasters, famine, and other factors, to leave their homelands. Their desire to escape suffering is stronger than the barriers erected to block their way. The opposition by some countries to the migration of forcibly displaced people will not keep those who undergo unbearable suffering from leaving their homes.

Wealthy countries cannot evade their responsibility for the wounds inflicted on our planet – environmental disasters, the arms trade, developmental inequality – that drive forced migration and human trafficking. While it is true that the arrival of migrants in more developed countries can present real and significant challenges, it can also be an opportunity for openness and change. Pope Francis poses this question to us: “How can we experience these changes not as obstacles to genuine development, but rather as opportunities for genuine human, social and spiritual growth?” Societies that find the courage and the vision to go beyond the fear of foreigners and migrants soon discover the riches that migrants bring with them, and always have.

If we, as a human family, insist on only ever seeing refugees as a burden, we deprive ourselves of the opportunities for solidarity that are also always opportunities for mutual learning, mutual enrichment, and mutual growth.

It is not enough for Christians to profess to love Christ: belief is authentic only if it is expressed in loving action. We are one Body of Christ, undivided. In the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “It is only through Jesus Christ that we are brothers and sisters of one another…. Through Christ our mutual belonging is real, integral, and for all time.” If we are one body, we are knitted into a solidarity that defines us and makes demands of us.

Signs of solidarity can be multiplied beyond the borders of religion and culture. Meeting believers of other persuasions encourages us to deepen our knowledge of our own faith, and in our encounter with our refugee brothers and sisters, God speaks to us and blesses us as He did Cornelius and Peter.

In every genuine encounter, an exchange of gifts takes place. Sharing with others what we have and own, we discover that all is given freely by God. At the same time, in welcoming those whom we encounter, we meet the God who is always already present with the vulnerable, at the peripheries, and in the other.

Increasingly around the world we witness the building of walls to keep out the displaced: not just physical walls, but also walls of fear, prejudice, hatred, and ideology. Let us all, as one human family, strive to build bridges of solidarity rather than walls of division. Our refugee sisters and brothers present us with opportunities for mutual enrichment and flourishing: it is God who brings us together.

With the development of new international frameworks – Global Compacts on Migrants and on Refugees – in 2018, States should not only ensure a more effective responsibility-sharing in response to large movements, but they should also accept the opportunity to recognize and highlight the significant contributions that refugees and migrants make in their host communities.

ACT Alliance

Alboan

Anglican Alliance

Caritas Internationalis

Catholic Charities USA

Community of Sant’Egidio

Dominicans for Justice and Peace

Entreculturas

International Union of Superior Generals (UISG)

Franciscans International

Jesuit Refugee Service

Lutheran World Federation

Pax Christi International

Scalabrinian Missionaries

Scalabrini International Migration Network (SIMN)

Talitha Kum – Worldwide Network of Religious Life against Trafficking in Persons

Union of Superior Generals (USG)

Vivat International

Voices of Faith

World Union of Catholic Women’s Organizations (WUCWO)

ACT Alliance, together with a range of other ecumenical actors, today issued a joint ecumenical statement for World Refugee Day 2017. Calling the unprecedented global refugee crisis “an opportunity to grow together,” the statement calls on all of us “to build bridges of solidarity rather than walls of division.” Reflecting on the statement’s assertion that, “[w]ealthy countries cannot evade their responsibility for the wounds inflicted on our planet – environmental disasters, the arms trade, developmental inequality – that drive forced migration and human trafficking,” ACT Alliance General Secretary Rudelmar Bueno de Faria said, “the current levels of human displacement are unacceptable. States are bound by their commitments under international law – including the Refugee Convention – and by their commitments outlined in last year’s New York Declaration on large movements of refugees and migrants, to fulfill these obligations, as the world community works towards agreeing on new global compacts on refugees and on migration in 2018.”

Joint ecumenical statement for World Refugee Day 2017

The Christian Bible tells the story of two men, Peter and Cornelius, utterly divided by religious belief and culture, who in encountering each other discovered a truth about God’s common will for them that neither had previously grasped. They learnt that the Holy Spirit brings down walls and unites those who might think that they have nothing in common.

All around the world, women, men, and children are forced by violence, persecution, natural and human-caused disasters, famine, and other factors, to leave their homelands. Their desire to escape suffering is stronger than the barriers erected to block their way. The opposition by some countries to the migration of forcibly displaced people will not keep those who undergo unbearable suffering from leaving their homes.

Wealthy countries cannot evade their responsibility for the wounds inflicted on our planet – environmental disasters, the arms trade, developmental inequality – that drive forced migration and human trafficking. While it is true that the arrival of migrants in more developed countries can present real and significant challenges, it can also be an opportunity for openness and change. Pope Francis poses this question to us: “How can we experience these changes not as obstacles to genuine development, but rather as opportunities for genuine human, social and spiritual growth?” Societies that find the courage and the vision to go beyond the fear of foreigners and migrants soon discover the riches that migrants bring with them, and always have.

If we, as a human family, insist on only ever seeing refugees as a burden, we deprive ourselves of the opportunities for solidarity that are also always opportunities for mutual learning, mutual enrichment, and mutual growth.

It is not enough for Christians to profess to love Christ: belief is authentic only if it is expressed in loving action. We are one Body of Christ, undivided. In the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “It is only through Jesus Christ that we are brothers and sisters of one another…. Through Christ our mutual belonging is real, integral, and for all time.” If we are one body, we are knitted into a solidarity that defines us and makes demands of us.

Signs of solidarity can be multiplied beyond the borders of religion and culture. Meeting believers of other persuasions encourages us to deepen our knowledge of our own faith, and in our encounter with our refugee brothers and sisters, God speaks to us and blesses us as He did Cornelius and Peter.

In every genuine encounter, an exchange of gifts takes place. Sharing with others what we have and own, we discover that all is given freely by God. At the same time, in welcoming those whom we encounter, we meet the God who is always already present with the vulnerable, at the peripheries, and in the other.

Increasingly around the world we witness the building of walls to keep out the displaced: not just physical walls, but also walls of fear, prejudice, hatred, and ideology. Let us all, as one human family, strive to build bridges of solidarity rather than walls of division. Our refugee sisters and brothers present us with opportunities for mutual enrichment and flourishing: it is God who brings us together.

With the development of new international frameworks – Global Compacts on Migrants and on Refugees – in 2018, States should not only ensure a more effective responsibility-sharing in response to large movements, but they should also accept the opportunity to recognize and highlight the significant contributions that refugees and migrants make in their host communities.

ACT Alliance

Alboan

Anglican Alliance

Caritas Internationalis

Catholic Charities USA

Community of Sant’Egidio

Dominicans for Justice and Peace

Entreculturas

International Union of Superior Generals (UISG)

Franciscans International

Jesuit Refugee Service

Lutheran World Federation

Pax Christi International

Scalabrinian Missionaries

Scalabrini International Migration Network (SIMN)

Talitha Kum – Worldwide Network of Religious Life against Trafficking in Persons

Union of Superior Generals (USG)

Vivat International

Voices of Faith

World Union of Catholic Women’s Organizations (WUCWO)

TORONTO, Canada, 9 June 2017. The ACT Alliance Disaster Risk Reduction- Climate Change Adaptation Award (ACT DRR-CCA) for 2017 was awarded to the Lighthouse Project in Indonesia implemented by Pusbinlat Motivator Toraja Church in partnership with ACT Alliance members ; Bread for the World and Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe Presented during the 2017 Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction in Cancun, the award highlights the work of the ACT Alliance and Faith Based Organizations responding to climate change.

“I was very happy to receive the award. The award gives motivation to those of us who work in remote areas, who are in many cases experiencing discrimination in terms of development and are encouraged to do better,” says Tandu Ramba from the Pusbinlat Motivator who accepted the award.

The Lighthouse Project is implemented in three villages of Tana Toraja, South Sulawesi, Indonesia and is focused on sustainable community development, climate change, and disaster risk reduction. “All activities take environmental conservation into consideration. The most powerful lesson learned from this project is that poverty can be reduced without destroying the environment,” says Tandu.

The project establishes various initiatives. Disaster risk reduction teams and an early warning system have been set up by villagers to monitor and respond to disasters including landslides and forest fires. To date, the project has empowered 176 women in the three villages through training programs encouraging alternative livelihoods and the monitoring of planting seasons. As part of the project, a climate field school works with villagers to address problems related to a changing climate, and to develop seasonal planting calendars.

“The most vulnerable people often live in remote areas where a lack of resilience is caused by poverty. Often, remote communities contribute significantly to the mitigation of climate change but rarely get any appreciation from other parties who produce emissions,” Tandu said.

“Disasters strike people all over the world, without paying attention to borders, ethnic groups, religion, etc. Strengthening resilience is a responsibility for all of us,” says Jeroen Jurriens, the head of the ACT Alliance delegation to the Cancun conference.

“At ACT Alliance we link the local to the global level. We let people like Tandu talk to stakeholders in the international arena directly. It is our firm belief that those living in disaster prone areas are in the best position to explain their context and be involved in finding solutions,” Jeroen continues.

“Through the ACT Award, I hope that people can appreciate our efforts in protecting people from various hazards,” says Tandu.

The ACT DRR-CCA is awarded annually to an ACT Alliance member who has demonstrated innovation and best practices preparing communities to respond to disasters.

ENDS

________

For media inquiries, please contact:
Joanna Patouris, ACT Alliance, Climate Change Communications Coordinator
Email: joanna.patouris@actalliance.org

TORONTO, Canada, 9 June 2017. The ACT Alliance Disaster Risk Reduction- Climate Change Adaptation Award (ACT DRR-CCA) for 2017 was awarded to the Lighthouse Project in Indonesia implemented by Pusbinlat Motivator Toraja Church in partnership with ACT Alliance members ; Bread for the World and Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe Presented during the 2017 Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction in Cancun, the award highlights the work of the ACT Alliance and Faith Based Organizations responding to climate change.

“I was very happy to receive the award. The award gives motivation to those of us who work in remote areas, who are in many cases experiencing discrimination in terms of development and are encouraged to do better,” says Tandu Ramba from the Pusbinlat Motivator who accepted the award.

The Lighthouse Project is implemented in three villages of Tana Toraja, South Sulawesi, Indonesia and is focused on sustainable community development, climate change, and disaster risk reduction. “All activities take environmental conservation into consideration. The most powerful lesson learned from this project is that poverty can be reduced without destroying the environment,” says Tandu.

The project establishes various initiatives. Disaster risk reduction teams and an early warning system have been set up by villagers to monitor and respond to disasters including landslides and forest fires. To date, the project has empowered 176 women in the three villages through training programs encouraging alternative livelihoods and the monitoring of planting seasons. As part of the project, a climate field school works with villagers to address problems related to a changing climate, and to develop seasonal planting calendars.

“The most vulnerable people often live in remote areas where a lack of resilience is caused by poverty. Often, remote communities contribute significantly to the mitigation of climate change but rarely get any appreciation from other parties who produce emissions,” Tandu said.

“Disasters strike people all over the world, without paying attention to borders, ethnic groups, religion, etc. Strengthening resilience is a responsibility for all of us,” says Jeroen Jurriens, the head of the ACT Alliance delegation to the Cancun conference.

“At ACT Alliance we link the local to the global level. We let people like Tandu talk to stakeholders in the international arena directly. It is our firm belief that those living in disaster prone areas are in the best position to explain their context and be involved in finding solutions,” Jeroen continues.

“Through the ACT Award, I hope that people can appreciate our efforts in protecting people from various hazards,” says Tandu.

The ACT DRR-CCA is awarded annually to an ACT Alliance member who has demonstrated innovation and best practices preparing communities to respond to disasters.

ENDS

________

For media inquiries, please contact:
Joanna Patouris, ACT Alliance, Climate Change Communications Coordinator
Email: joanna.patouris@actalliance.org

TORONTO, Canada, 9 June 2017. The ACT Alliance Disaster Risk Reduction- Climate Change Adaptation Award (ACT DRR-CCA) for 2017 was awarded to the Lighthouse Project in Indonesia implemented by Pusbinlat Motivator Toraja Church in partnership with ACT Alliance members ; Bread for the World and Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe Presented during the 2017 Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction in Cancun, the award highlights the work of the ACT Alliance and Faith Based Organizations responding to climate change.

“I was very happy to receive the award. The award gives motivation to those of us who work in remote areas, who are in many cases experiencing discrimination in terms of development and are encouraged to do better,” says Tandu Ramba from the Pusbinlat Motivator who accepted the award.

The Lighthouse Project is implemented in three villages of Tana Toraja, South Sulawesi, Indonesia and is focused on sustainable community development, climate change, and disaster risk reduction. “All activities take environmental conservation into consideration. The most powerful lesson learned from this project is that poverty can be reduced without destroying the environment,” says Tandu.

The project establishes various initiatives. Disaster risk reduction teams and an early warning system have been set up by villagers to monitor and respond to disasters including landslides and forest fires. To date, the project has empowered 176 women in the three villages through training programs encouraging alternative livelihoods and the monitoring of planting seasons. As part of the project, a climate field school works with villagers to address problems related to a changing climate, and to develop seasonal planting calendars.

“The most vulnerable people often live in remote areas where a lack of resilience is caused by poverty. Often, remote communities contribute significantly to the mitigation of climate change but rarely get any appreciation from other parties who produce emissions,” Tandu said.

“Disasters strike people all over the world, without paying attention to borders, ethnic groups, religion, etc. Strengthening resilience is a responsibility for all of us,” says Jeroen Jurriens, the head of the ACT Alliance delegation to the Cancun conference.

“At ACT Alliance we link the local to the global level. We let people like Tandu talk to stakeholders in the international arena directly. It is our firm belief that those living in disaster prone areas are in the best position to explain their context and be involved in finding solutions,” Jeroen continues.

“Through the ACT Award, I hope that people can appreciate our efforts in protecting people from various hazards,” says Tandu.

The ACT DRR-CCA is awarded annually to an ACT Alliance member who has demonstrated innovation and best practices preparing communities to respond to disasters.

ENDS

________

For media inquiries, please contact:
Joanna Patouris, ACT Alliance, Climate Change Communications Coordinator
Email: joanna.patouris@actalliance.org

Drought and displacement have devastated cattle herds, which are the foundation of the local economy and culture, in South Sudan. Today, faith leaders call upon the G7 nations to be leaders in a green transformation towards a sustainable future. Photo: Paul Jeffrey/ACT

Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus and Buddhists. Big religions, each with its own beliefs and faiths. But also with a strong and united concern. On Friday, the eve of the G7 Environmental Ministerial Meeting in Bologna, faith leaders from some of the biggest religions in the world met and agreed on a joint statement to the G7 ministers.

The statement was formulated as a charter of values and actions, a message based on the belief that the world – nature, and the environment – is wonderful, and that we have a moral obligation to care for this miracle – the creation.

Each religion framed the concern in its own way, but each had the same message. We have the responsibility to take action, and to transform our way of life into a sustainable development path.

“We, as faith leaders and faith-based organizations, stand in solidarity with people and communities all over the world who are affected by the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation and commit to galvanizing greater awareness and action that promotes more sustainable consumption and lifestyles and protects our natural environment, both on land and water,” say faith leaders in the joint statement.

When faith leaders talk about the world they do not focus on countries as such.  When the world was created, there were no borders. And climate change knows no borders. Droughts and floods do not stop to clear customs, and the long term effects will fuel conflicts and migration with implications far beyond the borders of individual countries. At the same time, all global greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced. But this can only be achieved if all countries and all people engage. All countries must embrace a green and sustainable development paradigm, ensuring a resilient future for all people in the world.

So why was a call directed to the G7? All countries are important, but rich countries have special responsibilities for two reasons. First, they have a historic responsibility, linked to their large carbon emissions for decades, contributing to global warming. And second, because of their capacity to actually make a difference. A green transformation will not come by itself. It will be a result of innovation, technology development, and changes in our current development paradigm. And this is why the G7 is important. The G7 constitutes a group of countries with big responsibility, and big capacity. They can, and should, drive the transformation towards a green and sustainable future.

However, at this time, the G7 is not only a platform for discussion about development. This time the G7 meeting may also be a battlefield in a growing conflict between the current US government, and the other G7 countries. The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency in the US, Scott Pruitt, will face his first international diplomatic challenge since President Donald Trump announced that the US will withdraw from the Paris Agreement. When the G7 leaders recently met in Taormina, Sicily, Italy, climate change was also on the agenda, and Trump was isolated. Pruitt will most likely face the same situation. Mr. Pruitt was one of the persons who advised President Trump to withdraw, and he is known for his skepticism towards climate change. My guess is that he will have a difficult time defending and explaining the US decision when he meets his G7 colleagues.

In this context, the call from faith leaders contributes an additional critique. While the other G7 members will bring up arguments of security, economy, growth and development, faith leaders bring up the moral and ethical concern. Faith leaders stand, as they so often do, with the most vulnerable, the ones who have contributed the least to climate change and yet are disproportionately affected by it.

Together, faith leaders delivered their message of solidarity, calling on the G7 leaders—and all people—to take seriously the need to care for creation.

The full text of the joint statement can be found here: https://actalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/CharterOfValuesAndAction-1.pdf 

___________

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 lives in Denmark.

PRESS RELEASE

BOLOGNA, Italy. On Friday the 9^th of June, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist leaders will meet for an Interfaith Forum on Environmental Protection, with an aim to agree on a Charter of Values and Actions, to be delivered to the ministers attending the G7 Environment Ministers Meeting on the 11^th  – 12^th of June.

Climate change is an important topic for many religions. This was stressed in a global statement made by more than 150 faith and spiritual leaders in the run up to the Paris climate summit in 2015.

“Many religions share a belief that humanity has an important task, to care for creation. However, when we look around us today, we are concerned. Our current way of living is not sustainable. We must change our way of living and enter a new and sustainable development path,” says Mattias Söderberg, representing the ACT Alliance in the Forum.

 “When earth was created there were no countries, no borders. The responsibility to take action is also without border. All countries, all people, have a responsibility to take action,” says Gianfranco Cattai, President of Federazione Organismi Cristiani Servizio Internazionale Volontario (FOCSIV).

Éamonn Meehan, President of Coopération Internationale pour le Développement et la Solidarité (CIDSE), says, “Those most affected by climate change are those who have done the least to contribute to it, which is an inherent injustice. There is a moral imperative for G7 countries to recognise and take responsibility for the global damage they have caused through their carbon emissions. Climate change is the most pressing issue of our time and if world leaders, including the U.S. don’t begin to care for creation and see that the Earth is for all, then there will be little left for future generations to enjoy.”

Cecilia Dall’Oglio, representing the Global Catholic Climate Movement (GGCM) at the Forum, comments, “Christians worldwide are responding by coming together in unity to care for creation in prayer and action as announced on the occasion of World Environment Day. A new wave of climate action during the new edition of the Season of Creation will be running from September 1 to October 4, uniting the 2.2 billion members of the Christian family to care for creation. Besides local action in grassroots communities, Christians will also engage in advocacy initiatives such as a new Joint Christian Divestment Announcement on October 4.” To date, 27 Catholic institutions have already divested from fossil fuels. The convening organizations who are leading the Season of Creation promotion efforts are: World Council of Churches, Anglican Communion Environmental Network, Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network (Apostleship of Prayer), the Global Catholic Climate Movement, and ACT Alliance.

The G7 Meeting is a major international event, especially for the new head of the US Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt, who can expect a lot of critique following the US decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement.

Faith representatives, preparing for the Interfaith Forum, express their deep concern about the US decision. “To care for creation, is a moral and ethical responsibility. We cannot treat creation with disrespect, and we must develop a sustainable way of living. I therefore call on the US to reconsider the decision to leave the Paris Agreement,” says Mattias Söderberg.

He continues, “I welcome how most world leaders, including six of the G7 countries, as well as cities, states and corporations in the US, have reconfirmed their commitments to take action on the Paris Agreement.”

 ENDS

For media enquiries, please contact:

Mattias Söderberg, participant in the dialogue, representing the ACT Alliance
Email: msd@dca.dk; Mobile: +45-29700609

Andrea Stocchiero, participant in the dialogue, representing FOCSIV
Email: policy@focsiv.it;

Cecilia Dall’Oglio, participant in the dialogue, representing the GCCM
Email: cecilia@catholicclimatemovement.global ; Mobile: +39-3331271680

The Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction was held in Cancun May 22-26, 2017.  The platform worked to move from the commitments made through the 2015 Sendai Framework for DRR to concrete actions to realize the commitments. The ACT Alliance delegation in Cancun showed how to put of words into action by sharing their concrete example of projects and actions resulting in change at the community level.

ACT organized an official preparatory event in collaboration with the Buddhist international network Soka Gakkai and the Jewish organization Cadena from Mexico.   The three different faith-based organisations each presented best practices on disaster risk reduction interventions.  They also created an interfaith statement.

The FBO statement calls for meaningful and substantive engagement of FBOs in the implementation and monitoring of the Sendai Framework for DRR, and presents concrete proposals for engagement. Over the course of the Global Platform more FBOs joined and signed the statement, creating and mobilizing a network of organizations from different faiths.

“Faith drives people to take action, offers courage, comfort and hope. Faith contributes to the coping and adaptive capacities of many people and can be a powerful element in reducing vulnerabilities and, thus, reduce disaster risk,” the statement reads. “It is an integral element that needs to be taken into account in disaster risk prevention and reduction.”

The conclusions presented by the platform at the end of its meeting reference several issues that are close to the heart of FBOs, including  the need for more focus on local leadership and community action, continued monitoring and clear accountability frameworks.

ACT welcomes the emphasis on integrating the international agreements on disaster risk reduction, climate, sustainable development goals and humanitarian action. People in disaster prone and affected communities do not distinguish between climate, disaster, and poverty. So let us not do that at the international policy level.

The most concrete action point was the development of Loss & Damage data for all countries by 2020. ACT welcomes this idea, and will continue to push for action. The increased availability of data on loss and damage will have to result in increased investments and measures that will make a difference in the lives of people living in disaster prone areas.

“As ACT Alliance we are committed to continue working with other stakeholders, including mobilizing FBOs and expanded networks, to support the strengthening of resilience in communities,” said Jeroen Jurriens. “We should leave no one behind and make this world a more disaster resilient place! Cancun brought this vision one step closer again, and builds the way for new steps in the future. “

Read the full joint FBO statement here. Interested Faith Based Organisations can contact Jeroen Jurriens to co-sign the statement.