“We are being hurt,” says Ustad Alimondas Laut, holding back tears.

Sad stories aren’t the usual markers for the end of Ramadan in the Philippines. For Filipino Muslims, festivities generally denote the end of Ramadan. The government declares this day, which falls on June 26 this year, a nonworking holiday across the country.

But, here sits Laut on June 27, before peace advocates and media workers, admitting Eid’l Fitr was crestfallen. “We are getting hurt – the children and all Muslims.”

“What should have been a peaceful Ramadan, a holy month of fasting, became a painful nightmare for us,” explains the resident of Marawi City, the capital of Lanao del Sur and the country’s “Islamic City.”

On May 24, just a few days before the beginning of Ramadan and a few hours after Mindanao was placed under martial law, the military and the mayor ordered residents of the besieged city to evacuate.

Laut, who was in downtown Marawi then, immediately called his family to prepare for the move. Residents were given a six-hour window and a threat of reprisal if they didn’t leave.

Later, his entire family and some neighbors were crammed into a small jeepney, headed for nearby Iligan City.

Laut and his family are now in a relative’s house in the Lanao del Norte capital. He says he’s far luckier than many other evacuees, or internally displaced people (IDPs). He is right.

Humanitarian crisis

The humanitarian crisis has displaced over 300,000 individuals, sending them to Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, North Cotabato and Davao del Sur. The demographic includes Christians and Moros (a name used by Filipino Muslims from some indigenous peoples – including the Maranao of the Lanao area.)

Some 7 percent of the IDPs are in government-designated evacuation centers. These locations are now crammed and untidy. People are getting sick; infants are reported to have died. Explosions in Marawi could be heard.

The other 93 percent are staying in unregistered locations, like other people’s homes. These individuals are a hidden humanitarian crisis. Home-based evacuees are an unaccounted number of unserved or underserved IDPs. Most relief assistance is distributed at evacuation sites.

A city in ruins

“What used to be a beautiful city has now become a war zone. Marawi City is now unrecognizable.” says Laut, himself a Marano. “The city is in shambles; corpses litter the streets. We knew some of the casualties.”

Homes, businesses, and other buildings have been damaged or entirely levelled. Some were Moro and Christian historical and cultural treasures. Many residents didn’t make it out on time and are now caught in the crossfire, alerting those outside the battle grounds only through text messaging. Since hostilities broke out in late May, only the eight-hour Eid’l Fitr ceasefire wasa  respite.

Martial law is not helping, Laut shares. “Civilians are still affected; we are not protected. They raid houses, and leave them open. The government insists that they have the situation under control, but they are reporting on only four of 96 barangays (the smallest administrative division in the Philippines) in Marawi City.”

A continued call

“We are pleading to our beloved President: Please stop bombarding our community,” an impassioned Laut pronounces at the press conference. “You yourself claim that you have Maranao blood in you. Your fellow Maranao are getting hit by the airstrikes.”

With Marawi still shrouded in unrest, meantime, displacement is foreseen to escalate. Government units and agencies are now exhausting their resources to deliver initial relief services to the evacuees, but the need is increasing by the day.

There is still a desperate call for food, drinking water, kitchen utensils, clothing, sleeping materials and temporary shelters. The IDPs also have unaddressed psychosocial and overall-health needs.

The conclusion of Ramadan signals greater demand – and opportunity – for aid.

ACT members are working to meet that demand by providing immediate assistance such as food, water, sanitation & hygiene kits & facilities, non-food essentials, and unconditional cash grants, while, looking toward post-crisis interventions through livelihood support and shelter repair materials. Psychosocial support is also an identified need not only for children but for all the members of the IDP families staying in homes or in evacuation centers near Marawi City.

On June 28th and 29th 2017, members of the ecumenical family along with national and international organizations gathered at the All Africa Conference of Churches in Nairobi, Kenya for the “Mobilisation of faith communities for overcoming hunger and sustaining justice and peace in the Horn of Africa”. The event brought together leaders from different faiths and denominations, as well as various Faith Based Organizations (FBOs) that are actively responding to the crisis in the Horn of Africa, as well as international organizations engaged in humanitarian coordination across the region.

The event, organised by the World Council of Churches (WCC), All Africa Conference of Churches, (AACC) ACT Alliance, World Vision International and the World Food Programme, encouraged further networking and collaboration opportunities between churches and other agencies, emphasizing the proactive role that churches and FBOs can play in influencing humanitarian, development, climate change and peace building agendas.

Participants focused on the root causes of the crisis, exploring durable solutions for conflict resolution and good governance. They worked towards strengthening their preparedness to respond to the famine crisis and identifying international advocacy strategies to increase available support for appeals in the region.

“We sang, we affirmed human dignity, stewarding the land, God’s Creation and caring for the most vulnerable,” said Will Postma, Executive Director of ACT Alliance member, The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF). “Together, we affirmed the importance of transparent governance, of responding to climate change, of speaking out against conflict, partnering more with local government, [engaging] strategically with the media and more intentionally, to reach out to youth.”

A ‘Call to Action’

Together, faith leaders developed a ‘Call to Action’ aimed at overcoming hunger, promoting peace and justice and mobilizing support for the current appeals in the region. The Call to Action emphasizes, “as faith communities we are on our ‘Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace’ and are striving for the establishment of peace and the resolution of conflicts as one of our core mandates. Conflict is an unacceptable common denominator across all countries currently facing the risk of famine.” In addition, it notes that “it is imperative to continue addressing climate change and to be the stewards of environmental protection and to bring our moral authority to safeguard the integrity of creation.”

The Call to Action affirms a commitment to “encourage faith communities to be part of developing, implementing and sharing early warning and early action strategies and in documenting climate change best practices and coping mechanisms.”

“The Call to Action has the potential to advocate for international and regional support and commitment for the ongoing interventions through humanitarian appeals and finding sustainable solutions to the underlying causes of drought, conflict and climate change,” says Arnold Ambundo, ACT Alliance Programme Officer of the Africa Region. “The Call to Action further enhances the potential for ecumenical cooperation and partnerships in addressing contemporary challenges facing humanity.”

Catherine Njuguna, ACT Alliance’s Advocacy Officer based in Nairobi noted that a key component of the Call to Action is to “encourage faith based organizations to partner more with grassroots government structures, as well as national and regional structures, to make a difference.”

ACT Alliance appeals

ACT Alliance through its members in Kenya, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Somalia has been following and responding to the crisis on the Horn of Africa. Together, the Alliance has conducted a joint needs assessment and has participated in various strategic coordination sessions led by governments to develop national appeals to respond to the specific needs of a variety of sectors.  The appeals in all four countries continue to need support.

In reference to the Somalia appeal, Reuben Chepkonga of Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) said, “the Alliance has been mobilizing resources both within and outside the ACT Appeal, however, currently only about 30% of the Appeal has been funded. The risk of famine in Somalia still persists and there is need to sustain and scale up humanitarian response to stop the situation from deteriorating quickly.” More information on the ongoing response and appeals of the ACT Alliance in the Horn of Africa can be found here.

Potential of responding as an Alliance

“The event enabled us to highlight the work that we are doing as ACT members to respond to the situation and also shows the strength we have in terms of access and capacity to sustain, and upscale our current response,” said Reuben.

Arnold further emphasized the significance of strong partnerships within the Alliance, “Working together allows ACT members to positively influence the situation on the ground, and to reach people in the communities to end hunger and bring about sustainable peace in this period of crisis.”

Will Postma of PWRDF said, “Collectively, we can learn so much from each other. We need to hear each others’ voices and be encouraged by work that is already happening.” He continued, “Churches and faith based organizations are well grounded in Biblical principles of justice and mercy and well placed at community levels to be important, credible actors and voices for change.”

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 

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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.