As an advisor on gender equality at DCA and a dedicated supporter of gender equality for decades, I am excited to be going to the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) for the fourth time. I will be part of the official Danish delegation and therefore be able to take part in the actual negotiations.  I will also be part of the small but very active ACT team at the CSW.

I very much look forward to the hectic time of meetings, learning, dialogue, laughter and sometimes frustration that always follows the CSW negotiations.

Background to the CSW

CSW is the biggest annual UN event on women’s rights with most nations’ governments and thousands of NGOs in attendance.

The United Nations has previously organized four world conferences on women. These took place in Mexico City (1975), Copenhagen (1980), Nairobi (1985) and Beijing (1995).  The World Conference on Women in Beijing marked a significant turning point for the global agenda for gender equality. The Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action, was adopted unanimously by 189 countries and has formed the reference point for global work on gender equality ever since.

For me it is really thought provoking that it has not been feasible to organise another Women’s Conference in over 20 years, mainly out of fear of not being able to agree on some of the difficult issues and therefore risking a backlash on already agreed upon language.

The role of faith-based actors including ACT Alliance

Faith actors will need to challenge existing power structures and address barriers to gender equality, including poverty, unpaid care work, unequal pay, and social marginalization – all of which will be on the agenda in this year’s CSW, which focuses on women’s economic empowerment.

It is very important to strengthen the visibility of faith voices in support of gender equality at the CSW.  We need constructive engagement from the faith community in the struggle for gender justice.   We must also dare to openly discuss all issues, even those where we might not fully agree.  In many UN discussions involvement of faith institutions are seen more as an obstacle to achieve gender equality than as a necessary part of the solution.

ACT Alliance has also recognised this challenge and aims at bringing progressive faith voices to the CSW 61 where we will do global advocacy on gender justice. ACT has to be present and influence the CSW 61 official text and the CSW negotiations. We also hope to mobilise members to engage on a high level at CSW62 and to follow up CSW 61 through advocacy in their regional and national forums.

I am however very happy to recognise that during the years I have participated in the CSW the understanding of the importance of inviting constructive faith voices into the debate has gradually increased with UN and government agencies.

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Elsebeth Gravgaard works as senior policy and advocacy advisor on Gender Equality and Active citizenship at DanChurchAid. She is also a long-term member of the ACT Communities of Practices on Gender Justice and previous chair of ACT Gender reference group.

Europe acted like a dissonant choir when responding to the Trump administration’s travel ban. Is this a surprise? Not really when one looks at the trend of EU’s migration policies in the past two years: the erection of walls and international cooperation to keep refugees and migrants out of sight and out of reach. Is this the Europe that we want? ACT Alliance EU has joined 160 other organisations in asking European leaders to stand up for humanity and dignity and to foster and promote the European Union’s commitments to human rights and international law at home and abroad.

The announcement of the “travel ban” by US President Donald Trump provoked mixed reactions among European leaders. A quick overlook at the various reactions offers an interesting snapshot of Europe’s consensus on asylum and migration.

Federica Mogherini, the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy stated at the European Parliament that “The EU will not turn its back on anyone who has the right to international protection”. The German Chancellor, Angela Merkel lectured president Trump on the virtues of the 1951 Geneva Convention on the phone.  French president François Hollande asked him to show a sense of responsibility. Theresa May who initially did not condemn the ban was finally pressed at the House of Commons to declare: “I’ve made very clear that this policy is divisive and wrong. It is not a policy that we would introduce”.

Nonetheless, the ban found a positive echo in Central Europe. Support came from Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán. The Hungarian government’s chief spokesman, Zoltán Kovács already claimed Trump’s election in the US was contributing to “a change of mood in Europe” that vindicated Orbán’s tough position on migration. Meanwhile, Poland’s foreign minister defended President Trump’s immigration order, arguing that every sovereign country has the right to decide its own immigration policy. Writing on Twitter, the spokesperson of President Milos Zeman of the Czech Republic said Trump “protects his country” and called for the European Union to take similar measures.

The absence of unanimous condemnation is no surprise when one looks at the reality of EU’s policy vis-à-vis refugees and migrants. We, Europeans, already have our “impenetrable, physical, tall, powerful, beautiful, southern border wall”: the Mediterranean Sea. It is not actually that impenetrable, but is still dangerous enough that 5,096 refugees and migrants were reported dead or missing at sea in 2016 alone. Talking about walls, many have not waited to be inspired by president Trump’s approach to build their own walls on their land borders. In 2015 alone, Hungary, Austria, Slovenia, Macedonia, and Bulgaria all started construction or announced plans to build fences. In the same vein, Norway built a steel fence at a remote Arctic border post with Russia to deter migration. A one-kilometer “anti-intrusion” wall was built in late 2016 to block access to the northern port of Calais for migrants trying to clandestinely cross the English Channel to Britain. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, European countries have built or started 1,200 km of anti-migrant fences, costing at least €500 million ($570 million) –which represents 40% of the US-Mexico border.

On top of this, to deter the ones who would try to reach its continent, the European Union is entering into agreements with other countries where they agree to seal their borders and create the conditions for migrants and refugees to stay in these countries. This approach has huge financial and political consequences as well as human rights implications.

The EU-Turkey deal implies the disbursement of €3 billion funding which are designated for projects to improve the lives of refugees as well as of host communities in Turkey. To quote Gauri van Gulik, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Europe: “The EU-Turkey deal has been a disaster for the thousands who have been left stranded in a dangerous, desperate and seemingly endless limbo on the Greek islands”.  It is presented as a success story by the European Commission and serves as a model for other deals.

Last month, the European Commission announced a plan to disburse 200 million EUR to be shuffled into border control and surveillance in the hope of containing people likely to attempt the perilous Mediterranean Sea crossing in the upcoming months. Concerns were raised by civil society organisations,including ACT Alliance and ACT Alliance EU: the decision to transfer the responsibility for managing migratory movements along the central Mediterranean route to Libya will neither reduce human rights abuses, nor end smuggling. Instead, it will significantly increase harm and suffering.

These examples show that instead of countering the rise of xenophobic populists, Europe’s response has too often been to copy their recipes and ignore voices offering sustainable, long-term migration policies that guarantee respect for people’s rights. At the occasion of the European Council 9-10 March, 160+ organisations -ACT Alliance EU among them- reminded that Europe needs to be strong and faithful to its core values which are based on respect for human rights and international law. “Strength doesn’t mean turning away those most in need. Strength is about showing a way forward that upholds values”.

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Agnès Bertrand has more than ten years’ experience in EU external affairs and human rights. She is currently the European refugee crisis advocacy officer for the ACT Alliance, based in Brussels, Belgium, since May 2016 and was previously the Middle-East policy officer for ACT Alliance EU. In her current position, she is charge of advocacy to the European Union in relation to its policies vis-à-vis refugees. Agnes is holds a PhD in International law from the School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London) and a masters in European law from the Sorbonne. She taught international law at SOAS and external relations of the European Union at Science Po Lille.

When Rudelmar Bueno de Faria joins the ACT Alliance as the new General Secretary on June 1, he will arrive with 25 years of experience working in the ecumenical family. Rudelmar has worked with LWF World Service and the WCC in a wide range of roles. “I had the opportunity to work in different settings, but also to relate to different cultures,” he said in an interview.  “Currently In my position here in New York, I am facilitating the participation of the ecumenical movement in the advocacy at the United Nations… World Bank and IMF, and also with several of the interreligious organizations that are engaging in both humanitarian and development work.”

Members are the strength of ACT

When asked about the strengths of the ACT Alliance, Rudelmar immediately pointed to the over 140 members who make up the alliance, working at the national, regional and global levels. He highlighted the “…different skills and expertise that different members bring to the alliance.

We have organizations that have access to remote communities. They are able to provide first response in case of emergencies- saving lives. But they are also able to influence at the national level policies that are affecting the lives of people. And they have also the space and the connection to global decision-making spaces like the UN systems but also government as well.”

The broad range of churches and agencies that make up ACT also allow the alliance to be “…effective in all elements related to accountability, especially to affected populations by disasters.  [ACT has] very good systems in place which help to create this effectiveness when responding to humanitarian crises but also working on sustainable development and advocacy.”

Rudelmar’s experience as a member of the ACT Governing Board and Executive Committee during his time with LWF has ensured that he is aware of the areas where ACT can improve.  He is confident that the alliance can grow and increase its effectiveness together. “I believe that working together collaboratively …[can] bring different skills, can support common objectives- [for] improved lives of people and to fight against injustices in all parts of the world.”

A focus on members and ecumenical diakonia

Rudelmar’s first few months with ACT will be focused, among other things, on a dialogue with members about ecumenical diakonia and what it means to be an alliance with so many different areas of expertise and different roles that members play.  ACT needs to be “…discerning together about distinct roles of different members, how we can build up an alliance that can be effective and will make a difference in the world today.”

The concept of ecumenical diakonia is a key to the ACT Alliance- an important part of its founding, and its movement into the future.  The goal in creating ACT “…was to establish a coordinated platform for ecumenical diakonia expressing a joint vision of the ecumenical movement with the member churches and specialized ministries with the purpose to assist people in need and work for a better world.”

The conversation around diakonia will help ACT members to come to a “…common discernment and agreement in terms of the different contributions, talents, gifts that different actors from the ecumenical movement can bring to promoting human rights, human dignity, fighting against injustices.”

Members: Engage positively in the alliance

Rudelmar’s message to ACT members is simple and inspiring: “I make a call to all ACT members to engage with the alliance- engage positively, engage in terms of providing elements and also bringing the different perspectives and the contextual situations in their respective countries and regions to be [debated] and also to help to define what the profile of the alliance after the Assembly.”

The full interview with Rudelmar is available here

ACT Alliance stands in solidarity with its members in Guatemala and with Guatemalan human rights defenders as they stand up, despite threats and attacks, to promote and protect universally recognized human rights.

The serious situation for those who work for human rights in Guatemala was painfully illustrated by the deaths of two human rights defenders in January 2017. John Nduna, General Secretary of the ACT Alliance, said, “ACT Alliance was founded to work towards a world where all people can live with dignity, justice and full respect for human rights and the environment. Threats, intimidation, and violence against people who are peacefully protecting their own and their communities’ rights cannot be allowed.”

The Guatemala ACT Forum has released a statement urging:

1. The Public Prosecutor (MP) and corresponding authorities to investigate the assassination and attacks against human rights defenders in Guatemala, identify the perpetrators and initiate legal proceedings.

2. The Human Rights Ombudsman (PDH) to fulfill its mandate of observing human rights and making recommendations to the Guatemalan state about how to improve the fulfillment of national and international human rights obligations, especially with regards to indigenous peoples and human rights defenders.

3. The Ministry of the Interior to guarantee the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association, especially for rural populations and indigenous peoples organizing in favor of their rights to land, water, and self-determination as indigenous peoples.

4. The State of Guatemala to implement the mechanisms established by ILO Convention 169, and other aspects of national and international law that guarantee the rights of indigenous peoples.

5. The international community and the United Nations Human Rights Council to call upon countries with financial investments in the region to monitor and evaluate their actions so that they do not contribute to social conflicts or threats towards human rights defenders who work in favor of social and environmental justice.

6. Churches and faith-based organizations to join in solidarity with the rural and indigenous communities of Guatemala who have mobilized in favor of the environment and human rights.

ACT Alliance is a coalition of 144 affiliated churches and organizations that work together in more than 100 countries to foster and promote a positive, sustainable change in the livelihoods of poor and marginalized people regardless of their religion, political beliefs, gender, sexual orientation, race or nationality and in compliance with the strictest international codes and norms. 

 ACT Alliance and ACT Alliance EU have joined over 70 organisations in expressing their grave concerns about proposed EU cooperation with Libya in an open letter to EU heads of state and EU policymakers. This concern was triggered by the declaration  following the recent European Council meeting on Malta on 3 February, announcing plans to seek closer cooperation with Libya “to ensure effective control of our external border and stem illegal flows into the EU”, and ahead of the upcoming European Council meeting on 9-10 March, which is expected to discuss these plans in more detail.

“The decision to transfer the responsibility for managing migratory movements along the central Mediterranean route to Libya will neither reduce human rights abuses, nor end smuggling. Instead, it will significantly increase harm and suffering,” the letter reads.

It calls upon the EU to ”[f]acilitate safe mobility by opening and strengthening safe and regular channels to Europe for refugees and migrants including through resettlement, humanitarian admission and humanitarian visas, family reunification, worker mobility across skill levels and student visas,” as well as to review the human rights situation in Libya, and to put in place specific measures to protect vulnerable groups in all its approaches to migration management.

Read the announcement here  and the full letter here.

PRESS RELEASE

ACT Alliance and the World Council of Churches (WCC) jointly announced today that they will hold two strategic governance meetings, back to back, in Uppsala, Sweden in the fall of 2018. The ACT Alliance General Assembly will be held at the end of October, bringing together over 200 people from its membership around the world at its quadrennial meeting. The WCC’s Executive Committee and members of ACT’s General Assembly will then meet together on 1 November for a joint day of learning and work around the concept of ecumenical diaconia and sustainable development, followed by the WCC Executive Committee’s regular meeting.

The ACT Assembly will be hosted jointly by ACT members, the Church of Sweden and Diakonia. The WCC Executive Committee will be hosted by the Church of Sweden, Uniting Church in Sweden and the Christian Council of Churches in Sweden.

Comments from the WCC:
“The idea to have a joint meeting surfaced during the International Consultation on the Relationship between Churches and Specialized Ministries, held in Malawi in September 2014. One of the proposed specific points of action from the report was to contribute to improving the relationship of churches and specialized ministries and discuss the role of diaconia”, said Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the WCC.

Tveit added, “In order to return to our roots and our origin, we look back at role models. One such role model is the Swedish Archbishop Nathan Söderblom, who helped create what later became the WCC. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1930 for his cross-border initiatives.”

Comments from the ACT Alliance:
“Having the opportunity to gather with the Executive Committee of the WCC to spend a day discussing ecumenical diaconia, the ministry of servanthood, will be an excellent opportunity for members of the ACT Alliance to deepen our thinking about our work, particularly in the area of sustainable development, together with our colleagues in the WCC,” said John Nduna, general secretary of the ACT Alliance. “This conversation will be a fitting conclusion to our Assembly and, we trust, an exciting opening to the WCC’s Executive Committee.”

Comments from Sweden:
“The Church of Sweden is happy to host the Assembly as a visible expression of our commitment to the ACT Alliance and as a way of sharing our context with all members of the Alliance,” said Erik Lysén, director, International Affairs, at the Church of Sweden.

“In view of the global challenges, such as climate change, mass exodus and poverty, it is imperative for churches and development organizations to be a prophetic voice for justice in the world,” said Bo Forsberg, general secretary at Diakonia.

The WCC Executive Committee, to be organized back-to-back with the ACT Assembly, will be hosted jointly by the Church of Sweden, the Uniting Church in Sweden and the Christian Council of Churches in Sweden.

The year 2018 will mark the 50th Anniversary of the 4th WCC Assembly in 1968, in Uppsala and the 70^th Anniversary since the WCC was founded 1948 in Amsterdam. Holding the ACT General Assembly and the WCC Executive Committee in Uppsala in 2018 gives an opportunity to connect to an important milestone in the ecumenical movement’s work on justice and peace, which has shaped what the ACT Alliance and the WCC are today, and will be in the future.

PRESS RELEASE

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – The Governing Board of the ACT Alliance is pleased to announce the appointment of Rudelmar Bueno de Faria as the new General Secretary of ACT Alliance. He will begin his term as General Secretary on 1st June 2017, relocating to Geneva at that time.

Rudelmar brings a wealth of experience to the position, having served for 25 years with the World Council of Churches, Lutheran World Federation and Evangelical Church of Lutheran Confession in Brazil. He currently serves as the WCC’s Representative to the United Nations where he has engaged in advocacy, diplomacy, negotiations and relations with key people in the UN system, Member States, CSOs and ecumenical and interfaith networks. Prior to this position, he spent many years with LWF in a variety of roles in the World Service in Geneva and San Salvador.

“Rudelmar knows ACT well, having previously served on the Executive Committee of the Governing Board,” said Sushant Agrawal, the Moderator of ACT’s Governing Board.  “He brings strong expertise in strategic planning, organizational development, diplomacy, policy development, fundraising and more to the position of General Secretary with ACT.”

Rudelmar will succeed John Nduna, who has served as General Secretary of the ACT Alliance since its founding in 2010.

ACT Alliance is joining with UNICEF and other partners to launch a programme called Refugees Welcome.  This programme is an opportunity for ACT and its members to stand in solidarity with the world’s 65 million displaced persons, over half of whom are children.  Many ACT members have been responding to the needs of refugees for a very long time, and others are just beginning to. As part of a wider and longer-term strategy to seek ways to demonstrate solidarity with refugees, Refugees Welcome  is using Valentine’s Day as a launch moment.

The world is witnessing the highest levels of displacement it has ever seen. For many of us, these statistics remain just that – numbers that we are powerless to change. But together we can welcome refugees – one family at a time – by giving them a place at the table.

The idea is to rebrand Valentine’s Day, from a day of romantic love to one focused on empathy, friendship and inclusion. A concrete way to show love for neighbours and new community members is to invite a refugee family for a meal.  Our Christian heritage demonstrates time and again how sharing a meal is a key to building community.

Adjusting to a new country and lifestyle can be challenging, and many communities are looking for ways to show their support. This simple act of hospitality goes a long way to helping refugees feel welcome in their new homes. Each country has its own history of showing support for refugees, and this initiative hopes to build on efforts that are already underway.

ACT is encouraging its member churches and agencies to join this programme, to invite refugees to share meals in communities around the world.  This simple hospitality is a concrete example that will show louder than words that refugees are welcome.

Through this unifying, unbranded campaign, ACT members can elevate the profile of these welcome dinners, helping to make the connections between refugee and host. To accompany Refugees Welcome, we are finalizing a toolkit to help organizations and influencers with messaging.

In the meantime, we are sharing images and descriptions of the campaign here.

Beginning the week of February 13^th, we are asking participants to do the following:

–        POST: post the Refugees Welcome shareable graphic on your organizational and personal social channels on Valentine’s Day, Tuesday, February 14 to spread awareness of the effort;

–        HOST: ask your networks if they are interested in hosting a Refugees Welcome dinner or organize one yourself;

–        SHARE: upload photos of your dinners onto your organizational and personal social channels with the hashtag #RefugeesWelcome.  Those groups who are aiding refugees in other ways are also encouraged to share these images under the campaign hashtag.

In the coming days, we will share the Refugees Welcome toolkit with you, which contains messaging and information on hosting dinners. And later this week, the website, www.refugeeswelcometodinner.com, will go live.

While this initiative is being launched on Valentine’s Day, it has no expiration date. Sitting down at the table is just the beginning. The idea is for supporters to take concrete action with and on behalf of their new neighbors following the meal, and to establish meaningful connections. The possibilities are endless.

This Valentine’s Day, we hope you’ll help us spread the love.

What will happen in 2017? It is always difficult to predict the future, but I would still like to share some of my hopes and fears. From a climate change perspective, we can expect a lot, both good and bad. The good story is that the global awareness of climate change, and the need for action, has truly taken off. The newsfeeds will continue to tell about concrete initiatives and increased ambition. The bad news is first and foremost, hitting the poor and vulnerable people around the world. Those who already are affected by climate change and who will continue to face climate related hazards throughout the year.

Hurricanes, droughts and flooding

One of the important areas of work for many ACT alliance members is humanitarian response. Through these efforts, we experience the effects of climate change, and we know the need for action. When I look towards 2017 I fear that my humanitarian colleagues will become very busy. There has always been bad weather, but climate change increases both the frequency and strength of many natural disasters. For those people who may be affected, 2017 will become a difficult year. Farmers may lose their crops, families may lose their houses and belongings, and people may die.

In addition, climate politics will also be challenged. The newly elected president of the United States, Donald Trump, has unfortunately not shown a big interest in, nor understanding of,  climate action. On the contrary, he has, already during his first weeks in office, taken several initiatives indicating that he will reduce the climate ambition. While these initiatives in themselves may not be dramatic, the new approach, may inspire climate deniers around the world. This in turn may lead to increased difficulties in climate negotiations on both the national and international levels, delaying and hindering possibilities for progress.

A green wind

However, in spite of these pessimistic predictions, there is still hope. More and more countries are starting to turn plans into real action. Solar farms and wind power plants are being built, and the need and possibilities for adaptation becomes clearer among governments, companies and people. I am confident 2017 will bring a range of good news, best practices, innovative projects and concrete action. These actions must be celebrated, supported and multiplied so that the transition towards a green and resilient future, for both rich and poor people, can unfold.

A technical, but important agenda for climate diplomats

Finally, we should not forget the continuing UN negotiations about climate change. Global challenges must be solved through global cooperation, and diplomats continue to struggle. This year, their agenda includes discussions about how the funds mobilized for climate action should be handled. A technical, but still very important issue as a lack of agreement will lead to inaction. Diplomats will also discuss how to increase the ambition of national climate action. There is agreement about the need to make this happen, but no rules for how it should be done.  It may turn out to be an empty dialogue where parties praise each other, without actually delivering any change.

The incoming presidency for the UN climate talks is Fiji. Fiji is a small, but vocal country in the climate debate. Their entire existence depends on progress in international climate cooperation, and they will take their role as president very seriously. I expect them not only to facilitate the UN talks, but also to push, pull and inspire governments to come to the table, and to deliver action.

2017 will be a challenging year, but with good leadership, and a strong push from civil society, it may become a good year. In ACT alliance we will do everything we can to contribute to a positive development.

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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 live in Denmark.