Today the world already faces the beginnings of the worst impacts of climate change. A large number of poor and marginalised communities in developing countries face severe consequences due to increasing incidences of extreme weather events, sea level rise and unusual temperature variations.

Among the 13 deadliest floods faced across the globe in last five years, six were recorded in South Asia alone[1]. Small island countries such as Tuvalu are facing a crisis of their very existence due to rising sea levels. Unusual rising temperatures in various regions have not only disrupted the lives of people, but also severely impacted the flora and fauna of our living planet.

A large number of civil society groups are actively engaged across the globe in developing, advocating for, and promoting better adaptation interventions within vulnerable communities and raising climate justice issues within global platforms such as the UN climate talks, COP22, which started this week in Marrakesh, Morocco.

Within the series of COP processes, COP21 in Paris last year was a landmark event during which an ambitious agreement came into existence to address climate change. COP22, therefore, is a crucial COP during which further modalities of operation will need to be decided. We are at such a critical point in time to adequately address climate change that countries must now take immediate actions to raise their pre-and post-2020 ambition levels if we are to remain below the global average temperature 2℃. Therefore, we are expecting a great focus on renewable and energy efficiency measures from this meeting, which may set us on a path towards zero carbon development by 2050.

According to the Paris Agreement progress on adaptation will be tracked with a specific goal as it is linked with the five-year stock take mechanism; and civil society groups expect a clear cut road-map to achieve this goal in the spirit of this agreement. Clear guidance is also expected on the scaling up of finance for adaptation by 2020, as well as a well-defined role of the Adaption Fund referred to in the Paris Agreement. Loss and damage is rightly reflected as a separate focus within the Agreement, and it is expected that within the next year it should be adequately addressed under the Warsaw International Mechanism (WIM) and its Executive Committee (ExCom).

Of course, finance is the key for effective implementation of the Paris Agreement. It is expected that commitments made towards reaching USD 100 billion for climate finance will be fulfilled by 2020, and same amount annually for the period from 2020-2025. Furthermore, it is expected that climate funds from both public and private sources will be subject to strict social and environmental safeguards, and instruments will be in place that directly channel the funding to women and gender rights groups.

The world needs a successful COP22, in which agreements made in Morocco lead to better safeguards for the most poor and marginalised people across the globe struggling to adapt to the climate change emergency today. We hope world leaders come to this stage with a positive mindset and commitment to resolving each and every hurdle towards an adequate and ambitious implementation of the Paris Agreement.

____________

Dinesh Vyas. Working as a Development Professional with CASA India since 1999 on issues related to Socio-Economic and Political Empowerment of poor and marginalized communities in India. Experienced in integration of Climate Change and DRR issues with regular development interventions. Closely associated with various Indian Networks on Climate Change. Engaged with recent Climate Change Advocacy related issues with UNFCCC processes. Currently, following progress on INDCs, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and various other policies related to Development and Climate Change.

PRESS RELEASE

07 November 2016 – The historic speed with which countries approved the Paris climate agreement must continue into equally speedy action at the UN climate talks starting today in Morocco, international faith-based humanitarian and development network ACT Alliance has said.

Speaking as the COP22 talks begin today in Marrakesh and the UN Paris climate agreement entered into force on Friday 4 November, ACT Alliance said this meeting should be an “action COP” in which the targets set out in the Paris Agreement must now be fleshed out to ensure that the headlines are followed by ambitious rules.

The progress towards addressing the impacts of climate change truly took a step forward last year with the Paris agreement,” said ACT Alliance’s climate change working group lead Dinesh Vyas. “Governments have shown their commitment to tackling climate change and the agreements made at the Paris summit can now be fulfilled. However, an agreement with only headlines will not make any difference, therefore the agenda at the COP22 is very important to ensure that now the implementation must begin.”

The Paris climate agreement was adopted in December last year at the UN Climate talks, COP21, and is the first global agreement to include national commitments of action for all countries, as well as a mechanism to increase much needed ambition in the coming years.

However Mr Vyas warned: “Action, not just a mechanism for increased ambition, is urgently needed to ensure that ambition to tackle global temperature rises by transitioning to an economy based on clean energy is truly scaled up. We all know that the collective ambition agreed in Paris is still too low and will not keep global warming below 2 degrees celcius, let alone 1.5 degrees celcius. This should be a core concern of all parties in the coming days.”

“I see the struggle people face to adapt to the devastating impact of climate change on a daily basis in my work,” he added, “so I look forward to seeing increased action by governments in both developed and developing countries to ensure people can adapt to these challenges and live full lives with the dignity they deserve.”

In order to better understand the impact of climate change in people’s lives, a face-to-face meeting can be extremely helpful. The encounter with young Catharin made me realise that Climate Change has an undeniable human face.

Catharin, eight years old, is the youngest moderator on a community radio in Cara Sucia, El Salvador, severely affected by Climate Change. Photo: Valter Hugo Muniz

A couple of months before the COP21 in Paris last year, I had the opportunity to visit the ACT Alliance regional office in El Salvador and some local communities we work with in the country.

El Salvador and its neighbour countries have been strongly impacted by the effects of climate change. Floods, earthquakes, hurricanes and droughts have disrupted the normal production cycles.

In 2002, Cara Sucia, on the southern coast of El Salvador, was severely affected by Hurricane Isidore. Approximately 3,000 vulnerable families that depend on agriculture, fishing, arts and crafts, and small businesses were affected[1]. So far in 2016, over 150,000 people have been affected by two consecutive years of drought in El Salvador, according to the Food World Program[2].

During one of my field visits in El Salvador, I met someone that I will never forget. Catharin, eight years old, was the youngest moderator on a community radio in Cara Sucia, at the border to Guatemala. I was impressed by the work of Catharin and those courageous youth, who despite the enormous adversities, have decided to stay in their community. Together, they started to broadcast educational programs to help the local people in their daily challenges. Catharin, for example, is the host of a musical program made for children by a child, which “gives motivation” and “transmits good values” to the children of Cara Sucia.

My first conclusion after the experience in Central America was that climate change is not an abstract issue. When we have the opportunity to share the pain and the suffering of people who strive to deal with its challenges, we discover that climate change has a human face that can’t be ignored. Secondly, I was amazed to see the power of communication in supporting communities to deal with climate issues. Through these tools, it is possible to bring people together, make communities stronger and more resilient.

As we head towards another Climate Conference, the lack of ambitious action from governments has not made the life of Catharin and the people from Cara Sucia any better. In Central America, but also in many other parts of the world, the right to continue to live in the lands where they belong has been denied to numerous communities.

So what can I do? What can I change if I don’t have any decision-making power? The answer I gave to myself was: “You can be like Catharin”. Through communication, special social media channels, I can contribute my “small, but relevant” part and speak out for the people who have been affected by climate change. The international community has taken major steps towards climate justice. Paris was the first victory, but there is still a long way to go.

If you want to participate in this historical moment, I invite you to join our Act Now for climate justice social media campaign, which aims to demand that world leaders are ambitious in their commitments concerning climate change. Go to our Facebook or Twitter official account (@actclimate) and share the message. More instructions HERE.

____________

Valter Hugo Muniz, Online Editor of ACT Alliance. Brazilian journalist, videographer, online content manager and strategist who has worked in the private sector, television, publishing houses and NGOs. With humanitarian experience in Indonesia (Tsunami, 2004) and Ivory Coast (Man, 2012) he strongly believes in communication as a platform designed to bring people together and to support vulnerable communities. Photojournalism, books, football and people are his passions.

[1] http://reliefweb.int/report/el-salvador/act-appeal-el-salvador-rehabilitation-hurrican-isidore-flood-affected-lasa22

[2]http://documents.wfp.org/stellent/groups/public/documents/ep/wfp272160.pdf?_ga=1.231044124.247865913.1475655365

SG delivers remarks at the closing ceremony of COP21. UN Photo/Mark Garten

The Paris climate summit, COP21, last year was a success. We are now approaching the next summit, COP22, which will be held in Marrakesh in mid November. Will the positive spirit from Paris reappear in Marrakesh? And can the momentum be turned into increased ambition?

On one hand, there is momentum following COP21, and we can be encouraged by the quick ratification of the agreement, so that implementation can already begin. Experience from other UN agreements shows that ratification processes can take time, and drag out for years. However, this time, governments pushed the process forwards, and the agreement will enter into force on 4^th of November. This will be celebrated in Marrakesh.

On the other hand, the quick process, and the success in Paris, puts pressure on governments. There are high expectations, and journalists look forward to reporting progress. But while the issues on the agenda in Marrakesh are important, they are also rather technical. Paris delivered an agreement full of commitments, goals and visions. Now these words needs to be turned into rules, procedures and concrete work plans. No doubt, these decisions will have an important effect for the implementation of the Paris agreement, but they are difficult to explain, and to present as a new success for the climate talks.

The Paris agreement had three important results, which also have implications for possible success in Marrakesh.

Firstly, the agreement is global, meaning that almost all parties have made commitments. This is an important outcome as it underlines that all countries must take part in a transformation towards a green and sustainable future. It also implies that all countries need to take action. Poor countries will of course depend on the support provided by rich countries, but still, all countries have commitments to fulfill. In Marrakesh this will be reflected in the negotiations, as parties need to agree on how commitments are to be monitored, reported and followed up. All loopholes must be filled, otherwise national commitments will have limited effect.

Secondly, the Paris agreement includes an equal focus on mitigation and resilience, including both adaptation and loss and damage. This is important, as previous agreements have had a bigger focus on mitigation. This means that commitments to reduce emissions must be combined with commitments to increase the resilience of communities and countries. Climate change is already a reality and we must all learn to live with the effects. Two of the expected outputs from Marrakesh are an agreement to promote capacity building, and progress on how to mobilize climate finance. To be credible, these outputs must be directly linked to the full agenda of the Paris agreement, meaning mitigation, adaptation and loss and damage.

Thirdly, one of the most important elements of the Paris agreement is a so called “ambition mechanism” which is developed to help parties to scale up ambition in the coming years and decades. This is crucial, as current commitments are far from sufficient. The ambition mechanism includes regular stock-taking sessions, where implementation of the Paris agreement, and recent scientific results will be assessed, with an aim to revise commitments. In Marrakesh these stock-taking sessions, including a first “facilitative dialogue” which will be held in 2018, will be discussed, so that all parties agree on how to activate the ambition mechanism.

In a few weeks time the summit in Marrakesh will open.

I hope the good spirit from Paris, and ratification process during the year, will be followed by fruitful negotiations, where parties, in cooperation, strive to ensure a high ambition and concrete results.

___________

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.

My name is Maria Isabel Gracia, I have four children and I live in Daule community, in central Guayas, Ecuador.

It is very difficult to express what happened that day. It was around seven in the afternoon and I was taking care of the baby when the earthquake started. I could not move and I was terrified because I lost sight of my three children, my baby fell down from my arms and everybody was screaming all around. My mother and father were laid down on the floor and I thought everybody was going to die. When it finished I realized that my house was very affected. Two interior walls fell down and many cracks were visible in the structure.

I felt alone, my husband was in shock and could not react. Finally, we decide to abandon the house and join the community in the front yard. We did not have any food at all, but after some hours many people started bringing relief aid for us.

I am very grateful because all my family is safe and nobody was injured during the earthquake. We would not have overcome without the support provided by all the generous people and organizations. The goods that we have received are very useful for us. The container where we stored the water is dirty and grows worms. If we want to drink safe water, we have to buy it and when we do not money, we need to go to the river but that water is salty.

We are happy to receive the water purificator because it is something we have never had before and will contribute to my family wellbeing.

Abdullah Haddad, 46-year-old, is a hand master, preparing and repairing different things, though the current situation does not help him to provide for his family. The two elder sons were born with mental disorders. The elder one is 21 and the other one Shiraz is 18. They both attend a specialized center and the interaction with people helped them feel better, they started to speak and draw a little.

“I wish my sons were healthy and Syrian war hadn’t started,  said Abdullah who fled from Syria to Armenia in 2011 with his wife and three sons.

The younger boy is 8 years old. He attends an ordinary school and wishes to have a bicycle and colored pencils. He needs to color the paper hats that he makes himself and sells on holidays for 20-50 Armenian drams (0,04-0,05 USD) in the streets to buy ice-cream for his brothers. Anna, their mother can’t think of a job as she takes care of the boys.

Several NGOs assisted refugees families from Syria with a two-room flat – social housing (that is a real ruin), some furniture, a gas stove and refrigerator that is almost empty.

Yet, social protection is still a blurred concept to many refugees in Armenia. Access to good health care is not free.

According to humanitarian standards, “social protection is a human right which guarantees a minimum standard of living for all”. In close cooperation with other NGOs, the ACT Armenia forum has prepared and identified a list of the most vulnerable refugees requiring immediate assistance through the proposed action to the refugee crisis.

Do you want to help? Click HERE to read the ACT Appeal.

Photos and text by Armenia Inter-Church Charitable Round Table Foundation (ARTF)

PRESS RELEASE

19 September 2016 – A delegation of 10 ACT Alliance member organisations travelled to New York for the United Nations Summit to Address Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants taking place today (19 September 2016).

Joining over 600 civil society representatives, ACT Alliance added its voice to the chorus demanding that displaced populations be welcomed, supported and respected with dignity, justice and human rights in transit and in hosting nations.

“The outcome document of this United Nations conference [the New York Declaration], is only one step policy makers need to take to address the largest global migration of people since the second world war,” said Nick Clarke, Head of Strategy and Partnerships for ACT Alliance. “Creating, adopting and implementing a Global Compact on Responsibility Sharing for Refugees, and a Global Compact on Safe, Regular and Orderly Migration, which will be negotiated over the next two years at the United Nations level are needed with great urgency.”

According to the latest UNHCR statistics, there are roughly 65 million forcibly displaced persons, including over 21 million refugees, 3 million asylum-seekers and over 40 million internally displaced persons. The root causes of this increase in mass movements of people are manifold, but are often tied to conflicts, natural disasters and economic insecurity. Additionally, the vulnerability of refugee and migrant populations leaves them highly susceptible to exploitation, abuse and instances of human trafficking, slavery and various forms of modern day serfdom.

“The plight of people around the world who are desperate to escape their current unsafe, insecurity and unsustainable homelands to pursue a better life is only exacerbated with the dangers refugees and migrants experience while in transit,” said Christian Wolff, Co-Chair of the ACT Alliance Community of Practice on Migration and Development. “Far too many people are dying during their journeys – drowning by sea, collapsing along the road, experiencing terminal dehydration in the desert, or suffocating in cargo holds of crowded boats and trucks. Much of this is linked to the lack of legal access to asylum and pathways to labour markets in destination countries.”

ACT Alliance highlighted the following key elements essential for finding sustainable solutions to the issues being discussed in New York in its declaration and joint ecumenical statement ahead of the UN Summit. These include:

1. Address the root causes of large-scale forced movements;
2. Support the Sustainable Development Goals, and ensure they leave no one behind;
3. Reaffirm existing international human rights, international refugee and international humanitarian law;
4. Promote responsibility sharing inclusive of common but differentiated responsibilities among states;
5. Provide legal, clear and accessible channels for regular labour migration;
6. End criminalisation of the uprooted.

 A new Europe for people, planet and prosperity for all

Europe is at a crossroads, and the future of European cooperation and the benefits it brings are at stake. This is about the future of our society and how we want to be viewed by the wider world. The future of our planet and the kind of Europe our children will grow up in. The current crisis highlights the urgent need to reflect on fundamental questions: how do we ensure that the European project reclaims its promise of peace, democracy and solidarity? How can Europe work for its people?

Too many people across Europe are dissatisfied and disillusioned with the European Union and feel remote from its institutions and policies. But there are groups of committed politicians, trade unions, community groups and non-governmental organisations across Europe who are ready to take action and work for a renewed Europe. Together, we can shape a Europe that is inclusive, open, just, sustainable, and that works for people of all ages, social backgrounds and nations.

Where do we go from here to build the Europe we want and need?

Reject populist solutions 

This crisis in confidence comes as people struggle with decreasing living standards, declining buying power and the rise of precarious work, hardship created by austerity policies, anxiety over movements of people to our shores, and the impacts of climate change and environmental destruction. As people search for answers, euroscepticism and nationalism, intolerance and misinformation are winning out over cooperation, humanity and solidarity with one other. We must all – leaders, media and individuals – actively and at every opportunity speak out and act against division, marginalisation of different groups in society and those that play on fears for their own political ends.

Tackle challenges together 

Many of the challenges facing Europe – such as inequalities, climate change, natural resource depletion, and a global economy that benefits the few and not the many – are better tackled together than by countries individually.

The European Union, which embodies international cooperation and collaboration, needs to be leading in ensuring sustainable and inclusive development, advancing human rights, and allowing for dignified movements of people, where refugees are welcome and all people feel safe.

Fight for a sustainable, social Europe for people and for our planet 

There needs to be a decisive and transformational change in political will, direction and policy. Such a vision is provided in the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in which people, social justice, environmental and health protection, democracy and transparency take centre stage. Guided by this agenda, EU economic policies need to go hand in hand with strong social and environmental policies. The EU single market and international policies must promote enforceable rules to protect workers, consumers, all citizens – men and women, young and old – and the planet. EU policies must support democracy, dialogue and more equality within and beyond the EU. We need a Europe that aims at improving the living standards of everyone.

Work for better Europe, not less Europe 

The current tendency to weaken EU institutions and to strip away protections for people and planet in the name of ‘deregulation’ is not the answer. Current economic policies of reducing deficits and boosting ‘competitiveness’ have promoted too narrow an interpretation of growth, and corporate profits have failed to make it into workers’ wages or trickle down to improve people’s lives.

It is these policies, not ‘too much Europe’, that have alienated people, leaving them feeling disempowered and left behind. We now need new, progressive European initiatives to deliver tangible benefits for people and to win back their confidence and trust. A ‘better Europe’ is where joint European action creates tangible benefits for people and planet. This includes a new focus on equality and inclusion, a relaunch of the European social model to provide decent work, quality jobs and better living conditions, strong environmental protection, meaningful action on climate change, and an EU-wide effort to welcome and integrate migrants.

Listen and engage 

EU leaders, prime ministers, presidents, chancellors and parliamentarians must listen and engage actively with citizens of all ages and social backgrounds to understand and respond better to people’s concerns and propose a new, positive vision of Europe. Everyone, perhaps most importantly the young, needs to be more actively involved in decisions that have an impact on our future. Together, we can take the decisions and actions on the issues that matter.

Make the case for Europe 

We need a genuine, democratic and inclusive dialogue on the future of Europe, and on how the EU can deliver tangible benefits for Europeans. We stand ready to play an active role in this dialogue, and to work even harder in making the case for the benefits that working together have brought to European citizens, and the values for which this Union stands.

_________

This common statement was drafted on the initiative of WWF, CONCORD, ETUC and European Youth Forum, and supported by the 177 signatories below. European and International signatories 

For media inquiries: 

Angelika Pullen, WWF European Policy Office, apullen@wwf.eu, +32 473 947 966

Helene Debaisieux, CONCORD, helene.debaisieux@concordeurope.org, +32 2 743 87 93

Sarah Farndale, European Youth Forum, sarah.farndale@youthforum.org, +32 496 396 765

Julian Scola, European Trade Union Confederation, jscola@etuc.org, +32 2 224 04 30

ACT Alliance EU

ActionAid International

ADG

Africa e Mediterraneo

AGE Platform Europe

ANME – Association for Natural Medicine in Europe

BirdLife Europe

BLOOM ASSOCIATION

CARE International

Civil Society Europe

Climate Action Network Europe

COFACE Families Europe

CONCORD

Culture Action Europe

Don Bosco International

Don Bosco Youth Network West Africa

Dynamo International – Réseau International des Travailleurs sociaux de rue

EASPD

EFFAT

ENAR – European Network Against Racism

ENNA – European Network of National Civil Society Associations

ENSIE – European Network of Social Integration Enterprises

ERGO Network

Eurocadres – Council of European Professional and Manageral Staff

Eurochild

Eurodiaconia

EuroHealthNet

European Anti Poverty Network (EAPN)

European Central Council of Homeopaths

European Citizen Action Service (ECAS)

European Confederation of Independent Trade Unions (CESI)

European Disability Forum

European Environmental Bureau

European Federation of Building and Woodworkers

European Federation of Public Service Unions

European Humanist Federation

European Institute Foundation

European Institute of Women’s Health

European Medical Students’ Association

European Movement International

European Network for Smoking and Tobacco Prevention (ENSP)

European Parents’ Association

European Public Health Alliance

European Race and Imagery Foundation (ERIF)

European Trade Union Confederation

European Transport Safety Council

European Transport Workers’ Federation

European Volunteer Centre (CEV)

European Women’s Lobby

European Youth Forum

Fair Trade Advocacy Office

FEANTSA

Fédération Européenne des Femmes Actives en Famille

FEMS – European Federation Salaried Doctors

Friends of the Earth Europe

Fundación Jóvenes y Desarrollo

Greenpeace

HEAL – Health and Environment Alliance

Housing Europe

IBFAN Africa

IBFAN Europe

IBFAN LATIN AMÉRICA AND CARIBBEAN

ICSW – International Council on Social Welfare

IFSW-Europe – International Federation of Social Workers Europe

IGLYO

ILGA-Europe – European Region of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association

International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN)

International Disability and Development Consortium (IDDC)

International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA)

International Planned Parenthood Federation European Network

International Union of Tenants (IUT)

Light for the World International

Mental Health Europe

Migrant Tales

Misiones Salesianas

Naturefriends International

Network of European LGBTIQ* Families Associations (NELFA)

Oxfam International

PICUM – Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants

Plan International

Social Platform

SOLIDAR

SOS Children’s Villages International

The Club of Rome EU-Chapter

The European Federation of Older Persons – EURAG

The Oslo Times

The Salvation Army EU Affairs Office

Transport & Environment

UNI Europa

Volonteurope

World Vision

WWF

YES Forum

ACT Grupa

Active Retirement Ireland

AEPADO – European Association for the Defense of Human Rights

Alaturi de Voi Romania Foundation

Albanian Society for All Ages (ASAG)

All Ears TM

arbeit plus – Social Integration Enterprises Austria

Artenave Atelier – Associação de Solidariedade

Asociación Nacional Presencia Gitana

ASPUR

ATDAL Over40

Ateliere Fara Frontiere

Atelierul de panza SRL

Ateljee vzw

Baby Milk Action/IBFAN UK

BAGSO

BirdLife Finland

BirdWatch Ireland

Bulgarian Red Cross

CEIPES Belgium

Centar za životnu sredinu/FoE Bosnia and Herzegovina

Center for Equality Advancement

Centre for Peace Studies, Zagreb

CHEN, patient fertiltiy association, Israel

Conference of Religious of Ireland and Irish Missionary Union

Conseil de la Jeunesse

Consorzio di cooperative sociali EVT

Consorzio Sociale Abele Lavoro

Coordination SUD

CRIES

Cultúr Migrants Centre

Czech Society for Ornithology

De Omslag

EcoPolítica

ENEA apa

Estonian Green Movement

Estonian Human Rights Centre

FAEDEI – Federación de Asociaciones Empresariales de Empresas de Inserción

FATEC (Federació d’Associacions de Gent Gran de Catalunya)

Federació d’Organitzacions Catalanes de Gent Gran, Dones i Família – FOCAGG

Fédération des entreprises d’insertion

Filipino Women’s Council

FONSS – Federatia Organizatiilor Neguvernamentale pentru Servicii Sociale din Romania

France Nature Environnement

Friends of the Earth Cyprus

Friends of the Earth Finland – Maan ystävät ry

Fundació Trinijove

Generation 2.0 Rights, Equality & Diversity

Generation Earth

Hellenic Ornithological Society

Initiative for Development and Cooperation

Inter Environnement Wallonie

JURATRI

KISA – Action for Equality, Support, Anti-Racism

Latvian Ornithological Society

Liga para a Protecção da Natureza

Lipu BirdLife Italy

Mayo Intercultural Action

NABU – Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (German partner of Birdlife International)

National Youth Council of Ireland

natur&emwelt

Natuurpunt

Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities

Old’up

OVN -NL

Polish Society for the Protection of Birds

QED Foundation

RESIT – Rede de Empresas Sociais de Inserção pelo Trabalho

Roma Community Centre Vilnius

Slovenian Coalition for Public Health, Environment and Tobacco Control

Social Firms England

SOF – BirdLife Sverige

SOS/BirdLife Slovakia

Sport Against Racism Ireland

SST vzw

Stichting Laka

Tallinn Children’s Hospital Foundation

The Integraiton and Support Unit

türkiye emekliler derneği

BirdLife The Netherlands

volare a s.stefano

WERVEL – Working Group for a Fair and Responsible Agriculture

Youth for Human Rights Denmark

Združenie Slatinka

Bogota, July 4^th, 2016

Our churches and faith-based organisations are committed to providing accompaniment for the civilian population in the demobilization zones in the context of the Colombian peace-process, through the implementation of protection measures, peace education and reconciliation, and verification of the ceasefire and demobilization process.

On June 23, 2016, the Colombian Government and the largest guerrilla group in Colombia, the FARC-EP, made a Joint Statement[1] announcing their agreement on Bilateral and Definitive Ceasefire, End of Hostilities and Disarmament. The agreement defines 31 areas for the demobilization of the FARC over a period of 6 months[2]. As with the previous partial agreements, the bilateral ceasefire and disarmament will begin to operate once the final peace agreement is signed, which is expected to occur within the next few months.

We welcome this agreement and recognize its importance for building a just and sustainable peace in Colombia. At the same time we are concerned about the implications for the local civilian population of the establishment of these Demobilization Zones, and the risk of incursions by other armed groups into the territories where the FARC has traditionally had a presence. We believe there is an increased risk of confrontation in these areas between other non-state armed actors, such as post- or neoparamilitary groups and the ELN  guerrilla group.

Since July 20 last year, when the FARC-EP guerrilla declared a unilateral ceasefire, the members of the Inter-Ecclesiastical Dialogue for Peace (DiPaz) have conducted pastoral visits to verify compliance with the ceasefire. During these visits we have witnessed the vulnerability of the civilian population in the territories and as we have expressed in a previous statement[3], we are deeply concerned about the huge challenge that this vulnerability, as well as the continuity of paramilitary structures and the prolongation of the armed confrontation between the national government and the ELN, represent for the implementation of the Final Peace Agreement.

The civilian population that lives in the demobilization zones has also expressed uncertainty, fear and anxiety over the peace-process, in particular regarding the demobilization process.

This situation has already caused concern among churches and faith-based organizations internationally. The Central Committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC) has committed to “studying – in collaboration with the ACT Alliance and other ecumenical partner organisations – ways of supporting and promoting the effective participation of churches, religious organisations and civil society in the following stages of dialogue between the Colombian Government and the FARC-EP” [4].

At this historic moment, when we have the opportunity to put an end to one of the longest running armed conflicts in the world, churches and other DiPaz member organisations consider that it is of vital importance to provide accompaniment for the civilian population, through the implementation of protection measures, pedagogical actions for peace and reconciliation, and verification of the ceasefire and demobilization process.

To do this, we the members of DiPaz, and members of the ACT Alliance Colombia Forum are committed to establish Humanitarian Protection Houses in some of these zones, with permanent national and international presence and accompaniment to the communities, and to contribute to their protection, while also urging the government and local, regional and national authorities to implement the necessary measures to maintain safety and security in these territories. We appeal to the international community to act as an observer of this process with the goal of safeguarding the rights and protection of the civilian population.

END

1. Asociación Menonita para la Paz, Justicia y Acción Noviolenta (Justapaz)
2. Comisión de Paz del Consejo Evangélico de Colombia – (CEDECOL).
3. Comisión Intereclesial de Justicia y Paz
4. Comunidades Construyendo Paz en los Territorios (CONPAZ)
5. Concilio de las Asambleas de Dios de Colombia (AD)
6. Confraternidad Carcelaria de Colombia
7. Consejo Latinoamericano de Iglesias (CLAI)
8. Corporación para el Desarrollo Social Comunitario (CORSOC)
9. Corporación Universitaria Reformada (CUR)
10. Fundación Menonita Colombiana para el Desarrollo (Mencoldes)
11. Fundación Universitaria Bautista (FUB)
12. Hermanas Franciscanas de Nuestra Señora de Lourdes, Colombia.
13. Iglesia Evangélica Luterana de Colombia (IELCO)
14. Iglesia Presbiteriana de Colombia (IPC)
15. Movimiento Estudiantil Cristiano de Colombia (MEC)
16. Visión Mundial Colombia

                         Colombia Forum

1. Lutheran World Federation (LWF)
2. Lutheran World Relief (LWR)
3. ICCO Cooperation
4. Christian Aid
5. Swiss Church Aid (HEKS EPER)
6. Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe (DKH)
7. Church of Sweden
8. Centro Regional Ecuménico de Asesoría y Servicio (CREAS)

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[1] http://www.altocomisionadoparalapaz.gov.co/procesos-y-conversaciones/documentos-y-comunicados-conjuntos/Paginas/Comunicado-Conjunto-No-75-22-junio-2016.aspx

[2] The “Transitory Normalization Zones” as these demobilization areas are called, have three objectives: facilitate the end of hostilities, guarantee disarmament and contribute to the transition of FARC-EP combatants to civilian life.

[3] https://dipazcolombia.wordpress.com/2016/06/23/dipaz-manifiesta-su-alegria-y-su-esperanza-por-lo-que-significa-el-historico-comunicado-conjunto-75/

[4] –http://www.oikoumene.org/es/resources/documents/central-committee/2016/statement-on-colombian-bilateral-ceasefire-agreement