As a global alliance, with presence in more than 140 countries, primarily at the local and national levels, ACT Alliance members are well positioned to respond to local emergencies enabling a rapid response and minimising damaging impacts of disaster. Rooted in faith, the alliance uses community-based frontline responders, even in disasters that do not make international headlines

The strength of ACT Alliance is the multitude of different organisations that make up its membership. It is in this spirit, and with this diversity, that the ACT Alliance endeavours to respond to emergencies around the world – local or global, large or small – with an ecumenical desire to respond to the needs of communities when they are at their most vulnerable.

ACT Alliance has the privileged position of being a network of local, national and international actors committed to partnerships amongst each other. This commitment enables international and global members of ACT to enhance the capacity of local and national actors, allowing for first phase response in the beginning of a crises or disaster to come directly from the community itself.

The Rapid Response Fund (RRF), supported by ACT members and managed by the Secretariat, responds to thousands of people around the world each year – people who would not otherwise have assistance in a timely way that responds to urgent, life-saving need. Support for the RRF enables ACT Alliance to highlight the essential role that local and national responders – who are already in the disaster and conflict areas – play.

The RRF is the tool for responding to small and medium level, sudden onset emergencies. Within the new ACT Humanitarian Response Mechanism, the RRF will play an increasingly significant role.

Human Dignity, community empowerment and capacity-building are cornerstones of our local and national responses. For ACT Alliance, emergency response is more than saving lives; it is also a genuine desire to invest in resilience and disaster risk reduction within communities so that populations at risk can prepare and protect themselves.

PRESS RELEASE

International faith-based network ACT Alliance has called for substantive commitment to upholding universal democratic principles and respect for human rights as the social and political turmoil in Brazil risks worsening.

The Governing Board of ACT Alliance, a network representing 140 churches and faith-based organisations working together in over 100 countries, also called for renewed commitment from all political and societal actors to work towards peaceful resolution of the issues, saying that increasing polarisation and radicalisation in the country could risk escalating towards violence.

“We express our deep concern over the threat to the democratic state of law in Brazil, as respect for democratic principles is relevant not only for Brazilian citizens, but for the citizens of the world,” said John Nduna, General Secretary of ACT Alliance. “As ACT Alliance we call for commitment from the country’s political and societal actors to resolving the political process through the promotion of a wider national dialogue, in order to overcome the crisis that the country faces, and above all, ensure the deepest respect for democracy as a universal value.”

The ecumenical movement in Brazil, which includes ACT Alliance members working in the country, has historically played a significant role in addressing the defence of human rights and the democratic process.

“Our ecumenical identity drives us to work for respect for democracy, respect for religious diversity, and respect for the rule of law and human rights,” said Nduna. “Therefore we call for commitment to a resolution of the process through dialogue and peaceful means.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

1. ACT Alliance is a coalition of 140 churches and faith-based organisations working together in over 100 countries to create positive and sustainable change in the lives of poor and marginalised people regardless of their religion, politics, gender, sexual orientation, race or nationality in keeping with the highest international codes and standards.
2. ACT Alliance is supported by 25,000 staff from member organisations and mobilises about $1.5 billion for its work each year in the areas of humanitarian aid, development and advocacy.
3. For more information contact Carlos Rauda at carlos.rauda@actalliance.org , tel: +503 785 692 30 or visit www.actalliance.org

Tika Maya Pulami holds a water pot as she fetches water from a cistern in Salang, a village in the Dhading District of Nepal where Dan Church Aid, a member of the ACT Alliance, has provided a variety of support to local villagers in the wake of a devastating 2015 earthquake. The village’s water system was destroyed by the quake, forcing women to walk two hours or more to a nearby river to fetch water. Working with a local organisation, the Forum for Awareness and Youth Activity, the ACT Alliance rebuilt the village’s water system. Photo: Paul Jeffrey

As I read the Agenda for Humanity and await with eager anticipation the outcomes of the World Humanitarian Summit (WHS), I am first and foremost excited. Everything in me that got me working in this sector is celebrating the phrases in the UN Secretary General’s report such as “Put people at the centre”, “invest in local capacities”, “Leave no one behind”, “Stay engaged”, “Commit to as local as possible”…the list goes on.

Then, my practical side kicks in. What will make these words a reality in our sector? How can we practically do this? How can we equip our staff with tools and resources to make the changes necessary at the frontline? What is our contribution, as ACT Alliance, to changing the system both within our own network as well as advocating for that change in the broader humanitarian system?

And then, my cynical side creeps in. Will these beautiful words on paper actually lead to change? Is the system we have created too big and complex to actually be able to put these words into action? Will the WHS mark a turning point in the history of humanitarian response, or will it be back to business as usual the day after it ends?

For us as ACT Alliance it is clear the change has to happen. The question is, what are we going to do to help bring that change about?

As my mind starts to swirl with the enormity of it all, I am encouraged by the steps of progress we are already taking, particularly in the area of quality and accountability which is my working area of responsibility. ACT Alliance is a founding member of the CHS Alliance and is working towards application of the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) in our humanitarian work. For ACT this very concretely means taking a detailed look at all of our systems and the programmatic responses that we fund and seeing how we can continually improve the quality, accountability and people management of those responses. It is about putting communities and people affected by crisis at the very centre of our response. It is about being clear about what can be expected from us, and being prepared to be held accountable to that from those that matter most – the communities affected themselves.

It’s also about ensuring a level of quality in all that we do. As active members of the Sphere network, we are able to support our frontline responders with the tools and resources they need to ensure that their response goes beyond supporting mere survival and helps to ensure quality humanitarian assistance for life with dignity.

It’s great to hear stories of ACT Alliance members providing training on the Core Humanitarian Standard and Sphere to frontline responders in Asia, but I ask myself, how can we enable more of that across the alliance in all regions of the world? Or in Ecuador, following the recent earthquake, we ask the question of our local responders – is cash being considered? And then also provide guidance to help not only make that decision but to implement in a quality way by linking to the resources of the Cash Learning Partnership, one of the latest Sphere companion standards. I ask myself, how do we change our processes in ACT to make sure that we always ask ourselves if cash would work in this context? And how do we put better learning systems in place to ensure that all our members have access to the best possible resources, as well as a network of practitioners around them to help apply them most appropriately in their context?

Ultimately, for me, the challenge is as much personal as it is organisational or even system wide. In other words, if changing the whole system seems close to impossible, at the very least I can start with me. What am I doing in my sphere of influence to put people in the centre, to turn the WHS commitments into action? Together I have hope that our different efforts can build a new picture for the future of our humanitarian work.

Yes, the system needs to be changed. What I’m hoping to come out of the World Humanitarian Summit is that every humanitarian actor, in whichever part of the system they find themselves, commits to contributing to that change. And not just by looking at other parts of the system and saying ‘that needs to change’, but by reflecting on how to be part of that change. And that starts with me.

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Sarah Kambarami is Head of Programmes at ACT Alliance in Geneva and has worked in the humanitarian and international development sector for more than 15 years.  Prior to working with ACT Alliance, Sarah worked for World Vision International, gaining significant experience in Angola before supporting work in the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Asia as Regional Manager at World Vision UK.  In recent years, Sarah has developed an increasing focus on quality, accountability and learning and has previously worked as an Associate Lecturer for the Open University in the Institutional Development module of the Development Management Programme.

Looming famine
In the highlands of Bale region in Ethiopia, the grain harvest is in full swing. Roads are busy with modern agricultural machinery the grain is harvested large scale. Only 100 kilometers away, in the dry plains a major famine is looming. During the previous rainy season there was so little rain that the crops of many farmers failed.

Failed crop
Mohammed Ismail’s crops also failed. Together with his wife Zahara Hussein and their two children they live in his field. “Last year in the rainy season, I sowed the first teff (a cereal). However, there wasn’t enough rain. There was only rain in September; normally there is also rain in August and October. My crop failed completely. Teff is a cereal that has a good yield; it is used to make enjerra (a kind of pancake). I had hoped to earn good money by selling a portion of the harvest. Now I have no income and no harvest to feed my family. I can only harvest some corn and sorghum, which I also had on my land. ”

Selling wood and working as a carrier
In order to bridge the period until the next rainy season and harvest, Mohamed must find other solutions. “I must somehow get money to buy food and other necessities for my family. I have a few goats, a cow, an ox and a donkey. If I buy a goat, I can earn 500 birr (20 euro). I also gather wood in the forest and make charcoal from it. Twice a week I go to the market in order to sell my wood and charcoal. I also work there as a cargo carrier for some extra income. In future, my field must produce better crops. I use the excrement of my animals to fertilize the land. I have also planted a papaya and a mango tree. They are drought-resistant and will hopefully yield fruit in a few years.”

A three-hour walk to fetch water
Due to the food shortage in the region, the food is very restricted. This also goes for the Mohamed family. “We mainly eat bread. We buy it in the market, or we bake it ourselves. We also make porridge from maize flour. For the children I buy camel milk. My wife is pregnant with our third child. If possible, I try to buy her an extra-rich diet, which she can prepare with water. In the dry season we unfortunately have to walk very far to fetch water, it takes me more than 3 hours to fetch it. ”

Hoping to get food aid from the government
Muhammad and his family have not yet had government aid. “In the past we did get aid. Recently, a government official came by to ask for information about our situation. So we hope we will be getting part of the monthly food distribution from the government. Then we will at least get flour and oil. ”

Emergency Relief from Kerk in Actie
The emergency relief that ACT members Kerk in Actie and EECMY provides, is distributed in coordination with the local government. Such emergency relief can help people like Mohamed and his family to survive until the next harvest.

Planting fruit trees
Mohamed hopes in future no longer to be dependent on this aid. “By planting fruit trees that are  drought-resistant and by fertilizing my land, I hope to create a better situation and to be able to withstand drought better.”

Text: Mariken Stolk

People fled the fighting in South Sudan. Members of the ACT Ethiopia Forum have supported the people arriving in Ethiopia. Photo: Christof Krackhardt

Under Core Responsibility Two – “Uphold the norms that safeguard humanity”, the report of the Secretary General of the United Nations for the World Humanitarian Summit listed in its Agenda for Humanity a range of different elements, which support the emphasis, that even wars have limits. We as ACT Alliance share the main message, that minimizing human suffering and protecting civilians requires strengthening compliance with international law.

As a network of humanitarian and development organizations, grounded in Christian Faith, we believe that the life of every person has intrinsic value and that it must be upheld and lived in dignity. Therefore, the ACT Alliance commits to speak out on violations. In an expression of global solidarity with poor and marginalized people, we will amplify the voices that promote human rights and international humanitarian law and speak out against social and structural injustice. This follows a rights-based approach, thus supporting and amplifying the voice of people and communities in pursuing their rights and their efforts to hold their local and national authorities accountable.

We want to be very clear with states, that it is their primary responsibility to respect and to ensure human rights. They and all relevant non-state actors alike must act in accordance to the fundamental norms of International Humanitarian and Human Rights Law.

However, in reality, the people we serve in many crisis environments, as much as our colleagues from our member organizations, are victims of violations and observe the daily realities. They are deprived of accessing fundamental services. They are deprived of the realization of their fundamental rights. Those who work in crisis environments to substitute or complement essential services and to build and advocate for the basic dignity of the population affected by crisis are prevented to do so, often they are even directly targeted.

Putting the human life at the center of our efforts – following the humanitarian imperative – we are convinced that promoting a rights based approach and the fundamental norms of international humanitarian law, through advocacy and practical implementation, is an essential part of the responsibilities that we have towards the populations we serve. As an alliance of different local and international humanitarian and development organizations, we are conscious about the challenges of advocacy in conflict and crisis environments. As an alliance, we share the commitment to the principled nature of humanitarian action. We acknowledge that due to our different missions and engagements, as much as in reflection of the different contexts, we have to choose different tools and ways of making our advocacy efforts work.

With more than 140 members, and organizations working in more than 100 countries, our network already has an incredible strength in regards to field evidence. Ahead of the World Humanitarian Summit in May 2016, and in reference to our Global Strategic Framework, the ACT Alliance is committed to finalize its Global Advocacy Strategy. This strategy shall enable all of our members, alone and in partnership, to advocate effectively together at national, regional and global levels on issues of human dignity, community resilience and environmental sustainability leading to positive and sustainable change in the lives of people affected by poverty and injustice. Through the set-up and implementation of different tools, we hope to enhance the alliance’s advocacy capacity and coordination at all levels, in order to really live up to this commitment.

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Christian Huber is the Advisor on Humanitarian Policy and IHL at the Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe in Germany, member of ACT Alliance. After nearly a decade of working in the implementation of Humanitarian Assistance and Protection programs in the field, he is now focusing on humanitarian advocacy at a German and European level. He is a member of the Humanitarian Policy and Practice Group of the ACT Alliance. He lives in Berlin. 

Husband in the city for work
Duwi Hawas, 30 years old, lives in Buta Wager, a small village, with her six-year-old daughter Genno Dinka. Her parents are living with her. Her husband has gone to the city to work. As is the case in nearly all the Ethiopian lowlands, hardly any rain fell in the whole area surrounding Buta Wagare during the last rainy season. In the parched fields, there are signs of erosion. When there is a lot of rain, the region struggles with heavy floods.

Food aid from the government

Duwi has a small plot of land. “I cultivate sorghum and maize there. The harvest failed this year. I earn a little money brewing beer from maize and can buy some food with it. I sell maize beer in my village, but I don’t earn much from that. I would like to learn how I can earn more from this. Fortunately, I am also getting some food aid from the government; I get grain and oil every month. Otherwise we could not live.”

Fear of floods after aridity
“The only thing I can do is to wait for rain. I am hoping for a good rain, but not too much. If there are floods, everything is washed away and we still don’t have a harvest. The floods also cause a lot of damage.”

Preventing disasters

The ACT member EECMY (Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus), a partner organisation of Kerk in Actie, is setting up a program to prevent disaster in Buta Wagare. It is focused primarily on women such as Duwi, who have to feed a family alone. District Officer Aman Ababu of the EECMY says, “Our disaster prevention program is focused on preventing flood damage, improving the soil, and storing rainwater.”

Particular attention for women

“Besides that, we want to improve living standards by offering activities allowing women in particular to earn money. They can breed goats, for instance, or set up a small business. We also want to help  them sell their products. Duwi is brewing beer. Through training and support from us, she can move forward in selling her beer in the big city and getting a better price. We are planning to start a cooperative of farmers, supply good seed for planting, give training courses, and store the harvest cooperatively. We want to involve women farmers in this as well.”

Text: Mariken Stolk

Fawzi Abu Jame’a, with his 7-year old daughter Raghad, sit in the ruins of what was once his parents’ home Khan Yunis, Gaza. Houses in the area were destroyed by Israeli air strikes during the 2014 war between the state of Israel and the Hamas government of Gaza.

The UN’s most senior official, Ban Ki-moon, launched an inspiring call to action to world and community leaders and individual citizens everywhere.  We must invest in preventing and ending conflicts, disasters and suffering, and to comply with international law.

In his “Agenda for Humanity” prepared for the first ever World Humanitarian Summit (WHS) in Istanbul on 23-24 May, the UN’s Secretary General (UN SG) marks the “outrage and frustration…at the lack of global unity and solidarity”.

ACT Alliance welcomes his proposals and in particular, backs his demands for shifting the centre of gravity of the humanitarian system towards local responders; for increasing investment in preparing for disasters, preventing conflict and building resilience; and for a global campaign to “uncompromisingly pursue the protection of civilians”.

When speaking at the UN to launch the report, Ban Ki-moon urged for a reaffirmation of humanity as the driver of our choices:

“Our shared humanity must shape our politics, steer our behaviour and manage our financial decisions” and exposed the “utter lack of respect for the fundamental rules of international humanitarian law”.

The aim of the law of armed conflict, also known as international humanitarian law, is to protect the victims of armed conflict and to regulate the extent to which hostilities can inflict death, injury or destruction on anyone. However, ACT Alliance has observed that the gap between what is legally acceptable and practice is widening. As humanitarians, ACT Alliance’s main concern is that aid gets to those who need it most, safely, and that civilians are better protected.

It is time to take stock, and to act.

Refusals to respect law – indiscriminate attacks on civilians, medical facilities, and schools and arbitrarily denying impartial aid to those most in need – illustrate the urgency of the UN SG’s appeal that the protection of civilians must be placed above the narrow interests of armed groups and forces. The effects of El Nino’s changing and recurrent weather patterns are yet again felt in the Horn of Africa and Asia amongst other places, and we have surpassed the fifth anniversary of calls from Syrian citizens for greater protection. Acting when cities are under siege and people are starving is too little, too late. For this reason, we would urge for an International Law Commission study on the arbitrary withholding of consent to humanitarian relief operations building on work commissioned by UN OCHA, and welcome the attention that the UN SG gives to establishing a “watchdog” to identify early signs of violations in international law. In relation to this we also welcome the attention to gender empowerment and equality, to opening the space for women to lead decision-making, and to eradicating sexual and gender based violence.

These violations of the law undermine the most basic framework for humanitarian assistance and protection, and so the efforts of our local partners.

Yet, civilians, hospitals, schools, medical and relief workers – all supposed to be immune from direct attack, have been recently targeted or have become “incidental loss and damage” in all armed conflicts, even though on the face of the massive civilian losses, the attacks blatantly had not sufficiently distinguished between civilian and military actors, fly in the face of the rule of proportionality, and had not taken sufficient precautions. There seems to be no, or scant, heed to provide effective warning to civilians prior to attacks, but what effect does warning have when those in hospital beds can’t move or cluster bombs are used? It is high time for State parties to the Geneva Convention to accept the ICRC’s assessment that the rule of proportionality is customary international humanitarian law in all armed conflicts. It is also high time for the remaining 93 States to become party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions (1980).

While ACT Alliance welcomes the Inter-Agency Standing Committee’s process for a protection policy, making this a reality requires States and their military planners and commanders to enter into deeper dialogue with frontline humanitarian agencies on how to reduce and prevent the humanitarian consequences of their military decisions, and lead to the “common understandings” proposed by William J. Fenwick, a leading IHL lawyer, so that constant care is taken “to spare the civilian population, civilians, and civilian objects”.

As the UN SG says, the protection of civilians’ interests must be placed above national sovereignty and security. ACT Alliance sees his proposed global campaign to affirm the norms that safeguard humanity as another opportunity to address this. That campaign will however need to be flanked by listening to and supporting local capacities so the humanitarian community can act early enough to major risks. In that vein, ACT Alliance’s commitment, ‘In an expression of global solidarity with poor and marginalized people, we will amplify the voices that promote human rights and international humanitarian law and speak out against social and structural injustice”, responds to the UN SG’s appeal to ‘speak out on violations”, and is one of 11 commitments we have made in response to all five of his Core Responsibilities.

The UN SG’s strong agenda is very welcome, but to make this a reality now the onus is on State leaders to come to the Summit “prepared to assume their responsibilities” and implement commitments that systematically pursue and uphold the norms that safeguard humanity.

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Jane Backhurst work as Senior Adviser, Humanitarian Policy and Advocacy for Christian Aid. She previously worked in the Red Cross, UN, EU development and humanitarian aid, and NGOs, in many countries affected by conflict and severe poverty, in operational, senior management, advocacy, and community protection roles.

Water reserves depleting rapidly

The majority of the population in the Raytu District, the drylands of the Bale Region, make a living from animal husbandry. Availability of water is very important. The water reserves are depleting rapidly because very little rain fell during the last rainy season. The basins in which rainwater is collected are emptying very quickly. These basins, dug by the local people, the government, and aid organizations of the EECMY (Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus), are the only sources of water in the area. If they are empty, people have to move elsewhere with their cattle.

A water basin provides water for a long time
This is not yet the case in Finco. Last year, the EECMY, together with the local population, dug a large water basin at least three metres deep here. This basin is used by 120 households. There is enough water for household use and for the small livestock. Cows have a different watering hole. Where other, smaller and more shallow basins are already empty or will be so in a month, this basin still has enough water supply to last until the next rainy season.

Staying in one place because of the water basin
Ashha Umer, 30 years old, came with her donkey to collect water this morning. “Every day I collect 50 to 60 litres water at the basin. This is enough for me, my five children, and the goats. My donkey gets its daily ration of water here. My husband brings the cows to another watering hole. This water basin has improved our situation greatly. Previously, we could not stay in one place, because there was never enough water to allow staying long in one place. Since we have the basin, we can stay here.”

Registration with the government now possible
“It is easier to practice agriculture now; during the rainy season, we plant a field with some grain, wheat, and sorghum. Unfortunately, the harvest was very bad this year. We will have to sell cattle in order to buy food. An advantage of being able to stay in one place is that we can be registered with the government. If you’re registered, you are eligible for food aid. When you keep moving around, it is hard to get yourself registered.”

Hoping for food aid
Her 18-year-old daughter Kemeria Hussein has also come along to get water. Like her mother, she has a small field where she cultivates teff, sorghum, and maize. She has had no harvest because of the lack of rain. “The last rainy season was so bad that we could do no planting. I am hoping for food aid from the government to be able to feed my child in particular. Fortunately, we have water all year round and can stay in one place. I, too, hope that I can be registered with the government.”

Text: Mariken Stolk

Amene Ahmed’s story

Ethiopia, Sawena district, Adele

Amene Ahmed (22 years old) lives with his wife and two daughters in Adele in the lowlands of Bale region in Ethiopia. He works as a farmer and has one hectare of land, which is adjacent to that of his father who has 2 hectares of land.

Bad harvest
Amene has a few cows and oxen, which he uses to thresh his wheat. The harvest is just home and Amene is busy threshing. The harvest this year is a lot worse than usual. Amene: “In a good year, with sufficient rainfall, I would have harvested 2,500 kg of wheat per hectare. This year’s yield is far too small, I have now harvested 150 kg per hectare, not even ten percent of what I normally get. And last year’s yield was also disappointing, it was 700 kg per hectare. We have two rainy seasons per year, and especially the rainy season from July to November last year, was particularly bad. That is our main rainy season. Instead of eighty days of rain, we only had about twelve days of rain in September.”

Serious problems for the family
When he has a good harvest, Amene sells part of it in the market. It enables him to buy clothing, medicine and food. Because the harvest is now so disappointing, he will have to use all the wheat itself. “Because I cannot sell anything, I have no more money. When my children are sick, I cannot buy medicine or go to hospital. Also, I cannot buy other foods if our wheat stock is exhausted. The stock of wheat that I have now,  lasts my family and me for less than half a year. And we can only eat wheat, there is no money for meat or vegetables. Vegetables are hardly available here. So I foresee major problems for my family. I will have to sell some of my cattle to make ends meet. In the past, I also had to sell cattle. Fortunately, my father can help out in case of emergency, he has more land and more cows. So he has some reserves.”

A three hours’ walk for water
In addition to the failed harvest, Amene has another problem. “Because of the drought, there is hardly any drinking water in the area, all drinking water sites are already exhausted. Every night I therefore walk with my cows and oxen to the nearest watering hole, which takes 3 hours. I let my cows drink there and spend the night there. Then I come back with a new supply of drinking water the next morning. This takes a lot of time every day.

Help needed badly
I do not get aid from the government or from other organisations. I hope we will make it to the next harvest in August. I would like to get training on how to work the land more effectively so that I can harvest more grain. Aid in the form of agricultural machinery, such as a threshing machine, could also make my work much more effective. ”

Text: Mariken Stolk

Sabeen Abdulsater (center, in black coat), project officer for the Bekaa Valley for International Orthodox Christian Charities, talks with women refugees from Syria in the village of Jeb Jennine, Lebanon. Photo: Paul Jeffrey

It is good to see that ‘Political Leadership to prevent and end conflict’ features as Core Commitment 1 for the World Humanitarian Summit next month in Istanbul, 23-24 May. This pays tribute to the fact that first and foremost, before speaking about effective and efficient humanitarian aid, world leaders in Istanbul must acknowledge their responsibility to take action on preventing and ending conflict and addressing its root causes. Preventing and ending conflicts requires top-level discussions and efforts, complemented at the same time by bottom-up approaches and efforts to strengthen social cohesion and address grievances. It requires courageous leadership that acts early, invests in stability and ensures broad participation by affected people and civil society. This type of courageous leadership and broad bottom-up participation is needed if we want to reach a more coherent and determined approach to conflict prevention and resolution.

In light of this, we as ACT Alliance have made our own commitment to support the WHS Core Commitment 1, namely:

‘We will use our influence with our constituencies, civil society and government leaders to promote stability and long-term community reconciliation, strengthen social cohesion and address grievances.’

As an international network of church and faith-based organisations, over 75% of ACT Alliance’s members are rooted in their societies in the global south, where they are trusted by the communities they serve. It means these organisations are always there – before an emergency, during, and after. And it is to these groups that people turn in emergencies for refuge, for help, and for moral support.

Given our members’ reputations often as recognised and respected stakeholders in their countries with well-established links with local and national governments, we are well placed to achieve our Commitment, because we can very practically play a meaningful role in dialogue, policy and peace-building discussions.

Faith is one of the strongest forces and motivators for bringing about change in society and in people’s lives. This force needs to be geared towards stability, peace and development both in times of disasters and conflicts, but also during peacetime to reduce conflict risks and enhance social cohesion. Whether it is the churches changing burial rituals in West-Africa to prevent the spread of Ebola, or engaging in mediation between rivalling parties, or even churches and Islamic leaders linking to pre-empt possible tensions between Islam and Christianity, we as ACT Alliance have great potential to engage in this field. In parts of the world we are already engaging in this field, but there is potential to do much more. Therefore, as part of our commitment we will make successful conflict prevention efforts visible by capturing, consolidating and sharing good practices and lessons learnt within and outside the ACT Alliance.

We have also signed up to the Core Humanitarian Standards and the Charter for Change, which aim to (a) enhance accountability towards people who are entitled to receive humanitarian aid, and (b) to foster localisation of humanitarian aid, for example by increasing the amount of direct funding to southern-based NGOs. These give us a powerful tool to promote the engagement of local actors and people in cities and villages, to take care of their own emergency aid, linking it to recovery and peace as they conceptualize it themselves. That’s at the core of our work. Our members are rooted in this group of local actors and as an alliance we believe empowering them in their roles as faith-based agencies can facilitate the building of bridges between conflicting parties or the bringing together of several parties to collaborate for building back better.

Furthermore, since ACT Alliance members are multi-mandate organisations, this enhances the possibilities they can play also in reducing fragility by investing in the development of inclusive and peaceful societies. In working together with platforms at local, national and regional level we are supporting early action and conflict resolution capacities of these actors. We thereby actively promote resilience both towards natural disasters and conflicts. By doing so we link the need to help alleviate suffering and save lives with the longer term desire of ACT members and their constituencies to cope better with unforeseen and negative conditions in the future, be they wars, drought, earthquakes, floods, economic crises and so forth.

Speaking out for a just world is at the core of the mission of ACT alliance. If basic rights are at stake, churches and faith-based organisations have a role that we can play, and we accept that role. Therefore, at the WHS and beyond, we will honour our Commitment using our unique position to help develop solutions with and for people that address grievances, strengthen social cohesion and promote stability and long-term community reconciliation.

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Jeroen Jurriens is a Disaster Manager at Inter-Church Organisation for Development Cooperation (ICCO Cooperation) in the Netherlands, member of ACT Alliance. He specializes in the fields of resilience, Disaster Risk Reduction and humanitarian action. He is chair of the ACT Alliance Community of Practice on Disaster Risk Reduction/Climate Change Adaptation and member of the Working Group on Disaster Risk Reduction within the Voluntary Organisations in Cooperation in Emergencies (VOICE). He lives in the Netherlands, is married and father of two children.