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Peace and Human Security

In 2025, the global peace and security landscape was marked by escalating conflict across regions where ACT Alliance is actively engaged, including Sudan, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Gaza, and Cameroon. Fragile peace agreements, political instability, geopolitical tensions, and competition over natural resources deepened humanitarian needs and reinforced the need for coordinated, locally led peacebuilding.

In response, ACT Alliance strengthened its role as a convener of ecumenical collaboration, bringing together churches, national councils of churches, regional ecumenical bodies, and global partners to coordinate peacebuilding, humanitarian advocacy, and mediation. Working with the World Council of Churches (WCC), the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC), and the Fellowship of Christian Councils and Churches in the Great Lakes and Horn of Africa (FECCLAHA), the programme expanded collaborative peace platforms and strengthened faith-based engagement in some of the world’s most fragile contexts.

The programme also strengthened the Africa Community of Practice on Peace and Human Security and operationalised the Peace and Human Security Reference Group, creating stronger mechanisms for peer learning, strategic coordination, and integrated approaches linking humanitarian action, development, and peacebuilding. Through these platforms, ACT members advanced advocacy on locally led peace processes, the Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus, and the role of women and young people in building sustainable peace.

Building Bridges: Peace and Security in Action

Elizabeth Kiisigha Zimba, ACT's Peace and Human Security focal point, shares how members are fostering community trust, diffusing conflicts, and promoting sustainable peace while advancing the Peace and Human Security programme’s priorities for 2025.

01
Strengthening Ecumenical Leadership and Influence
01

Strengthening Ecumenical Leadership and Influence

  • Positioned ACT Alliance as a key convener and trusted partner within the ecumenical peacebuilding space, enabling more coordinated and strategic responses to escalating conflicts across Africa.
  • Strengthened the collective voice and visibility of faith actors in regional and continental peace processes, including engagement with the African Union and diplomatic stakeholders.
  • Catalysed alignment among global, regional, and national church actors, reinforcing the role of ecumenical collaboration in advancing sustainable peace.
02
Advancing Coordinated Responses in Complex Conflict Contexts
02

Advancing Coordinated Responses in Complex Conflict Contexts

  • Enabled more cohesive and collaborative approaches to conflict response in priority countries, supporting joint analysis, shared advocacy positions, and coordinated action among partners.
  • Strengthened accompaniment of national and local faith actors, ensuring that peacebuilding efforts remain contextually grounded and locally led.
  • Contributed to expanding ecumenical platforms for dialogue and engagement in fragile and conflict-affected settings.
03
Building Systems for Learning, Collaboration, and Sustainability
03

Building Systems for Learning, Collaboration, and Sustainability

  • Reactivated and strengthened regional platforms such as the Africa Community of Practice on Peace and Human Security, fostering peer learning, exchange, and joint action across forums.
  • Institutionalised strategic guidance and cross-programmatic alignment through the operationalisation of the Peace and Human Security Reference Group.
  • Advanced integrated approaches to peacebuilding through engagement with the Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus, supporting more holistic and connected programming.
04
Enhancing Capacity for Faith-Based Peace Advocacy
04

Enhancing Capacity for Faith-Based Peace Advocacy

  • Strengthened the ability of ACT members and forums to engage in peace advocacy through targeted capacity-building initiatives and knowledge-sharing platforms.
  • Expanded understanding and application of faith-based approaches to peacebuilding, equipping actors with practical tools to influence policy and practice.
  • Supported forums to deepen ownership, collaboration, and sustainability in their peace and human security work at national and regional levels.

Through engagement with the World Council of Churches, the All Africa Conference of Churches, and national and regional church networks, ACT strengthened dialogue, aligned peacebuilding efforts, and accompanied actors working on the frontlines of conflict, an approach central to ACT's contribution to peace and human security in an increasingly fragmented and volatile world.

Africa: South Sudan

 

In response to renewed tensions and political instability in South Sudan, ACT engaged through the Ecumenical Network on South Sudan (ENSS) to convene a consultative meeting with church leaders and key stakeholders, examining the drivers of conflict, including political rivalries and fragilities within the peace process, and the role of church-led shuttle diplomacy in mitigating tensions.
The consultations produced a shared commitment to organise a high-level ecumenical solidarity visit to South Sudan, demonstrating unified support for peace and reinforcing the role of faith actors in mediation and reconciliation. ACT continued to accompany the South Sudan Council of Churches (SSCC), strengthening ecumenical collaboration as a cornerstone of sustainable peacebuilding in the country.

Africa: Sudan

 

In response to the escalating conflict in Sudan, the programme prioritised coordinated ecumenical engagement. In partnership with the World Council of Churches (WCC), the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC), the Fellowship of Christian Councils and Churches in the Great Lakes and Horn of Africa (FECCLAHA), and the Sudan Council of Churches (SCC), ACT convened consultations towards forming an Ecumenical Network on Sudan, aligning actors around a unified response to the ongoing violence, mass displacement, and humanitarian crisis affecting civilians across the country and region.
Further consultations with church leadership, including the Archbishop of the Episcopal Church in Sudan and representatives of the Sudan Council of Churches, assessed the evolving security situation and explored pathways for coordinated peace initiatives, including the potential role of emerging bodies such as the New Sudan Council of Churches (NSCC) in the Nuba Mountains. These efforts reinforced ACT’s commitment to accompanying local faith actors and strengthening ecumenical responses in highly fragile contexts.

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

 

Amid continued conflict and instability in eastern DRC, ACT Alliance convened strategic discussions with ecumenical partners including WCC, AACC, and FECCLAHA to assess the situation and identify pathways for coordinated response, focused on the escalating violence, loss of life, and large-scale displacement affecting communities within DRC and across neighbouring countries.
A key outcome was AACC’s agreement to lead the convening of senior church leaders from DRC in a neutral setting to foster dialogue and strengthen the Church’s role in peacebuilding, reflecting ACT’s broader approach of leveraging ecumenical leadership and partnerships to create safe spaces for dialogue, reflection, and collective action in conflict-affected contexts.

In 2025, the global peace and security landscape was marked by escalating conflict across regions where ACT Alliance is actively engaged, including Sudan, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Gaza, and Cameroon. Fragile peace agreements, political instability, geopolitical tensions, and competition over natural resources deepened humanitarian needs and reinforced the need for coordinated, locally led peacebuilding.

In response, ACT Alliance strengthened its role as a convener of ecumenical collaboration, bringing together churches, national councils of churches, regional ecumenical bodies, and global partners to coordinate peacebuilding, humanitarian advocacy, and mediation. Working with the World Council of Churches (WCC), the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC), and the Fellowship of Christian Councils and Churches in the Great Lakes and Horn of Africa (FECCLAHA), the programme expanded collaborative peace platforms and strengthened faith-based engagement in some of the world’s most fragile contexts.

The programme also strengthened the Africa Community of Practice on Peace and Human Security and operationalised the Peace and Human Security Reference Group, creating stronger mechanisms for peer learning, strategic coordination, and integrated approaches linking humanitarian action, development, and peacebuilding. Through these platforms, ACT members advanced advocacy on locally led peace processes, the Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus, and the role of women and young people in building sustainable peace.

For 2026, The Peace and Human Security programme will prioritise:

  • Strengthen ecumenical peace advocacy and solidarity: Continue joint peace advocacy and ecumenical solidarity with the World Council of Churches (WCC), All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC), FECCLAHA, UN agencies, and other faith-based partners, with a focus on Sudan, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, and Colombia. The programme will continue supporting ACT members’ engagement in UN peace processes while advancing the Women, Peace and Security agenda, youth participation in peacebuilding, and efforts to counter the rise of fundamentalisms.
  • Expand peer learning and Communities of Practice: Strengthen the Africa Community of Practice on Peace and Human Security through webinars, peer learning, and collaborative activities leading up to the International Day of Peace (21 September). Priority themes will include youth in peacebuilding (UNSCR 2250), women in peace processes, and locally led peacebuilding.
  • Deepen regional engagement: Support the establishment of a Peace and Human Security coordination platform in Asia-Pacific, organise a regional consultation and member survey in MENA to identify Peace and Human Security priorities, and provide technical accompaniment to the LAC initiative on Fundamentalisms, Human Rights and Democracy.
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