An innovative new alliance, the Multi-Faith/Multi-Sector Alliance for Climate Action (MFSA) will be formally launched at COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh this Wednesday, November

16 at 14:00 Cairo time. For those at COP27, the event is at the IFRC Pavilion- Blue zone (beside UNFCCC and Egypt Pavilion). Those at a distance can join online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHKbYD_TtmM 

The Alliance will be a neutral bridge between existing multi-faith actors and their coalitions, and key secular actors (including governments, multilateral organizations, the private sector, civil society organizations, and media). The goal is to explore and advance collaboration on specific areas for climate action. It is not intended to replace existing networks and coalitions, but rather to elevate and add value to existing initiatives. 

MFSA will bring together key groups with specific projects which need support and engagement.  Its strength will come from the diversity of events, projects and leadership it brings together. The expectation is that different groups will offer different foci for discussion, meetings, partnerships and practical projects. 

MFSA will amplify ongoing secular initiatives by engaging faith networks in the following ways:  

• Systematically engaging faith-related media on climate issues 
• Framing and publicising the values parameters of investment funds to leverage public capital with the assets of religious institutions
• Supporting the Global Energy Access Initiative by engaging faith networks through a faith sensitive communications campaign
• Supporting the mobilisation of women and youth leaders in achieving carbon emissions goals through by engaging women faith leaders and their networks.

MFSA is currently engaged in the following projects:  

• A Faith-based Just Climate Transition Fund led by FaithInvest in collaboration with the Climate Investment Funds of the World Bank,  
• A Clean Energy Access communications and advocacy campaign led by Global Alliance for Clean Energy Access, Greenfaith and Faith for Earth,  
• Project Dandelion, a Women and Youth led global campaign to meet the carbon emissions target, led by Mary Robinson, with Religions for Peace Women of Faith Network 
• A fourth project, a unique cross-cutting programme actively researching the huge reach of faith-based media is also underway. 
  

Speakers at the launch will include: 

Mr. Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, ACT Alliance  

Ms. Pacifica F. Achieng Ogola, Government of Kenya  

Ms. Jean Duff, Partnership for Faith and Development (video) 

Ms. Amanda Burrell, Al Jazeera  (video)

Prof. Dr. Azza Karam, Religions for Peace  

Rev. James Bhagwan, Pacific Conference of Churches (video) 

The following speakers will address the Alliance’s current initiatives:  

Faith-based Just Climate Transition Fund  

Ms. Mafalda Duarte, Climate Investment Funds, World Bank 

Mr. Martin Palmer, FaithInvest  

Joint Clean Energy Access Communications and Advocacy Campaign 

Ms. Sandae,  Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, the Rockefeller Foundation 

Rev. Fletcher Harper, GreenFaith 

Women and Youth led Global Campaign to Meet the Carbon Emissions Target  

Ms. Mary Robinson, Climate Justice Institute 

Mr. Iyad Abumoghli of the UN Environment Programme will give the closing remarks.   

“Ethiopia is a patriarchal society,” says Dawit Beza, coordinator of the ACT Ethiopia Forum (AEF) and staff with Norwegian Church Aid. “We have very bad gender-based violence.”   

The combination of a patriarchal society and the impact of the climate crisis in Ethiopia has meant that the burden of the climate crisis falls disproportionately on rural women and girls. “They are highly affected,” says Bikila Abeya of AEF member EECMY-DAASSC.  

“Collecting water and firewood is 100 percent the responsibility of women and girls,” says Dawit. “Because of deforestation, because the water table is dwindling, the burden on women is much higher.”  Where it once took 20 minutes for a woman or girl to fetch water, it might now take an hour. 

Agriculture  

In Ethiopia, the main source of livelihood is agriculture. Because of climate change, rain patterns have changed, the temperature is rising, and the moisture of the soil has decreased, leading to lower agricultural productivity. 

“Women are the ones who are responsible to feed their family,” says Bikila. “They are also the ones with very low opportunity for non-agricultural incomes.” While women may occasionally participate in small-scale businesses such as selling crafts, whenever agricultural productivity decreases, their livelihood options also decrease.  

Education  

Lower agricultural production combined with patriarchy affects girls’ educational opportunities. “Women are the less educated ones in Ethiopia,” says Bikila. “Education is mainly meant for men.” When lower agricultural productivity leads to lower household incomes, the family withdraws female children from school, prioritising the education of boys.  

Without an education, women rarely participate in formal employment.  “Women are the ones who shoulder the burden of the climate change impact,” says Bikila. “That’s why we say climate change disproportionately affects women.” 

Integrating Gender Justice and Climate Justice in Ethiopia 

“Climate change and gender justice are really inseparable,” says Bikila. The ACT Ethiopia Forum recently completed a major study exploring how to integrate gender justice into its climate justice work and that of various levels of the Ethiopian government. The report, Ethiopia: Nuances of the UNFCCC Gender Action Plan and its policy recommendations have been presented to Ethiopian government officials. 

The ACT Ethiopia Forum has been engaged in building the capacity of its members on the basic principles of gender justice. “We have a male-dominant society, and people don’t understand these issues. It’s about translating, helping people to understand,” says Dawit.  “We want to translate gender justice into the activities of the members.” 

“In all the interventions we are planning, gender justice is very, very important,” he adds. “We’re just at the beginning. I am very optimistic our work will bring some visible change.”

This article is taken from a longer ACT interview with Bikila Abeya and Dawit Beza in December 2021, following COP26. A short version of the interview is here: https://actalliance.org/act-news/its-good-to-swim-together-act-ethiopia-delegates-reflect-on-cop26/

ACT member Amity Foundation, like many ACT members, collaborates with a dense network of volunteers all over China in responding to major natural disasters. For example, the staff of the Tongxinyuan Social Service Center in Hebi City joined Amity’s relief response to the Henan flooding in July and August 2021. What does its founder say about the collaboration?

At the end of July 2021, heavy rain caused serious floods across China’s Henan Province, a landlocked area in the central part of the country, around 800 km south of Beijing. The floods affected over 13 million people in 150 counties. 302 people died in the floods and 50 were declared missing. In addition to human casualties, million hectares of crops and infrastructure were destroyed, leaving millions of people in need for life-saving emergency supplies.

For this response, Amity worked closely with local communities and organisations, relying on numerous volunteers supporting transportation and distribution of the emergency supplies. Alone in the two transit depots in Xinxiang and Hebi, through which Amity was channeling relief supplies to the affected regions, more than 300 volunteers contributed their time and energy to support the logistics and help the people in need. Amity together with the volunteers provided support to over 50,000 families living in eight cities, 106 towns and 284 villages in the province.

Liu Hongpeng, the founder of Tongxinyuan social service center located in Hebi City, and his colleagues joined the Amity Foundation’s flood relief response to the Henan flooding from 23rd July until August 3. Liu reflects on the collaboration among local organizations, their volunteers, and Amity.

Liu Hongpeng (second from left) brought a number of generators, emergency lighting equipment, instant noodles and other supplies to Huangzhuang Village in Xun County.

Liu Hongpeng worked closely with Amity staff at the supply transit depot once it started to operate. Through the transfer station, the Amity Foundation cooperated with local social organisations, organising disaster relief logistics quickly and efficiently. Liu believed that this model of cooperation was sustainable and effective. “We are familiar with the local circumstances, and we can take the responsibility for assessing the needs and keeping close contact to all the stakeholders, while Amity is responsible for fundraising and procurement of supplies”, he says. “Then we work together during the distribution and transportation process. Together we work perfectly in this way!“

Boy volunteer carries water bottles from a truck

Inspiring collaboration

Liu appreciated the spirit of Amity staff and volunteers at the transit depots. “They are particularly hard-working, and not delicate at all! The weather was extremely hot these days. Regardless, the Amity rescue team still participated in the loading of supplies, as well as the procurement of supplies, registration, transport, etc. They always worked so diligently, during the hot weather and covered with sweat like raindrops.” According to Liu Hongpeng, the Amity staff were not afraid of hardship and fatigue, inspiring the volunteers from other organizations. “Volunteers did not know each other, but in the transit depots, we all worked together just like strings twisted into a strong rope.”

Volunteers team up to manage the relief at the Amity transit deports

Praising the fast distribution

‘Pragmatism’ is another word that Liu Hongpeng uses in describing Amity. “I’ve come across many public welfare organisations, but it’s rare to find one as effective and pragmatic as Amity! Sometimes Amity set up distribution points at a village or resettlement site, or the rescue team distributed the supplies directly. In this way, villagers could receive the supplies as soon as possible. I think this way is quite good because the disaster struck suddenly, and we were not prepared beforehand. With complex traffic conditions, we had to deliver large amounts of supplies within the limited distribution time.”

Liu Hongpeng believes that the adjustment of working approaches not only ensured the efficiency of the distribution of supplies, but also enhanced the collective decision-making and self-management capabilities of villages and communities. “These methods actually reveal that Amity members indeed care about the feelings of the people in need.“

Liu’s experiences

Liu Hongpeng has been committed to public welfare for more than 10 years. He has won awards and honors due to his commitment to public welfare. However, dealing with the sudden flood at the doorstep, Liu still found himself a little unprepared. “Fortunately, we could cooperate with the Amity Foundation, which has inspired us in terms of our own working philosophy, methods and details. Thank you, Amity! Later, I also checked the website of Amity Foundation, learning that Amity has been working in many fields of public welfare for years. I hope there will be more opportunities in the future to work together with Amity”, said Liu Hongpeng with great expectation.