Peace and Human Security

The world is affected by an array of profound and interconnected crises that not only accelerate complex power dynamics, but also increase war, violence, conflicts, human rights violations and economic inequalities. Struggles for the right to life and human dignity, self-determination, freedom of expression, assembly and association, freedom of religion and belief, along with freedom from both political subjugation and increased militarisation, are manifestations of people’s quest for peace with justice and security. By engaging with populations under stress to address the needs they identify, human security directly and positively affects the daily lives of people threatened in their survival, livelihood and dignity.

To promote peace and human security ACT Alliance will work closely with National Councils of Churches, interfaith networks and civil society organisations to support or develop programmes and join other initiatives to prevent violence by addressing the root causes of conflict and strengthening a community’s robustness to manage potential conflicts in the future. This involves addressing and preventing violence and ensuring that both women and men participate in decision-making processes, post- conflict reconstruction and transitional justice processes. Strengthening women’s economic and social security, as well as addressing gender-based violence, are essential measures to secure a durable peace, security and reconciliation.

Our goals

To increase ACT Secretariat’s knowledge about the work, needs and resources of ACT members/forums in the area of peacebuilding/human security.
To Strengthen the capacities of ACT members and forums for engagement on peace and human security, including the active participation of women and youth
To enhance collaboration with World Council of Churches (WCC) and other ecumenical and inter-faith partners on peace and human security
To strengthen ACT’s international engagement and influence on peace and human security processes.

Key achievements

01

P&HS Member Survey and Webinar: A member survey was conducted in 2021/2022 to better understand the activities of members involved in P&HS (likely Public & Health Services). The survey analysis, along with recommendations from a global webinar held in October 2021, highlighted key priorities, which included establishing regional Communities of Practice (CoP) for P&HS and hosting regular webinars for peer learning.

02

Establishment of the P&HS Africa CoP: Organized a two-day P&HS workshop for the Africa region on October 11-12. The workshop led to the formation of the Africa P&HS Community of Practice (CoP). Follow-up meetings with Co-Chairs resulted in around seven forums in Africa actively engaging in peace and human security work at national and community levels.

03

Ecumenical Peace Advocacy for Northern Mozambique, Colombia, Sudan, and South Sudan: In collaboration with the World Council of Churches (WCC), the All Africa Conference of Churches, and other partners, ACT Alliance has been involved in advocacy efforts to promote peace in these countries. These initiatives have primarily included ecumenical solidarity visits, dialogues, meetings with stakeholders, and issuing peace messages and statements.

Peace begins with prevention

ACT Alliance aims to create, develop, and strengthen a common understanding of joint actions on peace and human security, in accordance with the 2016 World Humanitarian Summit recommendations and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals agenda to strengthen linkages between humanitarian, development, peacebuilding.

Thematic areas

ACT Alliance connects people and groups “on the ground” (community and religious groups, grassroots organisations, etc.) with policymakers and powerbrokers (governments, the UN, corporations, banks, etc.) to not only resolve conflicts, but also to build societies, institutions, policies, and relationships that are better able to sustain peace and justice.
ACT Alliance supports strengthening instruments for preventing violent conflicts, and joins and enables the participation of its members and churches in peacebuilding, conflict transformation and reconciliation initiatives (e.g., National Councils of Churches). This includes the Plan of Action for Religious Leaders and Actors to Prevent Incitement of Violence that Could Lead to Atrocity Crimes, where churches can offer a platform to discuss a way out of violence on the basis of shared values, while playing an active role in influencing decision makers.
ACT Alliance promotes the involvement of women and youth in peace processes and peace negotiations to ensure that the needs and priorities of both women and men are included in peace processes and peace negotiations.
ACT Alliance builds capacity through peace education; addressing peace and rights-based programming, and issues of human security, (e.g., access to justice and overcoming impunity).

ACT Alliance engages ecumenically and in close cooperation with churches and other faiths in advocacy for peace at national, regional and global
levels (e.g., UN Security Council), as well as with local communities, local governments, NGOs, regional and global networks and academic institutions.