ACT Alliance

Women on the Front Line: Healing the Earth, Seeking Justice

Women are on the front line of the climate emergency so therefore they need to be at the forefront of the climate response. This is a critical year both for climate justice and for progressing a just recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. We must seize the opportunity to address these intersecting crises through transformational action to protect both the planet and the people who live upon it. We need a renewed global social contract that delivers on the Paris Agreement, human rights, and the Sustainable Development Goals. Christian Aid’s new report calls for a feminist and decolonial approach to climate change that shifts power and resources to women and the Global South, and delivers co-benefits for gender, climate and environmental justice. Please join our event and hear inspiring speakers who are making this change happen, including:

  • Amanda Mukwashi, CEO, Christian Aid
  • Kavita Naidu, human rights and feminist climate justice advocate
  • Ikal Angelei, politician and environmentalist
  • Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, ACT Alliance General Secretary

We will also be showing a short film about women’s climate activism in Kenya, and recorded messages from climate activists in the Philippines and Papua New Guinea

Please note, tickets for the live event are limited, but you can also join online. Links will be shared with people registered for the online event before the meeting.

Register here: eventbrite.co.uk/e/women-on-the-front-line-healing-the-earth-seeking-justice-tickets-194519772877

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations, please visit rngos.wordpress.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-NY, please visit ngocsw.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-Vienna, please visit ngocswvienna.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women – Geneva, please visit ngocsw-geneva.ch. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, please visit facebook.com/NGOCoRIP. 

Religious Actors: Ally or Threat for Achieving Gender Equality? 

You are warmly invited to a pre-Event to Generation Equality Forum and the High Level Political Forum

Religious Actors: Ally or Threat for Achieving Gender Equality? 

 Register via Eventbrite

Program:

  • Opening remarks: Khushwant Singh, Head of Secretariat, PaRD
  • Launching new report: Dr. Nora Khalaf-Elledge, Post-Doc Fellow, Joint Learning Initiative

Looking Back to Look Forward: The Role of Religious Actors since the Beijing Declaration

  • Zainah Anwar, Executive Director, Musawah
  • Karin Ericsson, Programme Specialist Gender Equality, Sida
  • Umyra Ahmad, Advancing Universal Rights and Justice Coordinator, AWID
  • Dr. Nontando Hadebe, International Coordinator, Side by Side

Moderator: Shahin Ashraf MBE, Head of Global Advocacy, Islamic Relief Worldwide

Launching a new report co-published by ACT Alliance, Act Church of Sweden, Side by Side, Islamic Relief Worldwide, Joint Learning Initiative on Faith Communities, SVRI, Goldsmiths and PaRD. With live illustrator and Q&A. 

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-NY, please visit ngocsw.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-Vienna, please visit ngocswvienna.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-Geneva, please visit ngocsw-geneva.ch. For more information on the Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations, please visit rngos.wordpress.com.

Bridging the Gap: Fiscal Justice for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Africa

Christian Aid invites you to join our webinar on Wednesday 5th May, 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm BST.  We’ll have a panel of experts from UNFPA, FEMNET, ACT Alliance and World YWCA join us to discuss how fiscal justice can help overcome barriers to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).  In 2019, we brought together advocates of fiscal justice and of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in researching how progressive fiscal policies can help close the gaps in financing and delivery of SRHR.  We’ve published the findings in this briefing: Bridging the Gap.

Now, at a time when access to SRHR is needed more than ever, there are concerns that limited resources are being redirected to other priorities, exacerbating the gendered impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. Please join us to discuss what can be done.

Please circulate this to your networks and register for our event here to receive the zoom link:

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Education, Learning, and Literacy, please visit facebook.com/NGOCELLatUN. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-NY, please visit ngocsw.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-Vienna, please visit ngocswvienna.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-Geneva, please visit ngocsw-geneva.ch.

Not Religion, Not the State – Women and Girls Must Decide their Fate 

You are warmly invited to a Side Event at the UN Commission on Population and Development 54:

Not Religion, Not the State – Women and Girls Must Decide their Fate 

Co-Organized by: ACT Alliance, The African Women’s Development and Communication Network (FEMNET), Faith to Action Network and IPPFWHR

Virtual Event:Register via Eventbrite

A dialogue between faith and secular actors tackling taboos and promoting Comprehensive Sexuality Education to meet zero maternal deaths, zero unmet need for family planning and zero gender-based violence.

Faith-based actors, as trusted voices within communities, have a responsibility to promote each person’s inherent dignity and right, while also promoting rigorous analysis of the impact of religious and customary systems on issues, including population, food security, nutrition, and sustainable development.

In this Side Event, expert speakers will share strategies for overcoming existing taboos and resistance in addressing comprehensive sexuality education. Bringing together gender advocates from Africa and Latin America, who are striving to change social norms, tackle intersecting inequalities, and promote Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights.

Each speaker will focus on how the Commission can contribute to achieving zero maternal deaths, zero unmet need for family planning and zero gender-based violence by 2030.

Speakers:

  • Maria del Pilar Cancelo, Executive Director, SEDI Asociacion Civil
  • Dr. Paul Z. Mmbando, Medical Doctor, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania
  • Jill Anami, SRHR Program Officer, The African Women’s Development and Communication Network (FEMNET)
  • Jantiku Ijasini Jamare, Pastor and Co-Chair Youth Community of Practice, ACT Alliance
  • Susana Medina Salas, Senior Research and Evaluation Officer, IPPFWHR
  • Maria Tororey, SRHR Lead, Faith to Action Network

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-NY, please visit ngocsw.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-Geneva, please visit ngocsw-geneva.ch. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women Vienna, please visit ngocswvienna.org. For more information on the Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations, please visit rngos.wordpress.com. 

CSW 65: How to Challenge and Change a Social Norm?

Gender injustice is deep-rooted in social norms. Social norms are the values defined by a group and to which members of the group are expected to comply, otherwise risking disapproval, marginalization and/or exclusion. Religion and culture have a strong influence on the definition of social norms, including those relating to gender. At any given moment, many social norms are presented as fixed. Our event brings together gender advocates, who are challenging and changing social norms, to achieve gender justice. Tackling social norms related to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, Women in Leadership, Child Marriage, Political Voting, Masculinities, FGM and Social Protection.

To register for “CSW 65: How to Challenge and Change a Social Norm,” and to explore other upcoming events on gender equality, click here. 

Organized by: Side by Side, Islamic Relief Worldwide, ACT Alliance, Lutheran World Federation, Religions for Peace, All Africa Conference of Churches, World Council of Churches, Christian Aid

Religions for Peace’s Co-Moderator, Dr. Vinu Aram, will be a speaker at this event.

Please note that you must have a profile on the NGO CSW65 virtual platform to register for this event. You can register as an NGO CSW65 Virtual Forum Advocate for free here: NGO CSW65 Forum Advocate registration page link.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations, please visit rngos.wordpress.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-NY, please visit ngocsw.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-Geneva, please visit ngocsw-geneva.ch. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-Vienna, please visit ngocswvienna.org.

The Role of Women in Faith-Based Organizations

Women are increasingly playing leading roles within faith-based communities and organizations. Join the World Jewish Congress, ActAlliance, Muslims for Progressive Values, Religions for Peace, and Tanenbaum for a parallel event to the United Nations’ Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) to celebrate the diversity of opinions and address the many challenges faced by these leaders.

Register & Watch:  Register here or watch on Facebook live.

Shared Paths: 
Overcoming obstacles and opening doors for women leaders in faith-based communities

An open conversation with rabbi Maya Leibowitz and imam Ani Zonneveld

Followed by a panel discussion featuring:

Dr. Husna Ahmad, OBE, CEO, Global One
Prof. Azza Karam,  Secretary General, Religions for Peace
Rev. Dr. Elaine Neuenfeldt, Gender Programme Manager, ACT Alliance
Amichai Wise, World Jewish Congress Diplomatic Corps

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-NY, please visit ngocsw.org. For more information on the Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations, please visit rngos.wordpress.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-Geneva, please visit ngocsw-geneva.ch. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-Vienna, please visit ngocswvienna.org.

Gender Equality & Human Rights in a time of COVID-19 & Climate Change

Event: Gender Equality and Human Rights in a time of COVID-19 and Climate Change

Date: Tuesday, 22 September

Time:  09:00-10:00 EDT [9am New York | 4pm Nairobi | 10am Buenos Aires | 3pm Geneva]

Registration & more information: https://ungaguide.com/event/gender-equality-and-human-rights-in-a-time-of-covid-19-and-climate-change/

Hosts: ACT Alliance, Church World Service, World Student Christian Federation

We are thrilled to be joined by Speakers from CWS Africa, Koinonia Brazil and the Women’s Environment and Development Organization!

Please share with your contacts and register if you are interested in attending!  For your information, we will have Spanish interpretation available via Zoom.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations, please visit rngos.wordpress.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-New York, please visit ngocsd-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-Vienna, please visit ngocsdvienna.org.

[Webinar] A Shift in Mind-Sets: Faith-Based Solutions to Climate Action Obstacles in Agenda 2030

Dear Friends,

You are cordially invited to our CRNGO Climate Working Group webinar, a parallel event on the occasion of the High-Level Political Forum on the SDGs “A shift in mindsets: faith-based solutions to climate action obstacles in Agenda 2030 and the Paris Agreement.“

Date: Monday, 13 July 2020

Time: 12:00-13:30 EDT / 18:00 – 19:30 CET

RSVP: https://forms.gle/uaYmVrwJWm6gLupCA

Organized by: The Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations, Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University, Presbyterian Church USA, Sokka Gakkai International, Parliament of the World’s Religions, ACT Alliance, World Council of Churches, IBVM, Baha’i International Community, The Bhumi Project, Loretto at the United Nations, Anglican Communion

Faith-based organizations working with the UN system have specific climate action goals that they address across multiple UN avenues and modalities. They also have been active in implementing Agenda 2030 and the Paris Agreement through programmatic action and advocacy locally, nationally and globally.

With five-year reviews of both Agenda 2030 and the Paris Agreement in 2020, this year’s High-Level Political Forum, with its review theme of “Accelerated action and transformative pathways: realizing the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development”, offers an ideal moment for faith-based organizations to a) consider climate action accomplishments thus far across both the SDG and Paris Agreement frameworks and b) identify and analyze obstacles to progress and develop joint strategies to accelerate ambition and related goals ahead of COP 26, particularly in the new context of COVID-19.

The parallel event is sponsored by faith-based organizations associated with an emerging Climate Working Group within the Committee of Religious NGOs at the UN (CRNGO). The Working Group is connected to the Interfaith Liaison Committee work at the UNFCCC Conferences of Parties, while also furthering climate goals in the specific context of the UN headquarters in New York City.

If you have any questions, please write to: religiousngo@gmail.com

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CoNGO Notes: For more information about the Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations, visit rngos.wordpress.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief, visit unforb.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development – NY, visit ngocsd-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development – Vienna, visit ngocsdvienna.org

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