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At a consultation on religion and development on 28 September, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit shared thoughts on an emerging global religion and development agenda. The meeting was convened by the ACT Alliance.
Tveit and other participants shared their thoughts on how faith-based and humanitarian groups can work together to help reach the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
“The UN and some governments are increasingly recognizing the important contribution of religion and religious organizations,” he said. “We have all come to understand that religion can play both a positive and negative role in areas of peace and security, sustainable development and human rights.”
“The increased interest towards faith communities is an opportunity for us as the ecumenical movement to lift up issues where our engagement can strategically and significantly contribute to progress,” reflected Pauliina Parhiala, director and chief operating officer of the ACT Alliance. “These include issues such as addressing growing inequalities, advancing gender justice and sexual and reproductive health and rights as well as ending violence and building peace.”
Tveit underlined, “The world is changing in many ways, and the role of religion as well. The only difference is that our work on religion and development is that we engage on this work drawing from the mission of God who is the God of life. That is why the WCC fellowship has embarked on a pilgrimage of justice and peace”. Tveit said, “Through this pilgrimage we walk with our member churches, people of faith and also people of good will.”
The World Council of Churches recognizes that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development provides a political and transformational framework to address many of the root causes of issues that are diminishing people’s lives and damaging God’s creation. None of the Sustainable Development Goals can be reached in isolation.
“Our engagement can help to strengthen multilateralism and the United Nations member states commitment to international human rights and humanitarian law, all of which seem to be strongly contested by some in the current political narrative. Strategic collaboration between faith actors is necessary and welcomed for good outcomes,“ Parhiala concluded.
“In working together as faith communities, we owe it to each other to reflect critically on our own responses to changing landscapes, and to treasure the opportunity for mutual accountability. At the same time, it is vital that we continue to engage in dialogue with the international community, as when the WCC entered into partnership with UNICEF based on the strong commitment to child rights,” Tveit added.
“We must join together to provide hope. Particularly in the current landscape, hope must be the characteristic message of the church,” Tveit concluded. “The advocacy of the church can only be based on a Christian faith that has a prophetic, critical approach that is aiming at transformation and hope; not marked by fatalism, by indifference or cynical words of devaluation of others, but by love.”
