Pending a similar decision to be taken by the development network at the end of May, the new coalition, to be named the ACT
Alliance, hopes within this year to bring together close to 150 churches, agencies and other faith-based organisations with a combined budget of more than US$1.5 billion.'United together'
Zambian-born ACT International director, John Nduna, said, "The future ACT Alliance will be able to better show who we are by combining emergency and
development work. And our profile will be clear: we are on the side of the poor and oppressed and we will fight for their rights to a dignified life."
"We have a lot of anticipation for
the new body and we expect a lot from it in terms of guidance, leadership and visioning -- particularly for southern members and churches," said Rose Muendi Kimeu, representing the ACT members in
Kenya.
"The inspiring wind of change and the power of our network together has succeeded," added Lisa Henry of DanChurchAid. "We have risen to the challenge and the need to improve our
impact for local populations across the world."
Today's decision follows after close to three years of consultation, planning and work within the ACT membership and wider ecumenical family."Churches and the agencies are united together, because it is in our fight against injustice and our assistance to the vulnerable that we are all part of the global church," stressed Sushant
Agrawal, moderator of ACT International.
The motions to revise the ACT International statutes, mission statement and by-laws passed 18 to 1. The motion to unify with ACT Development passed 17 to 2.
The new structures will take effect on 1 January 2010 and will be followed by a General Assembly and launch event to be held in March 2010.Challenges to be facedSpeaking
to the difficulties ahead, Donna Derr, from US-based Church World Service said, "Certainly we acknowledge that there will be multiple challenges to address, not the least of which will be
financial in the midst of the global economic crisis. Yet we are hopeful and today is just the beginning of better assisting those we aim to serve."
"It is going to be an enormous task
ahead. We are creating something new, while still building upon the past," added Sushant Agrawal. "And we express our special thanks to the World Council of Churches and Lutheran World
Federation for their continued support to this process."
Burundian Archbishop Bernard Ntahoturi shared, "Our concerted effort to eradicate poverty will be more efficient and effective as we
work together in this new alliance of churches coming together for justice and restoring humanity into the world."
"This is a victory and important achievement for the ACT members in Central
America. Since 1998 after Hurricane Mitch, we have been trying to put together advocacy, humanitarian response and development work," said Carlos Cardenas from Nicaragua. "Today, our sense
of belonging to ACT has increased."
Following ACT Development's decision on whether to unify with ACT International at its own General Assembly in Buenos Aires, the unified alliance will legally
come under the auspices of ACT International with the new name of the ACT Alliance.
Established on August 25, 1995, ACT International came into being partly as a result of the genocide in Rwanda in
1994, when churches and their related agencies around the world responded to the disaster through a mechanism that was ACT's precursor -- the then Church World Action.
ACT International members are
made up of Protestant and Orthodox churches and their related agencies, drawn from the membership of the World Council of Churches and Lutheran World Federation. Last year, ACT International issued 42
appeals for disaster response and preparedness across the world.
Source: ACT International
Action by Churches Together (ACT) International is a global alliance of churches and related agencies
working to save lives and support communities in emergencies worldwide.
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
