| Major group affiliation: |
- Non-governmental organization
|
| Involvement in UN Partnerships: |
Yes |
| If yes, explain in detail: |
The EAA participates in the Civil Society Mechanism (CSM) of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS), and has contributed written materials and comments in relation to CFS-led drafting processes, including for the Voluntary Guidelines on the responsible governance of land tenure.
The EAA liaises closely with the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (SRSG) on Food Security and Nutrition through regular participation in teleconferences that he convenes with civil society. The SRSG has directly participated in meetings of the EAA Food Campaign Strategy Group, and was a lead discussant during the EAA’s Discussion Forum with the Archbishop of Canterbury, held in February 2012.
The EAA liaises with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in relation to both its Food Campaign and its HIV Campaign. The EAA encourages its members to engage, and has facilitated important engagements, with the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food during his visits to countries in order to report on the situation of the right to food. One of the speakers and participants in the EAA’s Theology, Human Rights & HIV consultation held in November 2011 is the OHCHR’s HIV officer.
The EAA enjoys close cooperation with UNAIDS and UNFPA particularly in relation to its work on HIV, including in the context of specific consultations and publications, in additional to ongoing information exchange and liaison. |
| Affiliation with other organizations: |
EAA is a member of the consortium led by FoodFirst Information and Action Network (FIAN), a leading civil society organization on the right to food, which publishes the annual Right to Food and Nutrition Watch. This annual report monitors food security and nutrition policies through the lens of human rights frameworks. It aims to bridge the gap between actual injustices and the enforcement mechanisms through which individuals can claim their rights. The publication showcases case studies that bear witness to the barriers that victims face, while also highlighting the landmark decisions and achievements to inspire others to call for respect and greater transparency in relation to rights to food and land. The EAA has contributed articles for the publication and serves as a member of the editorial team.
EAA is closely affiliated with the World Council of Churches (WCC), and was until its legal incorporation in 2009, hosted by the WCC. WCC representatives participate in both the EAA’s Food Strategy Group and its HIV Strategy Group.
EAA is closely affiliated with its sister network, the ACT Alliance, with whom it shares a significant number of members. EAA and ACT Alliance collaborate particularly in relation to issues of food security and climate change, and an ACT Alliance representative participates in the EAA’s Food Strategy Group. |
| Publications: |
• Food Bulletin, bi-monthly
• Food for Life: A Theological Paper (2011)
• Right to Food and Nutrition Watch, annually
• Churches’ Week of Action on Food, Action Guide, annually
• IAASTD Summary (2010)
• Food Campaign Framework for Action 2009-2012 (2009)
• The Global Food Challenge (2009)
• Understanding the Food Crisis: Taking Action (2008)
• Trade Policies and Hunger: the impact of trade liberalisation on the right to food of rice framing communities in Ghana, Honduras and Indonesia (2007) |
Statements or documents submitted
Commission on Sustainable Development:
|
The EAA worked closely with members of the ecumenical family (World Council of Churches, Lutheran World Federation, ACT Alliance and APRODEV) in drafting a ‘framework position’ to provide the basis for the ecumenical family to advocate with regard to the UNCSD Rio + 20 Summit and the draft outcome document. |
| Affiliation with other organizations: |
The EAA liaises on a regular basis with the UNAIDS Civil Society Partnerships team, in particular with the Partnerships Advisor for Faith-based Organizations. Additionally, the Partnerships Advisor is a member of the EAA’s HIV Campaign Strategy Group as well as of several other HIV Campaign working groups (e.g. the Working Group to Strengthen Religious Leadership in the Response to HIV). UNAIDS regularly consults with the EAA and invites EAA representatives to input into key processes and meetings. For example, in 2011, the EAA Executive Director was invited to participate in the UNAIDS Universal Access International Advisory Group tasked with reviewing the fulfillment of commitments to achieve universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. The EAA also attends the majority of UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board meetings as an Observer and has made statements on behalf of its constituency. In the past, representatives of EAA members have sat on the NGO delegation to the Board. The UNAIDS Executive Director attended the EAA’s High Level Summit of Religious Leaders on HIV that took place in Holland in March 2010.
The EAA is working with UNAIDS and the Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+) on creating a guide entitled “Framework for Dialogue between Religious Leaders and People living with HIV”. This guide, which is still in development, will present a methodology for dialogue between the two communities and identify common issues for actions and challenges for future dialogue and actions.
The EAA also works with UNFPA on strengthening religious leaders’ responses to HIV. The UNFPA Executive Director attended the High Level Summit of Religious Leaders on HIV in March 2010, and UNFPA continues to support this work, including most recently by providing funding to help ensure the engagement and visibility of religious leadership at AIDS 2012.
The EAA is a member of the ‘Free Space Process’, which is composed of the major international networking organizations focusing on HIV/AIDS. The participating organizations are the Global Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (GNP+), HIV Young Leaders Fund (HYLF), the International Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS (ICW), the International Council of AIDS Service Organisations (ICASO), the International Treatment Preparedness Coalition (ITPC), the International HIV/AIDS Alliance (the Alliance), the World AIDS Campaign (WAC), the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance (EAA), the International Network of People who Use Drugs (INPUD), the Network of Sex Work Projects (NSWP) and the MSM Global Forum on HIV (MSMGF). The Free Space Process provides space for strategic thinking, creating added value by sharing each others’ expertise and promoting collaboration and collective thinking.
The EAA’s Executive Director is the current Chair of the Board of Directors of the World AIDS Campaign International, and a representative of the World AIDS Campaign International serves on EAA’s HIV Campaign Strategy Group. Additionally, the EAA formed an MoU with the World AIDS Campaign in 2006.
The EAA was at the forefront of advocacy for the creation of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and continues to work so that it remains a fully funded and efficient entity. The EAA is an active member of the Global Fund Advocacy Network (a civil society network) and also encourages and facilitates faith-based organizations’ engagement in its mechanisms. For example, the EAA provided a capacity-building workshop for its members in 2011 on how to relate to the Global Fund. The Global Fund’s Director of the Resource Mobilization and Donor Relations Division is an Advisor on the HIV and AIDS Strategy Group. The Deputy General Manager of the Global Fund was a lead discussant during the EAA’s Discussion Forum with the Archbishop of Canterbury, held in February 2012. |
| Publications: |
• HIV Bulletin (bi-monthly)
• Religious Leadership in Response to HIV – CD-Rom (2010)
• Faith Advocacy Toolkit – CD-Rom (2010)
• HIV and the Right to Food (2010)
• My Personal Commitment to Action (2010)
• HIV Prevention: A Global Theological Conversation (2009)
• HIV and AIDS Campaign Framework for Action 2009-2012 (2009)
• Prescription for Life: Take action to the help of children living with HIV (2008)
• Discrimination, Isolation, Denial: Travel Restrictions against People Living with HIV (2008)
• Exploring Solutions: How to Talk about HIV Prevention in the Church (2008)
• Keep the Promise: To Children Living with HIV & AIDS (2007)
• Access to Medicines (2006)
• Keep the Promise: A Teaching Resource on Advocacy and HIV and AIDS (2006)
• Scaling Up Effective Partnerships: A Guide to Working with Faith-based Organizations in the Response to HIV and AIDS (2006)
• AIDS Related Stigma: Thinking outside the box: the theological challenge (2005)
• Church, AIDS and Stigma (2003)
• Church Leadership and HIV/AIDS: The New Commitment (2003)
• Signs of Hope, Steps for Change – The next steps for positive change in attitudes that cause HIV and AIDS-related stigma and discrimination (2003) |
| Purpose of the organization: |
The purpose of the EAA is to assist churches and related organizations to: work across denominational lines and in a more strategic and collaborative manner; facilitate an effective voice from the Christian churches and organizations on a selected number of urgent issues confronting the human family at this time in history; and, undertake advocacy action on global, regional, national and local levels. The EAA is committed to helping member organizations and partners strengthen their capacity and engagement for effective advocacy and related activities. |
| Activities relevant to the conference of States Parties to the convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: |
None |
| Confirmation of the activities of the organization at the regional, national or international level: |
The EAA’s direct activities take place at the international level, but the EAA’s primary purpose is to equip its members to be active and effective advocates at the local, regional and national levels.
Through its Human Rights Accountability Project website (at http://hrap.wikidot.com), the EAA provides churches and related organizations with information about the United Nations human rights system and how to use UN processes in their advocacy efforts. Throughout 2011, the EAA notified its members and partners of specific advocacy opportunities in UN human rights processes and facilitated practical engagement by several members in a number of them.
In November 2011, the EAA held a workshop in Accra on Faith-based Advocacy for Food Justice in West Africa. Over 45 participants from several church-based constituencies came from almost every West African country. The workshop helped consolidate and extend a church-based movement for food justice in West Africa, and provided an opportunity to develop specific work plans and strategies and strengthen networks.
EAA members monitored States’ positions during the 2011 UN General Assembly High Level Meeting on AIDS, in New York in June. In conjunction with this event, the EAA co-organized an inter-faith prayer breakfast for approximately 150 religious leaders, representatives of faith-based and civil society organizations, UN officials, government leaders and people living with HIV. Faith-based organizations actively and visibly participated in monitoring government implementation of the UN Declaration of Commitments and the Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS and challenged governments to renew commitments to universal access to prevention, treatment, care and support.
Over 50 representatives of EAA members and partners met in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in March 2011 for the EAA Members’ Consultation on HIV. Participants shared information, explored opportunities for further collaboration, and discussed next steps in the faith-based response to HIV. A capacity-building workshop on faith-based organizations’ engagement with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria processes was also held.
A two-day consultation in Geneva in November 2011 brought together theologians, human rights experts, HIV practitioners and representatives of key affected populations, in a “safe space” for open dialogue on the relationship between theology and human rights in the context of HIV. The consultation promoted further engagement by faith-based communities in human rights efforts in the context of the HIV response and generally. A public list of 25 questions was produced to continue the dialogue process and expand input into the discussion.
In follow-up to the March 2010 Summit of High Level Religious Leaders on HIV, the EAA promoted further signatures and accountability to the personal commitment signed by religious leaders at the Summit; reviewed implementation of the personal commitment; convened a meeting to reflect on the outcomes of the review; developed a framework for dialogue between religious leaders and people living with HIV.
The EAA co-organized three side events at the January 2011 World Social Forum in Dakar, Senegal. Critical issues affecting food security were highlighted, including: Land Grabbing in Africa; Food Security and Climate Change; and Economic Partnership Agreements. The EAA also participated in a WSF joint declaration against land grabbing, shared information about its campaigns to a wide public, highlighted the linkages between food and HIV, and conducted outreach to potential new members. |
| A list of members of the governing body of the organization, and their countries of nationality: |
• Fr Nithiya Sagayam ANTHONY OFM Cap (India).
• Rev. Andrew BOWERMAN (Great Britain).
• Ms Georgine Kengne DJEUTANE (Cameroon).
• Rev. Dr. Richard FEE (Canada).
• Ms Maria IMMONEN (Finland).
• Dr Prawate KHID-ARN (Thailand).
• Rev. Dr Rebecca LARSON (USA).
• Rev. Juergen REICHEL (Germany).
• Ms Isabel RICHARDSON (India).
• Ms Ester WOLF (Germany).
• Rev. Christo GREYLING (South Africa).
• Mr Peter PROVE (Australia).
• Dr Matthews George CHUNAKARA (India). |
| Description of the membership of the organization, indicating the total number of members: |
• The Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance has 82 members, all of which are Christian churches, church-related organizations or Christian organizations. The EAA is the most inclusive international advocacy organization of churches and Christian organizations, with members representing Catholic, Evangelical, Orthodox, and Protestant traditions. Its members are committed to speaking and acting together on issues of common concern, currently HIV and AIDS and Food. Alliance members represent tens of millions of Christians around the world and include large international organizations such as Caritas Internationalis, World YWCA, Lutheran World Federation and World Vision International, as well as large and small national organizations such as Madras Christian Council of Social Services (India), Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Mission, Christian Aid (United Kingdom), Churches Action in Relief and Development (Malawi), and Presbyterian World Service and Development (Canada). |
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