Christine Allen – Image: ICN/JS
CAFOD director Christine Allen discussed the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a Q&A session with Columban Education Worker James Trewby, during the annual National Justice and Peace Conference in Swanwick on Saturday. (prepared text.)
James: Christine, what are the SDGs and why are they important?
Christine: 2015 was quite a year. Most of us focus on the Paris COP, which was a true watershed of a global agreement to reduce emissions – although in that agreement, the text said 2 degrees, everyone knew that 1.5 was the real target! And it was the focus of Glasgow.
Just a few months before that meeting, the world agreed the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a bold vision to secure the rights and well-being of everyone on a healthy, thriving planet. 17 goals that together identified a framework for making this a reality. The strapline was Leave No One Behind. What was different to the MDGs was that this was a much more collaborative process, drawing on the voices and experiences of poorer countries and with many in civil society. The UN (like with Climate) has its own systems and resources behind it, so there are many videos and campaigns etc
Like the Paris COP, the agreement required its signatory nations to monitor progress and take real steps, so our progress could be measured. But this isn’t a legally binding framework. There is little accountability.
James: The world seems pretty depressing at the moment, so can we be confident that something like the SDGs is going to offer us any hope?
Christine: The reality is that as a world we are failing. Our world leaders are Leaving the Promises Behind. The UN’s recently released ‘Report of the Secretary-General on Progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals’ which is based on the various reports that countries make, shows that we are far from the targets. Of the SDGs only about 12% of goals are on track to be achieved by 2030; close to half, though showing progress, are moderately or severely off track; and some 30% have either seen no movement or regressed below the 2015 baseline.
I remember in 2015 being at a meeting with Al Gore who asked three questions. It was about addressing climate change but it can apply to most things.
– Should we? The moral imperative or the burning platform
– Can we? Do we have the technical ability to make the changes
– Will we? This is the political will. Of really putting the challenges and the theory into practice.
We have the frameworks but the political will has been lacking. Our own government’s commitment to climate finance is wavering and it seems that international issues are not on the agenda at all, unless it’s wrapped up in a xenophobic rhetoric of fear. That’s before we talk about failed promises regarding domestic oil fields and fossil fuel investment.
I don’t feel particularly confident about the SDG processes, but my confidence and hope lies in the people and communities we work with, and how, as CAFOD, and as a church and as part of the global Caritas network we are trying to put that commitment and solidarity into practice in our work around the world to Leave No One Behind.
James: What is the connection between SDGs and CST? Brian is doing this on Friday so we may not need.
Christine: The 17 goals cover a range of elements. As Pope Francis reminded us in Laudato Si, everything is connected and there is a need to take a holistic approach. However that is not to say that we do everything about everything, but that our analysis and our understanding has to take that wider perspective so we can clearly see what our particular contribution is.
LS was a timely reminder to us all that we’re all inter-connected and our actions across the world have a profound effect on the lives of the most vulnerable people. As catholics if we read and act on LS, then we are putting the goals into practice!
James: CAFOD is inspired by CST and scripture more broadly, you have got a new strategy which is based on Laudato Si – it offers a different approach, tell us more about it.
At CAFOD we adopted a new organisational strategy – Our Common Home, which came from a number of years of reflections across the staff team and with some partners on what Laudato Si means to us and how we might respond to it. This is now enshrined right across the organisation and we talk about it often. When staff or trustees are interviewed for our internal newsletter, one of the questions is always about what inspires them about OCH.
As we have flagged (Brian flagged last night) Laudato Si reminds us of the interconnectedness of issues and of ourselves and that taking a holistic approach is the key element.
Here are a few elements to the strategy that are different.
We “dare to be different”. We are willing to be counter-cultural and out-spoken. We will challenge conventional notions of progress. We will be open to risk where appropriate and prepared to learn and change when we fail. Our resolve is reflected in four interconnected commitments which together can be transformational. These are:
– Integral ecology to make the biggest impact for people and communities who are most vulnerable
Integral ecology as you will have heard last night calls us to recognise and act upon the deep interconnectedness between people, the environment, economics and politics; between our daily lives and our wider cultures; between the dignity of each human being and the common good; and between current and future generations. It underlines the responsibility of each to safeguard our common home for those to come. It accepts the need for reduced use of resources in some parts of the world in order to ensure all may flourish. Following an integral ecology approach we hear the inseparable cry of the earth and cry of the poor and respond holistically. Together with our partners we seek to challenge and transform root causes of poverty, inequality, injustice, exclusion and environmental harm.
– Amplifying the voice, agency and leadership of local people
It is our responsibility to speak out, but every one should be able to fulfil their potential and act for the common good. CAFOD believes that local individuals, communities, and local organisations are critical agents of change and best placed to influence changes to global, national and local policies and practices so that they benefit all.
The right to self-determination of the poor, vulnerable and excluded must be supported and empowered, with their voices amplified and never ignored in favour of those with wealth or status. We commit to celebrating and promoting the diverse voices and agency of the people and communities with which we work, our partners and volunteers, and challenging prevailing patterns of exclusion by promoting the voice and agency of women and young people in particular.
Local needs and contexts determine the shape of our international programmes, working on sustainable livelihoods, emergency response and recovery, good governance, peacebuilding and women’s empowerment. The distinctive focus of our work will be found in how we do what we do; investing in local agency, partnership and capacity, in women’s empowerment, intergenerational dialogue, regeneration of the environment and systemic structural change.
– Creating a culture of encounter
It is through coming together that change can happen. Together, we can confront the problems of our world and seek solutions that are truly effective. This is not about sub contracting but through meaningful partnership – through patient debate, engaging and cooperating we can together expose the drivers of poverty, vulnerability, inequality, injustice, exclusion and environmental destruction, and work to diminish harm.
We commit to relationships of mutual learning and shared development, to accept others as equals and ensure diverse voices are heard. We listen to others as they speak for themselves, help them to participate if they need such help and speak-out boldly on their behalf when it is right to do so. This is about Doing-Together, not Doing-To. Fratelli Tutti and Good Samaritan.
– Our own ecological conversion
If we seek to model integral ecology, then this requires changes to the way we think, feel and act – our own ecological conversion – as individuals, as a community and as an organisation. We need a radical conversion of the heart, to become deeply aware of the suffering of people and planet and to discover what each of us can do about it. We will undertake reflection and discernment, continue to develop our understanding of progress, change ourselves and live out our commitments in ways that might influence and inspire others to action.
Coming out of this are ten specific change statements that we work towards in order to put this into practice.
This has been a challenging but an invigorating time for CAFOD. Putting CST into practice in this way has enabled all of us – whether of Christian, other faith or no faith – to understand what connects us. It’s been a challenging environment too – with reductions in aid, conflicts and crises abounding.
James: Are there any lessons in that process for the J&P Network?
Christine: So, my first lesson is that responding things like the climate negotiations, SDGs or in our case Laudato Si, requires you to look at yourself and your own organisation. As J&P Commissions I am sure you are reflecting on how you operate and respond to the key issues of the day. It’s not about navel gazing. It is about thinking how we best use our resources and energies to meet the challenges we face. That’s why this weekend is important at whatever level we operate in, we do have some power, we do have influence.
James: Have you made specific changes in how CAFOD works as a result of those four different planks to the strategy?
I’ll start with the last :
– Own ecological conversion
Through our Environmental Stewardship Plan, we look to reduce our carbon footprint – mostly though flights – we are an international organisation and there is a lot of travel involved to support partners and other elements. So to reach a 50% reduction is not easy.
We have also our own stewardship aspect to our programmes and developed a Tool for our programme work and its something that partners can use too.
As an example: story of sustainable business practices
Lesson – we have to have authenticity, and consider how each of us contributes to the inequality in the world and therefore at the same time, what we can do to shift the dial a little. Your own reflections this weekend about what you can do are critical in this analysis.
– Culture of encounter
CAFOD has always been a partnership based organisation, and respected the role, voice and agency of them. Programme strategies have been developed in collaboration with partners, through workshops and spending time. Using their analysis and perspective, Being willing to be challenged by them.
As staff, it’s been important to recognise the time needed for this and for one another, especially in the context of facing up to the racism within our society and wider development sector.
As an example: Joa – specifically working with indigenous communities. (who is listened to cf Good Samaritan parable)
Lesson: taking time to listen to and hear the experiences of the different communities. This is very much a Synodal process – and what the wider church is doing. Many of you will be engaging in that process I’m sure, but how our church provides the space for a culture of encounter is worth reflecting on. Reflection from someone at an event that of all the different things he was engaged with – political party, football team, mates in the pub, the church is the most diverse space. How much notice do we take of that?
– Voice agency and leadership
As well as input into strategies, it’s vital for us to put this into practice through our work. With new ways of working, our programme work aims to transform power inequalities within our partnerships and ensure that we live our commitments to local voice, agency, and leadership. One thing I’m proud of is about having partners form our delegations at places like the COP negotiations. This isn’t just about rocking up, but about a long-term work on empowerment, skills training and building the capacity together.
Example: COP27 in Sharm and all the prep
Lesson: NJPN thinking about the voices it amplifies; whether at a local or a national level. How are you amplifying voices that aren’t normally heard. I’m sure you are making your own voices heard in relation to MPs and local councillors.
– Integral ecology for biggest impact for poorest
There are three aspects here: focus on poorest, the biggest impact and in an IE way. We have revised our whole programmatic approach to an IE model (more about that); we are making a shift to focus on impact not growth (been a challenge in terms of monitoring & evaluation). Ironically we have grown in income in the last year largely due to Ukraine, but one example is Partner Direct Funding, where we support partners to make bids for IF rather than through us. The money doesn’t come through CAFOD’s books.
Another for example: focus on supporting partners in their core work not just projects.
Sustainable business approach:
Lesson: Making change yourself isn’t easy, and you have to give it time, but it adds strength and authenticity.
James: Any specific things you want to challenge or unpack?
Is the SDGs just a bit too far away, a bit high level for us?
Christine: In some respects – the UN has its own programme and a variety of campaigns and they are well resourced and you might find them useful. For CAFOD, the UN’s particular campaigns don’t tend to be that engaged with our local partners, so whilst we will address the issues, we won’t necessarily follow the UN framework.
Some of the failure of the MDGs was its top-down approach. The idea that the donors know best. The engagement of people and communities in the long process of formulating the SDGs meant that there is a framework in many countries. There is probably more in place in other countries than here.
That said, there are many local authorities, businesses and local enterprises especially around local development plans and urban action that are looking to the goals using the language of Agenda 2030 or Global goals rather than SDGs so some of this work is happening here in the UK. However, whilst in the UK local authorities and businesses have taken on the Agenda 2030 commitments, we need to recognise that for local authorities especially who have seen massive reductions in their budgets, this is often very challenging.
James: Our political context is ridiculously depressing at the moment. Do you have any thoughts on that or signs of hope?
Christine: Well, from the SDG perspective, it is depressing – they are not legally binding commitments although there is a report that has to be done. They also have little political traction. In a context where we have seen reductions in the UK’s commitment to aid, and a cost of living crisis, following years of austerity, it feels like there isn’t the will to reach in to the SDGs.
A glossy UN campaign isn’t really cutting it.
In terms of our domestic politics, we don’t need telling how awful things are.
That said, I get a lot of hope from people like yourselves who are active, putting faith into practice and getting on with stuff.
For NJPN you might want to consider this weekend about the advocacy you might do in relation to the various issues. I know that many organisations here – CAFOD included – have a range of work that we ask you to do! You only have to look round the just fair. But we are all addressing the themes of the SDGs.
The people here and the various work you do does offer me real hope. I also get huge hope from our partners around the world.
James: Are you saying that advocacy and political work still matters?
Christine: Yes. A recent dinner with some labour MPs who were talking about the importance of hearing the voice and concerns on the doorstep. What some politicians tell us all the time – “not hearing interest”. It’s vital that our voices are heard.
I know that the political traction, the current domestic situation and lack of interest in international issues makes it feel tough. But we will see an election in the next two years and churches are very good at getting the interest out, holding hustings and getting our voices heard.
I have to believe in it! My own presence is strengthened by your activity – representing the voice. Locally and nationally.
James: Can we really link the local and the global?
Christine: I think that’s one of the things that we offer as a global church – to see the connections not just at a horizontal level but vertically too. We operate at the local, regional (diocesan!) national and international level and they do connect.
Experience of CAFOD as being part of Caritas.
James: How do we keep hope?
Christine: Very essence of our faith – being a people of hope, an Easter people who believe in a God of life and resurrection despite the horrors of death and destruction. Romero’s famous quote about my blood is spilt but by spirit lives on in the people – how true is that.
Around the world people are facing really difficult situations. Colleagues in Sudan and Ukraine facing war; East Africa and famine, yet they continue. The holy spirit keeping us going.
Finding that spirit active in us all as body of Christ. It might feel tough and lonely in a parish if you are the only one, but we are connected. The Selima letter recently – so many people signing that who didn’t realise the issues.
Culture of encounter – as in the Good Samaritan. Not easy, but through those encounters we grow, we strengthen ourselves.
As you think about the issues over the rest of the weekend – see if you can also think about ways in which you can build encounter, with hope and humility.
Whilst this conference is looking at the SDGs, it’s important not to forget the climate process.
We have seen with the climate negotiations, that the answer to the first two questions is a deafening yes, but the answer to the third still eludes us. We are up against significant vested interests and a serious lack of political will. The COP this year is hosted in Dubai, one of the world’s biggest fossil fuel states, whose very existence is built on oil. Oil which has to be kept in the ground for the sake of the planet. At the end of Glasgow 1.5 degrees was on life support. It limped through minor resuscitation last year although the commitment to loss & damage was a significant achievement for the developing and small island states who have already seen their economies impacted by climate change and the droughts, floods, fires and famines that come in its wake.
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Recordings of the NJPN talks and photos will be posted at: www.justice-and-peace.org.uk
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