Act For Peace is an Australian humanitarian organization. It provides aid to areas around the world that experienced the impact of global poverty and conflict. Working as the international aid agency for Australia’s National Council of Churches, Act For Peace is also a member of the ACT Alliance, a global combination of churches that supports humanitarian efforts in over 130 countries.

 

The Organization

Act For Peace participates in on-the-ground humanitarian efforts such as providing food, shelter, healthcare and education to communities in need. The organization also has a legislative agenda that focuses on global poverty reduction and safety efforts for vulnerable communities.

The United Nations entered the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) into force which is a treaty Act For Peace advocated for. ATT is the first global treaty to propose regulations on international arms and ammunition trading. The treaty has the goal of reducing the number of weapons that some use in human rights violations. It will regulate and track the selling and trading of weapons internationally. It also intends to decrease the number of legal weapons on the black market. Over 140 countries signed the treaty since 2014. Only 110 countries received approval or underwent official ratification.

Resources

Act For Change and the Near East Council of Churches Department of Service to Palestinian Refugees (DSPR) offer multiple life-saving resources for the conflict-ridden community. The clinics provide free medicine, dental care, pre-and post-natal care, nutrition and psychosocial support for those the conflict affected. Act For Peace and the DSPR also offer vocational training programs for young people living in the Gaza Strip. This includes secretarial work, carpentry, English language classes and dressmaking. These programs prepare young people for employment, while also providing them opportunities to leave conflict areas and live lives void of danger and poverty.

Clean Water and Emergency Preparedness in Tonga

In an ACT Alliance partnership, Act For Peace and the Tonga National Council of Churches have worked to improve access to clean drinking water by building rainwater tanks in vulnerable areas of the country. The main effort in Tonga is educating communities on emergency preparedness as the country is highly susceptible to natural disasters. Humanitarian efforts include training on early-warning systems, stockpiling food and emergency action plans. The efforts focus on creating leadership roles within the villages. They also equip the communities with the knowledge to oversee their own preparedness and response plans.

Conservation Farming in Zimbabwe

Act For Peace’s ACT partner, Christian Care has provided new farming techniques to over 1,200 farmers living in drought-prone areas of Zimbabwe. The conservation farming methods focus on providing farmers with the skill and confidence to increase food security and extend the health of their crops through seasons of drought. Act For Peace is currently providing direct aid to over 13 countries and is supporting humanitarian efforts all over the globe through partnerships with the ACT Alliance, contributing towards making a great impact on global poverty. In more recent efforts, Act For Peace has several emergency appeals relating to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on the developing world.

Act For Peace also has an annual fundraising campaign called, “The Christmas Bowl.”  It is an ode to the founding of the organization. Reverend Frank Byatt believed it was his Christian duty to share the joy of Christmas with those less fortunate around the world, thus making an impact on global poverty. His legacy has worked as the framework for the organization for the last 72 years.

– Kendall Couture
Photo: Flickr