Advocacy Coalitions
Education and Advocacy staff of the Church World Service represent CWS in the following coalitions:
Coalitions
represented through the CWS United Nations Office:
Coalitions represented through the CWS Washington D.C. Office:
Advocacy Network for Africa (ADNA)
ADNA is a progressive non-partisan network of more than 200 US-based organizations, which maintain significant focus on Africa or US-Africa relations in their work. ADNA’s purpose is to influence US Africa-focused policy around peace and security; human, civil, political, and women's rights; environmentally and economically sustainable development for poverty eradication; social justice, popular participation, and good governance; and humanitarian and crisis relief.
The monthly ADNA meeting serves to share information and action suggestions among network members and to communicate with members of the US administration on important matters of US-Africa policy.
Churches for a Middle East Peace (CMEP)
Churches for Middle East Peace is a coalition of 21 public policy offices of national churches and agencies -- Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant. CMEP began its work in 1984 out of the conviction that the policy perspectives and long Middle East experience of its member bodies should be more widely known in the public policy arena. It therefore seeks to maintain an on-going dialogue with Congress, the Administration and the diplomatic community, to advance such concerns, assessments, and advocacy positions.
The work of Churches for Middle East Peace focuses on Washington in the knowledge that sound United States policy is crucial to achieving and maintaining just and stable relationships throughout the Middle East. In addition, CMEP seeks to help the members of its organizations advocate in a knowledgeable, timely and effective way their concerns about justice and peace for all people and countries in the region.
Among CMEP’s principal advocacy concerns are: the avoidance and resolution of armed conflicts, human rights, arms control, foreign aid, and the unique nature of Jerusalem - sacred to Christians, Jews and Muslims. CMEP’s primary focus is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Colombia Steering Committee (CSC)
The Colombia Steering Committee is a working group consisting of religious and human rights organizations advocating for just and peaceful U.S. policies toward Colombia. It is led by CWS partner organizations the Latin American Working Group, the Washington Office on Latin America, and the U.S. Colombia Steering Committee.
CSC meeting every three weeks. Its advocacy is focused on U.S. military spending and human rights violations in Colombia. It seeks to end or reduce U.S. military aid and to spur a greater U.S. government response to rights abuses.
Earth Values Caucus
The Earth Values Caucus was founded in 2001 to bring “earth values” to the World Summit on Sustainable Development. At the Johannesburg Conference they gave several workshops and since then have been active during the annual meetings of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development.
CWS linked with the Earth Values Caucus during the 2006 session of the Commission on Sustainable Development since the caucus continued to work to bring the issue of water to the session, despite the fact that the three issues under review no longer specifically included that topic. They met most days of the session and sponsored a workshop.
Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance (EAA)
The Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance is a broad ecumenical network for international cooperation in advocacy on global trade and HIV and AIDS. More than 90 churches and church-related organizations have joined the Alliance by committing themselves to “speak out with one voice against injustice, to confront structures of power, practices and attitudes which deprive human beings of dignity and to offer alternative visions based on the Gospel.”
The Alliance has identified the HIV and AIDS pandemic as one of the gravest challenges to health and also to the prospects of social and economic development and global security. The campaign, “Keep the Promise” holds individuals, religious leaders, faith organizations, governments and intergovernmental organizations accountable for the commitments they have made and advocates for further efforts and resources to fight HIV and AIDS.
The Alliance is also committed to working for justice in global trade. The global campaign, “Trade for People - Not People for Trade,” works to build a movement of people within the churches and church-related organizations to promote trade justice.
Ecumenical Advocacy Days for Global Peace with Justice (EAD)
Ecumenical Advocacy Days is a movement of the ecumenical Christian community and its recognized partners and allies, grounded in biblical witness and our shared traditions of justice, peace and the integrity of creation. Its goal, through worship, theological reflection and opportunities for learning and witness, is to strengthen this community’s Christian voice and to mobilize advocacy on a wide variety of U.S. domestic and international policy issues.
Ecumenical Advocacy Days began in 2003 as a gathering of 400 religious advocates concerned about U.S. foreign policy in Africa and the Middle East. In the second year, 2004, over 600 religious activists from 41 states and 15 countries came together to build bridges across issues faced by the poor and disenfranchised in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. The 2005 Advocacy Days added a fifth region, the United States, and also broadened to cover Global Economic Justice, Environmental Justice, and Global Security issues.
The March 2006 gathering focused on the broad spectrum of international and domestic policies. It brought together more than 900 grassroots advocates, policy experts, theologians, organizers, and students gathered to shape a new positive, prophetic religious vision for U.S. foreign policy.
Ecumenical Working Group (EWG)
The Ecumenical Working Group is made up of Christian organizations represented at the United Nations in New York. The group meets to share information and exchange perspectives on how best to work as an ecumenical community with the United Nations and collaboratively with each other. It offers an informal framework for collectively engaging with the UN on issues of concern to Christians and the Church across the globe and serves as a resource for all member organizations. It suggests initiatives for common action, and, where appropriate or upon request, makes policy recommendations to members.
Faith-based Health Care Workers Working Group (FB-HCW WG)
This sub-group of the Global AIDS Roundtable is comprised of faith-based Washington office staff focused on HIV/AIDS advocacy. The purpose of the FB-HCW WG is to influence members of congress and the administration to lay the ground work for U.S. programs focused on increasing the number of health care workers in Africa to meet PEPFAR and MDG HIV/AIDS treatment targets.
The group has been in dialogue with the White House and the Office of Global AIDS Coordination on some of the best practices of Faith Based programs in developing countries that train and support community based health care workers.
Global Action for Children (GAC)
Global Action for Children is a task force focused on advocacy around orphans and vulnerable children in HIV/AIDS saturated settings.
The purpose of the group is to influence US policy makers to appropriate the 10 percent earmark of total AIDS spending for orphans and vulnerable children included in the 2005 authorizing legislation on Orphans and Vulnerable Children, and to advocate for children’s needs for education and life skills training in countries ravaged by HIV/AIDS.
Global AIDS Roundtable (GAR)
The Global AIDS Roundtable, convened by the Global Health Council’s Washington DC office, is a network of mostly Washington-based nonprofit groups that are working on advocacy and education around HIV/AIDS policy and funding.
Its purpose is to exchange information and advocacy strategies. A joint strategy for securing international HIV/AIDS funding from the U.S. government is worked out at the GAR. Coordination for United Nations and Global Fund policy strategies are also discussed at this meeting. Nonprofit groups attending the GAR have strong connections with civil society organizations throughout the world.
InterAction
InterAction is the largest alliance of U.S.-based international development and humanitarian nongovernmental organizations, with more than 160 members operating in every developing country. It works to overcome poverty, exclusion and suffering by advancing social justice and basic dignity for all. InterAction convenes and coordinates its members, so that they can influence policy and debate on issues affecting tens of millions of people worldwide and improve their own practices.
InterAction’s public policy advocacy primarily focuses on increasing poverty-focused development aid and humanitarian assistance. It also engages in limited advocacy on the international financial institutions (such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund) and trade justice.
Interfaith Working Group on Trade and Investment (IWG)
The Interfaith Working Group on Trade and Investment is a network of Washington, DC-based offices of religious institutions. Its purpose is to assert a stronger presence of the faith community in the public policy discussion on international trade and investment.
IWG facilitates an active engagement of faith communities in policy advocacy for trade justice, so that U.S. and global trade and investment policies promote economic and social justice, human development and ecological sustainability.
IWG works in collaboration with the larger international and ecumenical effort to engage people of faith in working for greater justice in the world trading system.
IWG addresses trade justice concerns related to the World Trade Organization, bi-lateral trade agreements such as the Central American Free Trade Agreement, trade and agriculture, intellectual property rights and essential medicines, trade in services, and related issues.
Jubilee USA Network
Jubilee USA Network is an alliance of 75 religious denominations and faith communities, human rights, environmental, labor, and community groups working for the definitive cancellation of crushing debts to fight poverty and injustice in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
The Jubilee Policy Committee meets once a month by telephone to plan education and advocacy around International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank (WB) policy impact on sustainable development. Currently the Jubilee USA Network is advocating that Congress pass the Jubilee Act, legislation that would commit the US to work for debt cancellation for 50 impoverished nations without devastating economic conditions. The act also requires that debt cancellation be paid for from the IMF/WB’s own resources.
Latin America Working Group (LAWG)
The Latin America Working Group is one of the nation's longest standing coalitions dedicated to foreign policy. The Latin America Working Group and its sister organization, the Latin America Working Group Education Fund, carry out the coalition's mission to encourage U.S. policies towards Latin America that promote human rights, justice, peace and sustainable development. As a coalition, LAWG represents the interests of over 60 major religious, humanitarian, grassroots and policy organizations to decision makers in Washington. LAWG is a trusted voice in Congress, and provide reliable guidance to policymakers who want their decisions to be grounded in human rights.
LAWG covers issues including U.S. policy toward Colombia, Cuba, Mexico and Central America, as well as U.S. military spending and related issue.
NGO Committee on Spirituality, Values and Global Concerns
The Committee has a number of working groups. CWS UN Office staff attended a panel in the spring of 2006 that the group hosted on the Dialogue Among Civilizations.
NGO Working Group on Africa
The CWS UN Office has expressed interest in being involved in this new Working Group.
NGO Working Group on the Security Council
Founded in 1995, the NGO Working Group on the Security Council is made up of 30 representatives of organizations with a special interest in Security Council matters. The Working Group holds briefings with ambassadors of member states on the Security Council, particularly with those holding the presidency of the Council, but also with others. The Working Group similarly meets with other UN officials from time to time. The organizations represented on the Working Group are active in the fields of humanitarian relief, human rights, disarmament, global governance and development. The Working Group prides itself on having representatives who are agency heads or well-respected senior staff members, though in reviewing the recent materials this clearly has not always been achieved.
ONE Campaign
ONE is a broad-based movement in the United States to fight the emergency of global AIDS and extreme poverty. It calls for the allocation of an additional 1 percent of the U.S. budget toward providing basic needs like health, education, clean water and food, in order to transform the futures and hopes of an entire generation in the world's poorest countries. ONE also calls for debt cancellation, trade reform and anti–corruption measures in a comprehensive package to help Africa and the poorest nations beat AIDS and extreme poverty.
ONE is a coalition of 2 million people and over 70 non-profit, advocacy and humanitarian organizations. Specific issues addressed include HIV/AIDS, development assistance, extreme poverty, corruption, trade policy, water, debt cancellation, education, orphans and food and hunger.
Religious Working Group on World Bank& International Monetary Fund (IMF)
The Religious Working Group on World Bank & IMF is made up of representatives from about 35 religious denominations, institutions, and organizations. The purpose of the group is to influence policy makers in the US and at international monetary institutions to reduce poverty and cancel debt. The RWG has long been a reliable source of religious reflection, education and advocacy on economic policies that negatively impact the global south.
Save Darfur Coalition
The Save Darfur Coalition is an alliance of over 100 faith-based, humanitarian and human rights organizations. Its mission is to raise public awareness and to mobilize an effective unified response to the atrocities that threaten the lives of two million people in the Darfur region of Sudan.
The western Sudanese region of Darfur is acknowledged to be a humanitarian and human rights tragedy of the first order. The humanitarian, security and political situation continue to deteriorate: atrocities continue, people are still dying in large numbers of malnutrition and disease. According to reports by the World Food Program, the United Nations and the Coalition for International Justice, 3.5 million people are now hungry, 2.5 million have been displaced due to violence, and 400,000 people have died in Darfur thus far.
Save Darfur mobilizes people throughout the U.S. and advocates with U.S. government officials to call for stronger multi-national peacekeeping force to protect the civilians of Darfur.
United Nations Association of the USA Council of Organizations--New York
UNA-USA’s Council of Organization is the organizational membership aspect of UNA-USA, a non-profit, non-political organization based in New York which seeks to educate Americans on the role of the United Nations and to advocate on behalf of the UN. More than 100 organizations—ranging from the League of Women Voters to many of our denominations—are members of the Council.
The Council of Organizations-NY holds monthly briefings from September to June, normally on the second Thursday from 1-2:30 PM. These briefings feature speakers on an issue of current concern to the UN community, and often include representatives of the United Nations, the NGO community, and the US Mission or US government.
US NGO Working Group on International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and Rural Poverty
The US NGO Working Group on the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and Rural Poverty is focused on the rural dimensions of global poverty and lifts up to US policy makers the overriding importance of agricultural and rural development for collective efforts to cut poverty and hunger.
The purpose of the group is to advocate for US replenishment of IFAD funding and policies that support self-help development in resource limited rural areas. Bi-monthly meetings provide a vehicle for mutual learning and information exchange. Working Group members develop common frameworks and messages and share findings with a wider audience.
US-SACU Working Group
The United States - Southern Africa Customs Union (US-SACU) Working Group is comprised of faith based and secular organizations that participate in advocacy around trade in Africa. The US-SACU WG arose from the Africa Trade Policy Working Group formed in the early 1990’s when the United States Congress began to work on the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). The purpose of the group is to influence U.S. policy makers to craft more just U.S. policy toward Africa.
The specifics of this agenda will are now being determined. With the failure of the US-SACU Free Trade Area the United States Trade Representative has substituted a “Trade and Investment Cooperation Agreement (TICA) with Southern Africa. The US-SACU WG may track this agreement and advocate for greater fairness and transparency. Other possibilities are to work on making the AGOA preferences work better for African small farmers and resource limited people or to track possible upcoming US Free Trade Agreements with African countries.
The group meets monthly, with occasional meetings scheduled with representatives in the US Congress or in the office of the US Trade Representative.
World Food Day Advisory Committee
World Food Day, October 16th, is a worldwide event coordinated by the Food and Agriculture Organization, designed to increase awareness, understanding and informed, year-around action to alleviate hunger. The major vehicle used on World Food Day itself is the annual teleconference designed to educate the general public on international hunger issues.
Back to top