Lutheran and Norwegian church groups agree to cooperate in emergencies

Written by ENI Monday, 21 November 2011 01:04

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The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) said they signed on 10 November a cooperation agreement that will strengthen their response to global emergencies such as a recent crisis on the Tunisian border involving thousands of refugees fleeing turmoil in Libya.

The agreement, signed in Geneva, means the two organizations are "committed to start a new phase of partnership based on mutual trust and accountability," according to Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, global program coordinator for the LWF's Department for World Service, as reported by the LWF's information service.

For the Norwegian organization, "the agreement is the basis for the development of stronger cooperation within the ACT [Action by Churches Together] Alliance where NCA's main contribution in humanitarian responses will be water, sanitation and hygiene promotion," said Eivind Aalborg, NCA's acting director of international cooperation.

According to the agreement's text, "the foundation for collaboration will be based on geographic areas of common interest, sectoral priorities and complementarities, and humanitarian need."

The director of the LWF Department for World Service, the Rev. Eberhard Hitzler, noted that cooperation among the LWF, NCA and the Church of Sweden, as members of ACT Alliance, in the Tunisia crisis played a crucial part in the development of the agreement.

From December 2010 to October 2011, some 365,000 people crossed into Tunisia from Libya, fleeing fighting between forces loyal to Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi and his opponents, according to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. Gadhafi was killed on 20 October. 

The Geneva-based ACT Alliance is a global alliance of churches and related organizations that work together in humanitarian assistance, advocacy and development. The Geneva-based LWF, a founding member of ACT Alliance, has 145 member churches in 79 countries. Based in Oslo, NCA provides emergency assistance in disasters, works for long-term development and advocates for justice.

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