ACT Ubumbano is a network of Southern African and European organisations working for economic, gender and environmental justice. It does this through facilitating critical reflection on social justice practice, listening to the voices of those who are most affected by injustice, and supporting innovative and collaborative solidarity initiatives that address unjust power relations globally.

ACT Ubumbano sought the services of a consultant to facilitate its one day extended task team meeting as part of a process it has embarked on of setting up a Gender and Sexual Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) task team. The task team is aimed at supporting the Alliance to develop a strategy and vision for gender justice for its collective work. It is also aimed at ensuring continuous support for meaningful partner and community led gender justice and SRHR initiatives with a key focus on intersectionality of gender, climate, and economic justice.

The extended task team meeting took place on the 14 February 2019 and it brought together participants from 6 different countries, namely Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Sweden, United Kingdom and Zimbabwe, including members of the Gender Task-Team and nominated individuals.

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This resource showcases the content, process and concrete outcomes of the Solidarity Platform meeting. Its purpose is to document the critical learnings that emerged, and to offer a framework for the thinking and doing of solidarity in transformative ways. It is hoped the resource will support the ongoing reflective practice of ACT Alliance partner organisations, as well as contribute to knowledge generation and action on solidarity building for social justice more broadly.

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Under the banner of the ACT Alliance South Africa, Church of Sweden, Bread for the World and Christian Aid (E3) have joined forces with Southern African partners in seeking new forms of solidarity action around Sexual Reproductive Health Rights and Gender, Environmental and Economic Justice.

A key element of this process is building a “Solidarity Hub” (initially called “Solidarity Platform”). The Hub is the focal point for interaction, learning and dialogue amongst local and international partners and allies seeking to engage in deepening solidarity, knowledge and practice in the field. This reflection informs new and existing programmatic action that is rooted in the communities partnering organisations work with, and that builds solidarity across the global south and north. The objective of this change process is to explore new models of solidarity and collaboration between European development organisations and CSOs in South Africa and Southern Africa.

As part of the process, this scoping study was conducted to explore more what these participating organisations are currently doing to address inequality and poverty in the region. The key objectives of the Scoping Study are:

1. To map and profile the 30 ACT Alliance partner organisations in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Swaziland and Mozambique;
2. To deepen the understanding of the community organisations and the methodologies that partner organisations are utilising to engage with the communities, including thematic areas;
3. To analyse and assess different methodologies utilised, including the analysis of what works and what does not work;
4. To explore ways in which ACT Alliance could engage with participating organisations and how to best support them in order to contribute towards new solidarity action that is rooted in the communities they seek to serve.

We wish to express our deep concern at the increase in attacks on human rights defenders in your country, and to urge you to demonstrate your commitment to ending them by conducting a thorough and independent investigation to find the perpetrators of these crimes.

Ubumbano Solidarity is an initiative of the ACT Alliance in Southern Africa, and is a collaboration of 30 faith-based and non-governmental organisations in the region working for social justice. We believe that a fair, just and equal society is possible, but it demands that our governments – your government – commit to a plurality of views in the political arena, and works to safeguard the rights of those who champion the cause of marginalised and poor communities.

We stand in solidarity with those who bear the burden of injustice and violence in society. We urge that your government, and governments throughout the world, protect their citizens and carry out the mandate given them by their people to improve the lives of all.