Running from 4-5 February, a consultation on enhancing international cooperation in the field of diakonia and development was convened by World Council of Churches (WCC) at the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, near Geneva. It is hoped that through the discussion sessions, the churches and ecumenical bodies will be inspired to create a new international alliance to address issues of poverty and injustice of the world.

In this new era, ecumenical work is much more complicated than just uniting different faiths and denominations. In face of social chaos and disasters, churches and people of all faith are obligated to join together to respond to the needs of the world.

On the meeting held two days ago, the delegates have agreed the formation of a new alliance for churches and church-related organisations who work ecumenically in relief and development, provisionally named "ACT Global".

The new alliance seeks to increase the effectiveness in addressing issues of poverty and injustice through increased coordination at the global level and on the ground, increased visibility for the ecumenical family, mutual accountability, an integrated approach to relief and development, harmonising policies and requirements of Northern agencies, collaboration in joint fundraising, and building local capacity. The alliance is going to be established later in 2005.

In fact, WCC member churches and agencies have struggled for a few years to find new ways of working together to face global problems of injustice and poverty, but have sometimes differed in their approaches.

WCC General Secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia therefore concluded the meeting, underlining the historic nature of the agreement, "This meeting is a turning point in ushering in a new era of collaboration between churches, ecumenical agencies and the WCC."

Dr Baffour Amoa from the church fellowship FECCIWA in West Africa also echoed that the Bossey meeting offered a breakthrough in defining a common vision, "This meeting affirms the role of WCC in helping all partners find a more effective and common way of working."

Besides, the long term vision of the alliance is the ideal model to bring together ecumenical work with emergencies, advocacy and development under a common umbrella with a common brand name, preferably Action by Churches Together. It is expected to be fulfilled within the next three years.

According to Dr Daleep Mukarji, director of Christian Aid (UK), the hope is for "a common instrument bringing together relief, advocacy and development which can act quickly and flexibly."

Currently, to put the vision into reality, a steering group was appointed. It will be in charge of developing a provisional structure and negotiating with other ecumenical organisations already involved in these areas. The steering group may already initiate ecumenical pilot projects among potential alliance members, for example in post-tsunami development work.

Major members of the Steering Group include Baffour Amoa (FECCIWA-Ghana), Noemí Espinoza (CCD-Honduras), Cornelia Füllkrug-Weitzel (Bread for the World-Germany), Leonid Kishkovsky (OCA-USA), and Daleep Mukarji (Christian Aid-UK) with Beth Ferris (WCC) as convenor.

Among those represented at the Bossey meeting were several major church agencies; members of WCC's governing bodies; representatives of WCC-related ACT International and the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance; and partners from several regions working at the local level in diakonia and development.