ACT Alliance is the world´s largest network of Protestant and Orthodox churches and agencies engaged in humanitarian, development and advocacy work, with over 150 members and 30,000 staff working on a wide range of activities in more than 125 countries.
ACT members are bound together by core values that are grounded in human rights and our Christian faith, and which guide our humanitarian, development and advocacy work. Upholding the dignity, uniqueness and intrinsic worth of every human being as created in the image of God is central to who we are and critical to the work we do.
ACT seeks to respond, without any form of discrimination and exclusion to human suffering, irrespective of race, gender, belief, nationality, ethnicity, age, disability or political persuasion. We denounce structures and mechanisms of exclusion in order to promote the common good and the world’s well-being. Our work seeks to promote a participative, open environment, enabling responsible working relationships where communities are central to identifying local needs and assets, and in decision-making, and are determining priorities, inclusive approaches and mechanisms for response.
We believe that the life of a person is sacred, as a theological principle based on our Christian faith. Furthermore, from a human rights perspective, we affirm that every person has a right and a duty to participate in society, seeking the common good and well-being of all, especially vulnerable people and people affected by poverty. As a faith-motivated and human rights-based alliance, ACT understands that all people are rights-holders. Our action as a faith-based constituency adheres to the principle that universal and indivisible human rights are the cornerstone of international human rights legislation as emphasized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, and reiterated in numerous international conventions, declarations and resolutions. Being true to our values requires ACT to uphold high standards of accountability, mutuality and transparency - recognising our accountability to those we seek to serve, to those who support us, to each other and ultimately to God.
