An Interfaith Side Event took place during the Third International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 14th July 2015. This UN-led conference brought together government delegates, senior religious leaders, faith-inspired and faith-based organizations, as well as members from the civil society and numerous stakeholders to negotiate an agreement that would impact financing and the implementation of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The resultant Addis Ababa Action Agenda captured and outlined “policy commitments and key deliverables in critical areas for sustainable development”.
The African Faith Leaders Statement on Financing for Development, issued by the Africa Interfaith Initiative, gave observations and recommendations on taxation, capital flows, domestic resource mobilization, and sovereign borrowing and debt.
Through engaging in the FFD process, End Child Poverty enabled the participating faith leaders to bring a moral voice on Africa’s wealth in relation to the children’s and development needs of Africa; provided an opportunity for Africa’s faith leaders to amplify the position of Africa’s Faith Communities on Financing for Development; and, deepened the understanding of Africa’s Faith Communities of the multiple actors in financing development. It also strengthened collaboration and synergies between African faith leaders and other actors in development, as it relates to child poverty eradication.The Director, Rev. Fred Nyabera and the Programs Officer, Ms. Nyambura Gichuki, who also attended various side-events during the conference to learn and network, represented End Child Poverty. In one such networking interview with End Child Poverty, the General Secretary of ACT Alliance, Mr. John Nduna, stated, “Collectively, I think that young people are a force to make this world better than it already is. Young people have a sense of responsibility and they are already leaders. They should exercise that responsibility and have the commitment to make a positive contribution.”