Act Alliance North America discusses collaboration at annual meeting

The ACT Alliance North America Forum convened its annual meeting at the United Church of Christ's National Setting in Cleveland, Ohio, on January 15 and 16. The forum includes members such as the UCC, Baptist World Aid, Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance. Their aim is to share information and collaborate on important issues.

Josh Baird, UCC Chief of Staff, emphasized the alliance's strength through its members: "The strength of the ACT Alliance is its members. With more than 160 global partners, when a humanitarian crisis occurs we are often connected with those already present in affected communities."

The North America Forum offers a strategic platform for coordinating with partners to optimize resources and impact during global crises. Baird noted that regular gatherings allow for reviewing shared work and preparing for future responses.

Andrew Long-Higgins from Global H.O.P.E. highlighted the forum's focus on relationships: "At the heart of all of our work is relationship...to meet the deepest needs of the most vulnerable around the world."

Participants discussed enhancing resource utilization and strengthening relations to better support their mission. Sara Speicher from WACC attended her first meeting with the alliance. She remarked on the importance of sharing perspectives: “This is a very important forum for these church-based organizations to share perspectives together.”

Laurie Kraus from Presbyterian Church USA reflected on progress since joining in 2013: "In the last five to six years, there has been a different focus...more networking among us." Edwin Gonzalez also appreciated learning from colleagues' experiences: “It helps us feel that we are not alone.”