Reflections from the Academic Council on The United Nations System 2025 Roundtable Discussion
The African Council of Religious Leaders – Religions for Peace (ACRL-RfP) co-hosted and participated in the roundtable “Gender-Inclusive Ecological Solutions for Sustainable Peace and Development in Africa” during the 38th Annual Meeting of the Academic Council on the United Nations System (ACUNS), held in Nairobi on 24 June 2025.
Framed within the broader ACUNS 2025 theme of Environmental Multilateralism and Human Development, the roundtable explored how gender-responsive, faith-informed ecological solutions contribute to peacebuilding and resilience—particularly in climate-stressed regions such as the Sahel.
The session was chaired by Ms. Lydia Ndinda, who facilitated the dialogue between scholars, practitioners, and faith leaders on how evidence-based, community-rooted approaches can inform policy and strengthen multilateral collaboration.
The Sahel, home to over 300 million people across 16 countries, is experiencing acute environmental degradation—marked by persistent drought, declining agricultural productivity, and growing water stress. These pressures, as evidenced by multiple UN and IPCC reports, have intensified displacement, food insecurity, and resource-based conflict. The roundtable provided a space to reflect on integrated responses that address these complex and overlapping crises.
A central thread of the discussion was that climate resilience, gender equity, and peacebuilding are mutually reinforcing goals. Panelists and participants reflected on three core questions:
- How can women and youth be supported as co-creators—not just beneficiaries—of ecological programs?
- How can faith-based practices be aligned with climate science and policy frameworks such as the Paris Agreement and Global Biodiversity Framework?
- What institutional and structural barriers limit faith actors’ participation in national and multilateral environmental processes?
Drawing on field experiences from the Western Sahel, ACRL-RfP presented community-level approaches that are linking theology with practice. One example was Farming God’s Way, a conservation agriculture method that combines scriptural principles with FAO-endorsed agroecological techniques. In Mali, Senegal, and Burkina Faso, faith communities have used this model to restore degraded land, increase food production, and reduce tensions over natural resources.
“This is no longer just an environmental crisis. It is a humanitarian and development emergency.” – Dr. Francis Kuria, Secretary General, ACRL-RfP
Despite these contributions, many religious leaders lack access to scientific data, funding mechanisms, and entry points into national climate planning processes. This has limited their ability to translate local environmental action into policy impact, even as they remain embedded in affected communities.
The roundtable affirmed that environmental multilateralism must create space for grounded, faith-informed, community-driven solutions. Key recommendations included:
- Invest in participatory research that includes faith institutions and local communities.
- Integrate gender and faith dimensions into national implementation plans for Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs).
- Recognize religious actors as strategic partners—not peripheral stakeholders—in environmental governance and peacebuilding.
The discussion was enriched by diverse expert contributions:
- Rev. Dr. Nicta Lubaale addressed institutional and cultural barriers limiting women’s leadership in climate spaces.
- Dr. Hassan Kinyua Omari emphasized the need to formalize African spiritual values within national and international policy frameworks.
- Ms. Merylene Chitharai presented scalable youth-led, interfaith models that integrate sustainability, design, and community innovation.
Conclusion
The Roundtable underscored, that inclusion, is the operational strategy through which sustainable ecological solutions are co-created, scaled, and sustained. To advance climate resilience and peace in Africa, stakeholders must prioritize collaboration with women, youth, and faith communities, actors who hold both local legitimacy and the capacity to translate global frameworks into community action.
The conversation continues, anchored in evidence, grounded in practice, and aligned with the values of equity, dignity, and collective responsibility.
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