APPLY: Join our new Koeberg Faith Leader Environmental Advocacy Training - 16 to 18 March 2021

Dear friends,

SAFCEI, the Southern African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute, is a faith-based environmental organisation comprised of people of many faiths who are united in diversity through a common commitment to cherish living earth and to tackle issues of environmental injustice across the Southern and East African region. Through collaboration, networking, research and action, SAFCEI seeks to raise environmental awareness, engage in formulating policy and ethical guidelines and encourage environmental responsibility and action.

SAFCEI is calling on people of faith from areas in the Greater Cape Town area and surrounds of Koeberg, particularly those in a position of leadership, who want to be actively involved in environmental advocacy within their own community and beyond.

SAFCEI believes that people of faith have a moral imperative to speak against the socio-ecological injustices that face Africa’s peoples and our surrounding environment. In witnessing for the earth, SAFCEI believes that faith leadership at local level can share our local experiences, network with each other, and learn from each other how best to advocate for the change we want to see. We are coordinating a faith leadership advocacy training that provides a platform for common eco-justice action across the region (see http://safcei.org/what-we-do/fleat/ for more information about the previous FLEATs). Please note that this traininf will be held in-person with physical distancing in place. Transport, accommodation and meals will be supplied.

For SAFCEI, advocacy involves:

• Local actions at faith community level that demonstrate a way of living that restores rather than destroys nature and human community.
• Sharing stories of hope with other faith communities to inspire them to take similar actions and share their stories.

If you have time to dedicate to advocacy work and a passion for addressing environmental injustice, please complete the application form and your own letter of motivation, together with a letter of support/recommendation from your faith leader and send it to SAFCEI.

The training will take place on 16 to 18 March 2021. If you have time to dedicate to advocacy work and a passion for addressing environmental injustices, please complete the application form and send it with a letter of motivation to SAFCEI, and a letter of support from a community leader such as a faith leader.

This will be an intense three-day process of collectively sharing and designing an advocacy training, with input from various advocacy specialists. Issues of water, land, biodiversity, food, climate, and energy justice will be on the agenda. Practical action will be part of the training and you will be asked to report back about the practical application of the training in your environment

While each FLEAT training is different and carefully designed for maximum impact in the geographical context of the participants, here are two videos to show you what happened at a former FLEAT training.

Participants are invited to take experiences from the workshops and apply them in their faith communities between training sessions.  Participants are expected to commit to working together on advocacy actions both in their own countries and in the SADC region. If selected, you will be required to commit to FLEAT and make yourself available for the second follow-up meeting within 6 months’ time**.**

Please forward the application form with supporting documents to revberry@safcei.org.za by 3 March 2021 at 12pm.

Limited spaces are available - so it is essential to submit an application to secure your spot.

Disclaimer: safety and health will be a priority. All participants will be required to wear masks, at all times.

Yours sincerely,

Rev Berry Behr

Faith Leader Liaison

t + 27 21 701 8145

c + 27 76 672 1932

revberry@safcei.org.za

www.safcei.org

Koeberg FLEAT application form 2021