Our Faith Leader Environmental Advocacy Training (FLEAT) empowers people of faith to advocate for the environment and justice in their communities. These peer-learning opportunities are available for people in Southern and East Africa.
In Southern Africa, climate change exacerbates inequality; the poor and vulnerable are hit hardest. SAFCEI aims to empower faith communities for a resilient, sustainable future for all by equipping faith leaders with knowledge about key issues like just energy, sustainable food systems and animal justice.
This learning enables them to engage with their communities more effectively, to develop well-informed advocacy plans and to address the local impacts of environmental degradation and climate change.
FLEAT promotes interaction, networking and collaboration among diverse faiths empowering them to address challenges together.
Faith leaders have a special platform to speak out against socio-ecological and economic injustice. Through FLEAT’s advocacy training, SAFCEI is building a network of ‘Earthkeepers’ across Africa.
Through FLEAT faith leaders have been empowered to:
Local actions in faith communities and ways of living that restore – rather than destroy – nature and the human community, resulting in greater biodiversity and healthier ecosystems; Challenging governments by reminding them to act from principles and values that protect Earth’s living systems, including human society, as well as encouraging governments to support policies that will help to create climate resilience; Sharing stories of hope with other faith communities to inspire them to take similar actions and continue sharing. Our vision is that an empowered civil society, through education and advocacy of faith leaders, will be able to hold governments to account, and to create a sustainable future, which prioritises affordable energy for all.
