Moraland Spiritualimperativetoeradicatepovertyand Advancethesdgs

MORALAND SPIRITUALIMPERATIVETOERADICATEPOVERTYAND ADVANCETHESDGS

PilotCountryNominations

1. TheMoralImperativeInitiative(MI)bringstogetherFaith-InspiredOrganizations(FIOs)undertheconvening oftheWorldBankGrouptorespondtotheglobalchallengeofendingextremepovertyandacceleratingprogress toachievetheSustainableDevelopmentGoals(SDGs).TheMIfocuseson:strengtheningtheevidence-base aroundtheroleandimpactoffaith-inspiredorganizationsinadvancingtheSDGs;enhancingFBOandfaith-basedadvocacyinSDGimplementationandaccountability;andfosteringmoreeffectivecollaborationbetweenfaith- inspired actors and the World BankGroup(WBG), UNsystem, and bilateraldevelopmentpartners.

1. The Faith-BasedActionFrameworktoEndExtremePovertyandRealize theSDGs was developed by acoalitionofFBOs - building on the “EndingExtremePoverty:AMoralandSpiritualImperative”statement The Action Frameworkaims to enhance, concrete faith inspired actions and work to enable efficient and effective co-ordination of actors involved, capacities, knowledge and uptake of policy, legislative and administration actions. In addition it purposesto buildpartnerships, co-create and co-produceopportunitiesfortransformationalchange throughcollectiveaction.

Country level Processes

1. In order to make progress it will be necessary to cascade and locate the focal points for engagement to country levels witha startingpoint in a fewselectpilot countries. Experiencesfrom the pilot countries willoffergood practicesthat can beapplied in futureplans fortheexpansion ofthemoral imperativeprocess,and morebroadlytowardstheachievementoftheSustainable Development Goals and thefull UNAgenda2030.

Objectives of the country level processes

a)Build Partnerships- identify stakeholders and partners;

b)Build or strengthen national faith inspired platforms/coalitions geared towards sustainable development ;

c)Prepare the field for deepening mobilization and engagement on policy, legislative and administrative actions to mainstream selected themes including ending extreme poverty, child protection and land rights within national planning;

d)Promote and build consensus at country level on viable pathways to eliminate extreme poverty, violence against children and advocate for land rights and the implementation of the SDGs;

e)Make the case for evidence and data at country levels ;

f)Provide the linkage between faith actors and other country mechanisms on SGDs.

Actions/Activities

1. Whiletheactivitiesinpilotcountrieswillvary,most willinvolvethe following:

a)Making arrangements for FBOs andfaithleadersto gatherto discussengagementwiththeMI.

b)Arrangingroundtable discussions, meetings,conferences, and consultations, withUNand WorldBanknationalorregionalofficeswithFBOs and Faith Leaders(wherepossible withnationalgovernmentparticipation).

c)Undertaking awareness, capacity building and advocacy activities and programs including:

• Nationalmappingof existingand prospectivepovertyeradicationprogrammingandlong term developmentprogramming-run by thestate, UN, WBG,orFBOs
• Considercollectiveorbilateralinterfaithdevelopmentinterventions,advocacyorevidence collection and documentation.
• Hold capacitybuilding,ortechnicalskills building workshopsrelatedto theimplementationof theSDGs- join projectsbetweenFBOs, WBG/UNand possibly the state.
• Otheractivitiesas identifiedby local and nationalactors

Pilot Country Nominations Process:

1. Organizationsand individuals affiliatedto and signedontotheMoralImperativeinitiativearerequestedto nominate candidatecountriesto be consideredfor this pilot phase.

1. Manycountrieshavepre-existinginterfaithdialogues and relationshipswithbothWorld Bankand UnitedNationsstaffatthe nationallevel.TheMoralImperativedoesnot intendto interferewithon-goingwork.Instead,theintentis tosupportexistingopportunitiesand wherepossiblefind additionalopportunitiestobringtogethera diversityoffaith actorswiththeUN and WorldBank.

1. Criteria: It is imperative that the Moral Imperative adopts criteriatoserveas “red-lines”orminimumstandards in the identification and selection of candidate countries. Three categories have been identified:
2. Needs,
3. Policy/ governancelandscape,and
4. Pre-existingcultureofcollaboration betweenfaithgroupsand ideallybetweenFBOs and UN/WBGcountryofficesin a givencontext.

1. Thesecriteriaareintendedtoenablea productiveand helpful pathwaytostrengthenefforts undertakenbyallsectorsin societyforthefulfilmentoftheSDGs.It is not intendedtobea moral, ethicalorstructuralcommentaryon thesituation inanyone countryorregion.

1. Thefollowingmatrixwillbeappliedtomake for candidate countries:

1. Thenumberofpilot countrieswillbe judgedbythenominationssubmittedby considering availableresourcing,pre-existingmultilateraleventsorplatformsthat canbe leveragedforthe promotionoftheMI.Thespecificpurpose and expectedoutcomeofeachpilot willbedeveloped individually, butwillbe relatedtotheprincipleoftheMoralImperativedocument.

Process of selecting the pilot countries:

Step1:Establishment of a Nominations Panelby the MI steering community to receive and process applications (New York, September 18, 2017)

Step 2: Issue of call for nominations- September 2017

Step3:Receipt of Nominations-Allnominationsmustbesubmitted tothe MI steering Committee byDecember 15th 2017.

Step4:Nominations Panel toanalyzeapplicationsrelative tothecriteria,andsubmitalistof alleligiblepilotcountriestothesteeringcommitteeforreviewandtheir recommendation.

Step5: Successful pilot countries will be announced on January 18th 2018. A mapping exercise will commence thereafter for each of the identified countries to begin to build plans, budgets, contacts and strategies will be negotiated with all relevant stakeholders.

Suggested Agenda for the Group 3: Country Pilot Focus - September 18

• Introductions.
• Review and discussion of the nomination process draft guide and key questions
• Discussion of next steps

CONCEPT NOTE

ADVOCACY ON ENDING VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN

Summary: What follows is a proposal to the Advocacy Working Group of the Moral Imperative Task Force to End Extreme Poverty, urging that the Committee prioritize, develop and advance a position on ending violence against children, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The case is made, first, for this being an appropriate role for the Advocacy Working Group, fitting as it does with the Moral Imperative Task Force’s overall goal; secondly, for the critical importance of ending violence against children from both a moral and a practical perspective; then, for the general principles which the Working Group is being asked to endorse; and, finally, for the possible next steps to be taken in further development and implementation of this advocacy position at global, regional and national levels.

Role of the Advocacy Working Group

• Each of the three Working Groups that were established after the Moral Imperative to End Extreme Poverty had issued its statement was tasked to: help bring public attention to the moral imperative; advocate for the success of the SDGs particularly as those connect to the moral imperative; and ensure that an environment exists in which faith-based organizations can best do their work [see Call to Action section at end of original statement]. The proposal for the Advocacy group to take a position on ending violence against children fits within this proposed structure and builds strongly on one of core statements in the Moral Imperative to End Extreme Poverty document: “fighting extreme poverty will require a comprehensive approach that includes its underlying causes. It will also necessitate a change in the habits that cause poverty—greed and waste….exploitation of people and the natural world.”

Critical Importance of Violence against Children

• Violence against children is all forms of physical, sexual and mental violence, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, harm or abuse, including commercial sexual exploitation, trafficking, child labor, cyber abuse and harmful practices such as female genital mutilation/cutting and child marriage. Issues of violence affecting children are found in the rural-urban continuum and in stable, fragile and conflict-affected settings. Children living and working in streets, children involved in gangs and gang violence, children left behind due to their parents’ migration to urban areas for work opportunities while they remain unattended in rural villages.
• The root causes of violence against children are multidimensional and vary according to context and may include conflict, greed, poverty, inequality, prejudice, religious, societal and cultural norms, as well as harmful traditional practices. Legal standards and policies that do not protect boys and girls reinforce and may exacerbate these complex causes.
• Indeed, poverty and violence against children are interlinked and it is therefore not possible to fight against one vice without confronting the other. In addition, the cost of reducing violence is far less than the cost of inaction; it has even been shown to produce real economic returns. A recent EU study found that every Euro invested in preventing VAC produces a social return of €87 ($100). It is these resources that will help to contribute to the provision of public services. Services children living in poverty so desperately need.

• But there are solutions and ending violence against boys and girls is possible.

The importance of violence against children has been emphasized in the narratives on the SDGs (SDG 16) that were adopted earlier this year, and is interconnected with many other SDGs such as health, water, livelihood’s, gender, education; see below:

What the Working Group Could Endorse

• Based on these various references to the importance of ending violence against children as a critical contribution to addressing the problem of extreme poverty it would make sense for the Advocacy Working Group to endorse this issue as one of the 2-3 key priority issues for the Moral Imperative to focus on at global and national levels

What are the Possible Next Steps?

• Discuss concept note at MI meeting in NY on September 22
• Endorse violence against children as one of the priority issues for MI
• Development of high-level strategy/plan, including capacity and resources required
• Identify countries for outreach, partners

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