International online forum – ACT Alliance

Representatives of church-based aid organizations from nearly 20 countries participated in an international online forum organized by Hungarian Interchurch Aid. At the annual “meeting” of ACT Alliance Europe Forum member organizations, the main topics were the challenges posed by the coronavirus and the management of the long-term consequences of the epidemic.

The meeting was opened by Lászlo Lehel, president-director of HIA-Hungary, following the devotion led by Ilona Szentiványi, Chair of the Supervisory Board of HIA-Hungary. In his speech, the head of HIA-Hungary stressed that although the epidemic prevented representatives of the organizations from meeting in person, it could not make it impossible for them to work as a strong community for common goals. He emphasized that the member organizations are not spectators, but active participants in the great European processes and debates, and although their thinking may be diverse, the common Christian values provide a strong basis for joint work and cooperation.

After reviewing the current operational issues, the reports of the previous year and the annual work plan of the Forum, the main topics of the meeting were the impact of COVID-19 on the work of aid organizations, the impediments to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, and several organizations also presented their experiences and strategies in the epidemic.