Who are we?
We are Voices for Just Climate Action (VCA). Our alliance brings together global and local voices by connecting a diverse range of civil society organizations representing women, youth, indigenous people, urban poor, digital activists and more. The programme is implemented by an alliance led by four strong Southern CSOs – Akina Mama wa Afrika (AMwA), Fundación Avina, Slum Dwellers International (SDI) and SouthSouthNorth (SSN) – and two Global CSOs – Hivos and WWF-Netherlands – under the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ five-year strategic partnership: “Power of Voices”.
OUR SHARED VISION
A world where civil society is heard and respected. A world where civil society co-creates locally relevant, inclusive and fundable climate solutions. A world where local civil society is an agent of change and influences policies and practices to the benefit of these solutions. As part of local and global responses to the climate crisis, these climate solutions will deliver real benefits to people and nature.
We will work on the vision through three strategic interventions:
Mutual capacity strengthening for co-creating alternative scaled climate solutions
Agenda-setting and movement in climate action through amplified storytelling
Joint lobbying and advocacy to make policy and financial flows responsive to locally shaped climate solutions
Local ownership
We build broad societal support for local solutions and stimulate action from diverse perspectives and alternative approaches. We facilitate new unexpected coalitions that protect and expand civic space and engage in inclusive dialogue that builds mutual trust. In doing so, we shift ownership to local civil society and support them in movement building, raising their voice to the global level and challenging power balances.
Climate justice through gender justice
We see women leadership as key to ensuring the voices of marginalized groups are heard. Gender equality is a building block for a powerful approach to climate justice. By acknowledging the root causes of the problem and integrating an intersectional analysis, we seek to address inequalities and transform power relationships based on gender and identity, race, and class, among others.
COUNTRY SELECTION
The countries we work in are strategic choices based on economic importance and challenges faced in terms of climate vulnerabilities and limited civic space. At the same time, many interesting local initiatives and movements are emerging in these countries, providing opportunities to show how we can transition to a just, fair and sustainable world.
Participating regions and countries include:
