IF20 "represents an important opportunity to ensure that faith perspectives contribute meaningfully to global policy discussions."

By Marianna Richardson, Director of Communications for the G20 Interfaith Forum (IF20) ——— The Future of Life Institute (FLI) has been working since 2014 with the mission to: “Steer transformative tec...

Click here to Learn About Who's Speaking **Plans for the 2026 G20 Interfaith Forum Year** 2026 Theme: Interfaith Engagement for Policy Impact The United States hosts the 2026 G20 process, with its core feature, the Summit of leaders, scheduled at the Trump National Doral Miami resort in Miami, Florida on December 14-15, 2026. The G20 Interfaith Forum Association (“IF20”) plans two main meetings in conjunction with the G20 process this year: the first on May 26 at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C, and the annual Forum in Salt Lake City, Utah, October 15-17, 2026. The May 26 Washington Policy Forum will focus on analytic work on priority policies addressed through the G20 process. Four review papers will highlight diverse religious contributions to G20 2026 topics and proposed action recommendations. These topics will provide the core structure for the October meeting in Utah. The topics focus on themes related to the three themes the US government has announced for the G20 2026 US presidency: (1) Economic Growth for the Common Good, (2) Energy Security for a Sustainable Future, and (3) AI and the Human Future. A fourth review (4) will focus on more general themes: Interfaith Engagement around the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The review papers and discussion at the Washington Conference will focus on ways that religious values and practices relate to and can add to the critical topic areas, aiming to highlight service of the common good. They will reflect and draw on the ongoing work of the wide range of faith and interreligious networks and alliances engaged in humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding work. Drafts of the four reports will be circulated for consultation and comment prior to the May 26 meeting, then revised as core documents for the October Forum. The October 15-17 Annual Forum, in Salt Lake City, will focus on the themes identified during the policy review process, with some additional themes identified by Forum participants. Plenary sessions will address the policy themes developed in Washington plus other priority themes, such as the food crisis, health issues (including mental health), education, children’s issues, religion and economic progress, care for creation, etc. Concurrent sessions will facilitate in-depth discussion and analysis. The Salt Lake Forum will include invited speakers, with several sessions responding to topic proposals relevant to Forum priorities from individuals and organizations. Engagement. The Forum will involve interactive sessions in addition to keynote presentations. The aim is to highlight pertinent experience and to identify emerging areas for constructive forward-looking action. Active civil discourse, with recognition of diverse perspectives and experience, are the driving principle. Active participation by those attending is expected. The closing plenary will highlight major themes and action recommendations, relating them to the continuing G20 agenda. Participants will bring relevant and diverse expertise, from different regions and religious communities. Expressions of interest through the IF20 Secretariat (contact above) are welcome. View PDF Here **Source (@ Center of Page)**

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IF20 G20 South Africa 2025 The G20 Interfaith Forum Working Group on Human Trafficking, in partnership with Praeveni Global, continues its monthly webinar series. No one can do everything. Everyone ca...

Asosiasi Forum Antar Agama G20 (IF20) bersama Majelis Hukama Muslimin (MHM) akan menggelar Konferensi Tingkat Tinggi (KTT) di Salt Lake City, Utah, Amerika ...

YouTube video by aeon 23

Listen as Yashika Sing Head of Religious Programs with the South African Broadcasting Corporation, joins us from South Africa to discuss the importance of the IF20 and the important contributions that faith-based humanitarian organizations, like Islamic Relief USA, contribute to this important forum.

Local Data Sovereignty: Cultivating indigenous-led and marginalized access towards technological stewardshipAn interfaith-based webinar on the topic of local...

**IF20 Interfaith Forum in South Africa** _**Ubuntu in Action - Focus on Vulnerable Communities, leaving no-one behind**_ Cape Town, 11th August 2025 **Opening address** **Archbishop Dr Thabo Makgoba** **Introduction** It is a great privilege to welcome you in one of the most beautiful cities of the world to this important international Interfaith Forum in the year of South Africa’s G20 leadership. The importance of the G20 summits as a global forum has been underlined by their response to the 2008 global financial crisis, the Covid 19 pandemic, and the broadening of their agenda to include the UN's 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. The _**G20 Interfaith Forum**_ was launched in 2014 during the summit in Australia. With 84% of the world's population affiliated with a religious faith, this forum can reflect, influence and shape the values and actions of people in our world. It is therefore an indispensable voice in the global debate. The Forum draws on the global work of many faith communities that address the challenges and priorities of global agendas. Although it is not part of the formal “constellation” of engagement groups around the G20, it partners and works closely with several of the formal groups, such as the C20 (civil society) and T20 (think tank) meetings.2 However, the _**distinctive contribution**_ of the religious sector, of faith communities, is not based on our numbers but rather on _**our core values which shape our focus and actions.**_ In South Africa, in continuity with last year's theme of “leaving no one behind,” we focus on _**the needs of the most vulnerable in our society.**_ In our Christian tradition, we rely on the passage in John's Gospel (10:10), where the teacher we follow says, “I have come that you may have abundant life” – that means we aspire to an abundant life _**really for all**_ , not only for those with powerful connections in politics or business. It is our shared responsibility to remind a world which is in war and turmoil that – regardless of geopolitical alliances or the divides between North and South, between the rich and the poor, between the powerful or and powerless – we have a shared origin and a common destiny: we are all part of God’s creation and created by God to love and serve one another. We live in a world that we have not created, and for a very short time. We are only stewards of God's creation. The global climate crisis and the AIDS and Covid-19 pandemics underlined our fundamental connectedness, and highlighted the imperative that that we must seek global solutions for health challenges, poverty and food insecurity, and promote economic development for all. **South Africa’s G20 Presidency focus 3** The South African government has located its Presidency of the G20 this year in a world, and I quote, that “is facing a series of overlapping and mutually reinforcing crises, including climate change, underdevelopment, inequality, poverty, hunger, unemployment, technological changes and geopolitical instability “. And this is at a time when there are only five years to go before the deadline to reach the UN's the Sustainable Development Goals4. Although our faith is always fundamentally about more than any developmental agenda, more than any current political or economic ideology, we support the SDGs because we are convinced that they are in line with God's vision for us and our world. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has highlighted that only 12% of the SDG targets are currently on track to being met. About half of the goals call for more substantial progress if they are to be reached, and more than 30% have either stalled or been reversed. Only a fundamental shift in approach and accelerated implementation will be able to achieve them. In this context South Africa’s Presidency has identified _**inequality**_ as one of the key causes of the lack of progress. Again, I quote: “Inequality poses a significant threat to global economic growth, development, and stability, as the disparities in wealth and development within and between countries are both unjust and unsustainable. Inequality and its deleterious consequences are especially evident in the Global South.” It further highlights the “lack of predictable and sustainable financing for development” which is exacerbated by the high levels of sovereign debt, and the conflict between developmental programmes and the servicing of debt.5 South Africa has declared that it aims, and again I quote, “to address these urgent challenges by building partnerships across all sectors of society, acting in the interests of our shared humanity _.__**In the spirit of Ubuntu, we recognise that individual nations cannot thrive in isolation**_**.** Countries that attempt to prosper alone amid widespread poverty and underdevelopment contradict the essence of Ubuntu and our collective humanity. This understanding reflects the transformative promise of the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs, which are dedicated to **ensuring that no one is left behind.”** 6 South Africa has embraced the theme “ _**Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability**_ ” to tackle the multiple global challenges we are facing: “Through **solidarity** ,” we say, “we can create an inclusive future centred on people. Solidarity will allow us to develop our societies in a way that reflects our shared humanity. In our interconnected world, the challenges faced by one nation impact all nations.” Further “by promoting **equality** , we strive to ensure fair treatment and equal opportunities for all individuals and nations, regardless of their economic status, gender, race, geographic location or any other characteristic.” And finally, **Sustainability** involves meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Furthermore, looking at the process of how we achieve our goals, our government highlights how decision-making has traditionally worked best in Africa. It says: ““Guided by the spirit of Ubuntu, decision-making and governance in traditional African societies has, in the main, operated by way of consensus for what is in the best interest of all.”7 **South African IF20 focus points** In this year's deliberations, we have inherited Brazil's Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty declaration. This is a unique opportunity for us to lead by example. As religious leaders, _**we must ensure that our governments translate this international commitment into concrete policies and programs**_ that address the food insecurity crisis facing millions of people world-wide.8 At an IF 20 webinar on the 10th of July this year—a seminar which focussed on the role of Inter-religious actors in addressing Hunger and Poverty, Renier Koegelenberg asked: _Why are people (especially children) dying of hunger globally, and in South Africa? How do we deal with this moral scandal, when:_ * There are enough funding and resources available to prevent it. * There is enough excellent research being done to address this scandal by excellent units at universities and NGOs. * There are enough examples and case studies of faith-based, NGO and Business networks that successfully address food security and holistic support to vulnerable families – that can be scaled up.9 Turning to why, having identified that hunger can be overcome, we have not done it, we need to ask, as Renier did: * _Is it not simply a question of priorities; a lack of political will, and often the wrong/bad allocation of national resources?_ If our values shape our priorities, we cannot tolerate this scandal. In a world focused on “wealth creation” and “wealth management” (mostly for a selected few), we as faith leaders must focus on our common humanity, and abundant life for all. At a recent colloquium I co-hosted in Cape Town,10 Katherine Marshall summarized the priority areas of focus as follows:11 1. _**Food security and poverty**_. Food security, with its strong links to addressing poverty and inequality, is a leading issue, driving the Global Alliance launched by the G20 in Brazil and inspiring both South Africa and the African Union. The topic extends from the very local to the very global. IF20 builds on global faith inspired efforts to address hunger; examples include the World Council of Churches, the Caritas organizations, PaRD (International Partnership for Religion and Sustainable Development), World Vision, and countless others. In some of the IF20 publications available, there are numerous examples of international, regional and local projects initiated by faith leaders and faith communities. 1. _**Economic and Financial Action**_. Fiscal and debt crises confront many countries, particularly in Africa, and hinder poverty alleviation and climate action, as well as government capacities to provide basic services like education, health care, water supply, disaster response, and job creation. Religious communities link economic and financial issues to equity and thriving, notably through their focus on 2025 as a Jubilee year. 1. _**Addressing interreligious tensions.**_ This can be done through education and enhancing understanding of religious matters. The foundational Cross-Cultural Religious Literacy (CCRL) program and Arigatou International’s Ethics Education and Learning to Live Together programmes offer potential to strengthen regional and global approaches and address issues of violence and conflict linked to religious actors. Many religious groups work to address gender-based violence and action to support women, children, and families—for example, their physical and mental health, inequalities, and fair, equitable treatment. 1. _**Migration and refugee movements**_ , human trafficking, and modern slavery present major challenges to leaders and to communities, with distinctive relevance for Africa. IF20’s continuing work highlights extensive religious teaching and practices supporting policies and action to support those on the move, especially those who are most vulnerable. Fear of migrants and refugees affects politics in many settings and calls for religious advocacy for compassion and care. IF20’s longstanding focus on the urgent need for multinational action on human trafficking will underpin 2025 advocacy. 1. . **Disaster prevention, response, recovery**. Active religious involvement, as first responders, at regional and global levels and through policy and programmatic analysis, play vital roles. Disaster relief is closely tied to widely varied environmental challenges, including rainforest destruction and climate movements/migration, underlining the needed focus on prevention, building resilience, and meaningful capacities to respond. As South Africans, our appeal is to our own President, Cyril Ramaphosa, and other government leaders also to prioritize these agenda points. **The Ubuntu Challenge: meaningful partnerships** At our recent Cape Town Colloquium, Bishop Sithembele Sipuka, President of the South African Council of Churches, emphasized that “Food security is not just about calories; it’s about ubuntu, _**our interconnected humanity**_. When children die of malnutrition while food rots in warehouses, when fertile land lies barren while people queue for grants, and when communities that once fed themselves now depend on handouts, our ubuntu is broken…” Again, the precepts of Ubuntu offer a solution. When government, business, faith communities, and citizens work together with mutual respect and shared responsibility, when we treat people as agents rather than objects, and when we build systems that empower rather than create dependency, then we restore not just food security, but human dignity.”12 **Therefore, our appeal should be:** **Firstly, to our governments** : Use the G20 platform to champion not just emergency relief, but sustainable food systems that empower people. Learn from Brazil's success but adapt solutions to our African context. Part of this must include providing enough budgetary allocations for agriculture in national budgets. Address the critical issue of partnership between government and civil society. A failure to work together undermines the effectiveness of social development programmes, including food security initiatives. Too often, our government adopts an approach of wanting to “do it alone,” systematically excluding churches and faith communities from programme implementation, opting for isolation over collaboration. Faith communities have the organizational structure and unwavering commitment to provide social services and advance the development that governments desperately need. We are present in every corner of our country—in cities and in the most remote rural areas where government services barely reach. More importantly, we have deep personal connections with communities that most government officials cannot replicate. Instead of viewing faith communities as competitors or obstacles, governments should provide funding and support to leverage our existing infrastructure and community trust. **Secondly, our appeal should be to Business Leaders** : It is time to go beyond just making donations; let us focus on making real investments. Partner with our communities to help build local capacity and create sustainable livelihoods. There are numerous partnerships between Business and NGOs, between Business and Faith-Based Community Development Programmes: the work of the CDDC Trust and Kumba Iron Ore mine in our Northen Cape mining region – focussing on food security and support to vulnerable families, are good examples. **Thirdly, let us appeal to our own Faith Communities** : We have a vital role to play in shifting from dependency to empowerment. Our moral authority comes with a practical responsibility to lead this change. **Fourthly, an appeal to Our People** : It is time to reclaim your dignity as producers, not just consumers. The land that once sustained our ancestors can nourish us again. As we join the G20 process and work on our national development agenda, let us remember that our success will not be measured by the size of our grants or how efficiently we deliver services. Instead, it will be about whether our children can hold their heads high, knowing they live in communities that produce, create, and sustain themselves. The choice is in our hands. We can either continue the cycle of dependency or choose the more challenging but dignifying path of empowerment. Our people are ready for this change. _**The real question is: Are we, as Church and faith leaders, prepared to lead them there?**_ **Conclusion** If the world fails to achieve the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals – which seems almost certain right now, it will not be due to the lack of numerous and costly high-level Governmental summits, or of high-level ministerial meetings, different tracks, task forces, working groups, and engagement groups. Nor will it be for the lack experts and technical advisors. It will be a result of the lack of commitment to set the correct priorities and to build meaningful partnerships. The world does not only need a new technical “developmental paradigm” to accelerate the implementation of the SDGs. It rather needs a new “heart”: a correction of priorities based on values, on ethical, servant leadership – not only to “tolerate” your neighbour, but to love your neighbour as you love yourself; caring for our environment, caring for future generations, so that they too can prosper! This is real stewardship, ethical leadership. The reformer Martin Luther defined sin as “being bent on your own personal needs,” whereas real freedom means to serve the needs of others. As the first country in the “Global South” to host the G20, bringing North and South, East and West agendas together, we are challenged to transcend historic ideological differences and legacies to advance real democracy and human dignity.13 Especially in the Global South we should not be hypocritical. We cannot expect change only from the rich Global North; we need to be self-critical about conditions and priorities within our own countries and regions. Our political elites and those close to power live in a luxury bubble of affluence, absorbing national resources, while most of their people, especially children and women, struggle to survive, to feed themselves, to find jobs. It is our moral duty to speak out against hate, racism, the instrumentalization of different faiths for political reasons and nationalist ideologies that exclude others – and channel our energy and wisdom to life-giving programmes that foster the dignity and abundant life of all. 14 In our current global context, amidst increased geo-global political tensions and wars raging in Ukraine and Russia, the Middle East, Sudan and other parts of Africa, more and more resources are being channelled into weapons production and security arrangements, this at the expense of health and social programmes. Therefore, our plea as faith leaders to global leaders is to “Put People First” – pump resources into “life-enhancing programmes” and strengthen peace-making efforts to stop violent conflicts.15 Beyond our moral role as faith leaders lies the reality that our faith networks are some of the most trusted, efficient partners that reach all people at grassroots level. That is why we appeal to political and business leaders, to work and partner with us – after all, we are all instruments in God’s hands. Our mission, as Katherine Marshall told us, is “to highlight the common themes, and above all to keep a laser focus on the problems of the most vulnerable, particularly children, women, refugees, the hungry, and too many other groups. “16 Our faith therefore demands of us that worship should drive us from our knees, and send us out from our churches, our mosques and our temples to engage the world and ensure that our Creator’s intention is fulfilled.17 May our Creator bless this gathering, and all those gathered. Once again, welcome to Cape Town. 1 Archbishop Dr Thabo Makgoba, Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town 2 Katherine Marshall, Vice President G20 Interfaith Association: Brasilia: Leave No one Behind. The G20 Interfaith Forum – our journey. August 20, 2024 3 https://g20.org/g20-south-africa/g20-presidency/ 4 Mr Antonio Guterres, the Special Edition of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Progress Report on 25 April 2023; https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2023/ 5 https://g20.org/g20-south-africa/g20-presidency/ 6 Ibid 7 Ibid 8 Bishop Dr Sithembele Sipuka, Addressing food security in South Africa: a call for Empowerment and Partnership, Bishopscourt colloquium, 12 June 2025, 9 See IF 20 webinar: The role of Inter-religious actors in addressing Hunger and Poverty,”, 10 July 2025; _https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8Mf7xo8m9E_ 10 NCLC and IF20 colloquium, 12-13 June 2025: Strengthening Democracy and Human Dignity in South Africa and beyond. 11 Katherine Marshall, “G20 Interfaith Association meeting in Cape Town: Ubuntu in Action: Focus on Vulnerable Communities, August 10-14, 2025, Bishopscourt colloquium, 12 June 2025, 12 Bishop Dr Sithembele Sipuka, Addressing food security in South Africa: a call for Empowerment and Partnership, Bishopscourt colloquium, 12 June 2025 13 See our NCLC Bishopscourt Statement, 13 June2025, Cape Town: Strengthening Democracy and Human Dignity in South Africa and beyond. 14 See my recent message to G20 Interfaith/PaRD meeting in Brasilia Forum, 22 August 2024, 15 Makgoba UNAIDS virtual address, UNAIDS at AIDS2024, the 25th International AIDS Conference, Munich, 20 July 2024 16 Katherine Marshall, Bishopscourt, 12 June 2025 17 See my address to Communities of Faith Breakfast: building Partnerships for a One-Community Response to HIV, Prioritizing Children in the HIV Response, hosted by UNAIDS, Washington.