CWS climate change project receives ACT award

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
> September 16, 2011

> CWS climate change project receives ACT award

Yogyakarta, Indonesia ­ A Church World Service
project that addresses the energy demands of
rural households in the nation of Georgia has
been honored with the 2011 ACT Climate Award,
which recognizes humanitarian work focused on climate change adaptation.

The project, based in the Chokotauri and Khobi
districts of Georgia, is carried out in
cooperation with two Georgia-based partners --
Women in Europe for a Common Future and the Rural
Communities Development Agency.

In accepting the award during the recent ACT
Global Disaster Risk Reduction Workshop in
Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Rostom Gamisonia, who
heads the Rural Communities Development Agency,
praised the partnership between the various agencies.

"Church World Service doesn't tell us how to do
this. We tell them of our capacity and they work
with us," he said during the final day of the ACT
workshop, held Sept. 5-9, and which was attended
by a number of CWS staff members from Asia and North America.

Vitali Vorona, CWS Balkans and Europe Regional
Coordinator, said the recognition of the award
"is very important for all of us in today's
challenging circumstances" and could provide a
tremendous opportunity for CWS Europe programs in several ways.

"It may serve as the catalyst for pioneering new
approaches and innovations in the future. We can
translate it to better relationships with the
partners, beneficiaries and other stakeholders. I
hope the award will also serve as a motivating
factor in our efforts to do more with our partners in the region."

The CWS-RCDA partnership was recognized for a
sustainable development program that supports
poor communities in Georgia by building local
skills and capacities in environmental
protection, and the use of renewable energy resources.

The project combines both climate change

adaptation and mitigation work while creating new
sources of income and employment. Most families
in the project area use firewood for cooking and
heating which causes widespread land degradation.

As an alternative to cutting down trees the

project promotes and builds briquette machines to
produce fuel-briquettes from agricultural residues.

Among the other components of the project are
efforts to use renewable energy resources by
building solar water heaters and solar dryers for dried fruits and vegetabl es.

John Nduna, the general secretary of ACT

Alliance, and Peter Rottach, who heads the ACT
climate and disaster risk reduction working
group, said the CWS project is an example of the
alliance's considerable "know-how" on reducing
disaster risk and adapting to climate change.

"This, we believe, is expertise that is worth
sharing," they said in announcing the award
winner. "One of the added values of a network
like the ACT Alliance is the ability to stimulate
mutual sharing, learning and capacity-support among and for its members."

Church World Service is a member of ACT Alliance,
an international grouping of 111 churches and
church-related organizations that work together
in humanitarian assistance, advocacy and
development. The alliance works in 140 countries
and mobilizes $1.6 billion annually in its work.

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