It Started with Us – Don’t Forget That as Agreements Are Now Being Torn Up

It Started with Us – Don’t Forget That as Agreements Are Now Being Torn Up

It started with us. Long before the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) was established, a faith-based movement within Swedish civil society was already working to change the world. Severing ties with us means that extensive experience and valuable knowledge will be lost to local partners.

There was a time when popular movements pushed for the restoration of human dignity, feeding the hungry, and ensuring that the excluded and marginalised had a place in society. Out of that commitment, a far-reaching effort has grown—one that no single actor could ever achieve alone. Our member organisations and churches represent a broad ecumenical spectrum of Christian traditions. They draw on decades, and in some cases centuries, of experience and established relationships with recipient communities. This kind of knowledge is difficult to transfer, and Sida cannot maintain our global network of partners on its own.

Shifting norms and values takes time, and development cooperation must be long-term. Short-term approaches do not yield sustainable results. SMC-Faith in Development holds a wealth of expertise that has taken years and significant resources to build. We are part of a global civil society ecosystem in which every actor plays a crucial role. SMC organises churches and Christian-based organisations working for human rights, global justice, and poverty reduction. We amplify the voices of rights-holders to make support relevant, and we collaborate within the ecosystem. We have been doing so for over a hundred years.

The infrastructure of relationships and mutual learning that we have built since the early 20th century has made us a key Sida partner since the 1980s, enabling us to channel development funds to smaller actors that would otherwise have no access to government financing. This has been an effective collaboration, enhancing the impact of the work carried out by churches and faith-based organisations.

We continue our work with faith in a better world. However, we find it difficult to believe the Tidö parties when they claim to support civil society. Recognizing the added value of civil society goes far beyond policy shifts that change with each election cycle.

SMC’s Secretary-General, Charlotta Norrby, still hopes that the government and Sida are willing to reconsider hasty decisions and seek a wise path forward.

“I hope the government recognizes our added value and understands that we can achieve so much more if we are allowed to continue contributing through Sida’s civil society strategy. Churches and faith-based organizations have a natural infrastructure that uniquely enables them to reach remote areas of the world.”