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 restoring human dignity, feeding the hungry, and ensuring that the excluded and marginalised had a place in society. A far-reaching effort has grown out of that commitment—one that no single actor could 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 knowledge is difficult to transfer, and Sida cannot independently maintain our global network of partners.

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 where every actor plays a crucial role. SMC organises churches and Christian-based organisations working for human rights, global justice, and poverty reduction. We amplify rights-holders voices 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. This has enabled us to channel development funds to smaller actors who would otherwise have no access to government financing. This collaboration has been effective, 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. Recognising 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 will reconsider hasty decisions and seek a wise path forward.

– I hope the Government recognises our added value and understands that we can achieve much more if we continue contributing through Sida’s civil society strategy. Churches and faith-based organisations have a natural infrastructure that uniquely enables them to reach remote areas of the world.