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.
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
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 Goals.
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.
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.”
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.”
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. 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.
Turning
to why, having identified that hunger can be overcome, we have not
done it, we need to ask, as Renier did:
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,
Katherine Marshall summarized the priority areas of focus as
follows:
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.
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.
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.
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.
. 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.”
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.
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.
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.
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. “
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.
May
our Creator bless this gathering, and all those gathered. Once again,
welcome to Cape Town.
