Faith to Action Network

 Every other year since 2009, the International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP) has brought together the family planning community to share best practices, celebrate successes, and chart a course forward. The International Conference on Family Planning serves as a strategic inflection point for the family planning and reproductive health community worldwide. It provides an opportunity for faith leaders, political leaders, scientists, researchers, policymakers, advocates, and youth to disseminate knowledge, celebrate successes, and identify next steps toward reaching the goal of enabling an additional 120 million women to access voluntary, quality contraception by 2020. The fifth International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP) took place in Kigali, Rwanda, from November 12 to 15, 2018. 2018 ICFP’s theme “Investing for a Lifetime of Returns” spoke to the various returns on investment family planning provides, from education and empowerment to economic growth and environmental health. This year, faith organizations were strongly represented throughout the conference, with a pre-conference, interfaith prayers and celebrations, numerous side-events, panel presentations, poster presentations, discussion tables. Please, have a look at the full faith agenda: ICFP 2018 faith programme

 

Faith to Action Network is a member of the Faith Sub Committee: As a member of the Faith Sub-committee, Faith to Action Network mobilizes faith organizations’ participation in the 2018 ICFP and organizes the 2018 ICFP Faith Pre-Conference. In addition, Faith to Action Network supports faith organizations in developing and proposing panels and abstracts and in negotiating at the international steering committee for their acceptance. This includes publicising the ICFP and faith pre-conference towards faith organizations, offering technical assistance in understanding the guidelines of the events and drafting submissions which meet required quality thresholds.

Since the fourth ICFP, Faith to Action Network and Christian Connections for International Health have organized a faith pre-conference on the side-lines of the main conference. The event promotes knowledge sharing among leaders of faith organizations and religious leaders and acts as a catalyst for their action in support of family planning. In 2018, the pre-conference’s theme is “Leveraging Faith Communities’ social capital for a lifetime of returns”. It explores how faith communities can advocate in advancing policies, funding and institutional commitment for family planning. It will take place in Kigali, Rwanda, from November 10 to 11, 2018. Its goal and objectives are summarized as follows: The goal is to increase faith organizations’ advocacy actions in support of family planning within their communities, institutions and towards governments.

Objectives:

• Encourage and develop relationships and partnerships among religious leaders, faith-based organizations, and secular organizations engaged in family planning.
• Showcase best practices of faith-based services and advocacy for family planning.
• Develop action plans to guide faith communities to educate and advocate within their own community for FP services and programs; and to advocate externally to policymakers.
• Attendees will develop advocacy commitments in support of family planning.