Dialogue

The event will be a one-day meeting involving approximately 20 participants in Rome, at the UISG
Headquarters. Based on their experiences, the testimonies they have gathered, and the challenges
they face in different parts of the world, Catholic Sisters and their allies will explore where greater
resources should be allocated and how to foster, both locally and internationally, solutions to
support all people who are affected by climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental
exploitation. Attention will be drawn on marginalised groups, including women and girls, displaced
and homeless people, children and the elderly, indigenous communities and other ethnic minorities.
The following questions will orientate the discussion during this meeting:

• Nature and climate change: which initiatives could be replicated to address climate change and
  loss of biodiversity with an integrated vision to protect environments and ecosystems?
  
• At the national and international level, women religious are uniquely placed to advocate for
  and with the communities they serve: how could Catholic Sisters be supported to bring local
  voices into global conversations and propose environmental solutions based on the needs of
  marginalised groups? Be supported to ensure that global commitments are implemented
  locally?
  
• The integration of the vulnerable as key players within the institutional frameworks rests on
  acknowledging that vulnerability can be a strength and a core value for responsible
  leadership: which mechanisms already exist and could be strengthened to ensure that voices
  from the margins are featured centrally in the global dialogue?
  
• Increase visibility of the most vulnerable in the public discourse entails creating the necessary
  platforms and stimulating public interest: what could increase media interest on locally-based
  challenges, on the needs of vulnerable people? What could be the message for a joint online
  campaign?
  
• UISG’s Sister-led dialogues are intended as a basis for a sustainable platform and for the
  promotion of SDG17 on Partnerships for the Planet: what is needed to facilitate a regular
  exchange of information, mutual support and collaboration among the actors around the table?
  What could be the main features of the UISG Advocacy Forum 2023 in relation to the
  environment?

OUTCOMES

Expected outcomes of this meeting include:

1. New collaborations laying the basis for a multi-stakeholder advocacy coalition to support
   environmental-related measures respectful of the needs and views of the most vulnerable
   people, with a view to developing a shared global vision for the future.
2. A policy brief including testimonies from the margins, learnings from the work of Sisters, data
   and reflections shared by partners in the field, and joint recommendations for advocacy.
3. An initial exchange of ideas for the preparation of the UISG Advocacy Forum 2023