Session 6.2

Faith-Based NGOs and Climate-Induced Migration

Abstract

Faith-based actors play a significant role in all dimensions of climate migration - as community leaders, as advocates, and as NGOs responding to the needs of migrants. Faith-based NGOs continue to be a major contributor to resettlement and advocacy, as well as relief work around the world. In this panel, representatives from several faith-based NGOs will speak about their organizations’ work, with a focus on good practices and cooperation. Anticipated panelists are a member of Sant’Egidio, an international service-oriented Catholic community with a long history of care for migrants in Europe; a representative of Catholic Charities, which is highly involved in resettlement and advocacy in the US; and a representative of Episcopal Migration Ministries, Episcopal Relief and Development, or another NGO.

Bios

Pietro Bartoli

Pietro Bartoli is an active member of the Community of Sant’Egidio in New York City. He is responsible for Sant’Egidio’s service to the homeless in New York and participates in the School of Peace. He is the director of the Solidarity Project, supported by the Cabrini Mission Foundation.

Angel Venegas

Angel Venegas specializes in climate resilience and humanitarian response with a focus on climate migration and community-led adaptation. Since 2019, he has advanced Episcopal Relief and Development’s work across the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean, strengthening institutional capacity and supporting communities navigating displacement, rural challenges, and climate-driven shocks. He brings deep expertise in participatory approaches that integrate equity, sustainability, and long-term resilience and holds a Master’s in Applied Psychology in Human Development and Social Intervention from New York University.

Chitsatt Myothant

Chitsatt Myothant joined Episcopal Relief and Development in 2024 as a Program Officer in the Climate Resilience Initiatives cluster. She manages a portfolio of partnerships in Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo focused on community-led solutions at the intersection of climate change, food security, and migration. Her work supports locally driven responses that strengthen resilience and address the challenges faced by displaced and rural communities. She holds a Master of Public Administration from SUNY Brockport.

Allegra Lovejoy

Allegra Lovejoy, MDiv, MEM is a Lecturer in Religion at St Joseph University. She has a background in environmental and humanitarian law and policy research, as well as chaplaincy and theology education.