Global Development and Faith-Inspired Organizations in Europe and Africa: Meeting Report
Abstract
This report was published following a 2008 Hague meeting of engaged practitioners to take stock of the wide range of ongoing work by different faith-inspired organizations in Africa and Europe and to explore the policy implications that emerge from their interactions with development organizations. The first day's session covered a broad range of issues: naming and reflecting on the range of activities carried out by faith-inspired organizations; probing the growth of new religious movements and the role of religious institutions in local development; exploring relationships of northern FBOs to their southern partners; and reflecting on relationships among different partners in the development arena. The second day's session centered on the work of faith leaders and institutions in post-conflict environments. Several broad themes emerged: the group stressed that religion has received inadequate or misguided attention from donors, even though it can be a positive resource for development.
Description
Approaches to faith-inspired organizations differ across the European Community and within individual European countries. As in other world regions, there is fragmented data and little systematic stock-taking. Africa presents an extraordinarily varied tapestry of organizations working in development, many of them inspired and often founded by faith traditions. Recently their work has received greater focus (prompted above all by the HIV/AIDS pandemic), but still little systematic information is available, and policy implications have barely been explored. There is still much uncharted ground, however, because there has been little systematic investigation into the work of faith-inspired institutions. The area is complicated by tensions and failures in communication, between different faiths and between faith-based and secular development institutions. There is an urgent need for better knowledge and understanding. These offer the potential to enhance both the quality and reach of global development work.
Permanent Link
http://hdl.handle.net/10822/1052198Date Published
2008-06-24Rights
Copyright Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs. Permission is granted for educational uses only. For other uses, please contact the center at berkleycenter@georgetown.edu for information about permissions.
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Faith-Inspired Organizations and Global Development Policy: A Background Review "Mapping" Social and Economic Development Work in Europe and Africa
(2009-01-01)Part of a global review of such work, this report focuses on Europe and Africa as it explores issues confronting organizations working on international development that are, in different ways and to varying degrees, inspired ...
