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: the range of activities carried out by faith-inspired organizations, the growth of new religious movements and the role of religious institutions in local development, and 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. Approaches to faith-inspired organizations differ across the European Community and within individual countries. Africa presents an extraordinarily varied tapestry of development-focused organizations. Recently their work has received greater focus (prompted above all by the HIV/AIDS pandemic), but still little systematic information is available.
Opens in a new window