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Religion and Development Database
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An increasing number of organizations and programs are grappling with problems at the intersection of religion and development. On this site you have access to the latest world news on the topic and can explore faith-related efforts across countries, regions, and issue areas. The Religion and Global Development Resources are supported by the Luce/SFS Program on Religion and International Affairs.
On June 13, 2012 religious leaders from Southern Africa convened in Cape Town at an interfaith conference to address the challenges of corruption. Faith leaders heard testimonies from community witnesses, social justice activists, and the CEO of the Public Protector's Office on the mounting cost of corruption. The religious communities then defined shared goals and coordinated a practical way forward for an interfaith response to corruption. In a statement released after the summit, faith...
The Global Peace Initiative of Women (GPIW) organized the week-long "Addressing Climate Change: World Spiritual Leaders Gather for the COP15" event program in support of the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP15, to spur "awakening to oneness" in dealing with climate change. In panel discussions, GPIW delegation of 25 leaders from both Eastern and Western religious backgrounds encouraged their view that because it is a common human problem, stopping climate change requires...
The Engaged Buddhist Festival of Peace and Social Transformation marked the 20th anniversary of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists and highlighted past successes as inspiration for future efforts. The festival began with a three-day meditation retreat, followed by three days of presentations and discussions on Buddhist peace work. Sessions addressed topics like environmental justice, lessons learned from past successes and failures, and the future of engaged Buddhism among youth....
The 4th Triennial Global Consultation on Creation Stewardship and Climate Change provided Micah Network members with the opportunity to expand their knowledge of environmental issues and develop effective responses based on biblical models of environmental stewardship. Participants developed two statements during the consultation: the "Micah Network Declaration on Creation Stewardship and Climate Change" and the "Micah Network Statement to World Leaders - Our Expectations for Copenhagen," for...
The ARHAP Conference 2009 used the theme "When Religion and Health Align: Mobilizing Religious Health Assets for Transformation" to spur discussion about the rapidly expanding knowledge base on religion and health. The ultimate goal was to identify ways of effectively using new knowledge. Sessions 1 and 2 explored conceptual and practical boundaries between the two disciplines and the leadership needed in public health and religion today; sessions 3 and 4 reviewed empirical research on ways...
The Rudolph C. Barnes Sr. Symposium 2009 brought together multidisciplinary scholars to discuss the theme "Theory and Application of A Common Word" and develop new approaches to major international challenges using A Common Word Between Us and You as a basis for discussion. Sessions on comparative theology, mysticism, and metaphysics addressed theoretical questions, including how to engage in dialogue that is more than polite conversation but does not ignore profound differences. Applied...
Calvin College's fourth annual International Development and Faith Conference was organized by students to provide a space for sharing ideas and exploring passions with development professionals from the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee, World Vision, Bread for the World, Hope International, and others. Participants delved into the important theme of partnership and examined how it applies to their lives as students and practitioners of international development. Katherine Marshall...
The Interfaith Climate Summit united approximately 1,000 religious leaders and scholars in an effort to highlight the importance of addressing climate change. In addition to Christian participants, there were representatives of Buddhism, Sikhism, Islam, Judaism, and Daoism; politicians such as Vice President of the European Commission Margot Wallstrom were also present. After two days of discussion on climate change and poverty, post-Kyoto commitments, and global responsibility for change,...
Co-sponsored by the Oxford Centre for Religion and Public Life and the Evangelical Alliance of South Africa, the two-day Conference on Religion & Media in South Africa brought together a diverse range of scholars and practitioners from media, religious, political, academic, and civil society fields to discuss the contemporary challenges facing South African journalists and media organizations in regard to their professional interactions and personal relationships with religion. Issues of...
Convened in Athens, Greece, the 13th Annual International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC) brought together business leaders, heads of state, community organizers, media representatives, government enforcers, and investigators. Approximately 1300 leaders from over 135 countries were in attendance. The participants discussed a wide range of topics relating to corruption including conflict and violence, natural resource exploitation, the slow response to climate change, and deepening global...
The World Evangelical Alliance General Assembly 2008 brought together 500 evangelical leaders to discuss the state of world evangelization and outline evangelical responses to major international trends. In addition to proclaiming their support for the Micah Challenge and global initiatives to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, participants also pledged to expand evangelical engagement in peacebuilding and reconciliation programs. Other resolutions called for increased attention to the...
Participants in the "Global HIV Consultation: Churches Living with HIV" came together to acknowledge the reality of HIV/AIDS in Christian communities and develop better ways of caring for and supporting those affected by the disease. Four daily themes organized sessions on living with HIV, capacity building, integral mission, and advocacy. Discussions also addressed issues like gender inequality, HIV/AIDS in theological education, and expanded partnerships with a broad spectrum of...
Hosted by the Bochum International Consortium for Research in the Humanities, this event brought together scholars from a variety of fields and specializations to discuss the history of religious interactions between Asia and Europe. "World religions" have developed in interaction with one another, and this conference unpacks that complex history of influence and occasional conflict. The conference placed special attention on the experiences of secularism in Asia and Europe, and the...
The Ecumenical Conference on Human Trafficking educated participants about child slavery and other forms of trafficking and helped them brainstorm new approaches to combating the practice. Presenters discussed challenges such as misinformation among law enforcement officers and the complicity of other authority figures, such as doctors and translators; others showcased the stories of survivors and examples of grassroots anti-trafficking initiatives. The event was cosponsored by the National...
At the Religions for Peace Consultation at the High-level Event on the Millennium Development Goals, world religious leaders reiterated their support for global anti-poverty efforts. Religions for Peace Secretary General Dr. William F. Vendley challenged governments to build cooperative relationships with faith-based partners as they work to reach the Millennium Development Goals. In their final statement, religious leaders highlighted remaining challenges such as rising food prices,...
At the Strategic Conversation on Disaster Management, 35 participants from evangelical agencies in 22 countries discussed ways of improving their disaster management capabilities. Sessions especially focused on improving coordination and networking with local churches and among member agencies, both at the national and international level; they also addressed cross-cutting issues like HIV/AIDS and gender, as well as Christian theological perspectives on disaster and climate change. The...
The International AIDS Conference is an annual AIDS forum organized by the International AIDS Society in cities throughout the world. The 2008 conference was hosted by Mexico City and focused specifically on structured dialogue and scientific research in the global fight against AIDS. The conference fostered the expansion of HIV treatment and prevention through the sharing of best practices. Through collective action, the conference aimed not only to increase efforts towards curbing HIV/AIDS,...
The 2008 Ecumenical Pre-Conference took the 2006 pre-conference theme - Faith in Action - to inspire renewed effort towards the goal of the main International AIDS Conference: Universal Action Now. With an emphasis on networking and better cooperation, Pre-Conference participants can take advantage of eight workshop streams: theology in action; greater involvement of people living with HIV; advocacy and collaboration with key players; accessing resources; care and support; prevention; gender...
The Walk of Witness brought together the global members of the Anglican Communion and interfaith representatives from the United Kingdom in a demonstration that highlighted the persistent problem of global poverty. In the closing rally, Archbishop Rowan Williams offered UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown an open letter outlining faith communities' commitment to eradicating poverty and challenging world leaders to address poverty and inequality. Brown also spoke in support of the Millennium...
Cosponsored by the Catholic Association of Diocesan Ecumenical and Interreligious Officers (formerly NADEO) and the Bishops' Committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, this annual conference provides American Catholic lay leaders and clergy with the information and tools they need to begin participating in interreligious dialogue. Presenters highlight pastoral principles and the Church's evolving approach to dialogue, followed by information on world religions as practiced in the...
In the seventh annual conference sponsored by Globalisation for the Common Good, participants discussed how religion and conflict in the Middle East impact nations and people throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Keynote speakers included a member of the Australian high court and a video message from Prince Hassan of Jordan. Presenters discussed Islam in dialogue with other religions, as well as interfaith peacebuilding and conflict resolution efforts. Another session explored how the city of...
The World Bank's Development Dialogue on Values and Ethics, in conjunction with the Embassy of Morocco and the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), hosted a segment of a high-level dialogue/consultation between Moroccan and U.S. Evangelical leaders centering on issues of climate change on June 19, 2008. The dialogue's objectives were twofold: (1) support an alliance between two important development constituencies on a strategic issue, and (2) strengthen coordination and advocacy...
The World Economic Forum on the Middle East 2008 was a three-day meeting of over 1000 world leaders in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. In 2008 the theme was "Learning from the Future." To that end, the Forum consisted of plenaries, panel discussions, debates, and various formal networking programs to address pressing issues such as the global food crisis, climate change, inflation and political instability. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and American President George W. Bush opened the Forum on May...
Organized by the Canadian Christian Relief and Development Association, this two-day conference focused on helping Canadian faith-based organizations examine the intersection of faith and development and use their knowledge to improve their outreach and service provision. Speeches from Georgetown University professor and former World Bank official Katherine Marshall and Dr. Ray Vander Zaag of Canadian Mennonite University kicked off the conference. The first panel discussion that followed...
Traveling as the Religions for Peace Inter-religious Council-Thailand to foster reconciliation and peace, Asian religious leaders visited southern Thailand as part of an effort to promote peace and reconciliation. The visit included discussions with Thai political leaders, government officials, and local religious leaders. Delegation participants represented Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam, including members of the World Fellowship of Buddhists, the Christian Conference of Asia, and...
Sponsored by Religions for Peace in conjunction with regional Christian and Buddhist organizations, this conference focused on bringing together women of diverse religious traditions to discuss ways their faith can contribute to peace in society. Organizers hoped that participants would also leave better able to cooperate with outside organizations (such as the UN or national governments) on relevant issues. The conference's most notable accomplishment was the launch of the Pan Asian Women of...
Held at the Washington National Cathedral, "Breakthrough: Women, Faith and Development Summit to End Global Poverty" marked the kickoff of the Women, Faith and Development Alliance's (WFDA) multi-year action and advocacy initiative to promote female empowerment across the world. The event brought together leaders from governments, NGOs, donors and advocacy groups, and worked with the Washington National Cathedral's Center for Global Justice and Reconciliation so as to have the widest possible...
Cosponsored by the Centre of African Studies at the University of Edinburgh and the Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research at the University of the Witwatersrand, this conference explored how religious and faith-based organizations have participated in the political and economic development of sub-Saharan Africa. During the first day of sessions, presenters discussed religion and development in Nigeria, Islamic NGOs, and the role of religion in health crises such as the HIV/AIDS...
Georgetown University and the World Economic Forum (WEF) jointly hosted a roundtable on Capitol Hill on April 4, 2008, on the topic "Islam and American Politics: Deepening the Dialogue." Participants discussed issues raised in the inaugural publication of Islam and the West: Annual Report on the State of Dialogue, a publication of the Berkley Center in conjunction with the WEF. Topics included the impact of Muslim Americans on US society and politics in general, the role of Islam in the 2008...
The Center for Contemporary Arab Studies sponsored its 2008 Annual Symposium on the dynamic explosion of economic growth in the Arab-Persian Gulf at Georgetown University from March 27 to March 28, 2008. The symposium, entitled "Industrialization in the Gulf: A Socioeconomic Revolution," featured remarks from renowned scholars and politicians including His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Issa Al-Khalifa, Chief Executive of the Bahrain Economic Development Board, Dr. Hazem Beblawi of the Arab...
On March 13-14, 2008, in Dakar, Senegal, the heads of state and monarchs of the member countries of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) met for the eleventh session of the Islamic Summit Conference. The purpose of the Summit is to strengthen the political, economic, and religious relations between OIC members. This Summit in particular addressed the political crises in Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, Somalia, and Darfur, and aimed to create a plan for African development.
This public seminar examined religiously influenced social inclusion and exclusion as it affects development, with an emphasis on the role of the state. The seminar began with an overview of early work on religion and development within the social sciences. In subsequent sessions, university researchers discussed their work in Pakistan, India, Nigeria, and Tanzania. Some discussed religion's role in local and national politics, while others highlighted how religion affects access to...
The Islam and HIV/AIDS Conference was hosted by Islamic Relief Worldwide on November 26-30, 2007 in South Africa to address the implications of the HIV/AIDS pandemic from a Muslim perspective. The conference combined three key groups to address the problem - religious leaders, HIV/AIDS practitioners, and a number of people living with HIV/AIDS. The conference worked off a series of case studies that helped identify best practices among local communities, national governments, NGOs, and...
The November 2007 "International Conference on Terrorism: Dimensions, Threats, and Countermeasures," held in Tunis, was cosponsored by the Tunisian government, the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), and the Islamic Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ISESCO). The conference explored both the military and the socioeconomic dimensions of security. Discussions centered on the challenges of social exclusion, poverty, and illiteracy as underlying sources of extremism and...
The Center for Contemporary Arab Studies sponsored the Arab Media Development Symposium on October 31, 2007 at Georgetown University. The symposium focused on the significance of the media on issues of international development in the Arab world. Each of the workshops in the symposium explored a particular facet of the media industry's impact on development and diplomacy in the Arab world and featured many qualified speakers including Vice President of Programs from the International Center...
The purpose of the Conference on Latinos, Faith, Culture and HIV was to inspire a discussion about HIV/AIDS among California faith leaders and empower them to take a more active role in the fight against this devastating disease. The conference provided an opportunity to share some of the research data that reveals how faith-based institutions and religiosity influence HIV/AIDS in the Latino community. The conference included presentations to approximately 300 faith leaders and congregants...
The Center for Contemporary Arab Studies sponsored the inauguration of Georgetown University's new Clovis and Hala Salaam Maksoud Chair on October 23, 2007. Dr. Fida J. Adely, honored as the first Clovis and Hala Salaam Maksoud Chair because of her expertise and experience in the field of development and gender in the Arab world, delivered a lecture as her acceptance speech. The Center for Contemporary Arab Studies established the Clovis and Hala Salaam Maksoud Chair in honor of Ambassador...
This conference sought to transform the lessons of the 2005 conference, "Religion: A Source for Human Rights and Development Cooperation," into more concrete steps that could facilitate cooperation between development organizations, especially when they disagree on the immaterial impact of development. The conference included 98 participants from 26 countries. The final report focused on the concept of integral development, which incorporates relational and religious goals and methodologies...
Hosted by the Radboud University Nijmegen, this conference explored how the principles of sustainable development could be better integrated into the curriculum of university-level theology and religious studies programs. Three keynote speakers first approached the question from Islamic, indigenous African, and Christian perspectives. Later sessions emphasized the complexity of religious perspectives on sustainability, since the views of individuals and communities are often equally likely to...
This conference explored the oft-ignored nexus of development, gender, and religion. The keynote speech by Ursula King highlighted how women have begun to self-define their roles in religion and development, though this phenomenon is still evolving. The first panel discussed various ways faith-based development organizations provide services such as education to children and young people, and the following panel used case studies of China and Tajikistan to examine how religion interacts with...
"Response of Faith Communities to HIV and AIDS: Have We Kept the Promise?" was an International Interfaith Pre-ICAAP (International Congress on AIDS in Asia and The Pacific) Conference, organized by the Asian Interfaith Network on AIDS (AINA), the Christian Conference of Asia, and the World Council of Churches (WCC). The Conference delivered a message to the ICAAP in which its participants resolved to secure effective religious leadership in the struggle against HIV/AIDS, developing...
On 4 August 2007, US speaker Imam Yahya Hendi of Georgetown University gave a presentation at the US Embassy in Saudi Arabia on interfaith dialogue following the screening of the documentary Three Faiths, One God: Judaism, Christianity, Islam (2005). His remarks focused on the commonalities among Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, as well as their shared values. Imam Hendi discussed how individuals of the three monotheistic faiths must join together to achieve collective ideals, such as social...
Sponsored by the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the invitation-only Conference on Religion and Development explored how religious practices and development strategies interact in actual settings. During the first session speakers discussed religion and development in Latin America, Iraq, and Korea, as well as research methodologies. The second session included presentations on African religious experiences and Pentecostalism in Latin America. The final session focused on broad trends in the...
Al Akhawayn University and the Scholar Ship Research Institute partnered to host a research conference entitled Solidarity and Stewardship: Interfaith Approaches to Global Challenges on 4-5 June 2007 at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco. The attendees, including His Excellency Akrasid Amatayakul, Embassador of Thailand in Morocco, addressed a wide range of interfaith issues related to migration, conflict resolution, environmental and human development, and interfaith awareness. Al...
The Brookings Institution hosted Amr Khaled, one of the Muslim world's most popular preachers, as part of their project on relations with the Islamic world. Host of the Arab world's most popular website and television series that are broadcasted internationally, Khaled discussed the need for reform in the Muslim world, as well as prospects for development in light of globalization. His token word, "coexistence," was the underlying principle of his presentation, as he encouraged Muslims to...
The Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding sponsored a speaking event featuring Muslim Egyptian preacher and Islamic motivational speaker, Amr Khaled, on May 10, 2007 at Georgetown University. Khaled spoke about his idea of “Coexistence” in his lecture, focusing specifically on the way that individuals can use faith as a motivator to develop their communities. Khaled’s experience in the fields of community development in project areas such...
The Center for Contemporary Arab Studies sponsored a lecture featuring Dr. Muhammad Abdul Ghaffar, the Minister of Information of Bahrain, on May 9, 2007 at Georgetown University. As a former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Muhammad Abdul Ghaffar played an integral role in the initiation of Middle East development reforms. During his lecture, Dr. Abdul Ghaffar addressed the issues of Middle East development reforms and security in the Gulf.
The Center for Contemporary Arab Studies at Georgetown University sponsored a roundtable discussion featuring Sameer Jarrah on May 8, 2007. The discussion focused on issues of civil society in the Arab world, particularly in Jordan. The founder of the Arab World Center for Democracy, Development, and Human Rights and the Todd G. Patkin Fellow in Arab Democracy and Development at the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institute, Mr. Jarrah discussed his experiences in dealing...
Par-Chemins Concepts, the brainchild of prominent Sufi scholar Faouzi Skali, sponsored the inaugural Fes Festival of Sufi Culture in Fes, Morocco from April 27 to May 2, 2007. Meeting under the theme of human development, the festival featured panel discussions on topics such as cultural diversity, human rights, and the history of Morocco, as well as music and film presentations. Especially notable was the fact that the festival opened previously off-limits locations, such as the Qarawiyin...
Ethnic and Religious Militancy and the New World Order: Hindu Nationalism, Islamism, and Regionalism
The Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars' Asia Program hosted an event to examine issues of ethnic and religious militancy and violence increasingly committed by non-conventional actors worldwide. Discussants especially examined the state's monopolizing claims on violence and the use of violence to destroy old political systems and erect new ones. David Ludden reviewed economic globalization and violence in India; Engseng Ho considered the intersection of democracy and terror....
Inspired by a government report on under-development in Muslim Indian communities, this national workshop explored the role of India's diverse religious communities in promoting or hindering development. Initial presentations addressed conceptual and theoretical issues such as multiculturalism and group rights. Many other papers focused on Muslim communities, investigating topics like caste, internal diversity, and political involvement; a few also discussed the experience of Christian and...
On February 16, 2007, Harvard Divinity School's Office of Ministry Studies hosted "Solutions: Emerging Trends in Community Transformation," a working conference dedicated to developing grassroots projects that can revitalize urban communities. Speakers representing existing projects in the Boston metropolitan area discussed the ways in which religious organizations can contribute to this movement in areas such as public education, violence prevention, and economic development. Video of the...
This seminar, sponsored by DFID, inaugurated a wide-ranging dialogue on religion and development. The keynote speaker explored past intersections between religion and development and possible future relationships, followed by a panel discussion on multiculturalism as a way of balancing respect for religion with development goals. Other sessions examined the socioeconomic status of Muslims in India and the role of religion as a methodological factor in anthropology research. The seminar...
This event marked the launch of the AFDD. The conference was organized by the University of Cambodia and supported by the International Foundation for Arts and Culture. The conference addressed this issue of cooperation, or as Katherine Marshall put it, "building bridges" as well as the ideas of peace and harmony in three plenary sessions. The first looked at Cambodian perspectives, the second took a regional and international point of view, while the third explored what interfaith dialogue...
The Global Peace Initiative of Women (GPIW) convened religious leaders from the Middle East and Asia to engage each other in the theme "A Re-commitment to Spirituality: Building Mutual Understanding and Peace." His Holiness Aram I, the Catholicos of the Armenian Orthodox Church, co-hosted the three-day conference in Beirut. There, Sunni, Shiite, and Christian sects of Lebanon briefed Christian, Hindu, Muslim and Buddhist guests on the current state of the country. In addition, participants...
The Micah Network global consultation on "Integral Mission in a World of Conflict" combined training seminars and workshops with case studies and times of personal sharing to help the 330 participants from Christian development, relief, and advocacy organizations better address the challenges of working in violent conflict environments. Other sessions focused on specific sectors such as HIV/AIDS, community-based development, and government-business partnerships. The keynote addresses explored...
A pre-conference before the 2006 Religions for Peace Eighth World Conference, the Women's Assembly welcomed a diverse group of female religious leaders, scholars, and development practitioners to a discussion on conflict resolution and sustainable development. The Assembly also sought to increase women's visibility and influence within the broader World Conference. During the discussion sessions, participants concluded that violence against women, especially in environments characterized by...
Held in Toronto, the 2006 International AIDS Conference brought together scientists, health care providers, journalists, political, community, business, and religious leaders, and people affected by HIV/AIDS for the exchange of ideas, knowledge, and research relating to the fight against the pandemic. The last day of the Conference included a session on the topic "Mobilising the Church to respond to HIV and AIDS." The session discussed the unique role that FBOs are able to take in supporting...
The UN Expert Group Meeting on International Development and Migration in the Arab Region was held in Beirut in May 2006 to discuss the social and economic impact of regional migration both within and beyond the Arab world. The focus of the meeting was on the ways in which migration between countries in the Arab world affects the region's development prospects. The conference culminated in a report authored by Richard H. Adams, Jr., which found that international migration is among the most...
Amy Sherman, a senior fellow at Sagamore Institute for Policy Research and director of its Faith in Communities Initiative, spoke at Princeton University on faith-based organizations. Her lecture drew on her books Restorers of Hope: Reaching the Poor in Your Community With Church-based Ministries That Work (Wipf & Stock, 2004) and Establishing A Church-based Welfare-to-Work Mentoring Ministry (Hudson Institute, 2000), among others, as well as her experience as a leader of the Faith and...
The Harvard Divinity School hosted a lecture by Chandra Muzaffar, a Malaysian Islamic religious and political scholar, entitled "Emergent Asia: Whither Religion?" Muzaffar is President of the International Movement for a Just World, an organization that addresses the challenges to social justice in international politics. He is also a renowned human rights activist, author, and teacher. In his lecture, Muzaffar explored the role of religion in Asia. The event was cosponsored by the...
This Pacem in Terris lecture addressed "Uniting the World Against AIDS." Dr. Peter Piot is Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and has been the Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) since 1994. After he qualified as a Doctor of Medicine at the University of Ghent in 1974, he became co-discoverer of the Ebola virus in Zaire in 1976. In 1980, he received a Doctorate in Microbiology from the University of Antwerp. From 1991 to 1994, Dr. Piot was...
The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life hosted a lecture by Andrew Natsios, former administrator for the U.S. Agency for International Development and Distinguished Professor in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. Natsios was able to give the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life an inside look at the increasingly prominent role that religion is playing in U.S. foreign policy, development aid and humanitarian assistance. Specifically, he addressed the link between...
The Brookings Institution hosted a launch of John Paden's book Muslim Civic Cultures and Conflict Resolution: The Challenge of Democratic Federalism in Nigeria (Brookings Institution, 2005). A panel of guests of honor also spoke at the launch, addressing the relationship of Islam and democracy in Nigeria. In the book, Paden discusses the role of Muslim civic culture in Nigeria's development in the post-independence period as the country tries to harmonize democracy with local Muslim...
The Pre-International Conference on AIDS and STDs in Africa was hosted by the Pan-African Christian AIDS Network and the Catholic Church of Nigeria in December 2005 to discuss the need to build partnerships within the religious community for improving the standards of organizations fighting deadly STDs. Katherine Marshall offered the plenary session presentation on "Working Together to Confront the HIV/AIDS Crisis: New Partnerships in Variable Geometries." Topics of discussion focused on the...
As a part of Georgetown University's Pacem in Terris lecture series, Fr. Robert Vitillo, Special Advisor on HIV/AIDS to Carita Internationalis, spoke on "Vital Strategies for a Global AIDS Response," addressing the importance of viewing the HIV/AIDS pandemic as a threat to world peace and the response it deserves from the Catholic community. Vitillo argues that many scientific approaches have been taken to fight the AIDS epidemic with limited success; instead, he says, AIDS must be viewed...
The South Asia Program and the Program for Comparative Economic Development at Cornell University and the South Asia Center at Syracuse University partnered to host a conference on "Religious and Social Fragmentation and Economic Development in South Asia." Delhi School of Economics professor Nandini Sundar spoke on the process of religious conversion between Christianity and Hinduism and its implications for Indian politics. She focused on the efforts of Hindu nationalist groups to win over...
Hosted by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, this one-day conference welcomed multidisciplinary participants to a discussion on the role of faith in coping with the impact of HIV/AIDS on East African life and society. Most of the presented papers focused on Christianity, though research on Muslims in Tanzania also received attention. Presenters discussed religious explanations for AIDS that often compete with or contradict biomedical explanations. Increasingly dogmatic...
The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars hosted this panel discussion which focused on democracy in Muslim countries and the role that Islam plays in the development of democracy. The panel included Anwar Ibrahim, the former deputy prime minister of Malaysia, and Saad Eddin Ibrahim, Professor of Political Sociology at the American University in Cairo and Chairman of the Board of the Ibn Khaldun Center for Development Studies in Cairo. The panelists discussed their knowledge of and...
Sponsored by Cordaid, ICCO, and the Institute of Social Studies, this conference sought to promote practical new ways of demonstrating religion's positive impact on development. In the final report, participants concluded that the concept of development should move away from the Western emphasis on economics to a more holistic, transformative model based on dialogue. Development practices should reflect the agency and values of local populations, and development agencies should continually...
Conservative think-tank American Enterprise Institute hosted a discussion moderated by Michael Rubin about the potential for Muslim populations to represent the next "risk region" for the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Presentations were given by Laura M. Kelley and Nicholas Eberstadt. The panelists looked at the vulnerability of many Muslim countries to the HIV/AIDS pandemic and also examined steps taken by some Islamic states to curb the spread of this disease and whether the populations might see...
Author Deepak Lal addressed the Cato Institute, a libertarian think-tank, on the topic of India's recent moves towards the international market, including the reasons behind the country's switch to more liberal economic policies and their interplay with India's seemingly contradictory embrace of both democracy and the caste system. He also discussed the role that tradition has played in India's relations with the market as well as its role in developmental growth. Anne Krueger of the...
At the third annual conference sponsored by Globalisation for the Common Good, participants again confronted the challenges and opportunities created by globalization. The first day of the conference included a book launch for Promoting the Common Good: Bringing Economics and Theology Together Again (Shepheard-Walwyn, 2006), authored by the conference founders. Many of the following sessions focused on Africa, looking at issues such as the "brain drain," women's rights, and interfaith...
This Pacem in Terris lecture addressed "Doing What's In Front of You: 20 Years of Humanitarian Response From the Ethiopian Famine to the Asian Tsunami." Ambassador Tony Hall has long been a leading advocate for hunger relief programs and human rights around the world. As the US Ambassador to the Agencies for Food and Agriculture (FAO), he has sought to promote agricultural development and achieve true food security for all peoples. Founded in 1945, the FAO works to raise nutrition levels and...
The Council on Foreign Relations hosted an event entitled "Islam Around the World." This session was the fourth part in the series and focused on Southeast Asia. Moderated by Calvin Sims of the New York Times, the discussion featured Ambassador Marie Huhtala, the deputy assistant secretary for East Asia studies and Pacific affairs at the State Department, and a former ambassador to Malaysia; and also Zachary Abuza, a senior fellow at the United States Institute of Peace. The participants...
The first annual African-Christian Leaders' Gathering was held in London in November 2004 to bring together senior faith and political leaders to discuss the means through which churches can improve the quality of life in Africa. The conference was structured as a pragmatic investigation of the interrelationship between the church and society and the ways faith leaders can engage civil society. The conference emerged through the sponsorship of the Alliance of Religions and Conservation and...
The Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University hosted this 2004 event, a lecture by Jack Hogan, Senior Fellow at the Center for the Study of Culture and Values at Catholic University, and Denis Hynes, an international development consultant, about their own and other practitioners' perspectives on the role of religion in creating sustainable development programs, including both the opportunities and the challenges that religion's involvement in the...
The 2004 International Prayer for Peace took place in Milan, Italy, and marked the eighteenth year of the event organized by the Catholic lay organization Community of Sant'Egidio. The theme of the Milan meeting was "Religions and Cultures: The Courage to Forge a New Spiritual Humanism." Religious leaders from an array of different faith traditions spoke on current topics such as Islam in Europe, globalization and inequality, and immigration. The overarching subject of the majority of panels...
Berkley Center Senior Fellow Katherine Marshall discussed the emergence of a religious revival and the challenges posed to development institutions by fundamentalism and terrorism as part of the World Bank's involvement in the 2004 Couchiching Conference. Her remarks focused on the implications of fundamentalism, secularism, and terrorism for the development community and addressed methods to overcome these issues, focusing on the tools and challenges that engaging religious communities in...
In July 2004, the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, in partnership with the World Bank, sponsored an international seminar on finance and development with a particular focus on the role of finance in meeting the challenges set down by the Millennium Development Goals. The conference brought together faith leaders, ministers, NGOs, and various other development interest groups to discuss best practices for developmental finance with hopes that the various groups could learn from both...
In an address given at the Princeton University Colloquium on Public and International Affairs held in Bergen, Norway, Katherine Marshall discussed the challenges facing various faith groups working to eradicate poverty. She emphasized the renewed priority given to the concept of partnership in the development world. Marshall chose the title of the event to stress the importance of intellectual and spiritual factors in overcoming the action-rhetoric gapthe persistent difficulty in translating...
In these remarks entitled "A World Without Poverty," Peter Bell spoke of the universal responsibility to end poverty around the world and certain first steps to accomplishing that goal. He notes that the United States has particular contributions to make through the strategic use of trade, diplomacy, and development assistance. Bell is president of CARE USA, a global humanitarian organization devoted to fighting hunger and poverty in 60 nations.
This 2003 event was hosted by the Pew Forum for Religion and Public life. It featured panelists Mary Jo Bane, a Thornton Bradshaw Professor of Public Policy and Management at Harvard University and the Co-Chair of the Working Group on Welfare Reform in the Clinton Administration, as well as Lawrence M. Mead, a Professor of Politics at New York University and Former Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. E.J. Dionne, a co-chair of the Pew Forum and senior fellow at...
147 religious leaders from the Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, and Muslim traditions met in Bangkok for the "Inter Faith AIDS Conference: For We Are Neighbors" to discuss the HIV/AIDS crisis and religious efforts. They called on members of all faith communities to cooperate in combating the pandemic, on politicians to make taking action against the HIV/AIDS crisis a priority and give consideration to how faith-based groups can help, and on all advocates in the fight against HIV/AIDS to actively...
The Micah Network consultation on "Globalization and the Poor" emphasized the increasing impact of globalization on the poor and the responsibility of Christians to advocate on their behalf. In addition to workshops and discussion sessions, times of worship and song were a memorable component of the event. Keynote addresses examined the relationship between globalization, culture, and the information revolution; others explored the biblical imperative and prophetic call to help the poor. In...
The Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC) held a meeting in May 2003, just after the US invasion of Iraq, to address the role of evangelical relief organizations in post-war Iraq and related questions about their methods of evangelism, public rhetoric, and relationship to US foreign policy. This meeting explored several issues pertaining to how evangelical groups conduct themselves in post-conflict countries, with special focus on Islamic countries. Lamin Sanneh of Yale Divinity School...
The United States Institute for Peace held a panel discussion entitled "Religious Extremism and Governance in South Asia" on May 15, 2003, featuring Akbar Ahmed of American University, Partha Ghosh of the Indian Council of Social Science Research, and Mohammed Ayoob, of Michigan State University. Participants spoke about the nature of politics in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region and the complex relationship between religion, politics, and ethnicity. The panel also explored good governance...
The 2nd Annual International Conference on an Interfaith Perspective on Globalisation began with a series of cultural activities before transitioning to a series of sessions on globalization, peace, and ecology. Later sessions focused on Russia's experience with globalization, as well as the spread of religion and morality in tandem with economic globalization. Some also examined how religious education and cultural heritage interact with globalization. The conference closed with an open...
In an address at Harvard University, Charles E. Blake discussed his efforts to unite African-Americans in combating HIV/AIDS in Africa. Blake is the Bishop of the Church of God in Christ and President of the Pan-African Children's Fund. Using the biblical figure of Joseph as a paradigm for the African-American community, whose ancestors were sold into slavery in a foreign land but who have now attained positions of prominence, Blake suggested that African-Americans ought to reach out to...
In October 2002 Katherine Marshall delivered the 5th Annual Salzman Lecture, a component of the Lewinsville Presbyterian Church's Adult Education Program on Global Poverty. Organized as a chain of stories, the keynote address emphasizes the challenge and complexity of development work. Marshall discussed what she calls "a lifelong preoccupation with the challenge of communication." The speech speaks to the "concern and conundrum we face: the challenge of communicating ideas that are truly...
In 2002, the Third Meeting of World Leaders on Faith and Development was hosted jointly by then-Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey and then-President of the World Bank James Wolfensohn. The meeting focused on finding ways for faith communities to work together and in dialogue with major agencies like the World Bank to maximize their contribution to poverty eradication and human development. The discussions focused on the Millennium Development Goals, which aim to cut abject poverty in half...
The 2002 International Prayer for Peace gathered in Palermo, Sicily, in the south of Italy on the sixteenth year of the annual event organized by the Catholic lay organization Community of Sant'Egidio. The theme of the Palermo meeting was "Faiths and Cultures within Conflict and Dialogue." Leaders from numerous faith traditions spoke on the importance of international cooperation between the West and Latin America, Europe and Africa. Participants also discussed topics such as immigration and...
Held at Plater College in Oxford, this was the first in a series of conferences dedicated to promoting the global common good. During the first day participants could attend sessions on Islam and the West, Science and Spirituality, and interfaith peacebuilding. The second day's sessions examined the impact of religion on property rights, global media, and psychology. The next two sets of sessions focused on the intersection of capitalism, ethics, and globalization. The final two days of the...
In 2002, the Hope for African Children Initiative (HACI) organized this gathering of religious leaders from across Africa to explore the responses of religious organizations to the impact of HIV/AIDS on children. 30 countries were represented at the meeting, which assembled over 150 of Africa's senior leaders from the major religious traditions on the continent - Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, Baha'i, and traditional religions. The specific focus was on issues of stigma and discrimination...
The United States Institute of Peace hosted a panel discussion, moderated by Middle East expert Jusy Barsalou, to discuss the methods that Islamic extremist groups in Southeast Asia and the Middle East use to mobilize support. Panelists from Harvard University, Long Island University and American University discussed the use of Islam to mobilize support of jihadi groups in Pakistan and Indonesia; the strategies used by Hamas, Hezbollah, and Islamic Jihad to attract, retain, and deploy troops;...
Cosponsored by the Wilson Center's Middle East Project and the Kennan Institute, this event featured scholar Nayereh Tohidi discussing her book Globalization, Gender, and Religion: The Politics of Women's Rights in Catholic and Muslim Societies (Palgrave Macmillan, 2001). Inspired by the heated debates following the adoption of the Beijing Platform for Action, Tohidi sought to understand the roots of the alliance between conservative Catholics and Muslims on issues like abortion rights. She...
Prescription for Hope was an international meeting organized by Samaritan's Purse that focused on the role of churches in efforts to deal with HIV/AIDS. Held in Washington, DC in 2002, participants from across the Christian theological spectrum and from numerous countries attended. A variety of views on issues such as condom use and awareness programs emerged from the presentation of scientific information and narratives of individuals working on HIV/AIDS programs for orphans, the dying, and...
This Nairobi meeting brought together African, European, and North American Christian organizations with the World Council of Churches to develop a common framework for responding to the HIV/AIDS crisis. The resulting document, "Plan of Action: the Ecumenical Response to HIV/AIDS in Africa," highlights the theological basis for compassion and concerted action; the destructive impact of early inaction and ambivalence towards HIV/AIDS; the unique strengths and resources that churches bring to...
The All African Anglican Conference on HIV/AIDS was held in Boksburg, South Africa in August of 2001. Drawing Anglican leaders and health care professionals from over 33 African nations, the conference strove to help the religious and lay communities structure a response to HIV/AIDS through increased cooperation and sharing of resources. Much discussion was devoted to navigating the relationship between official Church teachings and practical HIV-combating strategies on the ground taking into...
In May 2001, Christian Connections for International Health hosted a conference entitled "Challenges for the Church: AIDS, Malaria & TB" in Arlington, Virginia. The conference provided a forum for the numerous Christian projects focused on prevention and treatment of these diseases to discuss best practices and explore the impact and potential for faith-based organizations in the international health field. The conference received support from the Presbyterian Church (USA), the U.S....
The consultation "Integral Mission and the Poor" brought together Micah Network members from around the world to reflect on the nature of Christian mission work and their unity in pursuing it. A mix of plenary sessions and small-group discussions were designed to help participants network as they also identified relevant capacity-building steps; other activities explored areas for possible advocacy work. A key outcome of the consultation was the development of the Micah Declaration on...