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Benedict XVI on Globalization and Authentic Development
June 29, 2009
Benedict XVI on Economic Aid and Development
June 29, 2009
Barack Obama on Stewardship of the Environment at Compassion Forum
April 13, 2008
June 29, 2009
Benedict XVI on Economic Aid and Development
June 29, 2009
Barack Obama on Stewardship of the Environment at Compassion Forum
April 13, 2008
PUBLICATIONS (184)
Southeast Asia
Religion and Development Database
Organizations (80)
Engaged in a global mapping of faith-inspired organizations in development work, in December 2009 the Berkley Center and the World Faiths Development Dialogue convened scholars and practitioners for a two-day consultation on the role of faith-inspired practitioners and organizations on issues of global development and equity in Southeast Asia. Pre-consultation interviews with participants, accompanied by a background report, facilitated more in-depth examination of best practices and collaborative strategies across a range of contemporary development challenges, and a consultation report outlines critical actors, best practices, and ways forward. This effort is part of an ongoing Berkley Center initiative sponsored by the Luce/SFS Program on Religion and International Affairs.
The White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships promotes cooperation between the federal government and non-governmental organizations in addressing social issues. Established under the administration of President George W. Bush and restructured by President Barack Obama, the Office is the main point of contact for faith-based organizations seeking government support for their social programs. The central office coordinates with eleven agency-based offices to streamline...
Adventist Development and Relief Agency International (ADRA) oversees a broad spectrum of relief and development programs. Microcredit and agricultural training contribute to self-sufficiency, food security, and clean water resources, while healthcare training and basic education help communities raise their own standard of living; family development initiatives also engage in maternal mortality prevention. Their HIV/AIDS program unites prevention, treatment, testing, and education efforts,...
The Aglipayan Church, also known as the Philippine Independent Church, is a nationalist church and the second largest Christian denomination in the Philippines, with approximately 2 to 6 million members. The denomination broke off from the Catholic Church in the early twentieth century under the leadership of former Roman Catholic priest Gregorio Aglipay, who sought to establish a church free of Spanish and American colonial influences. It operates three lay organizations for men, women, and...
Founded in 1889, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is an international Islamic movement headquartered in the United Kingdom. An estimated 200 million members span across 195 countries, with most in Pakistan, Benin, India, Indonesia, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, and the United States. Ahmadiyya members revere Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as the Messiah/Mahdi who fulfilled all religions. The community also rejects terrorism in any form and advocates the separation of mosque and state. Because of...
Aisyiyah is a prominent Islamic women's organization dedicated to women's empowerment and charitable activity, particularly in education, within the framework of an Islamic society. Named for a follower of the Prophet, Aisyiyah was established in 1917 by the wife of the Muhammadiyah's founder to address the rights of women, including access to education, health services, and social welfare. The organization is affiliated with Muhammadiyah, Indonesia's oldest Islamic organization, and the two...
The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) upholds a long history of Quaker commitment to peace and equality, a heritage that was recognized in 1947 when the organization was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The AFSC combines a strong domestic advocacy focus with active development programs overseas. AFSC uses a lobbying and community-based approach to address immigrant issues, conflicts in Israel, Palestine, and Iraq, debt in Africa, youth and militarism, and LGBT issues. There is a special...
Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, the Arigatou Foundation is an international faith-based NGO dedicated to holistic child development in a world where children's rights are respected and defended. The Foundation has four major program areas: assistance for children in difficult circumstances; research and public awareness campaigns on children’s issues; cultural events spotlighting children's work and issues; and interreligious cooperation. The Arigatou Foundation is also an NGO in special...
The Asia Faiths Development Dialogue (AFDD) was founded in 2006 to facilitate interfaith dialogue and cooperation in Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific region. The organization especially focuses on the nexus of religion, globalization, violent conflict, and development; one broader goal is to promote faith and human rights education as mechanisms for development and positive transformation. The organization has hosted an annual forum since 2006 on the concept and practice of dialogue in the...
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) offers loans, technical assistance, and consulting and research services to reduce poverty and improve quality of life throughout the region. Current strategic goals support inclusive development that builds human capital and expands social protections, environmental sustainability that addresses both immediate needs and long-term energy and transportation issues, and expanded regional cooperation in areas such as infrastructure, trade, and natural resources...
Established in 2005 with support from the Christian Conference of Asia, the Asian Interfaith Network on AIDS (AINA) connects and supports Christian, Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist religious leaders in the fight against HIV/AIDS. AINA's objectives are to establish, strengthen, and promote country-level interfaith HIV/AIDS networks, build the capacity of FBOs to respond to the epidemic, and create a supportive environment for faith-based responses to HIV/AIDS. The focus of the network's advocacy...
Founded in 2005, the Association of Buddhists for the Environment (ABE) is a network of Buddhist monks and nuns in Cambodia promoting environmental protection. ABE connects Buddhist clerics with ecology experts to use local pagodas as centers of environmental education. Although it is traditionally unusual for Buddhist clerics to engage in communities, forests and the environment have a unique sacredness in the tradition. The clerics are well respected and their advocacy for this issue is...
Built on the common foundation of Christianity, the Bishops-Businessman's Conference for Human Development (BBC) is an alliance of local and national business leaders and bishops committed to human development. The BBC believes widespread poverty and inequality contradict the Christian mission. It therefore works to promote equitable distribution of wealth and to improve quality of life in the Philippines. The BBC was founded in 1971 when over 60 bishops and businessmen met in Baguio City to...
The Bishops-Ulama Conference facilitates interreligious dialogue that seeks to build peace through shared understandings of faith and camaraderie between religious leaders of diverse traditions. The Bishops-Ulama Conference consists of 24 Catholic bishops, 26 Ulama and Ustadz, and 18 Protestant bishops and pastors. Officers of Panagtagbo, a Confederation of the 18 Indigenous Peoples of Mindanao, and bishops of the Philippine Conference of Evangelical Churches (PCEC) serve as official...
Founded in 2006, Bodhigram is a Nepali organization that works to spread Buddhism through technology. The organization has three main projects: Buddhist films, Buddhist television, and a Buddhist encyclopedia. Since 2007 Bodhigram has been in production on its first movie, the full-length, animated Buddha: The Compassionate One, a biography of the Buddha Shakyamuni. Bodhi TV, the organization's television project, uses modern audiovisual technology to make Buddhist teachings easily accessible...
The Buddhism and Society Development Association (BSDA) is a Cambodian Buddhist non-profit organization that focuses on two areas: reinforcing democracy and human rights in Cambodia and providing services to low-income children and orphans. BSDA works mainly with rural children and homeless children in urban areas. The Society's largest project is education: BSDA encourages, and provides the means for, students to stay in school through the twelfth grade. Other programs and services include...
Buddhism for Development (BFD), founded in 1990, promotes socially engaged Buddhism and socioeconomic development in Cambodia. Created in a refugee camp, the organization emphasizes peace building and reconciliation. It seeks to work alongside Cambodians, respecting their rights and lifestyles, to ameliorate some of the devastation caused by three decades of war and civil strife. The organization targets Cambodian youth—70% of the population is less than 30 years old—with formal education and...
The Buddhist Aid Center (BAC) is a major Japanese relief and development organization. Its programs focus on improving life for impoverished children, with initiatives in education and academic scholarships, medical care, foster parenting, and family planning. BAC was founded in 1983 by Japanese Nichiren Buddhists to channel aid to Buddhist-majority nations in Southeast Asia, and membership fees provide core funding for its humanitarian work. In 1994 Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej honored the...
The Buddhist Peace Fellowship (BPF) brings together Buddhist activists to fight for social justice issues relating to gender, race, economics, peace, and the environment. BPF uses Buddhist beliefs to create an environment for peace, social justice, and good governance. They engage communities and train new activists to speak for those who have been silenced by violence and injustice. Inspired by Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Nahn, BPF was founded in 1978 and works with Buddhists from all...
Caritas Internationalis is a confederation of 162 Catholic relief, development, and social service organizations working across the globe. United since 1950, Caritas provides development assistance in diverse project areas including education and health. Program areas seek to help the most vulnerable groups in society, such as women and children. Trafficking and other issues that specifically impact women are also targeted. Other areas of focus include peace and reconciliation, emergency...
Established in 1962, the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD) is the overseas development agency of the Catholic Church in England and Wales and promotes human development and social justice in witness to Christian faith and Gospel values. Working with local organizations, it promotes over 1,000 development programs worldwide to further social justice and improvement in the quality of life for impoverished and oppressed people. CAFOD also engages in extensive educational work and...
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) studies, promotes, and coordinates the work of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines by formulating joint pastoral policies and programs, engaging the Filipino Church, and overseeing evangelization in the country while fostering relations with other episcopal conferences. Today CBCP plays an active role in Filipino politics, representing the Catholic Church in legislative chambers and courtrooms. As of February 2009, the CBCP...
Catholic Relief Services, founded in 1943 by the Catholic Bishops of the United States, is the official international relief and development agency of the U.S. Catholic community. Its mission is to assist the poor and disadvantaged, leveraging the teachings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to alleviate human suffering, promote development of all people, and to foster charity and justice throughout the world. Up to 2005, CRS operates on five continents and in 99 countries. Funding for the...
Founded in 1991, the Cedar Fund is a Hong Kong-based Christian relief and development organization that partners with churches and Christian groups to share God's love with the poor and disadvantaged. The organization has supported relief work in South and Southeast Asia, Haiti, and Africa; development programs encompass community healthcare and HIV/AIDs work, economic development initiatives, agricultural and environmental projects, and integrated development programs for women and children....
Founded in 2005, Chab Dai is a coalition of 40 Christian organizations working in Cambodia with a focus on ending sexual abuse and trafficking. An umbrella organization, Chab Dai supports smaller indigenous groups by running capacity-building sessions, maintaining a resource center, facilitating networking among members, leading advocacy and prevention initiatives, and reaching out to organizations that provide rescued victims of trafficking with short- and long-term care and vocational...
Christian Aid is a relief and development NGO that combines advocacy campaigns with grassroots implementation in over 60 countries. HIV/AIDS interventions focus on community-based health care, education, empowerment of people living with HIV/AIDS, support and care for orphans and vulnerable children, and mainstreaming HIV/AIDS into emergency and post-conflict relief. Christian Aid is also heavily engaged in global advocacy efforts to raise awareness of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in churches and...
Church World Service (CWS) provides a common coordinating structure for the humanitarian and development activities of 36 American denominations, including Protestant, Orthodox, and Anglican bodies. It emphasizes partnerships with indigenous organizations as most effective for long-term development and incorporates capacity-building elements into as many projects as possible, as exemplified through the extensive partnerships in CWS's "Africa Initiative." CWS programs include a broad range of...
Part of the World Council of Churches network, the Communion of Churches in Indonesia (CCI, Persekutuan Gereja-Gereja di Indonesia) is a coordinating body for 26 regional communions within Indonesia and promotes leadership skills development in churches throughout Indonesia. At the national level, the communion encourages communication between Christian churches, including written and electronic media, dialogue and meetings, and research and development. After the December 2004 tsunami, CCI...
Cordaid is a Dutch relief and development organization involved in a wide variety of issues, including health care, quality of urban life, access to markets, and peace and conflict. Current program foci include emergency aid and reconstruction, access to healthcare and HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention, entrepreneurship and economic justice, and improving societal participation of women, slum-dwellers, and other marginalized groups. Each year around 170 million is spent on initiatives in the...
Since the beginning of its EU mandate, European Commission Humanitarian Aid (ECHO) provides emergency aid in the wake of natural disasters and violent conflict. Its grants cover emergency aid, food aid, and aid to refugees and displaced persons; distributions have reached 85 countries and are worth more than 700 million per year. It also carries out feasibility studies for future projects, coordinates disaster prevention programs, and provides technical assistance and training. The emergency...
The Evangelical Fellowship of Cambodia (EFC) is a coalition of 114 organizations and churches in Cambodia and internationally that assists its members by managing relations with the Cambodian government and with the international donor community to facilitate development projects. The EFC provides member organizations with training in leadership and management, conflict resolution, advocacy and information dissemination, and community organizing. It also provides resources for the...
Fo Guang Shan (FGS, also known as the International Buddhist Progress Society) is a Buddhist center in Hong Kong that includes the Daochang Buddhist Institute, a college, and the largest Buddhist Dojo (temple) in Hong Kong. The Institute was founded by Zen Master Hsing Yun and teaches “Humanistic Buddhism,” Buddhism as applied to modern daily life. The center offers Buddhist programming, meditation classes, art classes, yoga classes, dance classes, and vegetarian cooking classes. The Center's...
The Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria facilitates the distribution of public and private sector financing to strengthen and supplement existing efforts to eradicate HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. Founded in 2002, the Global Fund supports integrated initiatives that address the spectrum of prevention and treatment needs and have been cooperatively identified by government, civil society, and private sector stakeholders as key national priorities; recipient programs...
Habitat for Humanity International is a non-profit ecumenical Christian housing ministry based in the United States that provides shelter in America and around the world. Since its founding in 1976 Habitat has helped to build more than 200,000 homes and had acquired affiliates in more than 90 countries on six continents. Local Habitat affiliates operate independently, while the central organization provides coordination and support services. Homes are provided at a low cost, while Habitat...
He Cares Foundation is a Christian non-profit organization that works to alleviate the suffering of poor street children in metropolitan Manila by providing clothing, food, education, medical assistance, and spiritual support. Its mission is twofold: (i) to help street children find permanent residences so that they may lead safe, healthy lives, and (ii) to encourage street children to form personal relationships with God. Founded by full-time lay missionaries, Joe Dean Sola and his wife,...
The Iglesia ni Cristo (INC), Tagalog for Church of Christ, is the largest entirely indigenous Christian religious organization in the Philippines and is also the largest independent church in Asia. Founded by Felix Y. Manolo in 1914, the church's central belief is that the Roman Catholic Church was apostatized, and the INC embodies the true Christian church. As of the 2000 census, the church had 1.76 million followers in the Philippines; in 2008 there were over 5000 INC congregations in the...
Launched in 2009, the Inter-religious Council of Thailand (IRC-Thailand) is a Religions for Peace affiliate organization that brings together faith leaders from Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism and Sikhism to work towards peace. IRC-Thailand is especially focused on addressing the continued tension and violence in the southern border provinces of Thailand, where Malaysia's Muslim minority represents about 80% of the local population. The current co-Presidents are Dr. Ismail Lutfi...
The International Buddhist Academy (IBA) is an international school for Tibetan Buddhism in Kathmandu, Nepal. The IBA was founded by Khenchen Appey Rinpoche, a Tibetan Buddhist lama, in 2001. Sakya Trinzin, the leader of the Sakya School of Tibetan Buddhism, is Honorary President of the Academy. The IBA offers classes on Vajrayana Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhist history and has facilities to serve 500 students per academic year. Students are provided with on-site housing, and scholarships are...
Founded with the support of the Malaysian government in 2006, the International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance (INCEIF) develops and disseminates knowledge about Islamic finance and supports national and international efforts to create new, religiously sanctioned financial instruments. The backbone of the university is the Chartered Islamic Finance Professional program, which certifies students for careers in the Islamic banking and the financial services industries; it also offers...
The International Islamic University of Malaysia's International Institute for Islamic Thought and Civilization (ISTAC) is an academic center that seeks to reconcile Islam with modernity and to promote healthy interfaith relations. The center's Unit for the Study of Islam, Modernity, Human Rights and Minorities hosts conferences dedicated to religious toleration and human rights in the Islamic tradition. More broadly, ISTAC's academic program studies the world's major religions, as well as...
The International Network of Engaged Buddhists works through a large network of individuals and organizations to connect faith with social practice. The group emphasizes the importance of a concern for peace, human rights, gender issues, spirituality based development, diversity, tolerance, and interfaith dialogue. Their central objectives are to develop the perspective of socially engaged Buddhism and to serve as a center of information and knowledge for their areas of interest. They...
Established in 1864 at the Geneva Conventions, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is the world's largest humanitarian network. The movement monitors warring parties complying with the Geneva Conventions, provides medical care for the wounded, supervises the treatment of prisoners of war, and protects civilians during conflict. It incorporates the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and...
Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW) is a UK-based charitable organization founded in 1984 by Dr. Hany El Banna with a mission to alleviate the suffering of the world's impoverished. Inspired by Islamic values, the organization both provides emergency relief and develops sustainable projects to aid those around the world who are in need. Development projects are aimed at improving health and nutrition, providing safe water, creating sustainable livelihoods, developing institutions, schools, and...
Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) is a Jesuit program who mission seeks to give help, hope, and voice to the vulnerable and victimized populations of the world. Established in 1980 by Pedro Arrupe, the JRS originally targeted only those countries affected by the Indochina wars. Presently, JRS’s outreach to refugees and displaced people occurs in 57 countries throughout Africa, Europe, and the Americas, with its headquarters in Rome. Programs include a range of practical services, such as...
The John J. Carroll Institute on Church and Social Issues (JJICSI) uses Catholic social teaching to inspire research, debate, and advocacy that promotes dignified solutions to poverty. Founded by Philippine Jesuits in 1984, the institute has been a major proponent of agrarian and urban land reform, as well as governance reform and capacity building for local anti-poverty organizations; current programs also address juvenile justice, family planning, local government housing policies, climate...
Based out of a temple in Battambang, Cambodia, the Kien Kes Health and Education Network (KKHEN) is a Buddhist community-based organization responding to the health and social effects caused by the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in their community. The monks involved in KKHEN work towards providing holistic prevention, care, and social support for those exposed to or suffering from HIV/AIDS, with a special focus on orphans and vulnerable children; they also train additional volunteers in HIV/AIDS...
Established in 1976, the Lao Buddhist Fellowship Organization aims to manage, develop, and educate Buddhists to ensure that its members observe the laws of the country. It has branches in every province and currently incorporates 8,796 monks, 13,376 novices, 450 nuns and 563 sanghali in 4,937 temples around the country. The Lao Buddhist Fellowship Organization also runs Sangkha College. Phramaha Vichit Singharaj is the current President of the Lao Buddhist Fellowship Organization and also...
Since 1945 Lutheran World Relief has been addressing the relief and development needs of people around the world. Its efforts generally focus on three major areas: peace and justice, emergency response, and sustainable rural development. In many cases LWR relief and development efforts are tied together to help reduce the vulnerabilities that exacerbate disaster situations. HIV/AIDS work forms a major component of LWR’s Africa program. LWR also concentrates on improving food security in...
The Maarif Institute for Culture and Humanity is an Indonesian organization based in Indonesia that promotes using Islamic values to encourage interreligious dialogue and cooperation. The institute also actively assists Indonesian civil society as it accelerates the consolidation of democracy; it encourages religious groups to get involved in influencing public policy and strengthens indigenous organizations interested in addressing socio-religious issues. Since 2006, the Maarif Institute has...
The Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) is a Mennonite Christian aid organization that demonstrates God's love by working with people suffering from conflict, oppression, poverty, and natural disasters in 70 countries. The organization views its development work an extension of its commitment to peace, justice, and non-discrimination. MCC's programs focus on agricultural development, disaster relief, peace and justice, and job creation, and its US branch provides resources to combat domestic...
The Metta Dhamma project is a Lao Buddhist organization that mobilizes monks to lead their communities in HIV prevention and to assist in AIDS care. The organization was founded in 2001 by Buddhist monks at Wat Monastery and is supported by UNICEF and the Lao Buddhist Fellowship Organization. Metta Dhamma is active in six provinces in Laos and the capital, Vientiane. The organization supports people living with HIV/AIDs through home visits, meditation classes, traditional healing ceremonies,...
The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is a corporation run by the United States government to reduce poverty through sustainable economic growth. MCC only works with developing countries that meet strict standards of governance, economic structures, and investment in people. To become eligible for the large, multi-year Compact grants, MCC looks at independently measured performance indicators and selects countries with plans created with input from multiple stakeholders and with...
The Mindanao Peacebuilding Institute (MPI) conducts conflict transformation training and provides research-based resources attuned to Asian cultural contexts. Its annual peacebuilding course in the Phillipines for culturally diverse participants from the Asia-Pacific Region incorporates both theory and practical application, including interaction with communities in Mindanao engaged in peacebuilding initiatives. Other training courses address often-ignored stakeholders like the police, the...
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is an Islamic separatist group that has violently attempted to establish a democratic Islamic state in Mindanao in the southern Philippines. In 1981 Salamat Hashim led a splinter group from the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) to form the Moro Islamic Liberation Front because the former was unwilling to launch an insurgency against the government. In 1987 MNLF accepted the government's creation of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, while...
The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) is an armed insurgency group seeking to establish an autonomous Muslim state in Mindanao in the southern Philippines. Led by Nur Misuari, it formed in the early 1970s in opposition to the government in Manila, and the peak of conflict between the MNLF and the government occurred between 1973 and 1976. Since then, the MNLF has alternated between periods of activity and cease-fire. In 1996 they reached an agreement with the government that awarded the...
Established in 1912 by Kyai Haji Ahmad Dahlan, Muhammadiyah is Indonesia's oldest Islamic organization and promotes a modern Islam free of superstition and syncretism. Muhammadiyah and its affiliated women's organization, Aisyiyah, have an estimated 30 million members. There are also single-gender autonomous groups for high school and college students. Muhammadiyah and Aisyiyah (M/A), though technically autonomous, work closely together on social programs throughout Indonesia; the two...
Muslim Aid is a British Muslim relief and development organization that focuses on building self-reliance in affected areas to help promote sustained development. It has worked with tsunami-affected countries and earthquake victims in Pakistan, building houses and shelters, and victims of flooding in Cambodia, for example. Other programs include sanitation and water, orphan and widow care, and emergency relief. Muslim Aid also allows Muslims to fulfill their charitable religious obligations...
The Myanmar Council of Churches (MCC) is a Burmese ecumenical organization that promotes understanding and cooperation among different Christian denominations, sharing of resources among churches, a unified engagement with the state and other faith traditions, and coordinated effort in social welfare activities. MCC departments also focus on Christian education and literacy, women's empowerment, and youth leadership training. The organization originated in 1914 as the Burma Representative...
Founded in 1926 by Hasyim Asy’ari, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) supports education, cultural engagement, and socioeconomic development rooted in Islamic principles of justice, diversity, and tolerance. It is the largest Muslim organization in Indonesia, with an estimated membership of 30 million. In 1999, the NU created a political party called the Partai Kebangkitan Bangsa (National Awakening Party, PKB), which ranked fourth in the popular vote during the election. Drawing on widespread respect for...
Established on January 18, 2005 and based in Kuala Lumpur, the Open Dialogue Centre (ODC) is a think tank that focuses on youth empowerment and the promotion of freedom and democracy. The ODC prioritizes work on religious freedom, toleration, and democracy. It has sponsored various fora and conferences on religion in Malaysian politics and the relationship between Islam and democracy. In 2006 ODC received a $70,000 grant from the National Endowment for Democracy to encourage political...
Active in over 65 countries, Population Services International (PSI) is an international non-profit organization dedicated to improving the health of the world's most vulnerable populations by offering key services and products and encouraging healthy behaviors. Key program areas include reproductive health, malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS; many initiatives especially target vulnerable children, with coordinated services and care offered through PSI's "Five & Alive" child survival...
The Ratanak Foundation is a faith-based NGO that works primarily to prevent the sexual abuse and trafficking of children in Cambodia and to rescue and rehabilitate those that are trafficked. Founded in 1990 by Brian McConaghy, Ratanak currently runs a rehabilitation center and foster care for young girls rescued from brothels, along with a sex worker outreach center offering medical care, vocational training, counseling, and housing assistance; it also educates communities about child...
Rissho Kosei-kai is a Buddhist organization dedicated to daily living out the Buddha's teaching and promoting harmony with all life; President Nichiko Niwano leads approximately 2 million members across the world. Founded by Nikkyo Niwano and Myoko Naganuma in 1938, it stresses veneration of the Shakyamuni Buddha and adherence to the Lotus Sutra, along with world peace, interfaith cooperation, and social service. International Rissho Kosei-kai headquarters include the Great Sacred Hall, which...
The Roman Catholic Church is the world's largest Christian Church, with over 1 billion members, and currently headed by Pope Francis. Since becoming the official religion of the Roman Empire in the 4th century, it has been persistently influential in Western and world culture, politics, and history. The Catholic Church's involvement in contemporary world affairs varies widely and has often embroiled it in controversy. Politically, it has denounced both communism and unrestrained capitalism...
Sakyadhita: The International Association of Buddhist Women empowers the world’s Buddhist women to work for peace and social justice while promoting gender equality inspired by Buddhist principles. Established in 1987, the organization has almost 2000 members in forty-five countries around the world. The current president is Karma Lekshe Tsomo. Every two years Sakyadhita sponsors an international conference, designed to bring laywomen and nuns from different countries and traditions together...
Sangha Metta focuses on training monks and nuns with basic knowledge and skills about HIV/AIDS so they can work with communities to devise locally appropriate prevention and care responses. Built on the Buddhist tradition of teaching, the organization actively combats the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS and ignorance about the disease and how its spreads. Sangha Metta has trained thousands of monks and nuns in areas such as awareness-raising, prevention education, participatory management to...
SantiSena is a Buddhist development organization that focuses on environmental protection and rehabilitation, peace-building (including the prevention of child trafficking and the promotion of democratic values), and rural development. An emphasis on building sustainable livelihoods targets vulnerable populations like orphans and people living with HIV/AIDs and also addresses agricultural production and marketing. SantiSena works with other peace promoters, including influential monks like...
Founded by Sulak Sivaraksa, the Sathirakoses-Nagapradeepa Foundation (SNF) is a organization dedicated to promoting spiritual and social development in Thailand and is an umbrella legal body overseeing and setting policy for six sister organizations: the Thai Inter-religious Commission for Development, Santi Pracha Dhamma Institute, Wongsanit Ashram, International Network of Engaged Buddhists, Spirit in Education Movement, and Suan Ngen Mee Ma Company Limited. SNF stresses that individual...
Shangpa Foundation is a non-profit Buddhist organization in Nepal that promotes the teachings of the Buddha and provides educational resources and health care assistance to individuals living in remote areas of Nepal. The organization was founded by Shangpa Rinpoche, a Tibetan lama and teacher, in 1996.The Foundation is involved in several other community projects, including the renovation of Jangchub Choeling Monastery in Pokhara, Nepal, the construction of the Vikrama Shila Buddhist...
Operating mainly in Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, and Afghanistan, the Shanti Volunteer Association (SVA) conducts education, culture, and disaster relief programs that respect traditional cultural practices. Specific projects include constructing schools and libraries in Southeast Asia, as well as running programs dedicated to preserving Buddhist cultural practices through literature donation, seminars for Buddhist religious leaders, and building reconstruction. Since 2005 SVA has also focused...
Founded in 1988, Malaysia-based Sisters in Islam (SIS) is dedicated to promoting the rights of women throughout the Muslim world, which are rooted in the "true principles of Islam": equality, justice, freedom, and dignity within a democratic state. Sisters in Islam works in three related areas: legal service, education, and advocacy. Their legal services programs include providing a legal clinic to women seeking divorces so they can learn more about their financial rights and the rights of...
First established in 1971 as an arm of the Australian Evangelical Alliance, TEAR Australia (formally Tearfund Australia) is a Christian organization supporting the development, advocacy, and relief work of 146 partner organizations in 32 countries. TEAR Australia supports community-based Christian groups, churches, and mission organizations focused on poor and vulnerable communities. As a member of the Micah Network, an international alliance of Christian relief and development NGOs, TEAR...
Tung Lin Kok Yuen is a Buddhist educational charity in Hong Kong founded in 1935 by a rich entrepreneur's wife to teach women Buddhist philosophy. Tung Link Kok Yuen school included a library, a dining hall, living quarters, and a Buddhist book distribution center. Currently, Tung Lin Kok Yuen operates three schools in Hong Kong: Po Kok Secondary School, Po Kok Primary School, and Po Kok Branch School. The primary school offers classes in Mandarin, mathematics, general studies, Buddhist...
Founded in 1966 by Taiwanese nun Cheng Yen, Tzu Chi Foundation is a non-profit Buddhist relief organization that conducts social outreach projects in 51 countries with 517 offices across the globe and over five million supporters. Tzu Chi focuses on both spiritual and material welfare as it works to create a world without suffering inspired by Mahayana Buddhism. The foundation supports health care, education, environmental activism, and human rights initiatives. Tzu Chi is also involved in...
Founded in 1992, the United Trungram Buddhist Fellowship (UTBF) is an network of Buddhist centers dedicated to spiritual advancement through the promotion of nonviolence, social justice, and mutual understanding. Rooted in the stories of Milarepa, a Tibetan poet and saint, UTBF works to promote Buddhist studies, advance educational opportunities, and provide health care and emergency relief to under-served populations. UTBF's Dharma Centers teach both introductory and advanced courses on...
Inspired by the life and work of Abdurrahman Wahid, the Indonesia-based Wahid Institute promotes a moderate version of Islam through dialogue events, publications, and public advocacy. This religious perspective in turn positively contributes to democracy, religious pluralism, and tolerance among both Indonesian and international Muslims. Some of their programs include a democracy initiative, education and scholarship program for children, and mapping project of Muslim NGOs and individuals...
Founded in 1992 by the venerable Muny Van Saveth, Wat Norea Peaceful Children's Home (NPC) foundation provides care to those affected by HIV/AIDS, with a focus on helping orphans and vulnerable children. Wat Norea (located at a Buddhist temple in the Battambang province), has since cared for over 400 orphans and children in need; the Wat has also provided care to over 60 adults living with HIV/AIDS. Where possible, children living at NPC are reintegrated into their local community, whether...
Established by the Asian Strategy & Leadership Institute, the World Islamic Economic Forum Foundation (WIEF) seeks to promote cooperation between Muslim entrepreneurs, companies, and governments in member states of the Organization of the Islamic Conference. Concurrently, WIEF believes that intercultural exchange and interreligious understanding are necessary steps in making the world a better place, and that successful business relationships between Muslim and non-Muslim countries are an...
World Relief (a National Association of Evangelicals partner) is a Christian relief and development agency that often works through local churches to provide mentors to vulnerable children and material assistance to help them escape the vicious cycle of poverty and exploitation. The organization's health programs include an HIV/AIDS component, which encourages churches to provide compassionate care for those affected by the disease. Other programs include agricultural assistance and...
Founded in 1950, World Vision USA is a Christian humanitarian organization that targets children and their communities worldwide. In addition to being a major aid distributor for the UN World Food Programme, it also focuses efforts on the provision of basic health care and access to education. World Vision is most widely recognized for its child sponsorship programs. These programs reunite women with their children, rescue victims of sexual slavery, and provide women with opportunities via...
The Young Men's Buddhist Association (YMBA) in Myanmar (Burma) is dedicated to fostering nationalist sentiment and religious devotion while providing educational and recreational opportunities for youth. Throughout its history the organization has educated youth against substance abuse and has promoted the maintenance of traditional Burmese and Buddhist culture. Founded in 1906, YMBA was modeled on the Young Men's Christian Association and built and ran schools using private donations and...