WFDD Programs & Projects

The first phase of the Religion and Global Development program took place in 2006-11 with the support of the Henry R. Luce Foundation. Since 2012 the Program has been conducting an extended consultation with stakeholders on next directions for its work. To structure this consultation, the Center and the World Faiths Development Dialogue have developed a series of policy briefs that distill the major findings from reports and consultations carried out during the first phase of the program.

The Berkley Center and World Faiths Development Dialogue are collaborating with Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) to assess their interfaith toolkit pilot project.The toolkit engages local community interfaith groups in HFHI efforts to provide adequate shelter for all towards eliminating global poverty. The pilot project aims to mainstream interfaith engagement as a core component of the HFHI community outreach strategy.

This joint initiative assesses the use of the interfaith toolkit by six US affiliates through qualitative, interview-based research that examines three key activities over a 1 year period: recruitment of an interfaith unit, putting faith into action, and creating sustainable interfaith advocacy. Case studies drawn from these interviews will document the effectiveness of the toolkit implementation along with recommendations for expansion within the organization.

Access to safe and reliable sources of modern energy is crucial for achieving sustainable and equitable development for the world's poorest (and often energy deprived) citizens. Without electricity, students have no light for studying at night, hospitals cannot store lifesaving vaccines, and irrigation systems cannot sustain drought-stricken regions. Burning traditional fuels like kerosene and biomass types like wood and manure emit deadly fumes, pose fire hazards, and contribute to environmental degradation. Yet, these are often the most available and widely used energy sources in poor communities, in part because many poor people live far from power grids or lack the resources to pay for electricity. This often neglected priority issue raises a series of questions: Who are the actors working to achieve access to safe, reliable, and sustainable energy? What are the latest and best practices and ideas on how to get there? How can we improve coordination in the spirit of the United Nations Secretary General's call to reach universal energy access by 2030?

WFDD, in partnership with the United Nations Foundation, launched an exploration into the intersections of faith and energy access, both to begin to map the landscape of actors and to highlight their current approaches. The energy access challenge is large but not insurmountable, and engaging faith-inspired actors has the potential to both expand the reach and increase the effectiveness of current and future initiatives.

The relationship between women’s rights, religion, and the family is sharply contested around the world. Through research, publications, events, and online resources, the Berkley Center and the World Faiths Development Dialogue are building a knowledge base and promoting constructive and sustained engagement among religious communities and governments, international organizations, and secular NGOs working at the intersection of gender, development, and human rights.

The ethical and values challenges that underlie the Olympic Movement are explored in this series of interviews with leading practitioners. The interviews highlight historical dimensions and contemporary dilemmas such as nationalism versus the universality and the effects of commercial interests. The series also explores the significance of the Paralympics and Special Olympics, the unexploited potential of the Olympic Truce, and the intersection of religion with the Olympic Movement.

In preparation for the November 2011 capstone to reflect on the first phase of the Religion and Global Development project, the Berkley Center and the World Faiths Development Dialogue conducted a series of focused interviews with practitioners and scholars working at the forefront of policy and practice at the intersection of faith and development. As the 2015 the Millennium Development Goals deadline approaches, the interview series explores how the efforts of faith-inspired actors can best be harnessed to craft effective policy looking in the years ahead.

In conjunction with WFDD's investigation into the links between faith and development in Cambodia, the Berkley Center is spotlighting interviews conducted in Cambodia with the goal of increasing understanding of faith-inspired development work, and of identifying issues and challenges that could be addressed in order to further progress towards development goals.

For more information on WFDD's ongoing research into the role religion plays in Cambodia, see http://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/wfdd/cambodia

Scholars and practitioners have devoted increasing attention to the roles played by faith communities in negotiating and building peace in the world's conflict zones. Because formal religious leadership tends to be dominated by men, women's engagement in religious peacemaking has received far less attention. To address this knowledge gap, the US Institute of Peace, the Berkley Center, and the World Faiths Development Dialogue are conducting a multiyear exploration of the activities and perspectives of women in peacebuilding and their policy implications.

"What is the role of faith in your work?" This series of more than 200 interviews, made possible through the support of the Henry R. Luce Foundation, asks this fundamental question of leaders in the development field. The assembled in-depth conversations with activists and policy specialists examine best practices and collaborative strategies across a range of contemporary challenges, including HIV/AIDS, malaria, education, governance, and gender.

The Berkley Center and World Faiths Development Dialogue are conducting a multi-year survey of critical issues at the intersection of religion and development. Project publications and associated events track the engagement of faith-inspired organizations around a set of core policy challenges, with an emphasis on common problems, ethical commitments, and best practices. Thus far the project has addressed HIV/AIDs, Gender, Shelter, Governance, Malaria, Tuberculosis, Water and Sanitation, and Maternal Mortality.

The Berkley Center and the World Faiths Development Dialogue (WFDD) are mapping the activities of faith-inspired organizations across world regions. Through a series of reports, in-depth interviews with practitioners, and international workshops, and an interactive database, the mapping project charts organizations anchored in particular faith traditions or with ecumenical or interfaith approaches that are engaged in global development agendas, including poverty relief, education, and the struggle against HIV/AIDS and malaria.