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WFDD sponsors seminar on religion and development in Latin America

January 14, 2009

On January 30-31, 2009, the World Faiths Development Dialogue, Georgetown Universityâ™s Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), hosted a consultation in Antigua, Guatemala on the role of faith-inspired organizations in responding to development challenges in Latin America. The meeting brought together practitioners, religious leaders from a range of faith traditions, and academics to review major issues facing the region.

The group explored issues including the role of fast-growing Protestant churches in service delivery, major challenges facing children and youth in the region, and the need for an ongoing forum for faith-inspired organizations working on development to collaborate and share ideas.

The discussion about childrenâ™s issues revealed a disturbing portrait in which the regionâ™s children face a range of problems from sexual abuse to gang violence. There was general agreement that issues of family instability were major causes of many of these problems.

The consultation was the fourth in a series of geographically-focused explorations undertaken by the Berkley Center, with support from the Henry R. Luce Foundation, whose objective is both to increase knowledge about institutions and their work and to identify and explore emerging policy issues.

Attendees:

* Ambassador Carol Lancaster (Director, Mortara Center, Georgetown University) * Alfredo Mora (Latin America Director, VIVA Network) * Elias Szczytnicki (Regional Director, World Coalition of Religions for Peace) * Victoria Pelaez (Regional Representative, WCRP) * Alejandro Bilbao (General Director, Centro Magis) * Corina Villacorta (Regional Vice President, World Vision) * Dra. Zilda Arns Neumann (Founder and Executive Director, Pastoral de Crianca) * Schuyler Thorup (Regional Director, CRS) * Dr. Juan Silva (Partnerships Advisor, WHO-PAHO) * Bishop Alvaro Ramazzini (Bishop of San Marcos, Guatemala) * Father Oscar Azmitia (Rector of Universidad de La Salle) * Sylvia Davila (Director of Partnerships, AVINA Foundation)

The official meeting report will be released in March 2009. Please contact Thomas Bohnett (thomas.bohnett@gmail.com) with any questions.

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WFDD sponsors seminar on religion and development in Latin America