The trains run exactly on time in Switzerland, and when it snowed in Bern last week the streets were plowed instantly. The cows trek down from their summer pastures to winter stables on a well established timetable. So it should come as no surprise that Switzerland's international development programs are run with meticulous care. What's perhaps somewhat more surprising is that Switzerland has been one of the leaders globally in a thoughtful and probing approach to the question of why religion matters when it comes to fighting poverty.
Last week a conference in Bern reflected on a decade-long exploratory project that has tackled three provocative questions: why does religion matter, what should we do about it, and how? A hundred people, from the government and a range of private organizations, most of them linked to Christian churches, met for a day-long discussion that was open and informed. I was there to bring some international experience.
The starting puzzle is why, when religion is so obviously a powerful force in the world's poor societies, the very word "religion" has long been essentially taboo in almost all Swiss official debates and even academic literature on development. Some reasons are pretty obvious: European traditions of separation of church and state are especially strong, and good civil servants squirm when the word is mentioned. Other reasons are more complex and are a link to new questions about how to address religion in contemporary Europe. The rise of different forms of fundamentalism, across the Muslim world but also Christian fundamentalism in Switzerland itself, inspire concern that borders on fear. And delving into religion, without much background or a sound framework, can be bewildering because the topic is so complex and full of conflicts and contradictions. Is religion a cause of wars and disputes? How can we distinguish saints and inspired leaders from false prophets, putative terrorists, and outright crooks? Can religion indeed be the force for social justice and world peace that its advocates so passionately claim?
A host of careful studies and exploration of cases in countries as far afield as Haiti, Afghanistan, Bolivia, and Thailand offer unmistakable evidence that religious communities are dense and deep, part of the very social fabric. Ignoring that reality leads to foolish development mistakes. In one Andean country a promising windmill project failed completely because the designers did not realize that faith traditions saw water as coming from the mountains, not from the ground. In countless ways like this, religion does matter. And Switzerland's churches and a host of faith-inspired organizations in practice work with their government in many areas as respected partners. The problem is that the experience is not well captured and analyzed and thus does not always inform policy discussions and plans.
The question of what to do about the logical conclusion that religion matters is tougher to answer, once one appreciates that religion is infinitely complex. Even more challenging, looking hard at religion can force troubling reflections on the motivations of those who work on development. Are their objectives and processes as altruistic as many would claim, or are commercial or other motivations at work? Human rights themselves, a foundation for Swiss development policy, can be called into question by some faith traditions that challenge their realism, suggesting that they are more "western" than "universal." So perhaps, some suggest, the issue of religion is too hot to handle.
But the Swiss development officials and their partners draw a different conclusion. Religion needs to be part of the reflection, but that does not mean backing away from a commitment to human rights. It demands that we delve more deeply into what rights mean, for example in the way western development specialists communicate concerns about gender equality. They acknowledge the need to appreciate and act on the many frustrations around a mantra of working in partnerships, where the reality is of profound differences in real power and resources.
The questions that the Swiss government is posing have no easy answers. Similar questions are being asked, in different ways, in various countries and institutions these days. The existence of religious realities cannot be denied and wise leaders recognize that it is foolish and short-sighted to let the topic of religion remain a taboo subject. Happily, in many places there is a sober appreciation that discussions of religion must avoid buzz words and simplistic solutions. It's a topic that deserves to be taken seriously, with the gravity and diligence that was on display last week in Switzerland.
