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South and Central Asia

Boats on the Ganges River in Varanasi, India

Explore the Berkley Center’s resources on South and Central Asia, including extensive materials on the development landscape of Bangladesh, an interview series with regional development practitioners, and student reflections on their study abroad experiences in India.

Current and Past Projects

Indian Woman in Pink Writing on Desk

Catholic Education in India

In May 2011 undergraduate student Deven Comen conducted interviews in Mumbai, India as part of an ongoing initiative of the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs and the Center for Social Justice Research, Teaching and Service at…
Boys in Blue Smiling at Bangladesh Madrasa

Country Mapping: Bangladesh

This mapping project, conducted jointly by the World Faiths Development Dialogue and the Berkley Center, worked to fill in gaps in knowledge regarding the roles religious actors play in development at this critical juncture in Bangladesh’s history.
Boats and Shoreline of Ganges River in India

South and Central Asia

As part of its global mapping of faith-inspired organizations in development work, the Berkley Center and the World Faiths Development Dialogue held a consultation and developed publications and web resources focused on relief and development organizations based in South and Central Asia.
Kuchai Bari Educational Center Classroom in India

Supporting the Hardest-to-Reach Students in Bangladesh

During June 2014 undergraduate student Kendra Layton conducted interviews in Bangladesh as part of an ongoing initiative of the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs and the Center for Social Justice Research, Teaching and Service at…

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Interviews

Discover the firsthand experiences of faith leaders, activists, and peacebuilding practitioners working on issues ranging from development and education to conflict resolution and foreign policy.

For over a decade, Berkley Center scholars and students have been conducting interviews with individuals working at the intersection of religion and world affairs. These discussions offer unique insights into the inner workings of a wide spectrum of professions touched by religion with interviewees ranging from the highest levels of leadership of international organizations to on-the-ground practitioners. Explore individual interviews here or follow links to our interview collections below:

Recent Interviews

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Events

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Blog Posts

Positive Branding and Soft Power: The Promotion of Sufism in the War on Terror

December 13, 2018

Positive Branding and Soft Power: The Promotion of Sufism in the War on Terror

Alix Philippon writes that Sufism has been brought to the fore in U.S. policymaking circles as an ideological bulwark against extremism. She argues that the idealization of the category of Sufism in public policy might have serious counterproductive effects as far as curbing violence is concerned.
Narendra Modi waving to crowd during parade in India

August 27, 2018

Religious and Communal Tensions in Indian Politics

The Berkley Forum asks: How has the legacy of British colonialism continued to aggravate animosity between Hindus and Muslims in India? In what ways is the BJP’s Hindutva agenda serving to inflame tensions between the two groups? What role does social media play vis-a-vis religious/communal divides?
Mass Atrocity Crimes in Myanmar

May 23, 2018

Mass Atrocity Crimes in Myanmar

In a blog for the Berkley Forum, Engy Abdelkader argues that the persecution of the Rohingya by Myanmar's government fits the definition of genocide as outlined in international law.

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Publications

Report October 24, 2016

Islam and Development in Bangladesh: A Grassroots Perspective

In Bangladesh, local Muslim faith-inspired organizations have taken on new significance as the country grapples with growing social fissures around religion. These groups occupy a critical position in relation to the secular and religious divide, with a foot in both the worlds of religion and development. However, they are under-engaged by the mainstream development community. Apart from the…

Other Publications

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