Religion and Development

January 23, 2018 | In Africa's Sahel region, religious institutions play key roles in daily life, and measures of religiosity are among the world’s highest; however, religious factors are often neglected in development plans and programs, including those that affect family welfare. This is partly because of sensitivities around religious roles, but also because there are many presumptions made about religious perspectives. In Senegal, religious actors are increasingly recognized as important players in advancing the fight against maternal and child mortality, notably by promoting approaches to family planning that are consistent with religious teachings. The results are promising, but point to issues where dialogue is vital—for example, in discussions on reproductive health education. The same is true in Guinea. In Niger, religious dynamics influence gender roles at a systemic level, most notably through issues like girls’ education, maternal mortality, and early marriage. The World Faiths Development Dialogue is supporting efforts to understand specific roles played by various religious actors in the region. This event explored critical issues facing countries in the Sahel, highlighting the roles religious leaders do and could play, as well as points of consensus and contention.

November 7, 2017 | Catholic peacebuilding efforts in Africa face three related cross-cutting challenges: under-utilization and insufficient awareness of the Church's unique potential to promote peace and reconciliation; the lack of pertinent information on the underlying causes of such problems; and insufficient coordination of the Church's initiatives for peace and reconciliation. Previous meetings have identified a specific need to promote synergy through closer collaboration between universities, research centers, Justice and Peace Commissions, and various levels of Caritas active in Africa. Held in Entebbe, Uganda, the Africa Institute on Peace and Justice Studies Program brought together five dozen attendees from 15 countries across Africa, Europe, and North America as part of an effort to invigorate the growing field of justice and peace studies in African universities. Berkley Center Senior Fellow David Hollenbach, S.J., offered the keynote address.

For more on the event, visit: http://bit.ly/2y8utl2 For more on the Berkley Center, visit: http://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/ September 26, 2017 | This past July, a special UN conference adopted a Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which opened for signature on September 20. In observance of the International Day for the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, Archbishop Silvano Tomasi visited Georgetown and discuss the need for the treaty, the Holy See’s role in its development, and the Vatican's hopes for the successful reallocation of resources from nuclear weapons to sustainable development—a priority of Pope Francis.

March 28, 2007 | Co-sponsored with the Luce/SFS Program on Religion and International Affairs, this symposium analyzed the effect that evangelicals have on foreign policy. Six core questions guided discussion: To what degree has Evangelical engagement around development agendas increased over the last decade, and how do you account for the increase? What issues and priorities do Evangelicals groups bring to global development policy, and how do they arrive at them? What form of advocacy coordination exists across Evangelical groups, and in collaboration with other religious and non-religious organizations? When did Evangelicals begin to make foreign affairs a priority, and why? What specific issues have most galvanized the Evangelical community (religious freedom, support for Israel, family values, human trafficking, poverty, genocide, etc.), and why? How do Evangelical leaders mobilize public support for their positions and collaborate with other religious -- and secular -- advocacy org

Sep 27, 2016 | In 2013, the U.S. State Department established the Secretary's Office of Religion and Global Affairs (S/RGA). The office advises Secretary of State John Kerry on policy matters as they relate to religion, supports U.S. diplomatic missions overseas in assessing religious dynamics and engaging religious actors, and serves as the first point of entry for those seeking to engage the State Department on religion. This year, the S/RGA, in partnership with the Secretary’s Open Forum, hosted the first Religion and Diplomacy Conference. The two-day event explored ways in which religion matters to foreign policy in various regions of the world and on a number of global, cross-cutting issues. A public component took place at Georgetown University on the second day, featuring two panel discussions. The first focused on the role of religious actors in communities in implementing the UN's Sustainable Development Goals; the second examined the two incongruent poles of global xenophobia and discrimination on one hand, and efforts to promote interreligious understanding, inclusion, respect, and cooperation on the other.

Sep 27, 2016 | In 2013, the U.S. State Department established the Secretary's Office of Religion and Global Affairs (S/RGA). The office advises Secretary of State John Kerry on policy matters as they relate to religion, supports U.S. diplomatic missions overseas in assessing religious dynamics and engaging religious actors, and serves as the first point of entry for those seeking to engage the State Department on religion. This year, the S/RGA, in partnership with the Secretary’s Open Forum, hosted the first Religion and Diplomacy Conference. The two-day event explored ways in which religion matters to foreign policy in various regions of the world and on a number of global, cross-cutting issues. A public component took place at Georgetown University on the second day, featuring two panel discussions. The first focused on the role of religious actors in communities in implementing the UN's Sustainable Development Goals; the second examined the two incongruent poles of global xenophobia and discrimination on one hand, and efforts to promote interreligious understanding, inclusion, respect, and cooperation on the other.

October 3, 2016 | How do religious institutions and beliefs approach the challenges of modernization and development? And how do religious and secular actors engage on the relevant policies and programs? The Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs and the World Faiths Development Dialogue are completing a three-year research project that has explored the complex ways religious institutions and practices intersect with efforts to advance international development and peace in four countries: Bangladesh, Senegal, Kenya, and Guatemala. The goals are to enhance mutual understanding, identify obstacles and knowledge gaps, and look for opportunities to engage in partnerships that promise to improve the quality of development interventions. This capstone event highlighted findings from research in the four countries and explored cross-country comparisons for various development sectors. The event began with a reception. Opening remarks from the project leader, Katherine Marshall, began at 6:00 p.m., followed by a discussion with panelists.

With author Steven Radelet

February 8, 2013 The UK's funding of the Pergau hydroelectric project in Malaysia in the early 1990s created a political storm in the UK and Malaysia and had a lasting impact on subsequent aid policies. In a new book, The Politics and Economics of Britain's Foreign Aid: The Pergau Dam Affair, Sir Tim Lankester offers an ex post political and economic evaluation of the project—the largest and most controversial project in the history of British aid. Sir Tim, who was permanent secretary of the UK's Overseas Development Administration at the time, offered an insider's perspective of the politics, the individuals, and the decisions that helped to shape this important period in British development assistance. He also discussed broader insights and lessons on governance, accountability and aid policy that are relevant to this day.

April 29, 2008 What role do faith-based initiatives play in US foreign policy? Jay Hein, deputy assistant to the president and director of the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, outlined the efforts of the George W. Bush administration to collaborate with faith-inspired organizations, particularly in Africa. Through targeted funding and cooperative networks, the White House program has helped to support the struggle against HIV/AIDS and malaria, and to draw public attention to pressing development challenges and find new ways to address them. The ensuing discussion centered on the proper relationship between secular governments and religious organizations in addressing common policy agendas.

December 2, 2013 Since his election last March, Pope Francis has repeatedly called attention to the plight of the world's poor and challenged political leaders to address poverty in its economic, political, cultural, and spiritual dimensions. How does Francis' priority for the the poor both draw on and extend Catholic Social Thought? What are its implications for politics and policy in the United States, where issues of poverty are often ignored in the midst of partisan polarization and paralysis? Georgetown's Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life hosted a public dialogue on these questions, including speakers E.J. Dionne, Michael Gerson, Bishop Stephen Blaire, and Kathryn Lopez. John Carr moderated the discussion and Cardinal Theodore McCarrick delivered opening remarks.

Following Pope Francis's historic visit to the United States and just a month before the momentous COP21 climate negotiations in Paris, the Berkley Center, in collaboration with the State Department, assembled a group of faith leaders, representatives of faith-based NGOs, scholars, and government policymakers to address the complex intersection of faith, science, and policy that surrounds the challenge of global climate change. Two panels addressed the moral and theological underpinnings of the climate action movement, and the connections between climate, justice, and poverty. A third panel explored climate challenges and possible policy responses. US Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz delivered the keynote address.

Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme Ertharin Cousin explored how the current unprecedented level of crisis in our world—coupled with persistent hunger and poverty—undermines global stability and threatens our collective global future. Cousin addressed the vicious cycle of conflict, climate change, and hunger—sharing real-life examples from the World Food Programme's work to provide immediate life-saving humanitarian assistance as well as longer-term solutions to hunger and malnutrition. This luncheon and conversation continued a semester-long dialogue about “The Global Future of Security” sponsored by Georgetown’s Global Futures Initiative. Ertharin Cousin began her tenure as executive director in 2012. Cousin brings more than 25 years of national and international non-profit, government, and corporate leadership experience focusing on hunger, food, and resilience strategies.

In November 1986, in the midst of an economic expansion, the Bishops of the United States published a pastoral letter on Catholic Social Teaching and its policy implications. They gave it the title "Economic Justice for All." A quarter century later, the economy is stagnating, the Tea Party and Occupy Wall St. have emerged, and we are in the midst of a prolonged budget crisis.

April 28, 2014 What motivates social entrepreneurs? For many, religion serves as a key source of inspiration in the pursuit of entrepreneurial solutions to social problems. This event explored how faith has been a motivator for social entrepreneurs and how faith communities can better employ entrepreneurial methods to achieve social aims. This morning conference featured social entrepreneurs who have been inspired by their faith as well as those who are working to tackle faith-related issues. Participants had the opportunity to engage with speakers and each other and discuss the unique advantages—and challenges—that faith and faith communities can provide in the burgeoning field of social entrepreneurship. This event was co-sponsored and organized by the World Faiths Development Dialogue; the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs; Ashoka: Innovators for the Public; the Beeck Center for Social Impact and Innovation; the SIPS Fund; and the Center for Social Entrepren

Over the past two decades, much of Latin America has made progress toward greater economic growth, democratic consolidation, and social inclusion. Yet pressing problems remain. What are the critical issues facing Latin America over the coming decade? What opportunities and challenges do they pose for the United States and for hemispheric relations? How can Georgetown university support stronger U.S.-Latin America ties in its teaching, research, and outreach mission? Ambassador Thomas Shannon, under secretary for political affairs and former U.S. ambassador to Brazil, discussed these issues with Samuel Lewis, the former vice president of Panama and chair of Georgetown's Latin American Board. Professor Ricardo Ernst of the McDonough School of Business moderated the conversation.

April 28, 2014 What motivates social entrepreneurs? For many, religion serves as a key source of inspiration in the pursuit of entrepreneurial solutions to social problems. This event explored how faith has been a motivator for social entrepreneurs and how faith communities can better employ entrepreneurial methods to achieve social aims. This morning conference featured social entrepreneurs who have been inspired by their faith as well as those who are working to tackle faith-related issues. Participants had the opportunity to engage with speakers and each other and discuss the unique advantages—and challenges—that faith and faith communities can provide in the burgeoning field of social entrepreneurship. This event was co-sponsored and organized by the World Faiths Development Dialogue; the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs; Ashoka: Innovators for the Public; the Beeck Center for Social Impact and Innovation; the SIPS Fund; and the Center for Social Entrepren

Following Pope Francis's historic visit to the United States and just a month before the momentous COP21 climate negotiations in Paris, the Berkley Center, in collaboration with the State Department, assembled a group of faith leaders, representatives of faith-based NGOs, scholars, and government policymakers to address the complex intersection of faith, science, and policy that surrounds the challenge of global climate change. Two panels addressed the moral and theological underpinnings of the climate action movement, and the connections between climate, justice, and poverty. A third panel explored climate challenges and possible policy responses. US Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz delivered the keynote address.

Faith-inspired actors have long played critical roles in global development around the world, however their contributions can often be overlooked or viewed with suspicion. Drawing on new research carried out by the World Faiths Development Dialogue and the Berkley Center in Bangladesh, Senegal, and Kenya, this event shed light on the complex and varied roles religious actors play in development. Taking a 'country-level' approach, the research aimed to provide practitioners with a focused view of the many ways local religious actors, institutions, and ideas intersect with national development agendas. The goal was to inform new approaches and highlight potential for positive collaboration between the worlds of religion and development. The event also marked the release of several recent publications including the Bangladesh country report "Faith and Development in Focus: Bangladesh."

November 30, 2005

January 15-16, 2015 On January 15-16, the Religious Freedom Project hosted a British Council workshop on religious understanding. The event consisted of five panel discussions, two roundtables, and three other breakout sessions. In addition to a host of university professors—representing Georgetown, George Washington, the University of Minnesota, the University of Florida, and University of Leeds—this event welcomed representatives from US Department of State, World Bank, Institute for Global Engagement, Institute for Economics and Peace, American Academy of Religion, and Atlantic Council. The keynote panel, led by Brian Grim and Alex Thurston, addressed religious dynamics in the Horn of Africa. Subsequent panels covered topics including: the interaction of religious and political priorities in the region; barriers to religious engagement; religion and development; and policy makers’ engagement with religious leaders.

Following Pope Francis's historic visit to the United States and just a month before the momentous COP21 climate negotiations in Paris, the Berkley Center, in collaboration with the State Department, assembled a group of faith leaders, representatives of faith-based NGOs, scholars, and government policymakers to address the complex intersection of faith, science, and policy that surrounds the challenge of global climate change. Two panels addressed the moral and theological underpinnings of the climate action movement, and the connections between climate, justice, and poverty. A third panel explored climate challenges and possible policy responses. US Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz delivered the keynote address.

March 4, 2015 The relationship between religious proselytism and development is sharply contested. International covenants recognize that religious freedom includes rights to personal religious conversion and public religious witness. But critics claim that proselytism can violate the rights of affected communities to maintain their traditions and can sow division in fragile societies. There is wide agreement that development aid should never be conditioned on religious conversion. Disagreement centers on whether, when, and how a vigorous religious marketplace, including the freedom to proselytize, fosters social dynamism and development or, on the contrary, social division that undercuts development goals. Over the course of the day-long dialogue, three panels of distinguished religious leaders, development practitioners, and scholars will examine these issues from diverse perspectives. A keynote conversation will feature Pastor Rick Warren, founder of Saddleback Church, and Ruth Mes

Madrasas have long been an integral part of the education landscape of South Asia. In the context of rapidly modernizing Bangladesh, far from being moribund, these longstanding religious institutions are playing a large and expanding role as education providers. Madrasas currently account for approximately 14 percent of primary enrollment and 21 percent of secondary enrollment. However, madrasas, and Quomi (orthodox) schools in particular, are controversial institutions in Bangladesh, central to the polarized discourse regarding the role of Islam in society and concerns about radicalization. After first placing madrasas in historical context, this forum explored key contemporary issues such as ongoing government reform efforts, issues of gender and girls education in madrasas, and social marginalization of madrasa students and graduates. The goal was to inform the ongoing and often contentious debate around madrasa education in Bangladesh.

March 4, 2015 The relationship between religious proselytism and development is sharply contested. International covenants recognize that religious freedom includes rights to personal religious conversion and public religious witness. But critics claim that proselytism can violate the rights of affected communities to maintain their traditions and can sow division in fragile societies. There is wide agreement that development aid should never be conditioned on religious conversion. Disagreement centers on whether, when, and how a vigorous religious marketplace, including the freedom to proselytize, fosters social dynamism and development or, on the contrary, social division that undercuts development goals. Over the course of the day-long dialogue, three panels of distinguished religious leaders, development practitioners, and scholars will examine these issues from diverse perspectives. A keynote conversation will feature Pastor Rick Warren, founder of Saddleback Church, and Ruth Me

Launched in Dhaka, the "Speakers Forum on Religion and Development in Bangladesh" is the first in a series of six events. This inaugural session explored approaches to secularism from global, regional, and local perspectives. It featured Georgetown University’s Jose Casanova, the Centre for Developing Society’s Rajeev Bhargava, and BRAC University’s Samia Huq. The forum is a joint initiative between the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs, BRAC University’s Department of Economics and Social Sciences, and the World Faiths Development Dialogue. The Speakers Forum is part of a multi-year exploration of the development work of faith-inspired actors in Bangladesh. These forums have been designed to provide a non-politicized space for constructive dialogue at the intersection of religion and critical development topics, bringing together local and international scholars, development practitioners, and faith actors. The forums offer a unique opportunity to reflect on global experiences and local realities regarding religion’s complex role in promoting development. The first forum was designed to generate new insights around the inter-connected issues of secularism, religious pluralism, and development in a democratic Bangladesh. This event was co-sponsored by the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, BRAC University Department of Economics and Social Sciences, and the World Faiths Development Dialogue.

March 4, 2015 The relationship between religious proselytism and development is sharply contested. International covenants recognize that religious freedom includes rights to personal religious conversion and public religious witness. But critics claim that proselytism can violate the rights of affected communities to maintain their traditions and can sow division in fragile societies. There is wide agreement that development aid should never be conditioned on religious conversion. Disagreement centers on whether, when, and how a vigorous religious marketplace, including the freedom to proselytize, fosters social dynamism and development or, on the contrary, social division that undercuts development goals. Over the course of the day-long dialogue, three panels of distinguished religious leaders, development practitioners, and scholars will examine these issues from diverse perspectives. A keynote conversation will feature Pastor Rick Warren, founder of Saddleback Church, and Ruth Me

March 4, 2015 The relationship between religious proselytism and development is sharply contested. International covenants recognize that religious freedom includes rights to personal religious conversion and public religious witness. But critics claim that proselytism can violate the rights of affected communities to maintain their traditions and can sow division in fragile societies. There is wide agreement that development aid should never be conditioned on religious conversion. Disagreement centers on whether, when, and how a vigorous religious marketplace, including the freedom to proselytize, fosters social dynamism and development or, on the contrary, social division that undercuts development goals. Over the course of the day-long dialogue, three panels of distinguished religious leaders, development practitioners, and scholars will examine these issues from diverse perspectives. A keynote conversation will feature Pastor Rick Warren, founder of Saddleback Church, and Ruth Me

March 28, 2007 Co-sponsored with the Luce/SFS Program on Religion and International Affairs, this symposium analyzed the effect that evangelicals have on foreign policy. Six core questions guided discussion: To what degree has Evangelical engagement around development agendas increased over the last decade, and how do you account for the increase? What issues and priorities do Evangelicals groups bring to global development policy, and how do they arrive at them? What form of advocacy coordination exists across Evangelical groups, and in collaboration with other religious and non-religious organizations? When did Evangelicals begin to make foreign affairs a priority, and why? What specific issues have most galvanized the Evangelical community (religious freedom, support for Israel, family values, human trafficking, poverty, genocide, etc.), and why? How do Evangelical leaders mobilize public support for their positions and collaborate with other religious -- and secular -- advocacy org

July 25, 2012 As global AIDS experts gathered for the XIX International AIDS Conference, Reverend Gideon Byamugisha, founder of ANERELA+, discussed his experience as a Ugandan priest living with HIV openly since 1992. Having played a lead role in the Church of Uganda’s AIDS Program, Reverend Byamugisha currently serves as the Christian AID Goodwill Ambassador on HIV and AIDS. Byamugisha is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Niwano Peace Prize, for his ministry with children affected by AIDS. He spoke to the theological and practical resources available to restore agency and power to HIV-affected youth enabling them to lead safer, healthier, prosperous, and fulfilling lives. Byamugisha made the case that the health and development risks facing orphans and other youths made vulnerable by HIV and AIDS are priorities issues in today’s African churches.

March 4, 2015 The relationship between religious proselytism and development is sharply contested. International covenants recognize that religious freedom includes rights to personal religious conversion and public religious witness. But critics claim that proselytism can violate the rights of affected communities to maintain their traditions and can sow division in fragile societies. There is wide agreement that development aid should never be conditioned on religious conversion. Disagreement centers on whether, when, and how a vigorous religious marketplace, including the freedom to proselytize, fosters social dynamism and development or, on the contrary, social division that undercuts development goals. Over the course of the day-long dialogue, three panels of distinguished religious leaders, development practitioners, and scholars will examine these issues from diverse perspectives. A keynote conversation will feature Pastor Rick Warren, founder of Saddleback Church, and Ruth Mes

August 31, 2010 In her August 31 lecture, Carole Rakodi outlined the findings from a five-year collaborative research project funded by the UK Department for International Development (DIFD), which is now reaching its conclusion. The research program was launched to help fill knowledge gaps on the links between religion and development, and was designed to fully engage partners in four countries where the UK supports important development programs: Pakistan, India, Nigeria, and Tanzania. The multidisciplinary research program has produced a wide range of working papers and policy briefs, and a series of books will be completed. The project examined a number of interactions of religion and development, including: the relationship between religion, politics and governance; participation by religious organizations in policy consultation processes; and the engagement with religion of women's organizations campaigning for progressive legal change. In addition to describing the broad find

In the past decade, considerable attention has been paid to religion in foreign policy, diplomacy, development assistance, and partnerships with domestic religious groups and charities. Government offices for interaction with religious groups are more common and greater attention is now paid to the challenges and opportunities for government engagement with religious communities. Yet critics have detailed the complexities of defining religion and the problems that might occur when governments interact with religions. A panel of scholars addressed a series of questions from the standpoint of the religious studies academy: what are the methodological challenges surrounding government engagement with religion and the use of scholarship to achieve policy goals? What are the roles religious studies scholars can play in government work as scholars? Should the academy encourage more of this collaboration with the government?

March 23, 2015 Pope Francis has warned against the “globalization of indifference.” A Georgetown University Dialogue will address how solidarity and development can overcome indifference: What are signs of “the globalization of indifference?” How can development save lives, enhance human dignity, build peace, and protect God’s creation? What can individuals, universities, parishes, and other institutions do to overcome indifference with solidarity? This unique Dialogue will examine these questions in light of Pope Francis’ words and example and criteria based on Catholic Social Thought.

December 4, 2012 The Roman Catholic Church is a major player in global development. The Church is at the center of an international network of schools, hospitals, relief agencies, and community initiatives that contribute to education, health, and welfare worldwide. But the scope of that contribution—and the mix of collaboration and tensions with governments and development organizations which it fosters—remain poorly understood. Robert Calderisi, a former director of the World Bank, addressed the impact of the Catholic Church on economic and social progress in Africa, Asia and Latin America. His new book Healing the Nations: The Catholic Church and World Development will be published by Yale University Press in September 2013. This event was co-sponsored by the Berkley Center, the Georgetown Jesuit Community, and the SFS Program on Global Human Development.

May 11, 2015 One in five children grows up poor in the richest nation on earth. Harvard Professor Robert Putnam documents and challenges this human and economic failure in his new bestselling book Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis. Putnam, also the author of Bowling Alone and co-author of American Grace, shared his groundbreaking research, compelling stories and unusual passion for the widening opportunity gap at the opening public session the Catholic-Evangelical Summit on Overcoming Poverty. Putnam’s presentation was followed by a distinguished panel of religious and national leaders who discussed long-neglected questions including how Catholic, evangelical, and other leaders can help make overcoming poverty a clear moral imperative and urgent national priority. Georgetown President John J. DeGioia opened the Dialogue.

April 16, 2007 This discussion centered around the themes of public support mobilization, collaboration with national governments and international institutions, and policy implementation on the ground. The symposium placed a strong emphasis on US-based NGOs that interact with national governments and international organizations across a range of issue areas, including education, health care, gender, humanitarian relief, microfinance, and the environment. Panelists first highlighted how FBOs are involved in development work and then explored the specific tensions that exist around ethical and practical considerations that must be taken by faith-based NGOs. The symposium's participants were in agreement that these types of organizations must consider how to maintain a proper relationship with public authorities and must be sensitive to the nature of the connection they draw between faith, poverty, and social justice. The consultation was the first in a series of geographically-focused

April 16, 2007 This discussion centered around the themes of public support mobilization, collaboration with national governments and international institutions, and policy implementation on the ground. The symposium placed a strong emphasis on US-based NGOs that interact with national governments and international organizations across a range of issue areas, including education, health care, gender, humanitarian relief, microfinance, and the environment. Panelists first highlighted how FBOs are involved in development work and then explored the specific tensions that exist around ethical and practical considerations that must be taken by faith-based NGOs. The symposium's participants were in agreement that these types of organizations must consider how to maintain a proper relationship with public authorities and must be sensitive to the nature of the connection they draw between faith, poverty, and social justice. The consultation was the first in a series of geographically-focused

March 4, 2015 The relationship between religious proselytism and development is sharply contested. International covenants recognize that religious freedom includes rights to personal religious conversion and public religious witness. But critics claim that proselytism can violate the rights of affected communities to maintain their traditions and can sow division in fragile societies. There is wide agreement that development aid should never be conditioned on religious conversion. Disagreement centers on whether, when, and how a vigorous religious marketplace, including the freedom to proselytize, fosters social dynamism and development or, on the contrary, social division that undercuts development goals. Over the course of the day-long dialogue, three panels of distinguished religious leaders, development practitioners, and scholars will examine these issues from diverse perspectives. A keynote conversation will feature Pastor Rick Warren, founder of Saddleback Church, and Ruth Mes

March 16, 2007 Are “universal” human rights in fact an imposition of western or Christian ideas? Is democracy, the “rule of the people,” compatible with God’s law? How does religion inform – and impede – the struggle for human rights around the world? The Berkley Center conference on “Religion and the Global Politics of Human Rights” brought together leading anthropologists, sociologists, historians, and political scientists to explore questions on the ways in which religion intersects with the global human rights agendas. It breaks with the dominant “top down” approach centered on the principles found in sacred texts and authoritative theological and legal interpretations. Participants grappled with the issue “bottom up” – the interaction of human rights and religion in practice and the challenges they pose for national and international politics. This conference, convened by Thomas Banchoff, Director of the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Af

March 16, 2007 Are “universal” human rights in fact an imposition of western or Christian ideas? Is democracy, the “rule of the people,” compatible with God’s law? How does religion inform – and impede – the struggle for human rights around the world? The Berkley Center conference on “Religion and the Global Politics of Human Rights” brought together leading anthropologists, sociologists, historians, and political scientists to explore questions on the ways in which religion intersects with the global human rights agendas. It breaks with the dominant “top down” approach centered on the principles found in sacred texts and authoritative theological and legal interpretations. Participants grappled with the issue “bottom up” – the interaction of human rights and religion in practice and the challenges they pose for national and international politics. This conference, convened by Thomas Banchoff, Director of the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Af

November 7, 2011 The Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs and the World Faiths Development Dialogue (WFDD) convened a one day event to reflect on their five year program on Religion and Global Development, a joint initiative of the Henry Luce Foundation and the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service. The capstone consultation took stock of the project’s results, explored their significance in the light of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and looked towards next steps. The project has worked to increase knowledge and understanding about the effective but poorly documented, development work of faith-inspired organizations, which are important actors in global development often missing from policy tables. Learning from their experience and engaging them more systematically offers the promise of improving the quality and reach of international development programs. The Luce/SFS project has focused on two principle components. A regional “mapp

Following Pope Francis's historic visit to the United States and just a month before the momentous COP21 climate negotiations in Paris, the Berkley Center, in collaboration with the State Department, assembled a group of faith leaders, representatives of faith-based NGOs, scholars, and government policymakers to address the complex intersection of faith, science, and policy that surrounds the challenge of global climate change. Two panels addressed the moral and theological underpinnings of the climate action movement, and the connections between climate, justice, and poverty. A third panel explored climate challenges and possible policy responses. US Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz delivered the keynote address.

April 13, 2015 During her long and distinguished career, Carol Lancaster, former dean at Georgetown's School of Foreign Service, was a pioneer in the twin fields of diplomacy and development. Four of Carol's friends and colleagues engaged in a conversation about her academic and policy contributions and their contemporary relevance, particularly at the intersection of development, diplomacy, and gender. Melanne Verveer, executive director of Georgetown's Institute for Women, Peace and Security, led the discussion with three other faculty members — Katherine Marshall, senior fellow at the Berkley Center; Donald McHenry, a distinguished professor in SFS; and Steven Radelet, director of the SFS Global Human Development program. Thomas Banchoff, vice president for global engagement and Berkley Center director, introduced the panel.

September 18, 2014 Nations establish schools and universities to consciously create new and responsible citizens; hence education has a particularly important role in social cohesion. In some instances educational institutions play that role well and influence social cohesion in a positive way; in other cases they do not and may create barriers to social cohesion or even lay the intellectual underpinnings of social conflict and civil war. Vanderbilt University's Stephen Heyneman discussed the mechanisms by which schools and universities influence social cohesion, sometimes in conjunction with religious institutions, sometimes in spite of them. The presentation provided examples of the social cohesion roles played by educational institutions in different regions, explained the danger to social cohesion raised by education corruption, laid out the steps by which nations may augment the social cohesion record of their educational institutions, and specified responsibilities of the inter

In an era of increasing global interconnectedness, engaging diversity is essential to enhance awareness of difference and create inclusive communities. However, what does this mean in practice? To what extent are our university community and other organizations engaging these issues and what challenges remain? Peace Corps Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet shared her reflections on the history and development of the Peace Corps’ intentional engagement with interreligious and intercultural diversity to build peace and enhance global development. Following the keynote, faculty and student panelists addressed these questions through their experiences with Doyle programs and diversity initiatives on campus and beyond. Georgetown Provost Robert Groves introduced the event.

In an era of increasing global interconnectedness, engaging diversity is essential to enhance awareness of difference and create inclusive communities. However, what does this mean in practice? To what extent are our university community and other organizations engaging these issues and what challenges remain? Peace Corps Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet will share her reflections on the history and development of the Peace Corps’ intentional engagement with interreligious and intercultural diversity to build peace and enhance global development. Following the keynote, faculty and student panelists will address these questions through their experiences with Doyle programs and diversity initiatives on campus and beyond.

In an era of increasing global interconnectedness, engaging diversity is essential to enhance awareness of difference and create inclusive communities. However, what does this mean in practice? To what extent are our university community and other organizations engaging these issues and what challenges remain? Peace Corps Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet will share her reflections on the history and development of the Peace Corps’ intentional engagement with interreligious and intercultural diversity to build peace and enhance global development. Following the keynote, faculty and student panelists will address these questions through their experiences with Doyle programs and diversity initiatives on campus and beyond.

May 1, 2009 As they operate in ever more diverse contexts, faith-based humanitarian organizations face important questions about their identities. As the top diplomat for World Vision, a humanitarian organization with a $2.6 billion annual budget, 40,000 employees, and an established Christian identity, Thomas Getman grappled with these questions, searching for a way of working that respected the organization’'s faith heritage while embracing the pluralistic contexts in which it now operates. In this event, Getman shared his personal reflections on faith-based humanitarian assistance over the last decade, and its prospects for the future. The Mortara Center for International Studies co-sponsored the event.

May 30, 2012 Experts are still debating whether the worst of the global financial and economic crisis is over; the combination of modest growth and continued high unemployment and political tension presents a mixed picture. Despite this uncertainty, there is broad agreement that the national and international institutions that enabled the crisis in the first place are in need of reform. Speaking at the Berkley Center, Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Munich, an expert on Catholic Social Teaching, examined its relevance to the current international predicament and discussed economic crisis as an opportunity for far-reaching change. Only an economic system centered on the human person, he argued, can generate societies that are both prosperous and just in the long run.

February 13, 2009 | A dynamic tension exists in practices of giving: while impulsive philanthropic giving allows no claims on the donor by the recipient, welfare-oriented giving transforms the recipient into a claimant with rights. These conflicting pressures on giving frame this examination of contemporary humanitarian and philanthropic practice in New Delhi, and its relation to sacred Hindu conceptions of dān (donation) in light of the response to the 2004 tsunami disaster. The February 13, 2009 talk, part of an ongoing series The Anthropology of Religion, Money and the Economy, co-sponsored by the Anthropology Department and the Berkley Center, drew upon a nexus of institutions and individuals: schools raising money for tsunami relief, NGOs delivering charitable goods, and individuals giving donations, to show how humanitarian efforts mirror larger ethical struggles about how money should be spent and tracked, how need is identified, and what constitutes a worthy recipient.