Resources

In 2025, in partnership with the World Council of Churches (WCC), Caritas Internationalis, and a range of national and local faith partners, World Vision convened 93 Faith-Based Nutrition Dialogues across 20 countries, engaging 7,697 participants. Participants included faith leaders, women,…

Visit the United Nations Inter-agency Task Force on Religion and Sustainable Development 2025 Annual Report.

Report on JLI’s 2025 activities and progress.

Why Religious Freedom Matters: Human Rights and Human Flourishing by Allen D. Hertzke was published in April 2026 through University of Notre Dame Press. Drawing on twenty-five years of immersion in global networks of scholarship and advocacy, this book offers…

In a recent issue of the Living Planet Monitor, the World Council of Churches (WCC) featured a success story from the Joint Learning Initiative on Faith and Local Communities (JLI) across pages 64–66. The feature showcases how localized faith responses…

Poliomyelitis, commonly known as polio, remains a critical public health challenge in Pakistan and Afghanistan, the only two countries where wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) continues to circulate. Despite substantial global progress since the launch of the Global Polio Eradication…

This report captures the experiences and perspectives of how faith actors uniquely define, enact, approach, and validate localization and decolonization objectives. Amid growing calls to shift power and agency to local communities, the study investigates the conceptualization of localization and…

Faith actors are well recognized as first responders and trusted partners for communities that face forced migration due to climate change and related events. They mobilize material support (food, shelter, medical treatment) while delivering important psychosocial and spiritual care to…

Climate migration is no longer a distant scenario; it is now a present-day challenge. Around the world, rising seas, shifting rainfall patterns, flooding, droughts, and heatwaves are forcing people from their homes through both slow-onset pressures and sudden, catastrophic events.…

Contributing to debates about faith-based humanitarian action and development as well as domestic programming, this article examines the domestic COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) responses of two British Islamic faith-based organisations (FBOs). It discusses how Islamic Relief UK and the Ramadan…

La migración climática ya no es solamente un escenario lejano. El aumento del nivel del mar, los cambios en los patrones de precipitación, las inundaciones, las sequías y las olas de calor están obligando a las personas a abandonar sus…

La migration climatique n’est plus un scénario lointain ; elle constitue désormais un défi actuel. Partout dans le monde, la hausse du niveau des mers, l’instabilité pluviométrique, les inondations, les sécheresses et les vagues de chaleur forcent des populations entières…

How can we help children thrive without violence in faith communities? Discover the four learnings that emerged from discussion between survivors, faith leaders and child sector professionals.

This editorial introduces Religion & Development Vol. 2, Issue 3 – Special Issue on “Religion and Ecology: Perspectives on Environment and Sustainability across Religious Traditions.” The articles delve into the intricate relationship between religion and ecology from diverse perspectives. The…

Domestic violence interventions that engage religious leaders and clergy have increased significantly in recent years, spanning social work, psychology, public health, and international development. The international evidence indicates the need for culturally appropriate and theologically informed interventions that may combine…

This article identifies a number of intersecting binaries that shape The Salvation Army’s (TSA) social outreach environment and examines efforts to unite these as part of an “integrated mission”. Two of these have been highlighted since the earliest days of TSA (i.e.…

This article examines how religio-cultural values influence the vulnerability and adaptive capacity of local communities in the face of climate-change-induced security risks through a case study of vulnerable communities in northern Mozambique. These risks encompass various forms of suffering, displacement,…

Religions play a crucial role in driving behavioral transformation towards harmony with nature. Consequently, faith-based organizations have increasingly taken an interest in addressing climate change and promoting environmental sustainability, with ecotheology and environmental initiatives gaining prominence over the past decade.…

The COVID-19 crisis is affecting millions of lives and has wreaked some of its greatest havoc and suffering among the vulnerable and marginalised populations of the world, many of whom belong to religious and faith-based communities. In times of crisis and…

The article reflects on the practical experience of the Side by Side Faith Movement for Gender Justice (SbS): faith actors often play a decisive role in the formation of values, concepts and beliefs that determine how women and men see…

The Sustainable Development Report 2019 points out that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) might not be achieved, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa (sic). This paper tries to investigate alternatives to the hegemonic “development” discourse and ideas of “development”: what would be the notion…

The secular approach to development has treated religion as anti-developmental. However, the history of how development was part of missionary activity, such as the provision of health and educational infrastructure in some African countries, has been widely acknowledged. In this…

Christianity has been instrumental in fashioning the contemporary Western paradigm of humanitarian aid and development. However, as a secular agenda increasingly defines this space, the question of what difference a religious cosmology makes to Christian faith-based development organisations (FBDO s) becomes…

Concerns for the vulnerable, the poor and marginalised, both human and non-human, are central to the Christian and Muslim religions. This special issue focuses on the one hand on Catholic social thought and practice with regard to care for the…

The Sustainable Development Agenda 2030 is the only viable framework that exists today providing a plan of action to tackle the complexity of development issues we are facing. One essential element in implementing this agenda is Goal 17, related to…

The National Multi-Faith Action Coordinating Committee (MFACC) in India—a vital platform that brought together a diverse group of faith leaders and faith-based organizations for united, impactful action in service of children, families, and communities across the country. This initiative aims…

This briefing highlights the gendered impacts of conflict, especially as conflicts increasingly target civilian infrastructure and restrict humanitarian access. It contributes to the ongoing discussions on the Protection of Civilians (PoC) in Armed Conflict, the Women, Peace and Security (WPS)…

Ce magazine est une ressource visant à nous aider à comprendre les ODD et à nous y engager dans une perspective chrétienne. Vous vous souvenez peut-être des Objectifs du Millénaire pour le développement (OMD) qui ont pris fin en 2015.…

This toolkit guides policymakers and faith actors through GBV discussions, outlining steps before, during, and after conversations. While pre-conversation guidelines can differ due to distinct starting points, those for during and after generally apply to both groups. The toolkit acknowledges…

This toolkit results from the collaborative work of Working Group 3 of the SVRI “Faith & GBV Community of Practice.” The group consists of 325 members, diverse in terms of expertise, geographical location, religious affiliation, and occupation, encompassing researchers, academics,…

Gender-based violence (GBV) remains a significant global issue, requiring locally grounded and multi- faceted responses. Faith-based actors hold influential roles in shaping cultural norms and social behaviours, positioning them as key stakeholders in efforts to address GBV. However, a gap…

This learning brief forms part of SVRI’s Community of Practice on Faith and Gender-based violence. Its insights emerge from discussions with 30 participants within a newly designed three-month virtual course - Faith and Helping Children Thrive without Violence. This course…

The Working Group 1 on Evidence-Building was initially created in October 2024 by an executive research team: Rafael Cazarin, Sinethemba Makanya, Nobantu Shabangu and Leonardo Andrade. Led by the intention to build a Community of Practise that would speak back…

In many low- and middle-income countries, faith institutions carry significant moral authority and influence. In communities where state systems are often under-resourced or distrusted, religious leaders and organisations frequently serve as frontline responders to crises such as gender- based violence…

This report is based on formative research that explores the field of faith, ecology, sustainability, and conservation in Indonesia. It examines the multifaceted strategic religious engagement of government line ministries and state bodies, civil society actors, faith-based organizations, development partners…

This article reviews religious engagement in foreign policy as well as international development based especially, albeit not only, on the legacy of work carried out for over five decades by the world’s faith leaders, together, in and through Religions for…

This article argues that coordinated and multilayered cross-sectoral collaborated is required to contribute to sustainable development and respond to the global polycrisis characterized by human-made destruction of the environment, climate change and globalization. Pandemics, regional wars, and banking crises not…

The growing global refugee crisis is a challenge for dignity and human solidarity. Aware of the shared religious narrative about the respect of human dignity and solidarity with the most vulnerable people, UNHCR has engaged faith-based actors, as organizations, local communities, and…

The preamble to the constitution of the World Health Organization (WHO) contains an often-cited definition of health as a “state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” Already at the inaugural…

For far too long, the engagement of communities in global environmental governance and policy has been limited to civil society organizations that are accredited to the Economic and Social Council of the UN. This has left faith-based organizations on the…

This article outlines the rationale and use of the “Faith for Rights” framework, through which the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights provides space for cross-disciplinary reflection and interfaith action on the connections between religions and…

This essay analyzes the major questions that challenge Islam and politics in our modern world to better understand what Islam offers to peace, development, and living together. Religious institutions and communities have important resources to engage in global affairs, and…

This article presents the theological foundations for “religious engagement” from the perspective of Protestant theology. When Protestant churches engage on a global level, this is not an additional activity, but an expression of their ecclesial existence. The hope for the…

This article explores the evolving dynamics of religious engagement in public and global affairs, responding to the dual acknowledgment of religion’s significance by secular actors and the proactive involvement of religious leaders in broader societal contexts. Through critical review of…

This editorial introduces the Religion & Development Special Issue Religious Engagement in Global Affairs: A New Interreligious Dynamic for the Good of Humanity? Over the last twenty years, “religious engagement” has become a key concept for the study and practice of global affairs, creating…

Empowered Worldview (EWV) is a faith-based programming model and training curriculum that seeks to transform mindsets toward hope, compassionate relationships, self-reliance and faith-in-action. Empowered Worldview was developed in 2015 by World Vision in Tanzania and by 2023 had been implemented…

Empowered Worldview (EWV) is a biblically-based enabling project model that can lead to deeper and more sustainable changes in child well-being when combined with other project models. EWV is a behaviour-change model that seeks to address dependency mindsets and promote…

This Resource provides you opportunities to reflect on learnings from the Covid-19 global health emergency and the features of a Pandemic Age. In addition, it asks you to consider new work being carried out through the Inner Development Goals that addresses…

While African Initiated Churches are increasingly recognized as actors of social development, little research has thus far elucidated their role regarding ecological sustainability. Responding to this gap, we explore African Initiated Churches’ views on ecological sustainability and their reaction to…

Faith and religion are central to the lives of billions of people around the world. In many communities, faith leaders are among the most trusted voices, holding significant influence in shaping beliefs, attitudes and behaviours. This makes them powerful allies…

This paper discusses the role of faith-based organizations (FBOs) in transforming food systems in Rwanda, highlighting their potential to advance regenerative agriculture, reduce food loss, and support vulnerable communities. It summarizes insights from a 2025 summit co-hosted by WRI and…

Domestic violence interventions that engage religious leaders and clergy have increased significantly in recent years, spanning social work, psychology, public health, and international development. The international evidence indicates the need for culturally appropriate and theologically informed interventions that may combine…

The current study explores the mediating effect of positive and negative religious coping on the relationship between negative life events and wellbeing, via its link with compassion and resilience among women who are involved in women’s empowerment programs run by…

Violent extremism in Sub-Saharan Africa has escalated in recent years. As these groups have weaponised religion to achieve their aims, so also can it be a source of resilience. Credible religious scholars and institutions can dismantle extremist ideologies and build…

This document aims to encourage the participation of religious actors to support immunization programs in Latin America and the Caribbean as part of the Faith and Positive Change for Children, Families and Communities initiative. It is divided into 6 chapters…

Este documento tiene como objetivo impulsar la participación de actores religiosos para que apoyen programas de inmunización en América Latina y el Caribe como parte de la iniciativa Fe y Cambio Positivo para Niños, Familias y Comunidades. Está dividido en…

In 2024, to mark the 30th anniversary of the ICPD Programme of Action, the ACT Alliance Global Gender Justice Programme initiated a research process to evidence how faith actors are advancing Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR). In collaboration…

في حزيران/يونيو 2020، قام الفريق الأساسي لمبادرة التعلّم المشترك حول الإيمان والمجتمعات المحلية بصياغة وثيقة بعنوان التزامنا في التحرّك الناشط لتحقيق العدالة العرقية والتضامن. تمّت صياغة هذه الوثيقة استجابةً للمحادثات العالمية المستمرة حول العدالة العرقية والإرث الاستعماري، بالإضافة إلى التوجهات…

In 2021, JLI launched the Fair & Equitable Approach, as part of efforts to support more fair and equitable practices in its research and evidence partnerships. Since then, JLI has taken practical steps to challenge unequal power dynamics and colonial…

En 2021, JLI lanzó el Enfoque Justo y Equitativo como parte de sus esfuerzos para fomentar prácticas más justas y equitativas en sus alianzas de investigación y evidencia. Desde entonces, JLI ha tomado medidas prácticas para desafiar las desigualdades en…

In June 2020, the Joint Learning Initiative on Faith & Local Communities (JLI) core team wrote a Commitment to Action for Racial Justice and Solidarity. The statement was created in response to ongoing global conversations about racial justice and colonial…

En junio de 2020, el equipo de la Iniciativa de Aprendizaje Conjunto sobre Fe y Comunidades Locales (JLI, por sus siglas en inglés) redactó su Compromiso de Acción por la Justicia Racial y la Solidaridad. Esta declaración fue creada en…

أطلقت مبادرة التعلّم المشترك في عام 2021 نهج العدل والإنصاف في إطار جهودها لدعم ممارسات أكثر عدلاً وإنصافًا في شراكاتها البحثية وإنتاج الأدلة. ومنذ ذلك الحين، اتخذت مبادرة التعلّم المشترك خطوات عملية لمواجهة ديناميكيات القوة غير المتكافئة والإرث الاستعماري في…

Report on JLI’s 2024 activities and progress.

This training manual aims to enhance the capacity of religious scholars and FBOs in understanding children’s rights within the framework of Islamic Sharia, Afghan laws, and international laws.

While the general topic of gender and faith has received significant attention in development studies, the nexus of LGBT inclusion, faith, and development remains under-researched. Existing publications generally focus on the negative impact of religion on LGBT communities, question binaries…

This guide was developed to aid the effective use of the co-creation approach in development research. It introduces co-creation methodologies that aim to decolonize research practices, shifting power dynamics and centring community knowledge in development work. Drawing insights from co-creation…

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Religious teachings and grassroots religious teachers and clerics are important in the everyday life of faith communities, yet they largely remain an untapped resource in efforts to address intimate partner violence (IPV) in international development contexts and among migrant and…

This report aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the status of religious minorities in Lebanon, focusing on their legal, social, economic, and political situations. It seeks to uncover the challenges these groups face in accessing their rights and representation…

Al-Mizan: A Covenant for the Earth is a charter demonstrating how Islam can be a driving force for sustainable development and environmental care. Al-Mizan also highlights the importance of culture and religion in driving behavioural change, along with scientific, technical,…

Report on the Training of Facilitators on Mind-Heart Dialogue for Bangladesh as part of the Faith and Positive Change for Children, Families and Communities (FPCC) Initiative.

The toolkit, created by MOMENTUM Country and Global Leadership, is designed to equip diverse faith actors with the information and tools needed to raise awareness, deconstruct myths, and address barriers that inhibit positive maternal mental health so that women, families,…

The idea to conduct a regional training on the Mind-Heart-Dialogue (MHD) in the South Asian Region had been in discussion at least since early 2021. In May 2022, at the regional faith engagement forum (Kathmandu, Nepal), the regional faith engagement…

This report presents key regional issues and opportunities in the intersection of FoRB and gender equality in the WANA region. The examples and issues presented are based on insights by experts, activists, and religious/belief representatives from across the region, who…

Africa faces unique demographic developments today. The continent's population is growing rapidly: from currently 1.5 billion people to almost 2.5 billion by 2050. Sixty percent of the population is under 25 years old. This dynamic holds enormous opportunities for the…

With continuing support from the Nike Foundation, CIFA has designed and managed two phases of formative research and program work on faith and traditional leaders (FTLs) and their influence on women and girls’ issues. In the first phase (2010-11), CIFA…

Research Culture at the Heart of N8 Collaboration: Selected Case Studies Brochure with an article about "Creating community around decolonising research methods" (pages 13-17)

Religious leaders are highly influential actors in many societies across the globe. In the singular global crisis brought upon by the COVID-19 pandemic, their perspective on the pandemic itself but also the post-pandemic future is of high relevance. Against this…

This booklet shares faith-sensitive good practices that help break down barriers at the intersection of religion and gender equality. It highlights contributions of members of the International Partnership on Religion and Sustainable Development (PaRD) to gender empowerment. PaRD convenes governments,…

This roundtable discussion focused on critically exploring evidence-building within the context of faith and religion engagement in gender-based violence (GBV) prevention. Within this framework, experts were brought together to delve into what decolonial approaches to evidence mean and examine their…

This report is a result of a long process of collaborative and cooperative engagement with members of the East Africa Learning Hub, a regional learning platform focused on peacebuilding, governance and role of local faith actors co-founded by TAABCO and…

In this episode of the "The Power Shift: Decolonising Development" Podcast, Dr Romina Istratii talks about Project dldl/ድልድል, , which takes an interdisciplinary approach to looking at domestic violence and religious communities. They speak about co-created and community-grounded research which then…

This booklet is an outcome of the training program on Religion and Development conducted for a group of clergy and laity by the (CIEF) in partnership with JLIFLC. The focus of the training was to gain knowledge about the importance…

Bienvenue dans le Plan de suivi, d’évaluation, de redevabilité et d’apprentissage (SERA) de l’Initiative Foi et changement positif pour les enfants, les familles et les communautés (FPCC, d’après son acronyme anglais). Ce plan s’appuie sur une série de documents de…

Welcome to the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Plan for the Faith and Positive Change for Children, Families and Communities (FPCC) initiative. It is based on a number of key reference documents such as: The FPCC Programme Guidance, the…

Tidar is based on stories and testimonies of real people in Ethiopia collected through years' community-based research with women and men, clergy, monks and church teachers on the ground. The film does not seek to represent the teachings of the Ethiopian Orthodox…

The current paper presents findings from qualitative research on domestic violence and abuse (DVA) with Christians and Muslims from Ethiopian, Eritrean and Bangladeshi communities in the United Kingdom (UK). The study explored understandings of and attitudes towards DVA and responses…

Through a mixed-methods approach, this working paper examines current food loss and waste (FLW) efforts led by faith-based organizations (FBOs) in Rwanda. The paper also looks at the barriers and opportunities to make progress and how FBO action might contribute…

Our 2022 State of the Evidence in Religions and Development is now available in Sinhala! Disclaimer: We would like to extend our gratitude to the Cathedral Institute of Education and Formation in Sri Lanka for providing the Sinhala translation of…

Our 2022 State of the Evidence in Religions and Development is now available in Tamil! Disclaimer: We would like to extend our gratitude to the Cathedral Institute of Education and Formation in Sri Lanka for providing the Tamil translation of…

Aims  This scoping study provides an overview of the available literature on cultural and faith-based factors in the provision of mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) in Syria and Syrian refugee communities. It is based on a collaborative review of…

The Multi-Faith High-Level Forum, convened by Religions for Peace, took place from 26-27 March 2024 at the Church Centre for the United Nations in New York City. Seventy-two participants attended in person, six virtually, and an additional 36 children sent…

En tant que réseau d'apprentissage conjoint axé sur les données probantes dans le secteur des religions et du développement, on nous demande souvent de résumer les « données probantes » en matière de religions et de développement. Si cette demande peut sembler…

This report is a Terminal Evaluation of the UNEP Faith for Earth Initiative project implemented between 2019 and 2023.The project's overall development goal was to Encourage, Empower and Engage with Faith-Based Organizations as partners, at all levels, towards achieving the…

The Joint Learning Initiative on Faith and Local Communities (JLI) is an international network of researchers and practitioners interested in the roles of religions in humanitarian and development work. Over the years, the JLI has developed expertise in the research…

Many religious actors implement programmes related to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Yet many religious actors would benefit from building their understanding of: how to use research evidence to increase their influence in the international humanitarian and development sectors, how…

In recent decades, gender mainstreaming has become a prevalent practice in international organizations to promote social justice. However, little is known about gender integration efforts in Muslim humanitarian faith-based organizations (FBOs). Drawing on the intersection of gender and faith humanitarianism,…

This brief is based on the outcomes that emerged from the Project dldl/ድልድል Annual Conference 2024 on the theme of ‘Domestic Violence, Religion and Migration’ that took place at SOAS University of London, UK. The purpose of the brief is…