Resources

There is an urgent need to improve access for HIV-positive pregnant women to services that can dramatically reduce the transmission of HIV to their babies. Globally, approximately 45 per cent of women in resource-poor settings have access to prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) services.1 There is growing recognition of the need to create greater awareness amongst HIV-positive women and others about the value of PMTCT in order to create demand for services at the community level and to support adherence and follow-up after delivery. In recent years, community-based mother support groups have played a key role in creating this awareness and building confidence among HIV-positive women to have access to these services. Mother support groups provide safe environments in which women can learn how to help themselves in making difficult decisions.

Many have observed that children are neglected in the HIV response. Within this there are sub groups of the most neglected who are very difficult to reach and may be overlooked, resulting in even greater levels of suffering. In a scenario of great need, and donor focus on results based payments, there may be a tendency to reach for the “low hanging fruit”. This research explores the challenges of reaching those most marginalised and hardest to reach children.

The research focuses on orphans and vulnerable children in four of the worst-affected countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Based on surveys and focus group discussions with children, parents, caregivers and officials in Ethiopia, Mozambique, Uganda and Zambia, it provides a useful review of the UNGASS commitments and how much difference a decade of action has made.

Every year, millions of people around the world are affected by humanitarian crises, both natural and man-made. A significant proportion of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are also affected by conflict, disasters or displacement. HIV can spread quickly in conditions of poverty, powerlessness and social instability, conditions that are often at their most extreme during emergencies.

World Vision HIV & AIDS Fact Sheet

Channels of Hope (CoH) for Gender is an innovative approach to exploring gender identities, norms and values from a faith perspective. The programme methodology challenges faith leaders to acknowledge and act upon gender injustices in their communities, as these are realities in many places where World Vision works.

When faith leaders promote principles of equality, and the shared access and utilisation of family and community resources, this contributes to harmonious relationships within families, faith groups and communities.

Channels of Hope for Child Protection (CoH CP) is a programme methodology that motivates and builds capacity in faith communities to address harmful traditional practices toward children, to support and advocate for children’s rights, to become better child protectors, and to ultimately strengthen the local child protection system.

CoH CP relies on Scripture-based guiding principles, interactive activities and scientific information. It builds on the desire of faith leaders and communities to be better parents within their own families. More than that, it aims to ensure that children can celebrate who they are and become who they were created to be with the love, respect and help of their parents and faith communities.

In the communities where WV works, many serious issues often limit improved child well-being (CWB). These might include violence against children, poor birth spacing, gender inequality, early marriage, wife inheritance, malnutrition, early marriage, gender-based violence, HIV infections, TB and malaria, trafficking, and more.

The toolkit has been designed to be a practical resource for our staff and is designed to be used in tandem with existing guidelines. We hope, insh’Allah, that this toolkit will not only be used by Islamic Relief staff, but also by colleagues from other agencies who are working with Muslim communities towards building lasting peace. To this end we have included a separate ‘Introduction’ for readers who are less familiar with Islam and Muslim communities.

This toolkit draws from current knowledge and best practice across the field, but approaches each area of work from an Islamic perspective and offers suggestions to the reader on how they might approach programming in conflict-affected areas from that basis. The tools included should be considered as facilitating (not as an alternative to) context specific approaches. Readers are actively encouraged to re-design and amend tools and approaches to reflect the knowledge and experience of their beneficiaries.

The central argument in the paper is that development is primarily about safeguarding and enhancing the dignity of human beings. Human dignity originates from God who has singled out humankind from other creations and favoured it in several ways. We are the only creatures that contain the Divine spirit which was placed in humankind by God during creation (Qur’an, 15:29). God has also distinguished humans from the rest of creation by endowing us with intellect (‘aql). Further, God has given humans the custodianship (khalifa) of the rest of creation on earth.

The success of integrated sustainable development (ISD) entirely rests upon a firm foundation of sound analysis of the following: Start-up assessment, Well-being and assets, Structural causes of poverty, Vulnerabilities to shocks and climate change, Opportunity analysis.

This report summarizes the USAID | Health Policy Initiative, Task Order 1 project titled The Role of Religious Communities in Addressing Gender-based Violence and HIV, which was designed and implemented by Futures Group International and Religions for Peace. Recognizing the importance of collaborating to prevent and reduce gender-based violence (GBV) and HIV among women and girls, the Initiative partners formulated the project to improve the capacity of religious leaders and faith-based organizations (FBOs) to respond to GBV and its links to HIV.

The following case study takes in a small sampling of activities conducted by the Adventist Church
under the Papua New Guinea Church Partnership Program between 2010 and 2012. This study focuses on family life, education, and HIV/AIDS.

Policy note prepared for the UNHCR Dialogue on Faith & Protection in December 2012 based upon the JLI Scoping Report on LFCs and resilience.

Tearfund commissioned some research in February 2010 on the role of the church in sexual violence in Liberia, in a preventative sense and as a caring institution.

Based on data collected on domestic violence over 10 years by the IRC in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Ivory Coast, said domestic violence is the “most urgent, pervasive and significant protection issue for women in west Africa”.

Tearfund commissioned some research in January 2011 on ‘The current situation regarding sexual violence in Burundi, the role of the church and possible avenues for intervention.’

Tearfund commissioned some research in February 2010 on the role of the church in sexual violence in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, in a preventative sense and as a caring institution.

Sonke Gender Justice and UNFPA have completed a study on involving men and boys in preventing and responding to gender-based violence in conflict, post-conflict and humanitarian settings.

A reflection on violent attacks on innocent civilians as a spin-off of armed struggle and proposals from a Christian standpoint

This article draws on a public lecture ‘Recent Scholarship in Religion, Ethics and Reconciliation: Shame, Silence and Human Dignity’, at the Faculty of Theology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, 29 August 2012.

Tearfund has launched a report (2013) into the potential role of the church in ending female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in Tanzania.

The MRC Policy Brief looks at: The Scale of the problem; Why the problem? and What can be done?

Faith Health International have launched a report entitled: Exploring gender based violence against men who have sex with men, male sex workers and transgender communities in Bangladesh and Papua New Guinea