Olivia Wilkinson, JLI Director of Research, was quoted in the article: World Vision faces pandemic’s ‘perfect storm,’ seeks to meet US global needs that showcase World Vision’s efforts around the globe to meet the needs of people facing the health crisis and the secondary effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Quoted content:
Olivia Wilkinson, director of research at the Joint Learning Initiative on Faith and Local Communities, spoke in March about a two-page “quick analysis guide” faith leaders and health and development officials created after working with World Vision and other organizations.
Among the questions in the guide is one asking if religious buildings owned or operated by a faith leader can be used as vaccination sites. It also asks what is driving hesitancy about the vaccine.
“We thought that people need to analyze their context and not just receive generic advice,” said Wilkinson at a webinar hosted by Georgetown’s Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs.
“All research and evidence we’ve seen has shown that we should not isolate or essentialize the religious aspect as the only part that’s driving a hesitancy or resistance,” she said, noting questions are also asked about political, social and cultural factors.