Resources

This article provides an analysis of social and behavioral drivers of child marriage to advance the protection and empowerment of girls from child marriage. Child marriage directly negatively affects girls and boys and, more broadly, negatively impacts their families and…

Report on JLI’s 2023 progress on our Fair and Equitable Initiative, our Research, Learning and Knowledge Partnerships, our Communications and Finances.

This Policy Brief represents the reflections of more than 120 practitioners, policy-makers, academics and faith representatives engaged in work with displaced and migrating children from Syria, Ukraine and Latin America. In a series of consultations, this body identified three barriers…

Religions for Peace (RfP), the global multireligious network, is a founding partner of the Interfaith Rainforest Initiative (IRI), which focuses on mobilizing religious actors to protect the critical tropical forest basins of the Amazon, the Congo, and Southeast Asia. WFDD…

This review outlines the findings of a literature analysis conducted by the World Faiths Development Dialogue  on behalf of Religions for Peace, focused on the intersections between religion, gender, and climate change in three rainforest regions: The Amazon, Congo Basin,…

Religions for Peace and the World Faiths Development Dialogue explore the manner and extent that both latent and manifest gender roles are reflected in the approach to the Interfaith Rainforest Initiative and its management. By probing this often-neglected dimension of…

This book explores the links between religion, states, social welfare and social change in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Building on the author’s previous analysis of how religious beliefs, practices and values influence social behaviour and relationships, especially within families,…

This Guidebook supports FBOs to identify, measure, monitor, and reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of their operations including energy consumption, mobility, heating, and cooling. It explains how to identify relevant physical assets (i.e., buildings, vehicles), compile a greenhouse gas inventory,…

The research project that informed this brief deployed intersectional and socioecological analysis of violence against women (VAW) in forced migration and identified two aspects of religious influences on survivors’ experiences as: 1) a vulnerability intersecting with other factors, and 2)…

Violence against children is shaped by social norms which are frequently underpinned by faith-related beliefs and values. There is renewed global recognition of the role of religions in legitimating or challenging harmful attitudes and practices, and this highlights the relevance…

Protection practitioners (VAWG, GBV, MHPSS) can strengthen their work by demonstrating cultural competency which includes religious literacy. Religious literacy involves being open to the role that religious beliefs, practices, organisation and experiences may play in survivors’ and perpetrators’ understanding of…

This report offers a high-level comparative review and analysis of Muslim family laws (MFLs) in seven countries in the Greater Horn of Africa (GHoA) region that was conducted to build the case for legal reform towards justice and equality in…

Ce guide résume la vision et les éléments de base de l'initiative FPCC. Un guide des ressources, disponible en fin de document, rassemble les principales ressources produites pour cette initiative. Original version of the guide in English  Guía traducida al…

Este guia resume a visão e os elementos básicos da iniciativa FMPC. Um guia de recursos, disponível ao final, reúne todos os principais recursos produzidos para a iniciativa FMPC. Original version of the guide in English  Guide traduit en français…

Esta guía resume el concepto y los aspectos básicos de la iniciativa Fe y cambios positivos para niños, niñas, familias y comunidades (FPCC por sus siglas en inglés). Al final de este documento, se ofrece una guía en la que…

Ce guide est destiné aux « champions » du Dialogue Esprit-Cœur: les chefs religieux et leurs institutions, ainsi que le personnel des organisations et agences qui œuvrent en faveur d’un changement positif pour les enfants, les familles et les communautés.…

Esta guía es para quienes creen en y defienden el diálogo entre el corazón y la razón: los liderazgos religiosos y sus instituciones, así como para el personal de las organizaciones y agencias que tengan el objetivo de usar su…

Este guia é para apoiadores do diálogo Mente- Coração: líderes religiosos e suas instituições, bem como funcionários de organizações e agências com o objetivo de influenciar mudanças positivas para crianças, famílias e comunidades. Neste guia, você encontrará uma mistura de…

Ce guide s'adresse principalement au personnel de l'UNICEF qui souhaite s'engager de manière plus stratégique avec les acteurs de la foi, notamment pour le changement social et comportemental et le plaidoyer de haut niveau, mais aussi pour des efforts programmatiques…

Esta guía está dirigida principalmente al personal de UNICEF cuyo objetivo es implicar a más agentes religiosos estratégicos, especialmente para lograr un cambio social y de comportamiento, así como conseguir una abogacía de alto nivel, pero también para las labores…

Este guia destina-se principalmente a funcionários do UNICEF que pretendem se envolver mais estrategicamente com agentes religiosos, particularmente para mudança social e comportamental, bem como defesa de agendas de alto nível, mas também para esforços programáticos mais amplos. Este guia…

In the complex world of peacebuilding , the frequent invisibility of women has become a focus of attention. The challenge is perhaps best exemplified in the important United Nations Resolution 1325, which centers on women’s roles. This report shines a…

Starting in 2017, there was a notable increase in the frequency and intensity of information manipulation attacks on Muslim-led humanitarian and development aid international nongovernmental organizations (INGOs). These attacks originated with a select group of US-based anti-Muslim think tanks and…

The current policy brief highlights the significant potential that religious teachings and religious teachers and clerics can have in combating intimate partner violence (IPV) and how this could be leveraged by means of a case study and select published literature.…

Churches and partners unite against modern slavery through new global Lent resource. The World Council of Churches (WCC), in partnership with the Church of England’s The Clewer Initiative (TCI), is launching a groundbreaking Lent resource addressing modern slavery. This resource…

In May 2022, the regional faith engagement strategy and roadmap for South Asia was developed at the regional faith engagement forum in Kathmandu, Nepal, followed by the convening of the Regional Advisory Group for South Asia through a virtual gathering…

Over the past two decades, in response to a growing awareness of the impacts of humanitarian crises on mental health and psychosocial well-being, leading UN agencies and international aid organisations have developed a comprehensive framework for Mental Health and Psychosocial…

This timely volume addresses the rising interest in the role of religion in global issues worldwide. The ambitious Agenda 2030 and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) serve as the framework for this exploration, discussing questions such as: What role…

Building on the extensive research into virtues in civic life undertaken by the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues in collaboration with the Good Faith Partnership, this report pioneered research on the role of virtues in the life of the…

This publication aims to support humanitarian actors’ engagement with religious leaders with the goal of generating greater respect for humanitarian norms in armed conflict. It relies on socio-legal research conducted over a period of three years as part of the…

Faith communities and faith-based organizations have a long history of caring for children and adolescents living with and affected by HIV. However, these efforts have not been well documented and hence their contributions have not been well understood nor resourced.…

This working paper outlines the development process of an emissions survey tool for faith actors as well as the results of its pilot study and recommended actions for other faith actors to take up the survey tool model. The Episcopal…

This paper aims to: Highlight the work of local churches as key actors in disaster risk reduction (DRR) and resilience building.It does this by: using existing evidence to identify opportunities, gaps and challenges collecting further evidence generating discussion and engagement…

This article explores the perceptions of COVID-19 among faith communities in north-eastern DR Congo and their intersection with public health responses to disease outbreaks. In a situation of a political and economic insecurity and significant unaddressed health needs, faith communities…

What is the role of local faith actors (LFAs) in the pursuit of SDG 16, the promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, providing access to justice for all and building effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all…

Around 12 million girls aged 15–19 years and at least 777,000 girls under 15 years give birth each year in low and middle-income countries. Prioritizing adolescent sexual and reproductive health services and information can address these and other urgent 1…

Evidence suggests that gender-transformative approaches that promote critical examination of prevailing norms of femininity and masculinity can contribute to improving gender and health outcomes by addressing MOMENTUM —Lessons From Partnering with Faith-Based Organizations in Very Young Adolescent Programming 2 the…

The SBF/JLI project on cultural adaptation for MHPSS programmes in the Syrian context began in March 2022. At the beginning of the project, the SBF and JLI teams co-developed the project design. Following that, Senior Research Fellow Dr Jennifer Philippa…

Annotated Bibliography on MHPSS, Culture and Faith in Syrian Communities by the Joint Learning Initiative on Faith and Local Communities (JLI) and Syria Bright Future (SBF) MHPSS and Culture in Syria Hub.

The first two years of the project culminated in the Project dldl/ድልድል Annual Conference on 11-12 November 2022, which was delivered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with the option for UK speakers and audiences to join online The Annual Conference was…

Episcopal Relief & Development and ECLRD commissioned an independent endline evaluation of phase 2 of the project in Liberia. The purpose of the evaluation was to measure project achievements and capture key project learnings for further interventions. The key objectives…

An increasing number of recent studies on mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) points to the importance of cultural adaptation of MHPSS programmes to suit the context in which they are applied. There is a significant need for MHPSS interventions…

L'inclusion des jeunes, la liberté de religion ou de conviction et la transformation des conflits sont liées ; il n'y aura pas de paix durable sans aborder les trois. Les conflits violents et les contextes fragiles donnent lieu à de…

Youth inclusion, freedom of religion or belief (FoRB), and conflict transformation are interconnected; there will be no lasting peace without addressing all three. Conflict and fragile settings are rife with FoRB violations, which act as both drivers and consequences of…

COVID-19 heightened interest in faith partnerships as governments and international agencies sought rapid behavior change to reduce the spread of the pandemic. It illuminated the unique capacity of local faith groups to reach people quickly, effectively, and relevantly. To increase…

Humanitarian responses to violence against women (VAW) in forced displacement rarely account for religion as an influential intersecting category shaping women’s experiences. Yet, Dr Sandra Iman Pertek writes that religion remains an important matter for many displaced women, which should…

The research project that informed this brief deployed intersectional and socioecological analysis of violence against women (VAW) in forced migration and identified two aspects of religious influences on survivors’ experiences as: 1) a vulnerability intersecting with other factors, and 2)…

Faith actors shape understandings of what climate change is and what responses ought to be pursued at local and global levels and in civil society and policy arenas alike. As an issue which can be described and responded to in…

Report on JLI’s 2022 progress on goals in Evidence, Research and Knowledge Partnerships, Fair and Equitable Initiative, and Communications, while highlighting projects and learning hub work.

Based on case studies, the book creates a multidisciplinary conversation on the gendered vulnerabilities resulting from extractive industries and toxic pollution, and also charts the resilience and courage of women as they resist polluting industries, fight for clean water and…

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Enhancing Gender Equality and Mainstreaming in Afghanistan (EGEMA) programme – implemented from 2016 to 2018 - proposed to explore the knowledge, attitudes, and practices on gender equality among religious leaders specifically related…

Mindanao State University-Sulu (MSU-Sulu) partnered together with the ICRC to produce the book’s translation into Tausug, a major language spoken in the Sulu archipelago and Zamboanga, among other places. Pana’ta offers guidance on important topics, such as ways to attend…

The Regional Forum was a hybrid event held in August 2022, with participants at the physical location at the University of Pretoria, South Africa, and other participants joining virtually. The organisation of the event was itself a cooperative effort. Thirty-nine…

The 2022 Evidence Summit brought together more than 430 faith actors and faith-based organizations (FBOs), donors, and peacebuilding practitioners across 12 unique sessions to explore evidence on strategic engagement and partnership with faith actors and FBOs in the peacebuilding, development,…

This toolkit is funded as a part of the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID’s) MOMENTUM Country and Global Leadership project, which includes an initiative to identify and address concerns among religious leaders and faith-based communities around vaccination. From 2020…

Research on religion and intimate partner violence does not appear to have integrated well the current evidence on religion/spirituality, marital functioning, and mental health and lacks a cross-sectoral perspective that bridges psychology, public health, international development, anthropology, and sociology. A…

This report focuses on the impact of COVID-19 on The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and its partners and examines their advocacy and policy engagement work during the pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made evident that the field of global health – its practices, norms, and failures – has the power to shape the lives of billions. Global health perspectives on the role of religion, however, are strikingly limited.…

There has been an increase in research on narratives in extremist communication and their role in radicalization processes as well as on both counter- and alternative narratives as tools to prevent or counter radicalization processes. Absent from the PVE literature…

Niger is a secular country with a Muslim majority. The communities live in harmonious peace and cultivate the spirit of living together regardless of ethnic or religious differences. Freedom of worship is a reality in the country. However, in recent decades,…

In a bid to promote a peaceful society, free from violent extremism and all forms of violence, young women peace efforts have been greeted with physical assaults and other forms of abuses, capable of affecting them mentally. This is besides…

Religion is a positive force for peacebuilding and preventing violent extremisms (PVE). Indeed, religious institutions and actors play an important role in building peace yet underutilized instruments in the prevention and resolution of violent extremisms. The objective of this research…

South Sudan has been embroiled in a cycle of violent conflict since it attained independence from the Sudan through a popular plebiscite where about 99% of its citizens voted for secession – ushering in the world’s newest country in the…

This project focuses on the impact of the Prevention of Violent Extremism (PVE) education in preventing youths from violent extremism in Afghanistan, using Kabul University students as a case study. The data has been collected by questionnaire from randomly sampled…

This study uses storytelling techniques to highlight the perspectives and thoughts about Italian far-right parties of three Muslim Italian women based in northern Italy. They represent three different paths that intersect when it comes to spirituality, social activism, representation and…

The eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo has been plunged into a deep and multifaceted crisis for several decades. This is characterized in particular by violent conflicts between the local communities (generally ethnic) which accuse each other and…

Religion has become increasingly important in conflict resolution worldwide. Religious leaders may play a key role in mobilising believers as they can call for peace or instigate violence. But what makes religious leaders support peace or promote violence? Several studies…

Hi Voices conducted a review of previous research and a new survey both in person and online to analyze youth behavior towards people of other religions, their interaction and learnings with them. We conducted a survey from 366 young people…

This study explores how resilient and vulnerable youth active in interfaith are to hate speech and the correlation between hate speech and mental health among youth aged 18 to 35 years old who are activists/volunteers in interfaith in Lebanon.

This brief is aimed at policymakers, practitioners and donors working on PVE, conflict and peace and/or research capacity-sharing. It summarises key learnings from a PVE-focused collaborative research capacity-sharing project implemented by the Joint Learning Initiative on Faith and Local Communities…

Faith and spiritual leaders are often deeply trusted and hugely influential people in the heart of their communities. Co-hosts, Elizabeth Dartnall, Executive Director, SVRI, and Angelica Pino, Grants Manager and Capacity Strengthening Specialist, SVRI speak to guests Dr Rafael Cazarin,…

The current report summarises the panel presentations and the roundtable discussion held during the two days of the conference focused on the nexus ‘Domestic Violence – Gender – Faith’ held in November 2022 in Addis Ababa. Emphasis is placed on…

Purpose of this Toolkit The Toolkit aims to help equip faith actors to engage actively in the protection of children from violence in early childhood and the promotion of children’s holistic well-being by supporting parents, caregivers, educators and communities to…

This is one in a series of three learning briefs presenting findings of an updated review of faith-based action for children on the move. A set of briefs was first published in 20181 to support the evidence base for the…

This is one in a series of three learning briefs presenting findings of an updated review of faith-based action for children on the move. A set of briefs was first published in 20181 to support the evidence base for the…

This is one in a series of three learning briefs presenting findings of an updated review of faith-based action for children on the move. A set of briefs was first published in 2018 to support the evidence base for the…

This Working Paper discusses inequalities caused or exacerbated by religious diversity in displacement and how humanitarian action can be aware of and responsive to this. It is based on interviews with Shi’a Hazara refugees from Afghanistan and local, national and…

This article examines the role of local faith actors in institutional responses to refugees (henceforth refugee response), first in relation to global policy guidelines and frameworks promoted through the Global Compact for Refugees (GCR) affirmed by the UN General Assembly…

The Joint Learning Initiative on Faith and Local Communities (JLI) is  working towards shifting power, resources and leadership in its faith-focused research and evidence work to a regional level – to the Middle East, East Africa, South East Asia, and…

The Evidence for Development podcast shares methods and approaches to locally-led development and research developed by Christian Aid, its partners and communities living in the Global South to improve their lives. Episodes are available here on Christian Aid's website.

This document was developed by the WCC’s Child Rights programme in response to requests by children and youth urging adults to find solutions to the climate crisis. This is the third updated edition. The research examines the impact of financial…

The East Africa Learning Hub on Governance, Peacebuilding and Local Faith Actors was launched in April 2022. The East Africa Hub brings together researchers, practitioners, and faith actors in the region who have a shared interest in governance and peacebuilding,…

Curious about JLI's work? Take a look at our brochure down below !   Here are the resources mentioned in the brochure: The State of the Evidence in Religions and Development JLI’s Recommended Approach to Strategic Religious Engagement Putting the…

As a joint learning network focused on evidence in religions and development, we (i.e., JLI) are often asked to summarize the “evidence” on religions and development. While that may seem like a simple request, it is, in fact, a complicated…

Report on JLI’s 2021 progress on goals in Evidence, Research and Knowledge Partnerships, Fair and Equitable Initiative, and Communications, while highlighting projects and learning hub work.

The First South Asia Regional Strategic Faith Engagement Forum for Positive Change for Children (FPCC), Families and Communities was held from the 8th to 10th May 2022 in Kathmandu, Nepal. For a detailed experience of the meeting, please see Annex…

This review article looks at trends from academic articles published on religions and the COVID-19 pandemic between March 2020 and October 2021 in relation to their relevance for international development and global health researchers, policy makers, and practitioners. It focuses…

This online conference takes stock of developments relating to the engagement between humanitarians and religious actors aimed at generating greater compliance with humanitarian norms in times of armed conflict. It seeks to serve as a platform for exchange and reflection…

This article focuses on the challenges of gathering, presenting, and using evidence that shapes deliberate and systematic religious engagement linked to international development and humanitarian programs. It sets the topic in a historical context, exploring the abrupt shift from a…

This guide summarizes the vision and basic elements of the Faith and Positive Change for Children, Families and Communities initiative. A resource guide, available at the end, gathers all the main resources produced for the FPCC initiative. More information about…

The European Union funded project, Awareness with Human Action (AHA!), supported the efforts of activist Mohan Rabidas, founder of the nonprofit Jagoron Youth Forum. Rabidas’ involvement with the tea estate communities is well documented in Bangladeshi news media.1 The AHA!…

The AHA! Project (supported by the European Union) has directed 50 small grants in South Asia to groups that aim to address these facets of the COVID-19 crisis. The case review series draws primarily on this experience, with the goal…

The distinctive roles of women and youth, as well as the various entities which support them, deserve particular attention. Religious actors play especially significant yet often poorly understood roles in responding to the pandemic emergencies. The European Union funded AHA!…

AHA! small grant recipients work to address specific impacts of COVID-19 in South Asia, with a focus on threats to social cohesion, the spread of hate speech and misinformation, and the pandemic’s distinctive religious and gender dimensions. This case review…

While state-led efforts to address Sri Lanka’s fraught history have fallen short, civil society actors have found innovative ways to promote peace at the grassroots. Kiyawana Muddara, one such grass roots organization, uses the study of postage stamps as a…

Civil society groups are working to equip Pakistani youth to counter online hate and build peace through dialogue and education. One youth-led organization, Parindey, partnered with the Organization for Educational Change (OEC) and the Indus School of Knowledge to launch…

“Discovering Humanity,” led by Aravinda Indrajith, is an AHA! small grant funded project led by one such civil society organization. It has worked to spread the message of social cohesion through positive social media narratives. The goal is to address…

Social and economic shocks from the COVID-19 crisis have taken a heavy toll on the mental health and the wellbeing of women and girls in Nepal. Like many countries, Nepal imposed lockdowns, including school closures, to curb the spread of…

This paper is one of a series of research elements produced by the European Union funded AHA! Awareness with Human Action project that seeks to contribute to the response efforts of the COVID-19 pandemic by preventing conflict and building social…