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 provide a stabilizing force long before formal humanitarian systems are operational. JLI’s work in this space focuses on closing the gap between grassroots reality and global policy by documenting how faith communities foster resilience.

Noor Ur Rehman, JLI’s Regional Coordinator for South Asia, highlighted this experience in his region, sharing localized experiences while decolonizing research. To achieve this, JLI utilizes its Mind–Heart methodology—a dual approach combining rigorous data collection (“Mind”) with deep-listening dialogues (“Heart”) to capture the spiritual and social motivations that sustain communities during crises.