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 (known as the “evidence base”) on why and how religious actors are involved in humanitarian and development efforts. In 2022, JLI published its first flagship report on the evidence base called “The State of the Evidence in Religions and Development.” This report provides an introduction to the research field of religions and development and then dives deeper into several key topics in each chapter (religions and health, environment, ending violence against children, gender, refugees and forced migration, and peace and conflict). The JLI was then supported by Trinity Church Wall Street to bring the information in this report to a wider audience around the world through seminar series with Anglican partners (and their partners) in the Philippines, Malawi, and Zambia which were implemented in 2022. This manual and the accompanying course now represents the next stage in this work, i.e., to create a course for future Anglican leaders to learn more about religions and development research. This course was developed for/with Anglican leaders in Kenya, Malawi, Sri Lanka, South Africa and the Philippines, but covers a range of different religious traditions in the readings and can be used by people of all faiths or none, with adaptations where required.

The full course has 16 sessions in total, grouped into three modules, with an instructors’ manual. Each session is made up of three parts. 

Instructors’ Manual

Module 1 – Topics in Religions and Development

1. Session 1: Introduction to religions and development 
2. Session 2: Climate change and religions
3. Session 3: Religions, health and development
4. Session 4: Gender, development, and religions
5. Session 5: Peacebuilding, development and religions
6. Session 6: Decolonisation, development and religions

Module 2 – Doing Research

1. Session 1: Introduction to research
2. Session 2: Research design
3. Session 3: Data collection
4. Session 4: Data management and analysis
5. Session 5: Research dissemination

Module 3 – Practical Application

1. Session 1:  Planning Projects I
2. Session 2:  Planning Projects II
3. Session 3 & 4:  Discussing ongoing research 
4. Session 5:  Reflection and feedback

More info on the page dedicated to the training course here!