Culture Matters Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations CULTURE MATTERS Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations

United Nations Population Fund 220 East 42nd Street New York, New York 10017 www.unfpa.org

ISBN 978-0-89714-894-8 E/1,000/2008 Culture Matters Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations Contents

Foreword ...... 4 Glossary of Terms...... 7 Executive Summary...... 9

I. Introduction—Background, Climate and Tools...... 12 Learning from a Legacy...... 12 Box 1. Faith-based Organizations — UNFPA Typology...... 14 Objectives, Assumptions and Challenges ...... 15 Objectives ...... 15 Assumptions...... 15 Box 2. Definitions: and Culture...... 16 Challenges...... 17 The Culture Lens...... 17 The Climate of Engagement—the United Nations and Faith-based Organizations...... 17 Box 3. The Culture Lens ...... 18 Box 4. UNGA Resolutions Mentioning Religion ...... 20 The Alliance of Civilizations (AoC)...... 20 Box 5. Conventions and Declarations ...... 21 United Nations Programme on AIDS (UNAIDS) ...... 22 The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) ...23 The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)...... 24 The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN/DESA)...... 24

II. Highlights of Ongoing Commitments by UNFPA...... 25 A. The Civil Society Hearing on Interreligious and Intercultural Understanding and Cooperation for Peace...... 25 B. The Launch of the Women, Faith and Development Alliance (WFDA)...... 26 C. Trainings on Culturally Sensitive Programming ...... 27 D. Consolidating UNFPA-FBO Partnerships in 2008 and Beyond: Convening and Launching Regional and Global Interfaith Networks on Population and Development ...... 27

III. Mapping UNFPA and FBO Partnerships in the Field ...... 29 Sources and Methodology ...... 29 Africa Overview ...... 30 Table 1: At a Glance: UNFPA-FBO Partnerships in Africa...... 32 Africa Insights ...... 33 Arab States, Eastern Europe and Central Overview ...... 42 Table 2: At a Glance: UNFPA-FBO Partnerships in the Arab States, Eastern Europe and ...... 44

2 CULTURE MATTERS Arab States, Eastern Europe and Central Asia Insights ...... 45 Asia and the Pacific Overview ...... 52 Table 3: At a Glance: UNFPA-FBO Partnerships in Asia and the Pacific...... 53 Asia and the Pacific Insights ...... 54 Latin America and the Caribbean Overview ...... 66 Table 4: At a Glance: UNFPA-FBO Partnerships in Latin America and the Caribbean...... 67 Latin America and the Caribbean Insights...... 68

IV. Epilogue: Policy Considerations for Engaging Agents of Change...... 76

V. Select Further Reading, Resources and References...... 79 Overview and Magazine Articles...... 80 Books and Reports...... 82 Case Studies...... 92 United Nations Initiatives, Conferences and Programmes...... 95 Reviewed Articles ...... 98 Toolkits...... 101 Appendix A. Matrix of Case Studies ...... 103

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 3 Foreword

“The implementation of the recommendations contained in the Programme of Action is the sovereign right of each country, consistent with national laws and development priorities, with full respect for the various religious and ethical values and cultural backgrounds of its people, and in conformity with universally recognized international human rights.”

— The Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, Chapter II: Principles

One hundred seventy-nine Member States meeting in Cairo in 1994 made it clear that development cannot take place in isolation of people’s cultures and beliefs. The United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA) realizes that working with communities of faith is both a privilege and a necessity. The mandate of UNFPA is located in the heart of human procreation and well-being, and as such, part of it deals with the most sensitive—and often taboo—themes of all time: gender relations and the right to sexual and reproductive health. As identified in the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), “reproductive health care is ... the constellation of methods, techniques and services that contribute to reproductive health and well-being by preventing and solving reproductive health problems. It also includes sexual health, the purpose of which is the enhancement of life and personal relations, and not merely counselling and care related to reproduction and sexually transmitted diseases”. With this in mind, reproductive rights embrace certain human rights that are already recognized in national laws, international human rights documents and other consensus documents.

The ICPD Programme of Action brought human relations from the private sphere into the public one. It opened human relations, especially the most intimate, to the world of debate and negotiations, in order to ensure that collectively we understand the dynamics of such relations and work for a better quality of life for women and men, young and old. The rest of the mandate is no less complex—as it shifted the population agenda to population and development, from counting people to making people count, thus repeating and insisting that people are the centre of development. The population and development agenda includes many sensitive issues, including those factors that lead people to abandon home, hearth and profession to seek new lives in new places—often under dire circumstances; or indeed growing up—and growing older—among societies that have yet to adjust to the social, cultural, economic and/or political implications of either. It further included issues of forced displacement and movement of people, as well as the mutually impacting factors of population and environment. All of these issues were placed within the context of human rights and the right to development.

The fact that the ICPD brought religion to the forefront of population and development was highlighted in a study by the Park Ridge Centre for the Study of Health, Faith and , which described what happened in ICPD as follows: “People of [religious] conviction shocked each other and the watching world as they clashed over some of the most volatile topics of the day: family planning and the nature of family, the rights of women, gender and sexuality, and abortion and birth control1.”

1 Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, UNFPA Executive Director, “Culture Matters to Development: It Is the ‘How’ and Not the ‘Why’ and the ‘What’” (Traverse Lecture, Swiss Development Corporation, Bern, Switzerland, 13 December 2005).

4 CULTURE MATTERS Hence, UNFPA, through this publication, maps out its legacy of seeking the council of the oldest sources of “wisdom” and service known to mankind—faith-based organizations, religious leaders and institutions of worship. In doing so, we are building on our earlier series, titled Culture Matters: Working with Communities and Faith-based Organizations, in which we make clear a case for why engaging faith-based organizations and local leaders is critical to UNFPA development work. We believe that engaging these community-based organizations is critical for many reasons: They are often reference points for the communities, and they are respected. They provide the communities with spiritual and moral support, as well as educational and health services. They are those communities’ institutions and networks, and they are often credible to their constituency. Most of all, we share the same objective, though we approach it from different perspectives. We want to serve people, and we want to respond to the needs of the poor, the marginalized and the excluded as they claim their human rights to a life free of fear and free of want.

This sequel to the earlier series shows how broadly we have attempted to honour these partnerships, and shares some of the key lessons learned in that process. Far from being an ad hoc shaking of hands, the nature of the partnerships with faith-based organizations requires analysis, contestations, deliberations and negotiations, resulting in an agreed-upon modus operandi for joint work.

As this publication testifies, there is no one formula or standard blueprint for engagement. Instead, there is an ongoing—and cautious—series of calculations, commitments and mutual assessments of objectives, methods and even language. This is the essence of the culturally sensitive approach to programming taken by UNFPA, which holds human rights, the right to development, and gender equality as consistent and unwavering objectives.

I acknowledge that the “stories” of engagement contained in this publication are likely incomplete, as many contribute to our ongoing commitment to building bridges with the faith-based communities, as is the case with other critical agents of change.

The complicated—and ongoing—process of mapping the engagement between UNFPA and faith-based organizations began under the guidance of my colleague Safiye Cagar, Director of the Information and External Relations Division and the compilation of Noemi Espinoza. The results were updated, elaborated upon and assessed by Azza Karam, Senior Culture Advisor, Gender, Human Rights and Culture Branch, led by Aminata Toure. The report on the Civil Society Hearing included here was compiled by Elisabeth Scheper. Thanks to our consultant Julie Slok, the initial drafts of this document were comprehensively compiled and edited. The references on which Julie worked were provided by Suvekchya Ghimire and Carolina Iacovino. Culture Consultant Karen Demavivas was on hand to ensure follow-up with information sought from our many UNFPA country offices around the world that make up what this organization is. Our Culture Team—an interdivisional structure—parented this process of production and includes many of the names mentioned here, as well as Geeta Lal (Asia and the Pacific Division), Sherin Saadallah (Division of Arab States, Europe and Central Asia) and Julitta Onabanjo (Office of the Executive Director). In addition, we are grateful to Melissa D’Agostino, our Research Consultant, for her meticulous editorial input; to the Publications Team (with Hedia Belhadj’s supervision), for their input and process; and especially to Kate Ramsey for her comments on an earlier draft, and to Beverly Kerr, and Mehdia Bendella for managing the publication process.

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 5 As we commit to continuing this journey—with more wisdom gained from both successes and challenges—I thank each and every one of the UNFPA country offices, the Headquarters team, and our colleagues in our sister United Nations agencies; their shared thinking and experience is key to this kind of endeavour and thus made this work possible.

Most of all, I would like to express our gratitude to our partners in the faith-based community who believed in UNFPA and supported our partnership, who opened their minds and their hearts to listen to us and the messages of the Millennium Development Goals and the ICPD goals, and who found ways for us to work together. Through our context-specific partnership, we acknowledge that we are not the same, but we also acknowledge that there is a common space where we can combine our various resources to achieve the one objective in which we believe: serving the people in the communities so that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, every young person is free of HIV and AIDS, and every girl and woman is treated with dignity and respect.

Thoraya Ahmed Obaid Executive Director

United Nations Population Fund

6 CULTURE MATTERS Glossary of Terms

AYRH Adolescent and Youth Reproductive Health

ASRH Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health

AYA African Youth Alliance

AoC Alliance of Civilizations

BCC Botswana Council of Churches

CBO community-based organization

CEDAW Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women

CDPMM Corporación de Desarrolo y Paz para el Magdalena Medio (Development and Peace Corporation for Magdalena Medio)

CIPK Council of Imams and Preachers in Kenya

CCM Country Coordinating Mechanism

FBO faith-based organization

FGM/C female genital mutilation/cutting

GHRCB Gender, Human Rights and Culture Branch (UNFPA)

GFTAM Global Fund for Tuberculosis, AIDS and Malaria

IEC information, education and communication

ICPD International Conference on Population and Development

LAC Latin America and the Caribbean

MSIA Marie Stopes International Australia

MDGs Millennium Development Goals

MOWCA Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs

NGO non-governmental organization

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 7 OPGA Office of the President of the General Assembly

PICs Pacific Island Countries

PLCPD Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development

PCB Programme Coordinating Board

STIs sexually transmitted infections

UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund

UNCT United Nations Country Team

UN/DESA United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs

UNIFEM United Nations Development Fund for Women

UNDP United Nations Development Programme

UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

UNFPA United Nations Population Fund

UNAIDS United Nations Programme on AIDS

UNRISD United Nations Research Institute for Social Development

WFDA Women, Faith and Development Alliance

WCCD World Commission on Culture and Development

8 CULTURE MATTERS Executive Summary

Objectives and Content as transformers of it. Culture, within which religion features prominently, is considered a Culture Matters: Lessons from a Legacy of powerful component in ensuring and sustaining Engaging Faith-based Organizations is a sequel to human development. More recently, in the past Culture Matters: Working with Communities and five years, UNFPA has explicitly institutionalized Faith-based Organizations. The objectives of this cultural sensitivity approaches as one of its publication are: programming tools within the context of a new organizational unit—the Gender, Human Rights • To document partnerships between UNFPA and Culture Branch, Technical Division. and faith-based constituencies in the areas of reproductive health and population Conceptually, culture is understood as the total of all factors that influence the perceptions, • To assess the outcomes, lessons learned and comprehension, behaviour and reactions of best practices of faith-based partnerships human beings. Culture is, therefore, not around the world quantifiable, but pervasive. Cultural agents are those who determine, influence and articulate • To share further resources on faith-based perceptions, attitudes and behaviour. These engagement and organizations include intellectuals, authors, artists and media personalities, as well as tribal elders and The mandate of UNFPA is to promote the rights religious and community leaders. These “agents of each woman and man, young and old, in order of culture” are, in many respects, also its to enable each and every individual to have the guardians, interpreters and transmitters—that benefits of a life fully lived with health and equal is, its gatekeepers. But in a sense, each and opportunities through that person’s life cycle. every individual is a shaper of the culture in UNFPA supports the efforts of countries in which that person lives—hence the dynamism implementing the ICPD Programme of Action and complexity of cultures. In contemporary through national and regional programmes to contexts, it can be argued that religious leaders contribute to the reduction of poverty by in particular, and faith-based networks in achieving reproductive health and rights, and general, constitute some of the most influential gender equality. The aim is to ensure that every cultural gatekeepers and actors. pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, every young person is free of HIV and AIDS, and every girl Faith-based non-governmental entities with a and woman is treated with dignity and respect. foundation in community welfare and social service delivery are particularly obvious—and Over the past 30 years, UNFPA, through its prominent—development agents, and have dedication to this mandate, has implicitly been so for longer than the modern-day, more incorporated cultural sensitivity into its secular service entities. Thus, faith-based programming, as it recognizes that people not organizations (FBOs) combine development only are products of their culture but also serve and cultural features in a powerful mandate.

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 9 Assumptions • Promoting behaviour change often begins by identifying religious leaders who have the The basic assumptions underlying the capacity and legitimacy to motivate and engagement between UNFPA and FBOs, as mobilize communities. Moreover, partnering outlined in the precursor to this publication, are with local religious leaders or agents of change that: has repeatedly become an invaluable strategy in gaining wider acceptance and ownership of • Cultures are the context in which all programmes. (See the example of development work takes place and where all on pages 49-50.) international human rights agreements are implemented • Carefully developed advocacy campaigns, closely tailored to the religious and cultural • Faith as part of culture is an important contexts in which they are launched, make it determinant of value systems, at both the easier to deal with sensitive subjects. individual and community levels Successful campaigns targeting changes in behaviours and attitudes are those that • Cultures are dynamic, interactive and evolving reflect a clear understanding of the views of both allies and potential adversaries, and • FBOs, religious leaders and religious draw from sources that are popular within a institutions, as the gatekeepers and interpreters given culture. (See the example from Eritrea, of and thus impacting culture, are on page 34.) important partners in the process of development, particularly when it comes to • Effective negotiation requires an understanding influencing behaviour, attitudes and perceptions of the interests of diverse stakeholders—from political leaders to FBOs, cultural leaders and • FBOs and religious groups have enormous the private sector. Instances of successful outreach, both actual and potential. They partnership demonstrate that the interests of manage the oldest, most far-reaching and these stakeholders can be just as critical as diverse array of social service delivery political and economic concerns, and once mechanisms these are clearly understood, the necessary common ground is established, with a clear As a preview of sections to come, some of the respect for each other’s particular space when lessons learned by UNFPA in its collaboration and where necessary. (See the example of with FBOs are that: Colombia on pages 68-69.)

• Communities can be encouraged to • Incorporating language that appreciates the incorporate universally recognized rights into nuances of religion and religious sensitivities is their own realities through an exploration of sometimes critical to the creation of spaces in how human rights and gender issues which there is understanding and support for contribute to the well-being of men, women, programme objectives, with a solid young people and families. (See the example understanding of each other’s constraints. (See of Honduras and Costa Rica on page 72.) the example from on page 54.)

10 CULTURE MATTERS This publication consists of five sections: according to the different regions, and each mapping is preceded by a brief overview of • Section I is an introduction to working with population and reproductive health issues. FBOs; it provides the UNFPA definition of FBOs, which is inclusive of many forms of • Section IV, an Epilogue, shows that the case organizations and representations of the faith for engaging FBOs in development is no community. This section also presents the longer a matter of discussion, but rather one “culture lens” used in UNFPA programming, of considered, systematic and deliberate and shares an insight into the experiences of engagement of partners who make a positive sister United Nations entities working with difference. It also shares the conclusions of FBOs, as part of its assessment of the climate the mapping that ignoring an important of the engagement in the United Nations. In parallel universe of development at a time addition, this section contains relevant when resources are growing scarce for the highlights from the lessons learned, which are entire world, and when basic needs are presented in more detail in the case studies— becoming increasingly harder to provide for or mapping of engagements—in Section III. more than half of the world’s population, is not an option. The case for distinguishing • Section II highlights some of the ongoing among the variety in the world of faith-based international engagements from the work of development and service provision is UNFPA. To that end, outcomes and reiterated. The Epilogue also presents five deliberations from the Civil Society Hearing critical UNFPA policy considerations on around the High-Level Dialogue on engagement with FBOs. Interreligious and Intercultural Cooperation for Peace and Development, held in the United • Section V is a listing of selected and annotated Nations Headquarters in fall 2007, are provided. further readings and resources on culture, faith and development issues more broadly. • Section III provides a mapping of most of the This section provides information about UNFPA programs that have included or articles; books and reports; case studies; specifically targeted FBO engagement in one United Nations initiatives; and toolkits on form or another. The presentation is divided working with FBOs.

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 11 I Introduction—Background, Climate and Tools “Today, there is an urgent need to rebuild bridges and to enter into a sustained and constructive intercultural dialogue, one that stresses common values and shared aspirations. Religious leaders can play an important role in such an exchange. They can stress the core beliefs and ideals found in all the great faith traditions: compassion, solidarity, respect for life and kindness towards others.”

— Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) of its broader strategic goal of creating promotes the right of every woman, man and child conducive sociocultural environments to to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity. ensure the achievements of the ICPD UNFPA supports countries in using population Programme of Action. data for policies and programmes to reduce poverty and to ensure that every pregnancy is UNFPA-supported programmes have reached wanted, every birth is safe, every young person is some of the most vulnerable and marginalized free of HIV and AIDS, and every girl and woman is communities through partnerships with faith and treated with dignity and respect. interfaith organizations. Some “Religion as practiced and churches, mosques and temples — UNFPA Mission Statement interpreted is a powerful around the world already have affiliated schools, health units, force, with both positive Learning from a income-generating programmes, Legacy and negative impacts on and youth networks with programming.” nationwide and grass-roots reach. Over the decades, UNFPA has Working with these existing, — Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, partnered with “agents of long-standing, far-reaching and UNFPA Executive Director change” across faith traditions. energy-efficient mechanisms can Agents of change are those in lend credibility and familiarity to communities who have leverage with many many United Nations initiatives. This work is also people and are open to bringing about or time- and resource-efficient, and may reduce helping to bring about change in societies. The unnecessary duplication of activities. In addition, engagement has ranged from preventing HIV in many instances it can—and does—empower and treating AIDS, to encouraging safe local communities to bring about the changes motherhood and preserving the dignity of men they deem necessary and prevent changes from and women by affirming their human rights as being imposed by external actors. This is well as their moral capacity to plan for their especially important if initiatives are perceived as families’ well-being. Pleased with the recent being threatening to community or religious increase in interest and acceptance of the role values, as locally interpreted. of FBOs2 in the wider development community, UNFPA is committed to both assessing and Culture Matters: Lessons from a Legacy of enhancing its faith-based partnerships, as part Engaging Faith-based Organizations is a sequel to

2 Faith-based organizations are defined as religious and religion-based groups or congregations, specialized religious institutions, and registered or unregistered non-profit institutions that have a faith-based character or mission. Spiritual organizations are also considered faith-based organizations.

12 CULTURE MATTERS Culture Matters: Working with Communities and Faith-based Organizations. Some of the lessons learned through these collaborations, presented From Afghanistan: in the first Culture Matters, and elaborated The Importance of Semantics through the mapping undertaken in this sequel, are highlighted herewith: A case study from Afghanistan proves the importance of semantics. Under the • Communities can be encouraged to incorporate culturally sensitive banner “healthy family universally recognized rights into their own relations”, UNFPA supported a mass realities through an exploration of how human advocacy campaign to eliminate domestic rights and gender issues contribute to the violence on the occasion of the well-being of men, women, children and International Day of the Elimination of families. See the example of Honduras and Violence against Women. Costa Rica (page 72). All the messages in the distributed books • Promoting behaviour change often begins by were informed by words from the Qur’an identifying religious leaders who have the and Hadith (sayings of the Muslim capacity and legitimacy to motivate and Prophet), and included sections on topics mobilize communities. Partnering with local such as conflict management, as well as a religious leaders or agents of change has reference section on practical ways for become an invaluable strategy in gaining mullahs to use the book. Through the wider acceptance and ownership of liaison of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, programmes, as illustrated by the example of the mullahs’ assistance was successfully Kyrgyzstan (pages 49-50). sought to disseminate the messages in the book to their constituents in prayer sessions and community meetings. • Carefully developed advocacy campaigns, closely tailored to the religious and other cultural contexts in which they are • Incorporating language that appreciates the launched, make it easier to deal with nuances of religion and religious sensitivities is sensitive subjects. Campaigns should sometimes critical to the creation of spaces in reflect a clear understanding of the views of which there is understanding and support for both allies and potential adversaries, and programme objectives, with a solid should draw from sources that are popular understanding of each other’s constraints. See within a given culture. One example is from the example from Afghanistan on page 54). Eritrea, (page 34). UNFPA began implementing its vision to • Effective negotiation requires an understanding partner with FBOs on reproductive health and of the interests of diverse stakeholders—from population issues more than 30 years ago, political leaders to FBOs, cultural leaders and when it supported the establishment of the the private sector. Until their interests are International Centre for Population Research of clearly understood, it will be difficult to find Al-Azhar University in Cairo, the oldest Islamic common ground. See the example of religious academic institution. It further Colombia (pages 68-69). published a very authoritative study on “Family

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 13 Box 1. Faith-based Organizations—UNFPA Typology3 FBOs are defined as religious or faith-based groups or congregations, and officially registered non-governmental or governmental institutions that have a religious character or mandate.

Categories of Faith-based Organizations 1. Faith-based and/or faith-inspired development organizations, (e.g., Islamic Relief, Christian Aid, Catholic Relief Services, and their national, regional, and international chapters); 2. Interfaith- or multi-faith-based organizations: Organizations that come together for a common cause guided by common values derived from different religious traditions, and provide services that are beyond the scope of a single congregation; 3. Local congregations: People who worship together and reach out socially (e.g., organizing food pantries, clothing donations, in-home visits and assistance to the elderly); 4. Ministries of religious affairs (particularly, but not only, in countries where non-governmental organizations may, for whatever reason, find it difficult to register or function).

Planning in the Legacy of ”, which is still As the United Nations agency dealing with considered a reference for discussions on the reproductive health and gender relations, UNFPA subject. More recently, in 2002 UNFPA started is acutely aware of the need to integrate culture, its revival of the relevance of culture on in its broadest sense, into programming as a key development, especially within the rapidly means of generating national and community changing socio-cultural and economic ownership and sustainability for the programmes. environment that is sweeping countries and In fact, UNFPA—as mandated by 179 countries peoples around the globe. meeting at ICPD in Cairo in 1994—realizes that, without the involvement and integration of To gain a deeper understanding of the regional community acceptance and ownership, it cannot cultural specificities, UNFPA conducted provide the required support to the countries in internal regional consultative meetings from which it is invited to work. 2002 to 2005 to hear directly from its international and national staff who are UNFPA has a three-pronged programming working at the country level. It further included methodology characterized by: questions about culture in the questionnaire sent to all governments in preparations for the • Gender equality commemoration of ICPD+10. The responses • Cultural sensitivity highlighted different priorities by location. In • A rights-based approach Africa, the responses prioritized local traditions; in Latin America, religion; in Asia Under these interlinked concepts, UNFPA’s and the Pacific, cultural practices; and in the work is focused on: Arab States, religion and culture took equal • Reproductive health priority. Building on these findings, UNFPA • Women’s empowerment and gender developed a programmatic “culture lens” as an equality approach to working with its partners in • Population and development issues developing countries.

3 UNFPA, Engaging Faith-based Organizations in HIV Prevention: A Training Manual for Programme Managers (2007).

14 CULTURE MATTERS Since early 2002 in particular, UNFPA has built on its legacy by systematically targeting, mainstreaming and mobilizing FBOs in all From Colombia: Human Rights, including its areas of work. As a critical component Reproductive Rights of its culture mandate, UNFPA has advocated for mobilizing like-minded members of all In Colombia, a predominantly Catholic faith-based and interfaith communities, country ridden by conflict, UNFPA and the indigenous peoples, and cultural actors. Catholic Church found common ground and goals. Shared principles on human This has led UNFPA to focus first on rights and the conviction that there is an understanding and promoting the significance of urgent need to create peace was the basis culture in development work, and thus it has for this partnership. progressively developed a three-pronged programming methodology: a combination of UNFPA and the Church developed an gender equality, cultural sensitivity and the awareness of individual rights by rights-based approach to programming. Under initializing talks of reproductive rights. One these interlinked concepts, and within this nexus of the benefits of the collaboration was the of culture-gender-human rights, UNFPA realizes opportunity to engage armed groups, who its strategic mandate on reproductive health; were less threatened by talk of women’s empowerment and gender equality; reproductive rights than of human rights. and population and development issues. Thus, armed groups willingly participated in reproductive health workshops, which Collaboration and partnerships between UNFPA then became opportunities to discuss and local faith-based and religious leaders and human rights. The entry point was organizations have proved instrumental in reproductive health, which led to a creating local ownership of the ICPD discussion on respect for life and for the Programme of Action4. dignity and freedom of people.

In countries where partnerships with such structures and institutions were formed, UNFPA was able to mainstream reproductive health concerns and services into many of these • To note some critical outcomes, lessons networks5. learned and best practices of faith-based partnerships around the world; Objectives, Assumptions and Challenges • To share further resources on engagement with FBOs. OBJECTIVES The objectives of this report are: ASSUMPTIONS

• To document current partnerships between The basic assumptions, underlying the UNFPA and its faith-based constituencies in engagement between UNFPA and FBOs, based the areas of reproductive health and population; on lessons learned to date, are:

4 The recommendations contained in the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (the Cairo Conference) address the mandate of the conference and its overall theme: the interrelationships among population, sustained economic growth and sustainable development. 5 United Nations Population Fund: Report of the Executive Director for 2003 (programme highlights).

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 15 • Faith and culture are “UNAIDS notes that “today resources, and influencing important determinants of faith-based organizations, public opinion. value systems at both the both on their own and in individual and the community • In concrete and pragmatic level. and cultures partnership with others, play a terms, not only do FBOs have are dynamic and interactive. vital and expanding role in the large networks of schools, They cannot be immune to comprehensive response to health clinics and income- societal changes, or to generating activities that HIV: empowering people to dialogues and interpretations reach remote hamlets, that take place in response to avoid risk of exposure to HIV, villages, towns and cities, but the changing context of the providing physical and in some parts of the world, communities. spiritual care to those infected FBOs provide the only and/or the best education and • FBOs and religious leaders and affected, and combating health-related services. The have enormous outreach stigmatization and figures below are based on a 7 potential. They can reach discrimination.” USAID/Access study of the hearts and minds of the role of FBOs in their constituents and be health-care services in some generators of sustainable change in traditions African countries: and cultures. • Democratic Republic of the Congo—FBOs • FBOs have large numbers of constituents in account for 50 per cent of health services, public posts who are involved in determining with 180 hospitals and several thousand social and economic priorities, allocating health clinics

• Kenya—FBOs account for 40 per cent of Box 2. Definitions: Religion and health services, with 24 hospitals, 341 Culture6 health clinics and 51 church programmes Religion • Lesotho—FBOs account for 40 per cent of 1. The belief in a superhuman power, esp. health services, with eight hospitals and 75 in a personal God, or gods, entitled to health clinics obedience and worship. 2. The expression of this worship. • Uganda—FBOs account for more than 55 3. A particular system of faith and worship. per cent of health services and 75 per cent Culture of pre-services 1. The arts and manifestations of human intellectual achievements regarded • Religious leaders want the best for their collectively. constituencies, and can often be persuaded 2. The civilization and achievements of a by science and statistics to change positions particular group of people. from harmful practices to more positive alternative practices.

6 Oxford English Dictionary (Oxford: Oxford University Press). 7 “The Role of FBOs in Improving Maternal Newborn and Women’s Health” (USAID/Access presentation by Sarla Chand on, 24 March 2008).

16 CULTURE MATTERS CHALLENGES “People are products of their cultures, but they are also active participants in shaping these Intended as a “mapping”, this report is more a cultures8”—that is, they are agents in and of “signpost along the road of UNFPA partnerships cultures. with FBOs”, and less a comprehensive documentation of each partnership. Whereas Religion is an important part of culture and vice numerous programmes and studies point to the versa, and harmful cultural practices rooted or values of engaging faith-based communities assumed to be rooted in religious values and/or (see Section V), a blueprint for doing so does interpretations may be some of the most not exist. Such engagement is contextual, based difficult to change. However, when attitudes and on the specificity of each community. beliefs are respected and evidence is presented, Furthermore, systematic documentation and most religious leaders are open to the idea that critical assessments of such partnerships specific areas of development will improve the remain limited, even within UNFPA. Ironically, health and well-being of their constituents, as this lack is partly due to the enormous numbers well as the exercise of their right to health and of such partnerships over the years, and to the other interrelated rights. fact that the engagement with the faith-based sector was often taken for granted by The knowledge that different social and cultural development actors, including UNFPA. realities create both challenges and opportunities for achieving programme goals prompts UNFPA Compiling the information for this exercise has to systematically integrate cultural dynamics and proved, time and again, the need for more agents into all of its programmes. One of the systematic information gathering, as well as results—and, indeed tools—of this was the more clarity as to indicators with which to development of the “culture lens”. The culture gauge both the range and extent of these lens enables the integration of the three-pronged partnerships and, critically, their impact. Last programmatic approach taken by UNFPA but by no means least, because of all these combining gender equality, cultural sensitivity challenges, several pitfalls and dangers come and human rights. The culture lens is a tool that with the territory. And while we share informs programme designs which fit diverse successful engagements (those that have national and local contexts, but without losing resulted in changing mindsets and mobilizing sight of the rights that are basic to the well-being key policy changes and/or amendments, as well of the individuals and the communities9. as religious public-opinion makers), the engagement with the faith-based sector The Climate of Engagement— requires ever more consistent deliberation, the United Nations and Faith- patience, and wisdom. based Organizations The Culture Lens During the 1990s, in global conferences on As the first Culture Matters asserts, cultures are the environment, population and dynamic, interactive and subject to change. development, women, human rights, and

8 Culture Matters: Working with Communities and Faith-based Organizations, http://www.unfpa.org/upload/lib_pub_file/426_filename_CultureMatters_2004.pdf. 9 Culture Matters: Working with Communities and Faith-based Organizations, http://www.unfpa.org/upload/lib_pub_file/426_filename_CultureMatters_2004.pdf.

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 17 Box 3: The Culture Lens

The Culture Lens Encourages Finding Locally Grown Solutions to Ensure Ownership and Sustainability of Development Results

The “culture lens” is a programming tool that helps policymakers and development practitioners analyze, understand and employ cultural values, assets and Community structures in their planning and programming and Need Local Pressure Aspirationss and Groups processes. This allows a deeper understanding of Powerures the ICPD Programme of Action, strengthens Struct OWLEDG programming effectiveness, and creates KN E conditions for ownership and sustainability of Acceptance Community Ownership UNFPA programmes in the areas of women’s HUMAN RIGHTS and empowerment and promotion of reproductive & health and rights. The culture lens is an GENDER EQUITY approach promoted by UNFPA that can Realities AND EQUALITY and Economic Social, Culture advance the goals of programming effectively Legal, Political, and efficiently, with strong community C S K I L L S acceptance and ownership. It allows the Mediatiom mun and Facilitatioon icat Languageivity to community to determine how to go about /Nego ion identifying what needs to change in order to tia Sensit Sk tion turally Specific achieve the basic rights of people to a better life. ills n Cul Contexts

The culture lens clarifies:

• Realities and socio-cultural assets of societies in which programmes are delivered. These assets could be religious congregations or prayer groups. • Influential local power structures and pressure groups that can be potential allies or adversaries to development programming. In fact, some powerful partnerships have been forged by groups of religious leaders. • The internal cultural tensions and aspirations of the various subcultures. Some of these tensions are between human rights and gender vis-à-vis religious communities and religious interpretations.

These perspectives can help policymakers and development practitioners achieve the goals of development programming more effectively and efficiently, with stronger community acceptance and ownership, by:

• Developing skills for interacting with and engaging individuals, communities and interest groups living in a specific cultural context—for example, by setting up acceptable meeting times that do not collide with religious services or decency requirements. • Using culturally acceptable and persuasive language in communication with partners and stakeholders. • Building bridges between local cultural values and universally recognized human rights and gender equity and equality. • Creating a favourable environment for programme ownership by engaging stakeholders in consultations, design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of programmes, thus ensuring sustainability of these programmes.

18 CULTURE MATTERS social development, religion moved to the cooperation to eradicate poverty and promote forefront of United Nations advocacy. Public human dignity and freedom from despair11. awareness of religion at the United Nations also increased dramatically as a result of The gathered governmental delegates were media coverage surrounding the 1994 ICPD keen to stress the need to deepen the in Cairo and subsequent United Nations understanding among cultures, religions and meetings. The charged religious atmosphere civilizations, and come to a greater that emerged there gave many observers interreligious and intercultural cooperation for pause to think about religion’s role in peace. This, they deemed, is required in order international dialogue. to remedy negative effects of the globalization process as manifested, in part, through In response, Religion Counts was established patterns of migration, and increased tensions as an international representation of scholars, among ethnic and religious groups12. experts and leaders as they participated in and monitored religious activities at the United In fact, the United Nations has a long record of Nations, especially the five-year reviews of the defending freedom of religion and beliefs as a ICPD+5 and Beijing+5. They concluded that fundamental human right and a foundation for religion is indeed present at the United peace and justice. Thus, religion is specifically Nations; that its role at the United Nations is mentioned in many important international unclear to many people; and that religious conventions and declarations. individuals and groups do not have unified perspectives on either the issues before the Initiatives that call for interreligious and United Nations or the appropriate role of intercultural dialogue are now unfolding and religion in the United Nations10. intensifying at the United Nations and beyond. They are framed by a number of United Nations Since then, changes have occurred. In fact, General Assembly resolutions, which are the during the sixty-second session of the General formal expression of opinions and/or positions Assembly in October 2007, the High-level by Member States. Dialogue on Interreligious and Intercultural Understanding and Cooperation for Peace A bird’s-eye view of some of the most recent noted, among many statements, that “in order related activities and/or initiatives undertaken to achieve full and timely implementation of by various United Nations agencies, funds, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) programmes and bodies, apart from UNFPA, is and strengthen human rights institutions, provided below. Although by no means the United Nations cooperates with civil comprehensive, this overview provides an society groups, among them faith-based insight into how the United Nations system has organizations”. The aim of this, as the gathered actively and systematically partnered with FBOs participants maintained, is strengthened on key mandate areas.

10 Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, UNFPA Executive Director, “Culture Matters to Development: It Is the ‘How’ and Not the ‘Why’ and the ‘What’” (Traverse Lecture, Swiss Development Corporation, Bern, Switzerland, 13 December 2005). 11 Sixty-second session, “High-level Dialogue on Interreligious and Intercultural Understanding and Cooperation for Peace” (summary of informal interactive hearings of the General Assembly with representatives of civil society, non-governmental organizations, religious communities, academia and the private sector). 12 “High-level Dialogue on Interreligious and Intercultural Understanding and Cooperation for Peace” (summary of the report submitted to UNFPA by Elisabeth Scheper, Official Rapporteur).

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 19 Box 4: UNGA Resolutions Mentioning Religion13

2007 61/269. High-level Dialogue on Interreligious and Intercultural Understanding and Cooperation for Peace 61/221. Promotion of interreligious and intercultural dialogue, understanding and cooperation for peace 61/164. Combating defamation of religions 61/161. Elimination of all forms of intolerance and of discrimination based on religion or belief

2006 60/166. Elimination of all forms of intolerance and discrimination based on religion or belief 60/160. Effective promotion of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities 60/150. Combating defamation of religions 60/11. Promotion of religious and cultural understanding, harmony and cooperation 60/10. Promotion of interreligious dialogue and cooperation for peace

2005 59/199. Elimination of all forms of religious intolerance 59/142. Promotion of religious and cultural understanding, harmony and cooperation

2004 59/23. Promotion of interreligious dialogue

The Alliance of Civilizations growing trend. The high-level group presented (AoC) its report to Secretary-General Kofi Annan in November 2006. The Alliance of Civilizations was established in 2005, at the initiative of the Governments of In April 2007, United Nations Secretary- Spain and , under the auspices of the General Ban Ki-moon appointed Jorge Sampaio, United Nations. It aims to improve former President of Portugal, as High understanding and cooperative relations among Representative for the Alliance. This marked the nations and peoples across cultures and beginning of the second phase of the Alliance of religions, and, in the process, to help counter Civilizations, with the development of an action- the forces that fuel polarization and extremism. oriented implementation plan focusing on initiatives and projects in the areas of youth, The first phase of the Alliance started with the media, education and migration. creation by the United Nations Secretary- General of a high-level group of 20 eminent The Alliance is supported by a Group of Friends— personalities mandated to produce a report a community of more than 85 member countries exploring the roots of polarization among and international organizations and bodies. cultures and societies worldwide and proposing Working in partnership with governments, practical recommendations to address this international and regional organizations, civil

13 Derived courtesy of the Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations website, http://www.rngo.org.

20 CULTURE MATTERS Box 5: Conventions and Declarations The United Nations has throughout its history been aware of the importance of religion. Religion is mentioned in Article 2 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as one of the elements that is fundamental to ensure the enjoyment of human rights without discrimination. Article 2 states that: “Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms …without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.”

The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights recognizes the right to freedom of religion14. Article 18 stipulates that: 1. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right shall include freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice, and freedom, either individually or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in worship, observance, practice and teaching. 2. No one shall be subject to coercion which would impair his freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice. 3. Freedom to manifest one’s religion or beliefs may be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are necessary to protect public safety, order, health, or morals or the fundamental rights and freedoms of others. 4. The States Parties to the present Covenant undertake to have respect for the liberty of parents and, when applicable, legal guardians to ensure the religious and moral education of their children in conformity with their own convictions.

In 1981, the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief was signed and enacted. It states in Article 1.1 that: “Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right shall include freedom to have a religion or whatever belief of his choice, and freedom, either individually or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in worship, observance, practice and teaching.”

Religion and religious beliefs are integrated and protected in a number of other conventions and declarations, such as: 1. The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966) 2. The Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) 3. The Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention (1989) 4. The Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities (1992) 5. The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007)

14 http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/a_ccpr.htm.

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 21 society groups, foundations, and the private health services in particular in many parts of the sector, the Alliance is supporting a range of world. This, in turn, highlights the need to projects and initiatives aimed at building bridges engage and enhance partnerships with religious among a diversity of cultures and communities. It leaders and faith-based communities from all is developing an online clearinghouse of best faith traditions in the response to AIDS. It has practices, materials and resources on cross- been encouraging to find that collaboration on cultural dialogue and cooperation projects, as AIDS is often possible even in situations of well as a Rapid Response Media Mechanism to significant religious tension and conflict. provide platforms for constructive debate and opinion during times of increased tensions UNAIDS cooperates with FBOs in the provision around cross-cultural issues. of a range of services that include spiritual and material support for people living with HIV or The Alliance’s focus on concrete initiatives was AIDS, home visits, and care for orphans and reinforced and consolidated at the First Alliance vulnerable children. It works with networks of of Civilizations Forum, which was hosted by the religious leaders living with and/or affected by Government of Spain on 15 and 16 January 2008. HIV—the African Network (ANERELA+) and the This high-profile, action-oriented event brought International Network (INERELA+)—which have together a powerful network of political leaders, a wide reach and capacity to respond to AIDS. governments, international organizations, civil society groups, and religious communities, as UNAIDS also works with FBOs that convene well as media and corporate leaders. Among its religious leaders in dialogue, and others that are many outcomes, it featured the signing of an actively involved in training health-care workers, action-oriented statement of solidarity and joint teachers and other professionals, all of which are commitment by diverse religious leaders towards critical activities to address the growing human the goal of advancing shared security and peace, resource shortages in countries highly affected by and providing youth with guidance to counter AIDS. It thereby supports theological reflection extremist influences. that has fed into the teachings of clergy and religious leaders, and promotes interfaith United Nations Programme on dialogue at both international and country levels, AIDS (UNAIDS) where faith leaders are involved in national and international decision-making processes on Created as a structure to ensure coordination AIDS. UNAIDS encourages religious leaders to among the various United Nations agencies speak out on stigma and discrimination. working in and around HIV and AIDS, the UNAIDS Secretariat (and its 10 co-sponsors15) FBOs have been represented on the NGO have long-standing historical engagement delegation to the UNAIDS Programme with networks of FBOs. UNAIDS recognizes that Coordinating Board (PCB), on the civil society the role of religion is becoming increasingly task force for the High-level Meetings on AIDS, relevant in international development today. in national interfaith networks engaged in the Furthermore, UNAIDS acknowledges the Three Ones national partnership forums, and in important role that FBOs provide in terms of the Global Fund for Tuberculosis, AIDS and

15 UNAIDS brings together the efforts and resources of 10 United Nations system organizations to the global AIDS response. Co-sponsors are UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank. http://www.unaids.org/en/Partnerships/UNFamily/default.asp.

22 CULTURE MATTERS Malaria (GFTAM) mechanisms, such as the to intolerance. UNESCO believes that a NGO delegations to their governing board and unidimensional perception of culture and Country Coordinating Mechanisms (CCMs). religious “truth” is detrimental to the pluralism of ideas and beliefs, and can lead to ideological The UNAIDS Secretariat has a Memorandum of or nationalistic extremism, and isolationism. Understanding with Caritas Internationalis, However, UNESCO maintains that religion can which provides practical relief and development and does foster social cohesion. To this end, through 163 national member organizations UNESCO has developed an interdisciplinary working in more than 200 countries, 103 of programme on interreligious dialogue, a key them with well-established HIV programmes. component of intercultural dialogue. UNAIDS also collaborates with the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance; the Tear Fund; Islamic Relief; The interreligious dialogue programme draws the Buddhist Sangha Metta Project; and the Art on various disciplines, as well as on the support of Living Foundation, a Hindu group building a and cooperation of all sectors of UNESCO. leadership platform among Hindu religious UNESCO has engaged specialized non- leaders in . In November 2007, UNAIDS governmental organizations (NGOs) and Executive Director Dr. Peter Piot gave the universities to conduct specific research. Much plenary address at the Saddleback Church global of the research confirms that religion is not a AIDS summit, and senior managers made factor leading to the disintegration of the social presentations in the plenary sessions of two fabric but a factor of mutual enrichment, significant Islamic conferences on AIDS. At the beneficial to society as a whole. regional and country levels, the UNAIDS Secretariat has approximately 60 Partnership For UNESCO, interreligious dialogue is a Officers working with regional and national component of intercultural dialogue, because interfaith networks, religious leaders, and NGOs beliefs are to be considered part of the overall with religious affiliations delivering AIDS culture of human beings. The fact that religion is services often in rural communities. It welcomes viewed as a component of culture, UNESCO advocacy, coming from the faith community, maintains, helps in avoiding dogmatic issues on which is designed to influence political decisions the primacy of religion in social life. on AIDS, funding priorities, public policy, and access to antiretroviral drugs and services. The issue of religion is also placed within the overall discussion on cultural diversity. Religious The United Nations Educational, beliefs, attitudes and practices are an important Scientific and Cultural component of this diversity and should be respected and preserved at the different levels Organization (UNESCO) of social life.

UNESCO16 works with religious authorities of all Religious issues increasingly attract the faiths as well as other civil society partners to attention of States as well as academic achieve common goals. The starting point for circles, intergovernmental organizations, and UNESCO is that ignorance of religious pluralism NGOs. In response to the actual focus on religious leads to misunderstanding and, consequently, confrontations and religion-based prejudices,

16 http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=29008&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html.

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 23 UNESCO was requested by its Member States to Some of the areas of engagement for UNICEF in place particular emphasis on the issue of addressing children’s rights are educational interreligious dialogue. projects for out-of-school and abused children, advocacy and education for HIV and AIDS UNESCO has an expertise and added value to awareness and prevention, combating child bring to this field because it is the only agency labour and commercial sexual exploitation of of the United Nations system to carry out an children, and providing the best possible health Interreligious Dialogue programme. As part of care for children. The engagement of religious the United Nations reform initiatives of leaders in advocacy for, and the integration and “delivering as one”, UNESCO has endeavoured promotion of, child rights and child protection to work in synergy with other agencies that into social action programmes led by churches address similar problems or issues, such as the and religious groups17 continues to be a hallmark High Commission for Human Rights, UNICEF, of the work UNICEF conducts with FBOs. and other regional institutions, such as the European Council, Parliament and Commission. The United Nations UNESCO intends to consolidate and strengthen Department of Economic and this inter-agency work in the coming years. Social Affairs (UN/DESA) The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) DESA has a long-standing involvement in intercultural issues. As the United Nations For UNICEF, FBOs and religious leaders have entity servicing the Economic and Social become important partners in its work with Council, including its Commission on Social children around the globe. In developing Development and the Permanent Forum on countries, UNICEF works very closely with Indigenous Issues, DESA produces extensive Buddhist, Christian and Islamic faith policy analyses and normative work on issues communities. UNICEF maintains that religion such as social inclusion and the status of plays a central, integrating role in social and indigenous peoples. This work always seeks to cultural life in most developing countries, and promote intercultural dialogue within and that, indeed, there are often many more religious among communities. Moreover, DESA is leaders than health workers. They are in closer mandated to bring various entities of the United and more regular contact with all age groups in Nations system together in support of the society, and their voices are highly respected. In consideration by the General Assembly of the traditional communities, religious leaders are culture of peace, intercultural and interfaith often more influential than local government dialogue, and the dialogue among civilizations18. officials or secular community leaders.

17 UNICEF home page, http://www.unicef.org, 15 January 2008. Also see Selected Further Resources for UNICEF experiences on working with FBOs. 18 http://www.un.org/esa/desa and http://www.un.org/ga/president/62/issues/interreligiousintercultural/UNinitiatives.pdf.

24 CULTURE MATTERS II Highlights of Ongoing Commitments by UNFPA

A. The Civil Society Hearing Society Hearing and facilitated the process of on Interreligious and nominating and selecting FBO representatives. It also sent out invitations to members of its global Intercultural Understanding faith-based networks urging their participation in and Cooperation for Peace the selection process. UNFPA sponsored some of the selected FBO representatives from Africa, Latin In October 2007, a high-level dialogue took America, and the Arab region. In addition, UNFPA place at the United Nations General Assembly sponsored a round-table event that brought that included a half-day informal hearing under together some of the representatives at the Civil the overarching theme “High-level Dialogue on Society Hearing to discuss the challenges and Interreligious and Intercultural Understanding successes of mobilizing around reproductive health and Cooperation for Peace”. The purpose of the and population in different parts of the world. informal hearing was to provide an opportunity for NGOs, academia and the private sector to The objectives of the High-level Dialogue were to: interact with United Nations Member States and bodies. • Strengthen efforts towards interreligious and intercultural understanding and cooperation UNFPA collaborated actively with the Office of by engaging a variety of actors and the President of the General Assembly (OPGA), constituencies in government, civil society DESA, UNESCO, UNICEF, and the United and the United Nations system, to promote a Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service to culture of peace and dialogue among support a Steering Committee composed of civilizations and advance multi-stakeholder global civil society representatives. The Steering coalitions on related issues Committee, which comprised representatives from various FBOs (accredited by relevant • Translate shared values into action under the United Nations bodies), and on which the high-level goal of achieving sustainable peace United Nations representatives served as in the 21st century.20 facilitators, put together a list of candidates representing FBOs, as well as academia and Through the Civil Society Hearing, it became private sector representatives, to speak at the apparent why religion was perceived as informal hearing19. occupying an increasingly unique role. On the one hand, the FBO representatives maintained UNFPA hosted and co-organized several of the that religious spokespersons “have a distinctive deliberations and meetings, including the Civil spiritual and moral authority to bear the

19 “High-level Dialogue on Interreligious and Intercultural Understanding and Cooperation for Peace” (summary report), http://www.un.org/ga/president/61/follow-up/hld-interreligious.shtml. 20 “High-level Dialogue on Interreligious and Intercultural Understanding and Cooperation for Peace” (summary report), http://www.un.org/ga/president/61/follow-up/hld-interreligious.shtml.

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 25 To develop a shared vision, the participants maintained, societies must be introspective From Eritrea: Multi-faith in Action with regard to their own religious and cultural traditions. There is a need, they urged, for two Some of the UNFPA projects are multi- complementary dialogues: the interreligious faith and engage not only various faith dialogue, and the dialogue with extreme confessions but also several religions. In elements within the one religious tradition. Both the project titled “Care and Support for were deemed equally important. People Living with HIV and AIDS”, UNFPA in Eritrea directly collaborated with the The FBO representatives noted that when Islamic Mufti Office as well as the religions promote egalitarianism, they become Orthodox, Catholic and Evangelical powerful allies in attempts to foster peace among Churches. UNFPA facilitated a National the nations. They advocated further that concrete Committee consisting of representatives examples of successful grass-roots dialogues from these groups to create an interfaith involving different religious communities and civil platform that would oversee and assess society organizations need to be systematically the performance of the project. The project collected and disseminated as proof of practical itself addresses issues of reproductive efficiency and peacekeeping resources. health, HIV and AIDS, and maternal morbidity and mortality. Some participants were keen to stress the role of the media in promoting understanding, and that freedom of speech must not be used to unbearable and forgive the unforgivable”.21 On foster hatred and misunderstanding. Some of the other hand, some of the participants noted the FBO representatives also praised the role of that religions may also assert superiority to the United Nations in monitoring and calling others and make claims to “ultimate truth”. attention to victims of religious repression, but they cautioned that freedom of religion and While this is one of the key factors behind the beliefs continues to be violated in several parts potential for religions to be abused to justify of the world. Finally, participants urged that violence, it can also work as an incentive for both governments and religious representatives peacemaking. Some of the FBO representatives need to work together more reflectively and argued that they are agents of peace. Some deliberately, targeting shared concerns. spoke to the need to view perpetrators who use sacred texts to condone violence as part of B. The Launch of the Women, religious communities, who need to be invited Faith and Development to internal faith dialogues rather than pushed to further marginalization. They also suggested Alliance (WFDA) that the United Nations urge religious groups to work together—and if possible facilitate such UNFPA has also endorsed the Women, Faith, work—across internal and external divides, and Development Alliance (WFDA), a unique noting that this would “undermine the potential partnership of a tripartite axis of internationally for claims to absolutism or exclusivity”. focused faith, development and women’s

21 UNFPA, Report of the Civil Society Hearing around the High-level Dialogue on Interreligious and Intercultural Understanding and Cooperation for Peace (excerpts compiled by Elisabeth Scheper, October 2007).

26 CULTURE MATTERS organizations. The Breakthrough Summit in Benin; Nairobi, Kenya; Panama City, Panama; April 2008 served as a forum for international and Tashkent, . leaders from faith communities, governments, donors and NGOs to convene and announce UNFPA has also developed training manuals on new commitments to engender global poverty culturally sensitive programming for its training alleviation efforts. workshops organized for the United Nations Country Teams (UNCTs), which took place over Co-founded by the Washington National the course of 2007/08. June 2008 saw the Cathedral’s Centre for Global Justice and completion of the five trainings for UNCTs of Reconciliation, InterAction’s Commission on the , Brazil, , and . As an Advancement of Women, Religions for Peace opportunity to discuss the challenges of and Women Thrive Worldwide, WFDA conceiving development programmes in the midst launched its international action and advocacy of the tense nexus of culture, gender and human campaign at the Breakthrough Summit in rights, these UNCT trainings provided an overview Washington, DC. The Summit offered an of shared inter-agency dilemmas, as well as critical opportunity to announce this unique alliance in opportunities for reflection on creative approaches. a manner orchestrated to show the varied faces and discourses of its members, while D. Consolidating UNFPA-FBO highlighting the critical issues of injustice facing Partnerships in 2008 and women and girls. WFDA is dedicated to engendering global efforts to reduce poverty by Beyond: Convening and increasing political will and action to increase Launching Regional and investments in women’s and girls’ Global Interfaith Networks empowerment around the world. on Population and Echoing the UNFPA vision of collaboration and Development partnerships that bring the faith-based world within the programmatic ambit of international Lessons from the partnerships in which UNFPA development agencies and women’s rights has been active show amazing results in areas organizations, WFDA provides a natural that might not have been the most obvious. The counterpart to the UNFPA efforts. Hence, types of interventions and partnerships UNFPA has committed to helping WFDA set its between FBOs and UNFPA are multifaceted, organizational infrastructure and programmatic multicultural and multi-faith. engagements. In 2007, UNFPA began planning a series of C. Trainings on Culturally regional consultations bringing together its Sensitive Programming partner FBOs to share best practices and lessons learned. The regional meetings are In August 2008, UNFPA concluded its cycle of designed to emerge with recommendations to training workshops for its own regional staff on enhance these multifaceted partnerships, with a culturally sensitive programming, which follow view towards successfully addressing some of on the country-specific trainings that have the most pressing concerns (HIV and AIDS, taken place since 2003. So far, several such gender-based violence, empowerment of workshops have been held in Baku, ; women, reduction in maternal morbidity and Bangkok, ; Cairo, Egypt; Contonou, mortality, and response to humanitarian crisis).

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 27 The African Forum took place in Durban, faith-based groups in order to enhance the South Africa, in December 2007, and was global outreach by UNFPA to support countries followed by the Asia and Pacific Forum in in achieving the ICPD-MDG agendas. Kuala Lumpur, , in May 2008. In July 2008, the Arab region hosted its FBO Forum As the 15-year anniversary of the ICPD in in Cairo, followed by the Latin American and 2009 approaches, it is time to take stock of Caribbean one in Buenos Aires in September. achievements, gaps and challenges, and Each of these Fora is an opportunity to mobilize a critical mass of partnerships convene a critical mass of FBOs that support towards reaching the goals set out by the the agenda of the ICPD and MDGs, and ICPD nearly 15 years ago and their link to the thereby to form regional interfaith networks. MDGs. Efforts to implement the ICPD Programme of Action and to achieve the MDG The Regional Fora are critical moments of of reducing global poverty by half by 2015 reflection in the journey UNFPA is taking continue to gather momentum. By convening towards creating a Global Interfaith Network this critical mass of FBOs at the regional and on Population and Development. Their global levels around the ICPD issues, the Fora outcomes crystallize and fortify the emergence thus aim to achieve the following: of this significant faith-based movement for human development. Each consecutive • Create a Global Interfaith Network on Regional Forum documents the lessons learned Population and Development as a key catalyst and incorporates the recommendations in furthering a conducive sociocultural emerging from the prior consultation. At the environment. same time, each Forum focuses on the specificities of building interfaith partnerships • Endorse increased access to comprehensive around a particular set of issues relevant to reproductive health services and care. The each respective region. gathered FBOs and religious leaders will provide recommendations to enhance their The Regional Fora culminate in a Global partnerships with UNFPA on improving Faith-based Forum, during which the successes strategies, approaches and capacities to of FBO partnerships will be presented. The deliver on the UNFPA mandate areas. Regional and Global Fora are in line with the UNFPA 2008-2011 Strategic Plan, which • Share challenges, lessons learned and best emphasizes the forging of regional multilateral practices in creating culturally sensitive and partnerships and alliances that include and rights-based partnerships and alliances for underscore the importance of partnering with the MDGs.

28 CULTURE MATTERS III Mapping UNFPA and FBO Partnerships in the Field

In 2006, UNFPA carried out a “mapping with Communities and Faith-based Organizations exercise” that had the following objectives: (2004), Working from Within: Culturally Sensitive Approaches in UNFPA Programming (2004), and • To gather information on the partnerships Programming to Address Violence against Women: between UNFPA and FBOs on reproductive Ten Case Studies (2005). health, gender equality and population dynamics Although the mapping covers the period of 2006/07, some of the FBO case studies • To document specific outcomes, lessons presented were executed prior to those dates. learned and best practices of such partnerships An overview of all the case studies can be found in Appendix A. The relationship between • To identify potential future FBO partners UNFPA and FBOs continues and evolves, hence the mapping is intended to be a work in Sources and Methodology progress, or a living document, rather than a qualitative milestone assessment.22 In the A questionnaire was sent out to all country following sections, the mapping information is offices, and an analysis of an earlier survey on organized by region: Africa; Arab States, ICPD+10 was performed to identify FBO Eastern Europe and Central Asia; Asia and the partners. Subsequently, in 2007, UNFPA sent a Pacific; and Latin America and the Caribbean. follow-up questionnaire with five select Each section consists of a brief overview of the questions to UNFPA country offices to update context, a table, and a listing per country. the information and fill in some gaps. The responses were consolidated in the form of an It is to the three-decade legacy of the partnership FBO case study chart and project summary between UNFPA and FBOs working in Africa, the documents. This was supplemented by Arab States, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Asia additional data from the field derived from the and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean UNFPA publications Culture Matters: Working that we now turn.

22 Updates available at http://www.unfpa.org/publications/index.cfm?filterListType=3&filterSortBy=1&filterTitleArr=A-B-C.

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 29 Africa Overview risks for mothers and newborns. Lack of access to emergency obstetric care and a low proportion of As a , Africa is rich in its wealth of births attended by professionally trained natural resources and its abundance of people, personnel contribute to the continuing, though neither is yet well developed and extraordinarily high rates of maternal death and utilized. Furthermore, it is a continent with a disability. Among ongoing work, advocacy religious, cultural, social and economic diversity remains needed to target the poorest of the poor that ranges from rich tribal animist societies to in urban slums and in difficult-to-reach areas, in modern urban centres, and has traditionally had efforts to stamp out harmful practices and reduce strong collaboration between FBOs and gender-based violence (associated with poor international organizations. Complex cultural pregnancy outcomes, among other effects). realities such as pro-natalism (an attitude that Expanded efforts also are under way to treat encourages childbearing), polygamy and women who have been disabled by obstetric customary law are present in a mix with fistula, a devastating injury of childbearing.24 modernity and monotheistic religions in much Early motherhood is prevalent, with a continental of the continent. Poverty, gender inequality, HIV average of 103 births per 1,000 teenage girls prevalence and harmful practices, including aged 15-19. But this ranges from less than 6 per gender-based violence, are the biggest cent in South Africa, to Niger, where a fourth of challenges to meeting the needs and assuring adolescent girls are mothers.25 the rights of women and girls, men and boys, young and old. Population statistics for Africa are themselves in need of enhancement, and diligent collection, Though many of the African countries have made updated analysis and utilization of this progress towards economic growth, efforts to information for planning purposes is needed. eradicate poverty, empower women, reduce child But it is already well known that there are mortality and improve maternal health in the critical challenges to be addressed. HIV and region continue to be severely undercut by the AIDS prevalence is high, especially in southern devastating AIDS pandemic and by massive Africa, where 25 per cent of men and 40 per human displacements in the wake of natural cent of women carry the virus. Infant mortality disasters, violent conflicts and political strife. In rates are, on average, 89 per 1,000 live births; an area that is home to more than 60 per cent of however, this ranges from 44 per 1,000 in the world’s HIV-positive people, halting and Mauritius to 160 per 1,000 in Sierra Leone. reversing the spread of HIV, as well as addressing From a reproductive health point of view, other health issues such as malaria and therefore, while the need for accurate data tuberculosis, are among the highest priorities.23 remains one of the key issues for population and development, the biggest challenges are the Making motherhood safer is another urgent high levels of maternal and infant mortality, HIV priority: Women in the region face a 1-in-16 and AIDS, and early childbirth. lifetime risk of dying from pregnancy-related causes, and millions more will be disabled. The Hence, the dominant areas of engagement high rate of teen pregnancies creates additional with FBOs are AIDS treatment, support and

23 http://www.unfpa.org/africa/overview.cfm. 24 http://www.unfpa.org/africa/overview.cfm. 25 UNFPA, “Monitoring ICPD Goals: Selected Indicators”, in State of the World Population 2007: Unleashing the Potential of Urban Growth (2007).

30 CULTURE MATTERS care; reproductive rights and sexual and among professional personnel, government reproductive health (including such health and representatives and NGOs, as well as the rights specifically for adolescents); maternal mobilization of religious leaders. health; family planning; gender equality; and elderly health. The projects in which UNFPA The lessons learned from the ongoing has been involved are wide-ranging, having engagement with FBOs include the realization included programmes with youth, women and that prior to designing advocacy work for grass- men, elderly people, religious leaders (e.g., roots communities, it is important to ensure imams), professional health personnel, and that leaders of these communities are people living with HIV and AIDS. approached, sensitized and incorporated into the development process. In fact, practical field UNFPA partnered with a variety of FBOs, such experiences point to the fact that dialogue, as the Botswana Council of Churches, the sensitization and joint programming with FBOs Catholic congregation of the House of the should be an ongoing process that goes beyond Little Sisters of the Poor (des Petites Soeurs a single programming cycle. Likewise, it is vital des Pauvres), the Supreme Muslim Council of to find ways and means to mainstream Ghana, and Religions Against AIDS in development activities into the work of faith- Rwanda. Partnership activities entailed based partners, so that such activities become advocacy such as establishing spaces for part of their regular programmes. Critically, dialogue with communities in forums. providing hard data has proved time and again Capacity-building activities consisted of to be one of the best advocacy tools to win over training, sensitization and awareness-raising some faith-based partners.26

26 The full case study, “Strengthening Ties with a Religious Network in Ghana that Promotes Interfaith Understanding and Better Prospects for Youth”, can be found in the publication Culture Matters: Working with Communities and Faith-based Organizations (2004).

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 31 RELIGION PARTNERSHIP ACTIVITY ISSUES ADDRESSED

Table 1: At a Glance: UNFPA-FBO Partnerships in Africa Islam Interfaith leaders Religious organizations Faith-based with community-based Advocacy organizations building with Capacity leaders religious and sexually HIV/AIDS infections transmitted rights and sexual Reproductive health and reproductive rights reproductive Adolescent health and reproductive and sexual planning Family mortality Maternal and infant Gender equality genital mutilation/cutting Female violence Gender-based Population Elderly health

Benin ✓✓✓✓✓

Botswana ✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓

Burkina Faso ✓✓✓ ✓

Burundi ✓✓ ✓✓✓✓ Democratic Republic of the Congo ✓✓✓✓ ✓✓

Eritrea ✓✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓✓

Ethiopia ✓✓✓✓ ✓ ✓✓✓

Gambia ✓✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Ghana ✓✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Kenya ✓✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓✓ ✓

Liberia ✓✓✓✓✓✓✓

Madagascar ✓✓✓✓✓

Malawi ✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓

Mauritania ✓✓✓✓✓

Niger ✓✓ ✓✓✓ ✓

Nigeria ✓✓

Senegal ✓✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Sierra Leone ✓✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓✓ ✓ ✓

South Africa ✓✓✓✓✓

Tanzania and Zanzibar ✓✓✓✓

Uganda ✓✓✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Zimbabwe ✓✓ ✓✓

32 CULTURE MATTERS leaders and members of the religious Africa Insights community, with the active involvement of young people, in support of adolescent sexual Benin and reproductive health programmes, as well as for the dissemination of information on STIs • UNFPA supports a network of Islamic and HIV prevention. Through project site associations that build capacity among their visits, the BCC closely coordinates and constituency to advocate for the rights of monitors the implementation of the projects. women. The associations also assist with UNFPA monitors the project’s implementation resource mobilization and work to increase and offers technical support and resources for the access of adolescents and young people it, where needed. As a result, the project has to sexual and reproductive health information developed a conducive environment for and services, including such information and constructive interventions in the areas of services concerning HIV and AIDS. adolescent sexual and reproductive health.

Botswana Burkina Faso

• To implement the African Youth Alliance • During a meeting of the country’s principal (AYA) project, funded by the Bill and Melinda Islamic organizations, UNFPA worked with Gates Foundation and later integrated into the religious leaders to promote family planning. national programme, UNFPA entered into a Although the religious leaders did not make direct, interdenominational agreement with any decisions on the contraception methods the Botswana Council of Churches (BCC) as they would promote, they agreed to take part the main partner, along with the Evangelical in activities to sensitize their communities Fellowship of Botswana and the Organization regarding the need for family planning and of African Independent Churches. The overall improved maternal health. The focus is to goal of AYA is to improve the sexual and make family planning the responsibility of reproductive health of adolescents, especially every couple. focusing on sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV prevention. The objectives are Burundi to advocate for the mainstreaming of reproductive health issues into the teachings • UNFPA works with Muslim leaders to increase of the church in Sunday school, confirmation, knowledge of and sensitivity to gender-based premarital classes, weddings, funerals and violence, reproductive health and rights, and regular church services. Moreover, AYA gender equality. Focus areas are inheritance advocates teaching these issues in seminaries laws and marital rights, and population and and religious schools. The project employed development issues. As a result, UNFPA has programmatic strategies such as community witnessed an increased commitment among and media mobilization, partnership and these religious leaders to adopt and enforce capacity-building, and the formation of these laws. coalitions for the advocacy of adolescent sexual and reproductive health in the church. Democratic Republic of the Congo

• Furthermore, the BCC conducted sensitization • In an effort to provide support to the elderly and and mobilization campaigns among church to reduce the morbidity caused by malaria,

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 33 UNFPA has given funding to preventive • The advocacy day provided valuable inputs to programming. UNFPA partnered with the enrich the AYRH strategy. UNFPA supports Catholic congregation of the House of the Little the development of an AYRH Strategic Sisters of the Poor (des Petites Soeurs des Implementation Plan from the current national Pauvres) to reduce elderly morbidity and AYRH strategy. One of the key principles of sensitize the congregation to the quality of life the strategy is “segmentation” of information among elderly people in their community. and services—that is, strategies to deliver UNFPA also held an open house to advocate for sexual and reproductive health information the sustainable care needed for the elderly. This and services that take into account the was also an opportunity to further partnerships different characteristics of adolescents and with other United Nations agencies. youth such as age, sex, school attendance, residence (urban/rural) and vulnerability. Eritrea • In another example of strategic advocacy, • In a project titled “Care and Support for People UNFPA supported the government’s Living with HIV and AIDS”, UNFPA collaborated implementation of the National Population directly with the Office of the Mufti, as well as Policy. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church was the Orthodox, Catholic and Evangelical approached as a partner to change the Churches. UNFPA facilitated a national attitudes of strong opponents of population committee consisting of representatives from policies. The mechanism in this advocacy is the these groups in order to create an interfaith collation of a “Development ” as a tool for platform to oversee and assess the performance priests when they address population issues of the project, which addresses issues of among the church’s 40 million followers. reproductive health, HIV and AIDS, and maternal morbidity and mortality. • The UNFPA country office involved the Ethiopian Orthodox Archbishop in blessing a Ethiopia mural painted by more than 30 local artists. In blessing the mural, the Archbishop • In partnership with the Ethiopian Youth requested that priests all over Ethiopia cease Network, UNFPA organized a high-level blessing child marriages. advocacy day targeting FBOs as well as parliamentarians, donors, NGOs, and other Gambia sectors. The objective of the day was to draw attention to and support for adolescent and • UNFPA partners with the Subcommittee on youth sexual and reproductive health issues, Islam and Christianity on Population and including vulnerability to HIV infection and Development, made up of influential and various forms of gender-based violence. This religious leaders in each of the five event was part of the comprehensive administrative divisions of the country. The adolescent and youth reproductive health subcommittee is responsible for educating (AYRH) strategy developed by the Federal civil society on sexual and reproductive health Ministry of Health. The strategy advocates a issues, as well as encouraging effective redistribution of resources and renewed participation in decision-making. The newly efforts to reach all segments of adolescents created FBO has contributed positively to and youth, including the marginalized and building an enabling environment for the most vulnerable groups. promotion of reproductive health and rights.

34 CULTURE MATTERS With regard to promoting the advancement of implement information, education and women and gender equality, UNFPA has communication campaigns, together with contributed to advocacy activities by FBOs capacity-building efforts such as training and the Subcommittee on Islam and workshops for community members. Such Christianity regarding the importance of organizations gain entry into the communities education, especially for female children. A in which they work by first seeking the recently formed FBO has benefited from permission of the Chiefs. In addition, public forums held in Dakar and Zanzibar where gatherings are held with the consent of members were exposed to innovative community leaders such as Chiefs and Queen strategies and interventions in the Mothers, who are seen as the custodians of implementation of the ICPD and the MDGs in culture. This serves to legitimize the Islam and reproductive health rights. organizations’ messages. Since acts of gender-based violence—ostensibly based on Ghana religious doctrine—are not easy to eradicate, understanding the beliefs of the community in • Aimed at building South-South cooperation, which one hopes to bring about social change initiatives include supporting the participation is an important first step, and soliciting the of a delegation of Ghanaian in an FBO participation and support of the host conference in Abuja, Nigeria. Moreover, community and its local leaders is critical for UNFPA supported two follow-up workshops to efficacy and sustainability. Among the enhance the capacity of religious leaders to practices that work are the encouragement of establish networks for population, reproductive networking among a wide range of civil health and gender issues throughout the society organizations (including FBOs) country. The advocacy of UNFPA among working on gender-based violence, and traditional and religious leaders on promoting targeting young people in these campaigns.27 the rights of women and girls has had a positive impact on development in that it has • UNFPA also indirectly collaborated with helped to improve the discussion and tracking traditional and religious leaders from the of the impingement of these rights in the Supreme Muslim Council and the Catholic and community. Protestant Churches through its partnership with the Planned Parenthood Association of • On awareness of fistula, UNFPA collaborated Ghana. In order to address the programme’s with a U.S. Christian philanthropic medical reproductive health and population objectives, ship (Mercy Ship). The ship provides medical UNFPA, the Planned Parenthood Association assistance to women suffering from fistula, and its partners further agreed to a number of particularly those from the northern region strategies including sensitizing and building of Ghana. the capacities of religious leaders through training and seminars. The interfaith • UNFPA partnered with an NGO called programme has attracted people to the International Needs Ghana on the issues of reproductive health initiatives of religious gender-based violence, ritual slavery and groups and resulted in a network of religious female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). organizations collaborating on reproductive International Needs Ghana was able to health and social issues.

27 The case study titled “Liberating Slaves and Changing Minds” can be found in the UNFPA publication Programming to Address Violence against Women (2005).

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 35 Kenya increased acceptability for change and adoption of alternative rites of passage. In • UNFPA partnered directly with the Catholic Kenya, for example, in an effort to eliminate Archdiocese of Nairobi, the Catholic Diocese the practice of FGM/C, which is a rite of of Nakuru and the Council of Imams and passage for many girls, UNFPA was able to Preachers in Kenya (CIPK) in the promotion work with local community and religious of activities that protect young people from leaders to come up with alternative rites of harmful practices such as female genital passage that would allow for age-old wisdom mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and forced child to be passed down in a modern setting, and marriage. UNFPA is working with both would not cause the girls to miss out on the Catholic and Muslim organizations towards attention, gifts and recognition that the elimination of FGM/C, raising awareness accompany their coming of age. In addition, and sensitizing the communities and religious these alternative rites of passage provided leaders to the dangers of the practice. Muslim the opportunity to incorporate transmission leaders and followers are made aware that of information on sexual health, HIV the practice is not a religious obligation prevention, life skills, gender equality and prescribed in the Holy Qur’an. Muslim human rights.28 organizations also sensitize religious leaders and communities to the dangers of child • UNFPA has partnered with the Gender and marriage and the value of continued HIV/AIDS Technical Sub-Committee of the education for young girls. Similarly, the National AIDS Control Council. FBOs are Catholic Church conducts initiation camps for among the broad range of stakeholders that young boys, where they are trained in life have supported and participated in the skills and provided with information on Technical Sub-Committee. The group is adolescent and sexual reproductive health. tasked with developing a strategic framework for the integration of gender concerns into • UNFPA has also worked on culturally the analyses, formulation, monitoring and sensitive programming with FBOs on the evaluation of policies and programmes. issue of HIV prevention and AIDS treatment among youth. This has included increasing • UNFPA and UNICEF jointly organized a access to condoms as well as youth-friendly meeting with 19 Muslim scholars from information and services, among which are communities that do not practice excision on voluntary counselling and testing for young their girls. The meeting resulted in a formal people. Through partnership with UNFPA, commitment by the scholars to influence other FBOs are now strong proponents of scholars from the communities that do engage addressing and improving adolescent in this practice so that both groups might reproductive health, and are important establish a common stand against FGM/C. partners in building awareness, sensitization and acceptance in the community. Liberia

• Working with local community-based • UNFPA supported an Islamic youth group on organizations (CBOs) to eliminate harmful HIV awareness. This group succeeded in practices such as FGM/C has greatly convincing imams to advocate for condom

28 http://www.unfpa.org/gender/docs/tao_interview.pdf.

36 CULTURE MATTERS use as the only scientifically known method of Malawi, the Catholic Development for the prevention of HIV, and also as part of Commission, the Christian Council of Malawi, other family planning methods among and the Fertility Awareness Support Unit of Muslim communities. This, in turn, appears to the Catholic Church on the issues of have facilitated a markedly increased use of reproductive rights and sexual and these methods among Muslim groups to reproductive health and HIV prevention and exercise the right of couples to decide freely AIDS treatment. FBOs have been on the front on the number and spacing of their children. lines of the HIV and AIDS crisis in Malawi for nearly 15 years. Churches are a major source Madagascar of health care and other social services. In addition, religious and faith-based institutions • UNFPA partnered with Lutheran and Protestant are among the only organizations in Malawi churches on sensitizing communities on that have the structures capable of reaching reproductive health, including adolescent many rural areas. In some cases, however, reproductive health and family planning issues. these institutions have not fully understood In terms of capacity-building, health staff have the complicated nature of the epidemic and been trained in HIV and AIDS counselling, and thus were unable to promote support for in prenatal services and modern voluntary those living with HIV and AIDS. This surgical interventions that are now being inadvertently fuelled the stigma and offered in some clinics of the Lutheran Church. discrimination associated with HIV and AIDS. Contraceptives are distributed in health Still, the faith community and traditional centres, although not made available for youth. leaders represent a vast, largely untapped resource that must be effectively mobilized if • The work shows that FBOs contribute strongly HIV and AIDS are to be successfully to the promotion of reproductive health, since combated at the grass-roots level. Religious, the most vulnerable people come to their health cultural and faith-based institutions have the centres for affordable services. The involvement trust and respect of their communities, which and motivation of religious leaders in taking is critical in successfully promoting culturally part in reproductive health initiatives has sensitive behaviour change. Efforts to find increased people’s acceptance of contraceptive common ground are urgently needed to use, and family planning initiatives have address the desperate situation in Malawi. expanded in rural areas. Nevertheless, more One promising approach is the development advocacy is needed among some religious of HIV-sensitive theological training.29 leaders and community members who might not be fully aware that family planning allows Mauritania couples to determine how many children to have and how often to have them. • UNFPA provided training and equipment to the ulemma (Islamic scholar) and imam Malawi associations. The sensitization process enabled the development of a book on Islam and • UNFPA partnered with the Scripture Union of population issues. The objective was to help Malawi, the Christian Hospitals Association sensitize imams and teachers to the challenges

29 The full case study, “Partnering with Religious, Cultural and Faith-based Institutions: An Underutilized Force in the Fight against HIV and AIDS”, can be found in the UNFPA publication Culture Matters: Working with Communities and Faith-based Organizations (2004).

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 37 of marriage combined with other sexual harmonization of the various Islamic partners, family planning, HIV and AIDS and associations’ opinions on issues related to STIs, and the education of girls, all of which are population and development, including considered taboo subjects in Mauritania. This maternal health as well as family planning; the book permits religious leaders to speak with contribution to the elaboration and adoption knowledge on these issues and counsel their of a national law on reproductive health; and communities. Use of this educational guide on the elaboration of a concept paper on gender population matters by the heads of the and equality in the legacy of Islam. madrasahs (religious schools) will enable future religious leaders to be sensitized to • UNFPA collaborated with the Association of issues of population. In addition, UNFPA Traditional Chiefs of Niger (Association des provided training and equipment to the ulemma Chefs Traditionnels du Niger—ACTN) on and imam associations, the media network, issues of population and development, youth associations and NGOs at national and reproductive health, family planning and child district levels. In 2006, sensitization and marriage. Moreover, UNFPA is in tripartite advocacy activities were fully implemented by partnership with ACTN and the Ministry of these organizations. Establishing confidence Population and Social Reforms for the with religious leaders is vital for the work of promotion of population and development UNFPA. Once obtained, this confidence carries issues. Capacity-building activities took the powerful and influential alliances in society. form of a training seminar for traditional chiefs from the Maradi, Zinder, Agadez, Tahoua and Niger Tillabéry regions on population and development issues, as well as the training of • UNFPA supported the education of 120 300 traditional chiefs and chief advisers on ulemmas in the teaching and utilization of a the relationship between population and bilingual ( and French) guide on gender, development. Advocacy work included the HIV and AIDS, and sexual and reproductive development of a guide for the traditional health. This initiative contributed to the chiefs on population and development issues. harmonization of religious discourse on the Furthermore, the partnership created a question of adolescent sexuality. It proved to favourable environment by reducing the use of be good practice in developing partnerships reproductive health services, specifically in the with religious leaders to facilitate young areas of family planning, maternal health people’s access to reproductive health services. services, deliveries in medical settings, and pre- and post-birth care. • UNFPA partnered with the Group of Islamic Associations for Questions of Population and Nigeria Social Development (Groupement des Associations Islamiques pour les Questions de • In 2008 UNFPA assembled 250 African Population et de Dèveloppment Social) on the traditional leaders in the Nigerian city of issues of gender equality, sexual and Sokoto to map out a strategy to fight reproductive health, family planning, and HIV maternal mortality. In addition, traditional and AIDS. Activities included advocacy for a leaders from several other African countries favourable political and sociocultural were also present at the assembly. It was environment in the areas of population noted that to reduce maternal mortality and dynamics and reproductive health issues; the promote maternal health, traditional and

38 CULTURE MATTERS religious leaders have a critical role to play, as network’s launch in 2005, it has gained they have the trust of their communities and momentum and created a forum for discussion are good entry points for effecting change at of sensitive issues such as FGM/C, which have the community level. hitherto been taboo among Muslims.

Senegal • Rape, abduction and sexual slavery are part of the brutal legacy of Sierra Leone’s decade-long • UNFPA partnered with Muslim and Christian civil war, which has left over half the country’s leaders to advocate family planning, population displaced and destitute. As a prevention of maternal and infant mortality, matter of survival, both during and after the and prevention of HIV and AIDS. The war, women (as well as men) have been forced religious leaders have also integrated topics into commercial sex work, which leaves them related to gender issues into their sermons. vulnerable to more sexual violence, as well as The constructive collaboration between HIV infection and other, potentially fatal, UNFPA and these leaders is gauged to have problems. In response, a faith network contributed to declining rates of maternal supported by UNFPA is helping girls and young mortality, increased use of family planning women affected by the war to regain their methods, and HIV and AIDS prevention. health and dignity by providing them with the tools to generate alternative livelihoods. One Sierra Leone key to success is responding to their needs using a holistic approach. Another is involving • UNFPA worked with religious leaders from the partners as well as the community in is Lord Ministries and its Faith Clinic, the sensitization and training activities, and largest female-attended Christian church in providing free education to their children.30 Sierra Leone, to address issues of reproductive health and HIV prevention and AIDS treatment. South Africa The partnership generated HIV prevention campaigns, psychosocial counselling and • UNFPA partnered with the South Africa support for pregnant women, awareness- Council of Churches, which coordinated a raising to prevent maternal mortality, and the number of consultations with traditional and promotion of family planning methods. religious leaders in five provinces in South Africa on issues of reproductive health, HIV • UNFPA consulted with churches, as well as prevention and AIDS treatment, gender- imams, sheikhs and Islamic women’s based violence, and population and organizations, prior to launching an Islamic development. The aim was to involve male network for the promotion of reproductive leaders in improving women’s access to health and population. The issues of concern to reproductive health services, preventing HIV the network are reproductive health and rights, infection and reducing gender-based family planning, HIV and AIDS, gender equality violence. The communities have shown and FGM/C. Activities consist of an HIV strong commitment to and support for the prevention and AIDS treatment campaign, and initiative, proving that community leaders are a symposium on Islam and its relation to extremely effective in removing socio-cultural women’s rights and leadership. Since the barriers and improving service delivery.

30 The case study is from the UNFPA publication Programming to Address Violence against Women (2007).

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 39 • In cooperation with Religions for Peace, South initiatives. Moreover, a capacity assessment Africa, UNFPA co-hosted the FBO Forum: by the Zanzibar AIDS Commission revealed Strengthening Partnerships with Faith-based that most of the island’s religious Organizations (FBOs) for the Prevention of organizations, which are predominantly HIV and AIDS and Violence against Women, Muslim, lack knowledge of reproductive which emerged with the nucleus of a Pan- health and gender and population issues that African Interfaith Network on Population and could enable them to make meaningful Development. The Forum also produced a interpretations from a religious perspective. number of concrete recommendations and initiatives to enhance the partnerships Uganda between UNFPA and FBOs across the region. • UNFPA partnered with the Muslim Supreme Tanzania and Zanzibar Council on the issues of reproductive health and rights for adolescents and adults, and • UNFPA worked to build the capacity of religious gender equality. Careful sensitization of leaders and organizations to advocate for Muslim leaders in Uganda helped open up reproductive health issues and HIV prevention the previously taboo subject of sexual and and AIDS treatment. An outcome of one of the reproductive health. An important first step workshops in Zanzibar was that the Council of was to counter the fear that family planning Ulemmas agreed that condoms could be used was a way of reducing Muslim populations by among discordant couples to prevent infection clarifying its importance as a method of and for child spacing by legally married couples. spacing one’s children. With the support of This initiative was fortified by the support of the the Mufti of Uganda, the highest Islamic Mosque Council of Tanzania for a workshop for religious leader in the land, reproductive imams, madrasah teachers and women. health services have been improved and are Moreover, the facilitation of a visit by a being more widely used by the community. To Senegalese imam and a Muslim scholar in order ensure that these efforts were in line with to exchange experiences and expertise with Islamic thinking, reproductive health local FBOs in Zanzibar further strengthened messages were studied and compared with such capacity-building. teachings of the Qur’an and the Prophetic tradition. In addition, specific strategies were • In 2006, UNFPA launched new efforts to designed to reach women.31 establish working partnerships with civil society organizations to gain support to build • UNFPA partnered with the Sabiny Elders a strong network of religious leaders and Association, the Kinkizi Diocese Church of FBOs around the ICPD agenda, including Uganda, and the Bunyoro and Tooro gender-based violence. While some religious kingdoms on reproductive health and rights, leaders have had a change of attitude on HIV prevention and AIDS treatment, family issues of reproductive health and gender planning, gender equality and FGM/C. Elders, equality, there is still a tendency to focus on kings, bishops and imams are opinion leaders HIV and AIDS rather than on broader in Uganda’s complex cultural environment. reproductive health and gender equality UNFPA has successfully reached out to

31 The full case study, “Partnering with Uganda’s Muslim Community for Better Reproductive Health”, can be found in the UNFPA publication Culture Matters: Working with Communities and Faith-based Organizations (2004).

40 CULTURE MATTERS partner with them in promoting healthier and it conducted post-training support behaviours and the elimination of harmful activities for the men in its communities. practices.32 • For decades, member churches of the Union • To foster better understanding among policy for the Development of Apostolic Churches and decision makers and religious, cultural in Zimbabwe Africa (UDACIZA) had faced and community leaders on the criticism for using the Bible to justify interrelationship of sociocultural, economic practices such as wife inheritance, polygamy, and political factors, and population and forced marriage of girls to elders against development, reproductive health, adolescent their will, and a ban on contraceptives. This and youth reproductive health (AYRH) and criticism became more vocal amid the rising gender, a partnership was established. Its tide of the AIDS pandemic when the Church goal was to strengthen institutional and continued to steadfastly denounce condom technical capacity for advocacy at the use as a means of HIV prevention. Following national, district and sub-county levels, and wide consultations among its members, and among cultural and religious NGOs and with the technical assistance of the professional bodies and institutions. The key Zimbabwe AIDS Policy Advocacy Project, contribution to national capacity-building has UDACIZA produced an HIV and AIDS policy been setting up AYRH programmes within document that calls on the Apostolic and cultural and religious institutions, which have Zionist Churches to “review their practices, a far-reaching impact among the targeted internal laws, policies and guidelines to audiences. Partnerships with policymakers ensure that they are in conformity with the and religious and cultural institutions also reality of HIV and AIDS,” and to translate have contributed to a policy environment that knowledge about the disease into behaviour is conducive to making improvements in the change to reduce its spread. UNFPA, in areas of reproductive health, gender equality partnership with religious leaders, can place and HIV and AIDS. reproductive health and rights issues squarely on a wider agenda so that Zimbabwe discussions once considered taboo can move into the public arena. • UNFPA worked with religious communities in Zimbabwe by offering technical guidance to • UNFPA engaged with the congregants of 33 the Musasa Project, an NGO. The project Apostolic and Zionist churches in and around aimed to build the capacity of partners to Buhera, members of UDACIZA and Apostolic work among religious and traditional sects, religious sects for the promotion of women’s and to advance male involvement in the rights, especially reproductive health and prevention and management of gender-based rights. UDACIZA then hosted a world violence. It organized workshops that aim to population day commemoration with engage male traditional and religious leaders, “Equality” as the theme.

32 The full case study, “Winning Support from Some of Uganda’s Custodians of Culture: Elders, Bishops and Kings”, can be found in the UNFPA publication Culture Matters: Working with Communities and Faith-based Organizations (2004).

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 41 Arab States, Eastern Europe relations, reproductive health and population and Central Asia Overview dynamics—that is, key UNFPA areas of engagement. The cultural settings within the Arab States, Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ASECA) are Population and reproductive health issues vary very different. According to a UNFPA study, immensely among the Arab States, Eastern religion in the Arab States is, in general, seen as a Europe and Central Asia. The Arab States have positive influence on reproductive health. had the highest population growth rates in the However, cultural attitudes towards gender world. Fertility declined significantly in the equality have a more negative influence. Certain 1990s, but the growth rate is still high—about Islamic beliefs and advocacy and awareness- 2 per cent, compared with 1.4 per cent for the raising on the part of religious leaders and groups less developed countries as a whole. Use of were cited as positive cultural factors that could modern contraception has become more leverage change.33 In the same study, the impact widespread. Nevertheless, because of its huge of religion in Eastern Europe and Central Asia youth population, the region faces enormous were perceived as having less impact. Here, the growth in the coming years. In contrast, greatest challenges to meeting the reproductive Eastern Europe faces significant population health needs of men and women are traditional reduction due to population ageing and patriarchal social structures and attitudes, taboos declining fertility rates, which have been surrounding discussion of sexuality, traditional exacerbated by high migration rates. values, and stigmatization of people living with HIV or AIDS.34 Eastern Europe has one of the fastest-growing HIV rates in the world. The number of people It is noteworthy that in these regions, the living with HIV reached an estimated 1.4 million discourse of is becoming increasingly by the end of 2004, more than a ninefold influenced by religious dynamics, and vice increase in less than 10 years. Women account versa. The Arab region is witnessing an for about a third of those with the virus, but they enhanced social and economic role played by make up an increasing share of newly religious NGOs, and a subsequent increase in diagnosed cases. The vast majority of people popular political support for some of the living with HIV are young adults, which organizations also vying for political power. In highlights the need for a more vigorous and Eastern Europe, the role of migrants in general, comprehensive response targeted to this sector. and some religious minorities among them in Denial, stigma, and the institutional challenges particular, features more prominently in political of providing services to marginalized and discussions and electioneering. Some Central vulnerable sub-populations jeopardizes Asian states are also negotiating the status of progress in preventing the further spread of HIV religious discourse and groups in their midst. All in this region.35 In contrast, HIV prevalence of these form critical backdrops for both the appears to be fairly low in the Arab countries, general role of FBOs in development, and making this an opportune time for public especially for the implications regarding gender awareness campaigns to keep the virus from

33 UNFPA, Culture in the Context of UNFPA Programming: ICPD+10 Survey Results on Culture and Religion (2005). 34 UNFPA, Culture in the Context of UNFPA Programming: ICPD+10 Survey Results on Culture and Religion (2005). 35 http://www.unfpa.org/europe_asia/overview.cfm.

42 CULTURE MATTERS gaining a foothold. Some Arab countries are adolescent girls aged 15-19 range from less than now addressing HIV prevention among young 1 per cent in Algeria to nearly 9 per cent in people through training, educational materials . HIV and AIDS percentages of the and the establishment of youth networks.36 population are either not included or are very low—in Sudan, for example, 1.4 per cent of men The Arab region has made progress on closing and 1.8 per cent of women. the gender gap in early education, one of the targets of the MDGs. However, illiteracy and In the ASECA, the recurrent issues were inequity persist. Some 10 million children, reproductive rights and sexual and reproductive mostly girls, do not attend primary school. And health (including those specifically for although women’s access to education has adolescents), gender equality, AIDS, family tripled since 1970, more than half of all adult planning, gender-based violence, female genital women are illiterate. There is a growing mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), and population and acknowledgement of gender equality in demographic issues. The groups targeted were constitutions, legislation and policies. youth, women, religious leaders, communities, Nevertheless, cultural, social and economic NGO workers and government representatives. factors, as well as lack of political will, In the area of advocacy, activities included undermine their full implementation.37 In providing spaces for dialogue, such as seminars Eastern Europe, gender inequities have risen in and workshops for communities. Capacity- the past decade. Women’s participation in building initiatives included training, sensitization economic and political life has decreased, and awareness-raising among professional income disparities have increased, and girls’ personnel, government representatives and school enrolment has slowly fallen. Gender- NGOs, as well as mobilization of religious based violence in the region—including a rise leaders. Women’s FBOs, such as Mutakalim in in human trafficking, which primarily affects Kyrgyzstan, should be further engaged to women and girls—constitutes a severe human advocate for improvements in reproductive rights and public-health problem. It is health care, family planning, and HIV prevention estimated that more than a fourth of all women and AIDS treatment among Muslim and girls who fall victim to trafficking are from communities. To this end, the capacity of national Central and Eastern Europe.38 religious communities should be strengthened, the access to information and education should Annual maternal mortality rates are high in be improved, and the knowledge and skills of parts of these regions—for example, 570 in women in Muslim society should be increased. In Yemen and 590 in Sudan, versus 86 in these regions, UNFPA partnered with FBOs such as and only 41 in Jordan. Infant mortality World Vision , Mutakalim (Kyrgyzstan), rates, calculated in deaths per 100,000 live Al-Azhar University, the International Islamic births, range from 12 and 14 in Bosnia and Centre for Population Studies and Research , respectively, to 66 in Sudan and 73 in (Egypt) and the World Islamic Council for Azerbaijan.39 Of all births each year, those by Advocacy and Rescue (Yemen).

36 http://www.unfpa.org/arabstates/overview.cfm. 37 http://www.unfpa.org/arabstates/overview.cfm. 38 http://www.unfpa.org/europe_asia/overview.cfm. 39 UNFPA, State of the World Population 2007: Unleashing the Potential of Urban Growth (2007).

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 43 RELIGION PARTNERSHIP ACTIVITY ISSUES ADDRESSED

Table 2: At a Glance: UNFPA-FBO Partnerships in the Arab States, Eastern Europe and Central Asia Islam Christianity Interfaith leaders Religious organizations Faith-based with community-based Advocacy organizations building with Capacity leaders religious and sexually HIV/AIDS infections transmitted rights and sexual Reproductive health and reproductive rights reproductive Adolescent health and reproductive and sexual planning Family mortality Maternal and infant Gender equality genital mutilation/cutting Female violence Gender-based Population Algeria ✓✓ ✓✓

Egypt ✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓

Jordan ✓✓✓✓✓✓✓ Occupied Palestinian Territories ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓

Somalia ✓✓✓

Sudan ✓✓✓ ✓ ✓

Syria ✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓

Yemen ✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓

Armenia ✓✓✓✓✓ Bosnia and Herzegovina ✓✓ ✓

Georgia ✓✓ ✓

Kosovo ✓✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Azerbaijan ✓✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Kyrgyzstan ✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓

Tajikistan ✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓

44 CULTURE MATTERS such as posters, booklets, flyers and CDs that Arab States, Eastern included interviews with eminent religious Europe and Central leaders expressing the position of Islam. The information materials were prepared and Asia Insights intensively reviewed by a team of Al-Azhar University’s eminent religious leaders, so that Arab States they could be an effective tool for the dissemination of information on reproductive Algeria health for young Islamic scholars.

• UNFPA worked with imams through the • An expert group of Muslim scholars at Ministry of Religious Affairs. A training Al-Azhar University finalized a research workshop for imams on the issue of HIV project on the links between the MDGs and prevention and AIDS treatment was convened, development issues within the framework and this led to the development and validation of religion. A manual was produced, titled of a guide on these issues, to be used by Islam and Development, that was a result imams in their speeches and by the Ministry of the analysis made by scholars in the of Religious Affairs. fields of theology, sociology, medicine, economics and Egypt “Given that religious leaders reproductive health. The are crucial gatekeepers to manual establishes that the • UNFPA partnered directly with engaging communities, their basis of the MDGs is an the International Islamic Centre integral part of Islam. It involvement on the issue of for Population Studies and has thereby attracted the Research at Al-Azhar University, adolescent reproductive health commitment of Egyptian with the overall goal of is necessary.” religious leaders towards the contributing to the reduction of adoption of these goals. poverty (MDG 1). This entailed a focus on Moreover, verses of the Qur’an and Hadith maternal mortality reduction, HIV prevention included in the manual have been further used and AIDS treatment, women’s empowerment, to develop pamphlets and posters. As a result, and girls’ education. One of the partnership’s Al-Azhar’s religious leaders are qualified and main goals was to support the government of sensitized to carry the message of the MDGs Egypt in achieving its population policy. This and the ICPD to other stakeholders in Muslim pioneer initiative linked the ICPD goals with the communities in Egypt and beyond. MDGs and presented this connection from a balanced Islamic perspective for young scholars. • The materials linking the MDGs to Islamic The objectives included involving young religious concepts were used for advocacy activities leaders in advocacy programmes for achieving such as the series of travelling seminars to the the ICPD goals and the MDGs. various governorates of Egypt (noted above). Policymakers and programme designers were • A project was thus organized in which 14 invited to attend these seminars alongside travelling seminars for young religious religious leaders and civil society members so scholars were conducted. One component of as to rally their commitment to the ICPD the project was the distribution of materials agenda and the MDGs.

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 45 • Involving religious leaders in the process of Occupied Palestinian Territories developing information, education and communication (IEC) materials ensures their • UNFPA partnered with the Department of support of the messages. Moreover, the Family Counselling and Reconciliation in presence of credible Muslim leaders at these sharia courts on the issues of gender equality, seminars was the best way to ensure the gender-based violence, and reproductive acceptance of their messages. An extensive health and rights. A four-day training course revision of the choices of verses and was conducted for 31 participants, mostly quotations religious leaders use for their heads of the Department of Family messages is a necessary step to prevent any Counselling and Reconciliation. The issues actual or potential misinterpretations of the addressed in the training course were based holy text, the faith and the practices. on the participants’ needs, with the aim of assisting them in providing better family • UNFPA assisted in the effective training of counselling and sensitizing them to the NGOs on mobilization of the community for concept of reproductive health and rights. the promotion of adolescent reproductive Furthermore, the training focused on the health. The NGOs collaborated with religious issue of domestic violence and its impact on leaders, schools and parents to ensure a the family and society, and also explored positive and healthy environment for young ways in which individuals and society at large people. Training sessions were held and a can help victims of such violence. curriculum was provided in several villages. Muslim and Christian religious leaders had • Experience indicated that the trainers involved the opportunity to gather and discuss how to with the FBOs would do well to have a strong establish common ground in communicating background in religious issues. At the same with young people on reproductive health time, sensitizing individuals on issues of issues. Given that religious leaders are crucial reproductive health and rights is a gradual gatekeepers to engaging communities, their process, so overnight changes of opinions involvement on the issue of adolescent should not be anticipated. Religious leaders reproductive health is necessary. play a significant role in facilitating positive changes of behaviour among communities, Jordan and partnerships with their organizations remain important areas of engagement. • UNFPA collaborated with religious leaders on issues of reproductive health, family Somalia planning and gender equality. It sponsored family planning study tours for religious • UNFPA collaborated with the United Nations leaders to Egypt. By providing relevant Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and scientific information, UNFPA also supported the United Nations Development Programme lectures on gender equality given in (UNDP) to work with the government sectors mosques, and facilitated a workshop on responsible for gender in initiating a project for reproductive health for religious leaders. the development of a national gender policy framework as well as advocacy for gender • UNFPA staff undertook cultural sensitivity mainstreaming at the administration level. training among United Nations Country Team Specifically, to mobilize support against (UNCT) staff in Jordan. FGM/C and to advocate for eradication of the

46 CULTURE MATTERS practice, UNFPA collaborated with the relevant Planning, based on discussions and questions ministries to facilitate a series of round-table raised during training workshops for imams and discussions involving experts, community and religious men on reproductive health and family religious leaders, activists, and authorities. planning issues. In addition, meetings were held Going forward, the aim is to further develop with imams to increase their knowledge and these strong advocacy partnerships into gain their support regarding reproductive sustainable political strategies and changes in health and the empowerment of women. The behaviour and attitude among cultural workshops were aimed at establishing a strong gatekeepers in Somali communities. group of advocates for the ICPD agenda.

Sudan • Another UNFPA initiative supported the Ministry of Awqaf in conducting a series of • UNFPA collaborated with Muslim and live television programmes that discussed Christian religious leaders on HIV prevention reproductive health and gender issues and AIDS treatment, gender equality and through an Islamic lens. gender-based violence, and assisted in the organization of a National Symposium on Yemen AIDS and Religion, which involved prominent members of the Muslim and Christian • Yemen has one of the highest total fertility communities in the Sudan. rates in the world (more than 6 births per woman). UNFPA worked with the Ministry of • UNFPA focused on increasing the number of Awqaf in the areas of sexual and reproductive female service providers and trainees in order health for adults and adolescents, family to expand women’s access to health services. planning, and HIV prevention and AIDS This increase was made possible primarily by treatment. Activities included engaging the the involvement of the community (including community and the media, mobilizing male community and religious leaders) in the religious leaders and resources, and training selection processes of trainees. imams to give sermons in the mosques that would focus on reproductive health and • In collaboration with other partners, UNFPA family planning. UNFPA collaborated with the trained religious leaders, Ministry of Health Seminar for Islamic Youth and the World service providers, NGOs and community Islamic Council for Advocacy and Rescue on workers on UNFPA mandate areas, including the issues of sexual and reproductive health, HIV prevention and AIDS treatment and the family planning, gender-based violence, care and clinical management of rape survivors. FGM/C and AIDS.

Syria • UNFPA and various Yemeni ministries resumed their training of religious leaders to • UNFPA partnered with the Ministry of Awqaf40 discuss family planning in their Friday and religious leaders on issues of reproductive sermons; going forward, however, their health, family planning and gender equality. It sermons will address the common supported the Ministry of Awqaf in producing a misconceptions about reproductive health. booklet titled Islamic Perspectives of Family Sixty-eight participants, including imams and

40 Although a Ministry of Awqaf usually refers to a Ministry of Religious Endowment, it can also refer to a Ministry of Islamic Religious Affairs and Religious Guidance.

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 47 morshidat (female religious guidance and AIDS in Armenia, to improve the counsellors), as well as members of the reproductive health of the general Ministry of Endowments and the Ministry of population. The project serves as an entry Public Health and Population, met to discuss point for working together on other projects scaling up their ongoing work to educate and initiatives, which are being explored. Yemenis nationwide about the benefits of family planning. The group discussed Bosnia and Herzegovina sensitive and potentially confusing issues, and how they can be addressed from an • UNFPA partnered directly with diverse FBOs as Islamic perspective. The religious leaders and part of the Country Coordination Mechanism ministerial staff identified a few key for the National Response to HIV and AIDS— misconceptions about reproductive health, which also includes other United Nations mostly surrounding the use of contraception. agencies, government representatives, international organizations and local NGOs— on broad population issues, including youth • UNFPA held a number of discussion groups dynamics, ageing, and care for the elderly. The focused on the risks and consequences of FBOs represent the diverse religious heritage of child marriage and pregnancy, the country, and the engagement the harmful consequences with them also reflects the “At times, there is more of gender-based violence challenges and success of the and FGM/C, and the benefits room for constructive legacy of conflict in the society. of girls’ education and family dialogue with religious planning. These discussions leaders when it is done helped to mitigate some neg- discreetly and away from ative sociocultural constraints • In partnership with UNFPA, to improving reproductive media attention.” the First Lady of Georgia health and women’s rights. established the Reproductive Health National Council as part of the Ministry of Labour, Health and Social • UNFPA, in a joint effort with the Ministry of Protection to address reproductive health Endowments and Guidance, the Ministry of needs. Religious leaders are included as Public Health and Population, and the National members of the Council, which aims to Population Council, is providing reproductive strengthen coordination among the Ministry, health and family planning services in Yemen, donors, implementing partners and civil where there is currently an estimated 50 society in the area of reproductive health. per cent unmet need for such services. Kosovo Eastern Europe • UNFPA and UNICEF supported the Ministry Armenia of Health in conducting a workshop for Muslim and Catholic leaders in November • UNFPA collaborated directly with World 2005 to deliberate a draft law on the Vision Armenia, a Christian FBO and the termination of pregnancy. In discussing the principal recipient of the Global Fund- country’s widespread cases of pregnancy supported National Program to Prevent HIV termination, the gathered leaders agreed that

48 CULTURE MATTERS it was critical to provide necessary care for and the State Commission on Religious Affairs the health and life of the mother. At times, on issues of reproductive health, family there is more room for constructive dialogue planning, gender equality, and HIV prevention with religious leaders when it is done and AIDS treatment. UNFPA helped organize discreetly and away from media attention. several national conferences and round tables for religious leaders and other stakeholders on Central Asia the promotion of reproductive health and rights and family planning throughout the Azerbaijan country. As a result of the discussions that arose from the national conferences and round • UNFPA partnered with UNDP to organize tables, an official appeal was issued to address AIDS awareness-raising projects for religious the importance of reproductive health, family leaders. The initiative made the government planning, and HIV prevention and AIDS (representatives of ministries) and religious treatment among adolescents and adults. communities aware of the importance of collaboration with civil society on HIV • With the support of UNFPA, a book titled prevention and AIDS treatment. Family Planning in the Legacy of Islam, based on the research of Islamic theologians, was • UNFPA conducted a study on produced in two languages. The gender equality by comparing “Religious leaders are book is used in seminars and the Convention on the the most trusted and trainings for religious leaders, Elimination of All Forms of women’s FBOs and other NGOs, Discrimination against Women direct channels for as well as for the local (CEDAW) with some widely increasing knowledge administrations of the Ministry of recognized Islamic references about reproductive Health. The book was then revised and books. The result reflected and adapted in the context of health, family planning, the parallels between CEDAW Central Asia with the collaboration and the just spirit of the Islamic HIV prevention and AIDS of the Clerical Department of faith. Specific issues were treatment among Muslims of Kyrgyzstan and showcased, including violence rural populations.” Mutakalim. The book is to be against women, child marriage, distributed further by the Council respect for the dignity of women, of Ulemmas in madrasahs and equality in the economic and political (religious schools) and Islamic universities as participation of women. Afterward, the study part of a training curriculum. was used to produce training materials geared towards religious leaders. Furthermore, an • In joint collaboration with Mutakalim and the information booklet on gender equality in State Commission on Religious Affairs, Islam was developed for use as a public additional round-table meetings and advocacy tool. workshops were held in the northern regions for medical workers and religious and Kyrgyzstan community leaders. The issues addressed were male involvement in reproductive • UNFPA partnered with Muslim religious health, family planning, and HIV and AIDS leaders, the Clerical Department of Muslims and STI prevention. The discussions of Kyrgyzstan, the women’s FBO Mutakalim, maintained an Islamic perspective, and the

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 49 book Family Planning in the Legacy of Islam Statistics Agency, as well as civil society was distributed during the round tables. organizations and the private sector, including the mass media. • In terms of initiatives for promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment, UNFPA • More than 150 parliamentarians and provided information brochures and booklets, parliamentary-group officials from Asia and and conducted seminars for religious leaders the Pacific, as well as from Central Asia, on reproductive health and family planning attended the 8th General Assembly Asian issues. The focus was on changing attitudes Forum of Parliamentarians on Population towards women. and Development in Jakarta, . The theme of the assembly was “Religion and • Among the lessons learned from partnering Culture Matters”. Tajikistan was with FBOs and religious leaders in Kyrgyzstan represented by Olim Salimov, Member of was that religious leaders are Parliament of Tajikistan. the most trusted and direct “The involvement of men on channels for increasing these issues is crucial for • Religious leaders were involved knowledge about reproductive decreasing unwanted in advocacy for reproductive health, family planning, and health issues among population pregnancies, abortion, HIV prevention and AIDS and youth. These leaders were treatment among the Muslim and the prevalence and instrumental in advocating rural population. One of the incidence of HIV and AIDS for the benefits of access to issues raised during the and other sexually and use of reproductive health seminars for religious leaders services, especially in areas transmitted infections.” was the promotion of where religion has strong reproductive health and family influence over people’s planning, not only for women but also for men attitudes and behaviour. and adolescents. The involvement of men on these issues is crucial for decreasing • The UNFPA Country Office has partnered unwanted pregnancies, abortion, and the with the government’s Religious Affairs prevalence and incidence of HIV and AIDS Committee which is dealing with local and other sexually transmitted infections. religious leaders. The objective of the partnership is to monitor the implementation Tajikistan of the legal minimum age for marriage, and to identify how religious leaders could be • The UNFPA Country Office supported summit systematically involved in these efforts. agreements closely linked to the ICPD agenda to promote gender equality, eliminate poverty, • UNFPA also worked with the government’s and implement a number of activities to Religious Affairs Committee in coordinating increase the capacity of adults and adolescents workshops for NGOs, with the aim of to protect themselves from HIV infection. increasing their capacity in the areas of family UNFPA was able to implement the activities planning and gender dynamics in an Islamic through the development of partnerships with setting. Working with the Committee in the Ministry of Health, the Committee on designating Friday as the day for advocating Religious Affairs, the National Commission on family planning—within the context of the Population and Development and the State Qur’an and the Friday sermons, geared

50 CULTURE MATTERS particularly towards men—was found to be an counselling sessions for reproductive health; effective and culturally sensitive outreach tool. viewing and collecting relevant materials on reproductive health and Islam that would aid • UNFPA collaborated directly with the Islamic in developing a curriculum for the Islamic University of Tajikistan, the government’s University; and learning about cooperation Religious Affairs Committee and the Safe with civil-society and religious institutions. Motherhood NGO for training on reproductive health and rights for adults and • Following the tour, the Islamic University’s adolescents, family planning, gender equality curriculum was expanded to incorporate and HIV and AIDS. UNFPA organized a study issues of family planning, HIV prevention and tour to Tunisia for the Rector of the Islamic AIDS treatment, and gender equality. The University and the Director of Safe university also developed a booklet titled Motherhood with the objectives of gathering Islam and Family Planning, which has been best practices from other Islamic teaching widely distributed. institutions on information campaigns and

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 51 Asia and the Pacific Overview some customary laws in Buddhist cultures contribute to gender equity and equality and Asia—vast, culturally diverse, and home to 60 women’s empowerment.42 per cent of the world’s population—has made enormous progress both socially and High rates of maternal and infant mortality in economically over the past two decades. The some countries underscore extreme inequities development has been spurred by the ICPD in health care across the region: In Afghanistan, Programme of Action and the MDGs. Most , , India, Lao PDR, , countries in the region have signed or ratified Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste, maternal the United Nations Convention on the mortality ratios exceed 400 per 100,000 live Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination births. These countries, as well as , against Women (CEDAW). However, not all and the , also have a large ensure equal rights for women in their own unmet need in the areas of family planning and constitutions. Among the most pressing issues reproductive health services. Until recently, HIV are gender-based violence, which remains prevalence in most countries in the region had widespread, and in some countries a strong been restricted to high-risk groups involved in preference for sons, leading to prenatal sex injection-drug use and/or sex work. There is selection or neglect of infant girls, with the now a serious threat of the virus quickly result that at least 60 million girls are “missing” spreading to the general population.43 in Asia.41 In Asia, the significant issues tackled by UNFPA Culturally, the main constraints to programmes are reproductive rights and sexual improvements in reproductive health and and reproductive health, gender equality dynamics, gender equality in Asia are patriarchy, AIDS, sex selection, gender-based violence, and manifested in purdah (seclusion of women), population and demographic issues. Activities dowries, son preference and child marriage. include forums, research, major training, health However, it is also the case that numerous clinic establishment and resource mobilization. religious traditions—including , UNFPA has successfully collaborated with several and Islam—can and do contribute to faith-based organizations (FBOs), including the Art reproductive rights discourse and thereby also of Living Foundation, the Pacific Council of to improvements in reproductive health. For Churches and Caritas Dili, to address these issues. example, a 2005 UNFPA study showed how

41 http://www.unfpa.org/asiapacific/overview.cfm (18 January 2008). 42 UNFPA, Culture in the Context of UNFPA Programming: ICPD+10 Survey Results on Culture and Religion (2005). 43 http://www.unfpa.org/asiapacific/overview.cfm (18 January 2008).

52 CULTURE MATTERS RELIGION PARTNERSHIP ACTIVITY ISSUES ADDRESSED

Table 3: At a Glance: UNFPA-FBO Partnerships in Asia and the Pacific Advocacy with community-based Advocacy organizations building with Capacity leaders religious and sexually HIV/AIDS infections transmitted rights and sexual Reproductive health and reproductive rights reproductive Adolescent health and reproductive and sexual planning Family mortality Maternal and infant Gender equality violence Gender-based Population selection Sex Islam Christianity Hinduism Buddhism Interfaith leaders Religious organizations Faith-based Afghanistan ✓✓✓✓✓✓

Bangladesh ✓✓✓ ✓ ✓✓✓✓✓✓

Cambodia ✓✓✓ ✓ ✓ ✓✓✓✓ ✓

India ✓✓ ✓✓✓✓ ✓✓

Indonesia ✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓

Iran ✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓

Malaysia ✓✓✓✓

Maldives ✓✓✓✓✓✓✓

Nepal ✓✓✓✓✓✓ Pacific Island Countries ✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓

Pakistan ✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓ Papua New Guinea ✓✓✓✓✓

Philippines ✓✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Sri Lanka ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓✓✓ ✓ ✓✓

Timor-Leste ✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓

Thailand ✓✓✓✓✓

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 53 Religious Affairs and the Ministry of Women Asia and the Pacific and Children Affairs (MOWCA). The UNFPA Insights Country Programme, which began in 2006, is increasing its efforts to work with stakeholders such as religious leaders, Afghanistan members of law enforcement agencies, media representatives and members of Parliament to • UNFPA collaborated indirectly with religious advocate for the reduction of gender-based leaders and community development violence. The capacity of the Directorate of counsellors through the Ministry of Women’s Women’s Affairs, under MOWCA, has been Affairs, the Ministry of Religious Affairs and the strengthened to mainstream gender issues. Asia Foundation. The partnership focused on Specific interventions to create awareness family planning, gender-based violence and among women about their legal and religious conflict management. UNFPA supported a mass rights have been initiated at the community advocacy campaign to eliminate domestic level. UNFPA has supported the Ministries in violence under the culturally sensitive banner of training 35,000 imams and more than 3,000 “healthy family relations” on the occasion of the Hindu and 300 Buddhist religious leaders on International Day for the Elimination of Violence issues of reproductive health and rights, AIDS, against Women. The one-time campaign and gender equality. consisted of distribution of posters, brochures and a book to imams and community • Through the Ministry of Religious Affairs, development counsellors. UNFPA has also collaborated with leaders from the Islamic Foundation and the Hindu, Buddhist • All the messages in the distributed book were and Christian Welfare Trust. The major issues informed by the Qur’an and Hadith. It includes dealt with have been family planning, child a section on topics such as conflict marriage, dowry, safe motherhood, violence management, and a reference section on against women, and HIV and AIDS. practical ways for mullahs to use the book. Through the liaison of the Ministry of Religious • UNFPA has worked with religious women’s Affairs, the mullahs were then asked to groups, particularly on the status of women in disseminate the messages in the book to their religion. The target groups are youth of both constituents in prayer sessions and community sexes, men and women, and religious leaders meetings. The campaign was monitored by a and institutions, as well as communities and Community Development Council and has yet professional health personnel. The activities to be assessed in terms of lessons learned. It is include mobilizing religious leaders, creating anticipated that this project will be scaled up to spaces for dialogue in communities, and train mullahs, who will then be asked to preach collaborating with educational institutions to, sensitize and train their constituents on and supporting media platforms. issues related to the ICPD mandate. • Working with FBOs has contributed to a Bangladesh common understanding of the unity in diversity with respect to culture and the status of women in Islam, Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism. • UNFPA has collaborated with Muslim, Hindu Due to the country’s vast population, UNFPA and Buddhist religious leaders through its plans to scale up its interventions to cover a continued partnership with the Ministry of larger segment of religious leaders. By the end

54 CULTURE MATTERS of 2005, only 10 per cent of the total imams practices through which violence against had been trained, but 99 per cent of those women persists. A host of community groups, trained claimed they had been disseminating made up of civic and political leaders, religious the messages they received during training. leaders, village elders, schoolteachers, mothers-in-law, young people and others, are • FBOs have facilitated the process whereby challenging age-old practices and proving that mothers make use of and feel comfortable with culture is anything but static.44 the institutional facilities provided. The training of religious leaders has also transformed those • One key lesson learned is how religious leaders leaders into active supporters and educators in are important agents of change. Their the population programme on issues such as interventions are, by definition, culturally and safe motherhood, the elimination of dowries, religiously sensitive, and can transform AIDS and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). adversaries into advocates while managing not To properly implement the programme directed to alienate any powerful groups in society. towards improvement of the overall status of Religious leaders can influence government women, subdistrict women’s policies as well as help to development officers have develop positive attitudes and been trained on issues related “Religious leaders’ interventions commitment among political to promoting and protecting are, by definition, culturally and leaders. To expedite the the rights of women and girls. religiously sensitive, and can process of people’s behavioural This has substantially change, religious leaders must transform adversaries into enhanced the officers’ constantly counsel their capacity, and has also advocates while managing not communities. For instance, sensitized them to gender to alienate any powerful groups following the training offered in issues. Members of law in society.” this programme, six villages enforcement agencies are were declared dowry-free. being continuously trained to respect women and girls, and to be proactive in Cambodia securing their legal rights. Religious and community youth leaders, along with elected • Through a joint initiative with the European representatives, are increasingly involved in Commission, UNFPA collaborated with effecting positive change regarding the rights of Buddhist monks and nuns on issues of women and the value of female children. reproductive health and HIV prevention and AIDS treatment, targeting adolescents. The • Child marriage and the giving and receiving of initiative’s two main partners were the dowries are major factors in the continuation international NGOs Save the Children and of domestic violence in Bangladesh. Laws have Pharmaciens sans Frontières. In turn, those been passed that criminalize both practices, NGOs have worked through local partners but they are difficult to enforce—especially in Operation Enfants de Battambang and the rural areas, where custom and tradition tends Women’s Organization for Modern Economy to govern social life. An advocacy project and Nursing. The programme has offered supported by UNFPA has worked at the grass- improved access for adolescents and youth to roots level to change the cultural beliefs and reproductive health information, education,

44 The full case study can be found in the UNFPA publication Programming to Address Violence against Women (2007).

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 55 counselling and youth-friendly services. It motivate their constituents to abstain from involves training monks and nuns in harmful practices, make a collective pledge to preventing the spread of AIDS through secure equal rights for female children, and information and education campaigns inside appeal to medical professionals to stop the and outside the monasteries; providing care practice of sex selection. UNFPA undertook and support to orphans and people living with comprehensive advocacy with key HIV and AIDS; training monks to deal constituents such as the media, political effectively with young people on the subject leaders, NGOs and FBOs, especially AOLF, in of HIV and AIDS; and eliminating the stigma affecting local and national policy on this of HIV and AIDS through Buddhist teachings issue. Furthermore, UNFPA provided funds, at of compassion. the specific request of the Government of India, for padayatra (advocacy walks) by the • Moreover, the UNFPA Country Office Hindu leader Swami Agenivesh, who facilitated South-South cooperation by preaches secularism and is active on a sending two staff members from the number of development issues. Reproductive Health unit to share the Cambodian case study and ideas at a • UNFPA plans to continue the partnership by workshop in Ghana on improved birth supporting padayatras to draw attention attendance and FBO engagement with HIV to this sensitive issue. Religious leaders will and AIDS. Work has included strengthening participate in these walks along with their the role of nuns in Buddhist religious orders by disciples and the general public. The walks will having them reach out to women and girls on be piloted in two states, with the potential reproductive health and gender-based to be implemented in other states depending violence issues, facilitating dialogues and on their success. Practically speaking, conducting training. Study tours abroad for non-conventional partners may not be aware the exchange of ideas with monks have been of the UNFPA protocol with regard to among the other activities undertaken to contractual and grant agreements. UNFPA expand knowledge and encourage positive needs to find ways to avoid conflict in this area attitudes in the areas of sexuality and during the implementation process. reproductive health. Indonesia India • UNFPA established partnerships with pesantren • UNFPA partnered with the Art of Living (Islamic boarding schools) in an effort to Foundation (AOLF), an interfaith organization improve prevention and management of under the spiritual leadership of Sri Sri Ravi gender-based violence. Two pesantren-based Shankar. UNFPA mobilized funds for AOLF to crisis centres for survivors of violence have organize an interreligious meeting titled been established. Moreover, materials to “India’s Missing Daughters: Faith for Action mainstream issues of women’s empowerment, Against Sex Selection”, which engaged gender equality and gender-based violence representatives from the Hindu, Muslim, Sikh have been introduced through the religious and Jain faiths to advocate against prenatal schools. The women’s crisis centres in the sex selection. At this meeting, 35 religious pesantren are successful because these schools and spiritual leaders were invited to address are perceived and accepted by the community the issue of sex selection in their discourses, as traditional sanctuaries for women.

56 CULTURE MATTERS • South-South cooperation was facilitated by International Centre for Islam and Pluralism, developing a regional proposal together with and Jurnal Perempuan, a network of media Badan Koordinasi Keluarga Berencana practitioners promoting women’s rights. Nasional (a coordinating body of family planning movements) on revitalizing the Iran commitment and support of Muslim leaders and Islamic institutions for population, • In Iran, recognition of the negative impact of reproductive health and gender equality rapid population growth by the government, issues. The project gathers religious leaders along with concerted advocacy efforts and from Indonesia, Bangladesh and Iran, three one of the best primary health systems in the high-population Muslim countries, to region, has reduced fertility rates by more than increase their involvement and strengthen half in the past decade. Moreover, the country their capacity to engage in advocacy, has exceeded the targets laid out at the 1994 community mobilization and behaviour ICPD through the implementation of several change regarding reproductive health and programmes: two on reproductive health, one gender. Furthermore, it is a clear strategy for on literacy and one on women’s rights. UNFPA to partner with religious leaders who are progressive and well-educated, and who • Provincial medical universities conducted an have strong leadership and influence at the initial assessment of the attitudes of religious community level. leaders towards reproductive health. Subsequently, a workshop for local authorities • UNFPA also supported the visit of an Indonesian was held to develop an advocacy plan for delegation to the Indonesian provinces of West reproductive health and family planning. Kalimantan and Papua to share effective community response to HIV prevention and • In addition, a systematic review of public- AIDS treatment with local stakeholders such as domain data on gender-based violence and religious and community leaders. information on how it had been addressed by religious and civil law was initiated. • UNFPA developed modules, including UNFPA supported the creation of a task religious perspectives on the prevention of force composed of a network of key violence against women in conflict and post- stakeholders to collaborate on the conflict situations, that were used in religious development of evidence-based advocacy settings. In addition, UNFPA supported the strategies regarding gender-based violence. training of community members on sensitivity This task force includes both government counselling in accord with religious values, organizations (GOs) and NGOs. The and the training of religious institutions on campaign addresses gender-based violence gender equality and women’s empowerment. and develops methods of intervention that are in accordance with Islamic principles. • Finally, the Gender, Human Rights and Culture The Iranian experience underlines the Branch of UNFPA headquarters sponsored importance of factoring in culturally two Indonesian case studies on gender-based sensitive issues, and patiently seeking violence with the assistance of the resolution of such issues at the outset.45

45 The full case study, “Moving the ICPD Programme of Action Forward in the Islamic Republic of Iran through Patience and an Enabling Environment”, can be found in the UNFPA publication Culture Matters: Working with Communities and Faith-based Organizations (2004).

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 57 Malaysia rights. This includes, for example, the provision of information and services to • UNFPA partnered indirectly with the unmarried adolescents, which is a challenging Department of Islamic Development endeavour. The activities will be launched in Malaysia (JAKIM) a local FBO, through the partnership with the ministries covering Federation of Family Planning Associations, health, gender, family, youth, sports, education Malaysia (FFPAM), an implementing NGO and justice. These new partnerships will aim partner, on adolescent sexual and to build awareness, further advocacy and build reproductive health. Faced with the need for capacity on reproductive health issues among more user-friendly materials on these issues, FBOs. UNFPA is supporting the generation UNFPA assisted in the implementation of a and sustainability of high-level political project that actively engaged young people in commitment to addressing gender-based the development of a comprehensive module, violence with the establishment of a family thereby ensuring a sense of agency and protection unit in Male, the capital city. collectivity in the process. A steering committee and technical working groups • UNFPA recognizes the capacity of FBOs were established, and JAKIM was invited to to build constructive alliances to promote be an authoritative member playing a crucial reproductive rights and provide reproductive role in the development of the manual’s health services to all individuals in order Islamic perspective. The module on to contribute to the attainment of the adolescent sexual and reproductive health ICPD mandate and the MDGs. When advocacy has been widely used by both government and partnership with religious and community and NGOs as a training and advocacy tool. In leaders in programme implementation is addition to providing invaluable, religiously strengthened, these groups act as advocates for sensitive inputs to the module, JAKIM the UNFPA mandate and counter conservative facilitated its wider dissemination. misconceptions. Constraining factors include cultural (often religious) sensitivities that • UNFPA hosted an FBO forum titled surround the delivery of adolescent sexual and “Strengthening Partnerships with Faith-based reproductive health information and services, as Organizations (FBOs) in Addressing ICPD”, well as limited technical expertise. which emerged with the nucleus of a Pan-Asian Interfaith Network on Population Nepal and Development. The forum also produced a number of concrete recommendations and • UNFPA has partnered with the District initiatives to enhance the partnerships Development Committees in three UNFPA- between UNFPA and FBOs across the region. focused districts—Kapilvastu, Mahottari and Rautahat—to work with faith-based leaders on reproductive health and gender issues. The partnership is focused primarily on Muslim • In light of rising religious conservatism in the leaders in Nepal. In Kapilvastu, UNFPA Maldives, UNFPA has moved to establish collaborates closely with the District official mechanisms to engage with FBOs in its Development Committee and District Health new Country Programme (2008-2010). Office to facilitate the training and sensitization Under this programme, UNFPA works with of faith-based leaders on these issues. The FBOs to promote reproductive health and training sessions also serve to initiate

58 CULTURE MATTERS partnerships with these leaders in order to UNFPA has learned to maintain a balanced reach out to communities and communicate approach, starting from the issue of abstinence ways to improve reproductive health. and gradually sensitizing faith-based partners to provide other options through referrals to the • Overall, the training sessions for the faith- appropriate outlets. Partner FBOs have differing based leaders have been beneficial in engaging opinions on family planning and condom usage. them in discussion about reproductive health, UNFPA partners both directly and indirectly family planning and gender issues in the with the PCC, which consists of representatives context of religious discourse. After a three- from different Christian denominations in the year training period that engaged these leaders Pacific. UNFPA offers direct technical, in reproductive health awareness programmes, programmatic and logistical support to its FBO a network of religious leaders was formed in partners on issues of HIV prevention and AIDS Kapilvastu district. Based on the success of the treatment, adolescent sexual and reproductive initiative, the District Development Committee health, and gender equality. has allocated funds for similar training programmes in its regular budget. • Funding for the PCC has been indirectly Furthermore, health facilities provided through the regional in some areas have reported Adolescent Health and “When advocacy and the increased acceptance of Development Project, which family planning methods at partnership with religious and was implemented by the the community level. UNFPA community leaders in programme Secretariat of the Pacific is now replicating the implementation is strengthened, Community. While the PCC training programme in the remains the primary point districts of Mahottari and these groups act as advocates for of contact for UNFPA, Rautahat. the UNFPA mandate and counter additional contacts have been conservative misconceptions.” established and several Pacific Island Countries requests for support received.

At present, UNFPA has a presence only in Fiji, • A number of adolescent health and and relies on its partnership with the Pacific development coordinators work under this Conference of Churches (PCC) to implement regional project at a country level in 10 projects on adolescent health development countries, and collaborate with FBOs to coordination in other Pacific Island Countries advocate for adolescent sexual and (PICs). Nevertheless, UNFPA aims to increase reproductive health and provide related and better systematize its collaboration with information and services to young people. FBOs in the future. It also hopes to extend For example, through the work of partnerships to FBOs from the Hindu and the adolescent health coordinator in Muslim traditions, in addition to the Christian Samoa, sexuality education sessions were groups with which UNFPA is already included as part of a Christian school’s partnering. Most Christian FBOs are very extracurricular activities. Coordinators offer supportive of UNFPA work on HIV and AIDS similar services in other schools and advocacy, and they are active in creating through clinics that raise awareness on awareness and empowering their members by family planning, HIV prevention and AIDS providing them with accurate information on treatment, teenage pregnancy, and access HIV and AIDS. to reproductive health services.

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 59 • In 2005, as a follow-up to World Population Day, Council and International Women’s Summit UNFPA mobilized funds for a series of seminars held in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2007. on marriage preparation and gender equality for religious leaders in the region that was organized Pakistan by the Fiji Council for Social Services. UNFPA partners with Islamic FBOs, religious • In 2006, UNFPA offered some funding and leaders and schools through implementing technical assistance to the PCC for a “Women partners such as the Ministry of Population and HIV and AIDS” workshop, Welfare, the Ministry of attended mostly by pastors and “One specific lesson learned Women’s Development and the their wives. Other training in working with FBOs is Family Planning Association of workshops have been developed that partnerships should be Pakistan. UNFPA seeks to since, to help ensure that church engage with a wide spectrum of based on mutual learning as counsellors (mainly pastors) FBOs and leaders from Muslim provide correct information and a regular, long-term countries in order to decrease support to those who come to endeavour.” population growth and overcome them for assistance, and to help challenges to family planning counsellors gain the support of their that are framed in religious discourse. The communities in embracing HIV-positive partnerships UNFPA maintains cover reproductive individuals and others who are in need of care. health for adolescents and adults, family planning, HIV prevention and AIDS treatment, gender • In 2007, the UNFPA mobilized funds for its equality, and gender-based violence. “Youth, Women, and HIV and AIDS” regional workshop. This workshop included participants One specific lesson learned in working with of different religious traditions, mostly Christian, FBOs is that partnerships should be based on from various countries, who were encouraged mutual learning as a regular, long-term to put together an action plan for FBOs on HIV endeavour. Moreover, because religious issues prevention and AIDS treatment for a three-year often provoke tense exchanges and disputes, it period (2008-2010) by seeking the is important to lay down conditions for endorsement of the National Council of discussions that take place during workshops or Churches in their respective countries. sensitization sessions. Likewise, it is important to prepare curricula well in advance through a • Apart from providing funds for the workshop, consultative and inclusive process. Curricula UNFPA offered extensive assistance through that are prepared in collaboration with partners its HIV/STI Adviser, Regional Communications may pre-empt any potential conflicting ideas Officer and other programme staff in delivering that could block the entire process. The UNFPA presentations and helping participants create Country Office has developed a checklist of their action plans. Information, education and potentially sensitive issues that must be communication (IEC) materials and CD-ROMs discussed internally with the implementing of relevant workshop documents were made partners and resource persons prior to the available to each participant. training or orientation sessions.

• In addition, UNFPA funded travel for two women • Through implementing NGOs, a collaboration from the YWCA (Young Women’s Christian between UNFPA and religious leaders and Association) of Fiji to attend the World YWCA teachers started with the Reproductive Health

60 CULTURE MATTERS Initiative for Youth in Asia. The collaboration districts. Religious leaders were invited to focused on raising awareness for youth health these sessions as resource persons and and empowerment, maternal health, gender participants. The collaboration aimed to equality, HIV prevention and AIDS treatment, widen the scope of gender-related issues to and providing health and educational include controversial matters such as honour information and services to young boys and killings and other customs harmful to women girls. While the programme ended in 2006, propagated by jirgas (committees of elders). many of these interventions have continued. UNFPA also worked with the Ministry of Health education sessions were organized for Women’s Development to design its annual girls studying in a Lahore madrasah (religious plan for 2007. school). The collaboration with FBOs and religious leaders has been absolutely essential • UNFPA worked with the Family Planning in addressing issues related to reproductive Association of Pakistan to deliver gender health and young people in Pakistan. Some sensitization workshops in the four provincial beneficial practices have been documented capitals. Local nazims (mayors) attended under the Reproductive Health Initiative for these orientation sessions. Idara-e-saqafat Youth in Asia (RHIYA) programme; further Islam, an Islamic FBO, was invited as a information is available at www.rhiya.org. resource partner, and through them, materials on gender and youth issues for the • In 2005, UNFPA hosted an FBO leadership UNFPA RHYA project were published. consultation titled “International Ulemma Conference on Population and Development”, Papua New Guinea which addressed family planning and gender issues in partnership with the Ministry of • Under the Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Population Welfare. The Ulemma Conference Health (ASRH) project in Papua New Guinea, was a milestone for giving clear direction to UNFPA works with partners such as the policymakers on reproductive health and the YWCA, the National Council of Women, the promotion of human rights. Addressing Catholic and Anglican Churches, the Seventh- population and reproductive health issues day Adventist Church and the Salvation Army. from an Islamic perspective has proved to be Among the activities is the promotion a successful advocacy strategy. of discipline and responsibility among young people, usually through resource • As a follow-up to the conference, a training mobilization and technical assistance. Church programme for local ulemmas (Islamic representatives trained through the ASRH scholars) is under way. The involvement of project have organized their own trainings for communities—with attention to religious their congregations during religious events. leaders, particularly in conservative areas— The churches themselves are gradually has proved to be successful for promoting accepting and incorporating the teachings on and increasing demand for reproductive reproductive health in discussions with their health services at the grass-roots level. communities and organizing such trainings in various settlements. • In 2006, UNFPA and the Ministry of Women’s Development conducted a series of • UNFPA partners with the NGO Marie Stopes gender orientation sessions in Pakistan’s International Australia (MSIA) to implement four provinces, with participants from 10 components of the ASRH project. The

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 61 interventive components address issues project, which provides assistance to in- such as population and development; school youth through the school visits of adolescent sexual and reproductive health; mentors who encourage the youth to lead family planning; the prevention of STIs, HIV responsible lives. Following this initiative, and AIDS; and gender equality. Projects churches have expressed interest in include knowledge-sharing on these issues, collaborating with UNFPA on youth and as well as targeting behavioural changes adolescent programmes, as well as on men’s through drama performances, peer involvement in gender issues. The Role counselling on prevention of HIV and STIs, Models project in Papua New Guinea was family-life education among in-school and prominent in encouraging young people to out-of school youth, capacity-building to emulate the lives of their role models, strengthen youth-friendly reproductive resulting in the rate of early pregnancies health services, vocational skills training and among female students dropping in many of advocacy for youth-friendly policies, and the the targeted communities. implementation of adolescent reproductive health programmes. • UNFPA recently sponsored the YWCA in providing alternative vocational skills training • MSIA provided technical support for the for a number of sex workers. The YWCA training of student peer educators at the undertook vocational skills training to make University of Papua New Guinea to facilitate these individuals economically self-sufficient interaction with and counselling of their peers enough to leave the streets. Increased efforts in sexual and reproductive health and HIV will be made in the next Country Programme prevention and AIDS treatment. MSIA also to work closely with and monitor the activities provided technical assistance to the YWCA of the FBOs to ensure that the necessary in training church representatives to become impact is achieved. trainers themselves and to interact with their respective congregations about reproductive Philippines health, gender, and HIV and AIDS issues. • UNFPA connects indirectly with an interfaith • With the YWCA as the implementing network of FBOs and religious leaders through partner, UNFPA has sponsored a radio series the Philippine Legislators’ Committee on called “Tok Street” aimed at increasing Population and Development Foundation awareness and knowledge about population (PLCPD), which is one of its implementing and reproductive health issues through guest partners under the UNFPA Country panellists such as government officials and Programme. UNFPA provides financial NGO workers, who then encourage members assistance to the PLCPD to implement of the general public to call in and exchange activities with the FBOs on issues relating to information with them. “Tok Street” has reproductive rights and sexual and generated much interactivity among the reproductive health (in the context of Islam, for youth and general public, and has contributed some case studies), family planning, gender to increased knowledge and awareness about equality, and population and development. population and reproductive health issues. Although the partners of UNFPA categorically reject abortion, they believe that women who • UNFPA also assisted the National Council of become victims of sex crimes should be Women in implementing the Role Models counselled and treated humanely.

62 CULTURE MATTERS • In 2003, the PLCPD initiated several activities conducted organizational consolidation through that led to the organization of the First Interfaith a series of meetings with leaders in the network, Conference on Responsible Parenthood and person-to-person consultations with interfaith Reproductive Health. The leaders, a project development conference was attended by and design workshop to address “Sensitively shared, various FBOs and resulted in the partnership’s sustainability the formation of the Interfaith evidence-based information and issues, and the employment of a Partnership for the Promotion participatory approaches are Coordinator/Operations Officer of Reproductive Health and successful means of mobilizing for the partnership. The interfaith Family Planning Programmes partnership continues to support religious leaders who have at the national level, which reproductive health and comprised about 15 FBOs. reservations about addressing population and development Among these were Iglesia ni reproductive health.” issues for the passage of the Cristo, mainline Protestant Responsible Parenthood and churches, Evangelical churches, the Office of Population Management Act and other similar Muslim Affairs, the Regional Commission on policy proposals. Bangsamoro Women, the Islamic Women’s NGO and the National Committee on the Role • Among Evangelicals and other faith-based of Filipino Women. Since then, the PLCPD has groups, there is a high level of acceptance provided secretariat support to the Interfaith of integrating responsible parenthood, Partnership. The collaboration between UNFPA reproductive health, and family planning and these partners includes coordinating in their programmes and ministry. conferences (for example, on gender in the Nevertheless, the interfaith partnership is still context of Islam), developing guidelines for its in its formative stages. As yet, the members on how to set up family planning and partnership is focusing on its sustainability by reproductive health services, and developing a organizationally preparing its member Rights Literacy module with an Islamic churches in the programmatic integration of perspective to protect and promote the rights of responsible parenthood, reproductive health, women and girls and advance gender equity. and family planning.

• The organization of the interfaith partnerships at the local provincial and municipal levels has a growing need for technical assistance. As the • UNFPA indirectly supports Muslim, Hindu and secretariat and implementer in the 10 UNFPA Christian FBOs and religious leaders through pilot provinces, the PLCPD has discussed this its implementing partner Sarvodaya (a national need with stakeholders, specifically asking NGO) on issues of reproductive health and them for assistance in forming an interfaith rights, gender equality, gender-based violence, organization in their localities. Thus far, the male responsibilities and participation, socio- island region of Leyte and Samar and the economic support to various groups, region of Bicol have organized various forms of prevention of HIV and STIs, and the impact of interfaith coordination. migration at family and community levels. The Country Office notes that while hierarchical • Under the UNFPA 6th Country Programme, the structures exist in some religions, such as in interfaith partnership was registered with the the Protestant. and Catholic churches, such Securities and Exchange Commission and strict hierarchy does not exist in Hinduism and

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 63 Buddhism. The selection of an “It is not always necessary advocacy and motivating religious implementing organization to commence advocacy leaders to be proactive in such as Sarvodaya, which is addressing reproductive health and programmes at the respected by all religions and gender issues. With regard to the has a wide network among the highest level.” dissemination of reproductive communities, has worked well. health information, Buddhist Sarvodaya was able to involve the main temples have requested relevant publications for religious representatives in Sri Lanka to their libraries, which would be made available for address reproductive health and gender issues. young people following classes.

• The project has also triggered Sarvodaya to • In some villages, religious leaders, police, strengthen the engagement of religious and health and community-based leaders on HIV and AIDS. Joint consultations organization (CBO) leaders have established and training have proven that religious leaders committees to monitor reproductive health from different faiths can work together, learn and gender-related problems, which includes from each other and share best practices. promoting a community-based approach to Some religious leaders have even participated resolve such problems. in reproductive health programmes arranged by other religious leaders from different faiths. Thailand

• Armed with sensitive, evidence-based and • A UNFPA pilot project among the Southern participatory approaches, Sarvodaya was Muslim communities of the Pattani Province successful in mobilizing religious leaders who of Thailand promotes adolescent health and initially had reservations about addressing reproductive rights. Initiated by Planned reproductive health and gender issues. The Parenthood Association of Thailand (PPAT), effective implementation of Sarvodaya’s with the support of UNFPA, the project programme at community and village levels, focuses on out-of-school Muslim youth, and as well as at the national level, proves that uses peer educators. The project has also this outreach can have far-reaching results. enlisted the cooperation of religious leaders The lesson learned is that it is not always and, by taking an Islamic perspective on necessary to commence advocacy issues related to reproductive health and programmes at the highest national level. male responsibility, has helped sensitize the influential local Islamic Council on the • Furthermore, the religious leaders have importance of reproductive health education. addressed reproductive health and gender relations in religious sermons, public meetings, • Through youth health centres, managed Sunday schools for adolescents and youth, by young men and women living in school visits, and media and religious the communities, the project provides publications. In addition, reproductive health reproductive health and family planning and gender-related publications have been information and services to young married introduced into libraries of Buddhist couples, as well as single young people. Because monasteries. A joint international study tour was men are often the family decision-makers in the arranged for two representatives from each community, PPAT encouraged their participation religious organization. This programme was in youth centre activities. The project employed effective in building a common ground for a three-pronged approach of advocacy,

64 CULTURE MATTERS communication, and reproductive health service and international events on sexual and delivery to reach adolescents and males. reproductive health and other population issues. “Because of successful With regard to the family planning Timor-Leste programme, training and IEC materials advocacy with the Catholic were provided to Catholic clinic health UNFPA is in direct partnership Church…[it] is now personnel. These personnel were with the Catholic Church supporting the idea of also invited to attend the ongoing through the Catholic FBO adolescent reproductive family planning training for Ministry of Caritas Dili. Through that Health providers. FBO, the Church is in health in school curricula.” partnership with the Ministry of Health, with • In the area of adolescent reproductive health, financial support from the UNFPA Country the Salesian priests are providing sexual Office, on issues of family planning, maternal education to Don Bosco Secondary School and child mortality and morbidity, adolescent students. The Carmelite sisters occasionally reproductive health, and prevention of HIV offer sexuality orientation to groups of teenage and STIs. In some districts, local medical girls. Because of successful advocacy with the doctors and other health personnel are actively Catholic Church during the past two years, involved in the provision of reproductive health there is no longer aversion to the inclusion of information and counselling for new couples adolescent sexual and reproductive health in as part of pre-marriage courses conducted in school curricula; in fact, the Catholic Church is every parish. now supporting the idea.

One of the lessons learned is that it is extremely • A project on adolescent sexual and important to strengthen existing institutions at reproductive health with both the Ministry of the community level in collaboration with parish Health and the Ministry of Education is being priests, nuns, and local health authorities. The planned for the future. As they play an material that is currently used requires constant important role in the area of adolescent updating by health professionals in order to reproductive health, the Salesian priests and incorporate other issues such as family planning the Carmelite sisters are essential in and HIV prevention and AIDS treatment. contributing to initial consultation meetings, Discussions are ongoing with local health planning and implementation. Moreover, the authorities and members of religious groups. Catholic Church is now promoting natural family planning and, significantly, not • The programme assisted in the provision of exhibiting opposition to modern methods. training in family planning for health providers to give them counselling skills in natural family • During the crisis in 2006, UNFPA supported a planning methods and birth spacing as a means Caritas Dili project in providing health of decreasing maternal and child mortality and support, house supplies and hygiene kits to morbidity. In terms of advocacy with religious internally displaced people at religious leaders, several meetings were conducted with institutions in Dili and two other neighbouring Catholic Church leaders to raise awareness and districts. The initial draft agreement between understanding on issues related to reproductive Caritas Dili, the Ministry of Health and UNFPA health as well as population and development needs to be expanded by incorporating family as part of the ICPD agenda. Key members of planning, adolescent reproductive health and the church were invited to attend national pre-marriage courses for couples.

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 65 Latin America and the dialogue with young people about sexuality, 48 Caribbean Overview reproductive health and gender. In Latin America, many countries are lagging Population indicators vary immensely by in their efforts to meet the poverty reduction country. In Bolivia, maternal and infant mortality targets laid out in the MDGs for 2015. The rates are the highest in the region, at 420 and region is also falling behind in meeting the 47, respectively, per 100,000 live births. In MDGs for HIV prevention and maternal comparison, the rates in Mexico are 83 and 17, mortality. Improved access to quality respectively. In Nicaragua, more than 11 per cent reproductive health services can contribute of adolescent girls aged 15-19 are mothers, substantially to reducing poverty and compared with 6 per cent in Mexico. providing social services more equitably and efficiently. More equitable access can In Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), the eliminate the barrier of out-of-pocket most predominant issues addressed by UNFPA in expenses that keep many poor households its partnerships have been reproductive rights from receiving treatment for obstetric and sexual and reproductive health (including complications and sexually transmitted those specifically for adolescents), family infections (STIs), including HIV.46 planning and gender equality. The projects have targeted youth, women and girls, religious As a predominantly Catholic continent, leaders, institutions and communities, indigenous reproductive health and family planning policies communities, and teachers. UNFPA partners often meet strong resistance from the Catholic include faith-based organizations (FBOs) such as church. In the Caribbean, patriarchy is sometimes Pastoral da Criança (Brazil), Alianza Evangélica strong, but some matriarchal social structures de Guatemala, Fe y Alegría (Nicaragua), Consejo and cultural practices elevate the status of Latinoamericano de Iglesias (Latin American women.47 Specific reproductive health issues do Council of Churches) and Ayuda y Solidaridad not always receive enough attention in social con las Niñas de la Calle (Mexico). Activities policies and programmes. Often there is a include advocacy through forums, seminars and reluctance to deal with reproductive health, and workshops for communities, as well as support legislation on reproductive health is usually for media platforms and information strongly contested. There are those, for example, dissemination. Capacity-building efforts involve who equate giving young people access to training, sensitization and awareness-raising reproductive health services or sexuality among professional personnel, government education with promoting early and irresponsible representatives and NGOs. Also included are sexual activity. However, with adolescent fertility programmes designed to secure the mobilization rates still high and HIV prevalence rising among of religious leaders as well as the establishment the region’s youth, the need to address these of health clinics. issues is clear and demands sincere and open

46 http://www.unfpa.org/latinamerica/overview.cfm. 47 UNFPA, Culture in the Context of UNFPA Programming: ICPD+10 Survey Results on Culture and Religion (2005). 48 http://www.unfpa.org/latinamerica/overview.cfm.

66 CULTURE MATTERS RELIGION PARTNERSHIP ACTIVITY ISSUES ADDRESSED

Table 4: At a Glance: UNFPA-FBO Partnerships in Latin America and the Caribbean Migration Other protestant denominations Other protestant Catholicism Evangelical Interdenominational leaders Religious organizations Faith-based with community-based Advocacy organizations building with Capacity leaders religious and sexually HIV/AIDS infections transmitted rights and sexual Reproductive health and reproductive rights reproductive Adolescent health and reproductive and sexual planning Family Maternal and infant mortality Maternal and infant Gender equality violence Gender-based

Brazil ✓✓ ✓✓✓✓✓

Colombia ✓✓✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓✓

Ecuador ✓✓ ✓ ✓

Guatemala ✓✓✓✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Honduras ✓✓✓✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Jamaica ✓✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Mexico ✓✓✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Nicaragua ✓✓ ✓ ✓

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 67 • In conjunction with the United Nations Latin America and Programme on AIDS (UNAIDS) Secretariat the Caribbean and the Government of Brazil, UNFPA hosted a global technical consultation on HIV and Insights AIDS and sex work in Rio de Janeiro in 2006. UNFPA invited participants from other Brazil governments, other United Nations agencies, donors, and civil society organizations, including FBOs and sex worker networks. • UNFPA, along with the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and Colombia the International Women’s Health Coalition, funded a 2005 campaign by Catholics for a Free • UNFPA partners with the Catholic Church Choice titled Amigas das Católicas (Friends of through the Corporación de Desarrolo y Paz Catholics). The campaign mobilized resources para el Magdalena Medio (CDPMM— for the printing costs of its publication—a leaflet Development and Peace Corporation for on women’s rights—as well as the continuity of Magdalena Medio), the implementing NGO, its advocacy activities. With UNFPA support, on issues of gender equality, reproductive the leaflet was printed in three languages and rights and sexual and reproductive health, used as a funding mechanism. It explained that and maternal morbidity and mortality. The a “Friend of Catholics for a Free Choice” is one project is geared towards the promotion who believes in a fair and equal society, as well of reproductive rights and sexual and as in women’s ethical and moral ability to make reproductive health in a region that is their own decisions about their bodies and lives. characterized by an extended period of armed Although the UNFPA contribution to the conflict. Conflict and a culture of machismo Catholics for a Free Choice initiative was lend themselves to victimization and limited, it was well appreciated and marked the dominance of women and youth, as well as the starting point of a close partnership with this violation of human rights. From this FBO. The partnership led to a joint project perspective, the project has focused on two proposal to foster interreligious dialogue and important strategies: the development of a FBO contributions to reproductive health and common language for public policy the prevention of gender-based violence in the formulation on reproductive health and human LAC region. As a result of the campaign, Amigas rights, and a strategy to reject stereotypes that das Católicas and Catholics for a Free Choice lead to inequality and gender-based violence. were able to increase their visibility in the media, raise funds to ensure their organizations’ • The project targets civil society organizations, financial stability, and expand the scope of their service providers, and civil servants in advocacy activities. institutions responsible for sexual and reproductive health in the region, as well as • In its ongoing attempts to innovate its the population most affected by the armed approaches regarding gender-based violence, conflict. The latter includes the displaced and the Brazil UNFPA office expanded its those at risk of displacement, female heads of partnership base to include FBOs. This households, youth, and communities made enhanced the outreach capacity and key invisible by poverty and violence. The messaging related to prevention. Humanitarian Response Unit of UNFPA at

68 CULTURE MATTERS headquarters provided the Magdalena Medio • UNFPA has provided the Catholic Church region with emergency kits to support with the technical knowledge and the outreach activities in isolated areas where necessary resources to create awareness poor people are displaced by armed conflict. about problems related to sexual and Project outcomes include an increased reproductive health in order to carry out capacity of local leaders and organizations to effective activities that meet the needs of its mobilize and participate in promoting and parishioners. The partnership between defending reproductive rights and sexual and UNFPA and the local Catholic Church has reproductive health and gender equity. been enabled through finding common Moreover, the project has enhanced the ground and goals, such as striving for a capacity to design and implement behaviour respect for life, for the dignity and freedom of change communication by promoting healthy people, and for the education of the young in practices and preventing sexual violence. In the practice of safe and responsible sexuality. addition, the project has increased the ability of health service providers to deliver • The core shared principles are the declaration comprehensive, quality sexual and of human rights and the conviction that there reproductive health services. is an urgent need to create a This includes prevention of “The partnership between basis for peace by means of AIDS and gender-based UNFPA and the local Catholic developing an awareness of violence, especially among Church has been enabled individual rights. In the case of youth. The Magdalena Medio armed groups, such groups are project has raised awareness through finding common threatened by human rights among community leaders to ground and goals, such as advocacy, but not on issues of the extent that the CDPMM striving for a respect for life, sexual and reproductive health, would like to implement since they view the right of a for the dignity and freedom of similar projects for all its child to be born or the right of personnel. Thus, the NGO has people, and for the education health to be logical. Armed asked for UNFPA assistance in of the young in the practice of groups thus see the benefits of mainstreaming the focus of safe and responsible sexuality.” the debates on these issues gender and human rights in all and often participate in the projects it implements in workshops that they are the Magdalena Medio region. monitoring. This situation has allowed for an opportunity to open the debate on human • Two additional development and peace rights from the starting point of reproductive programmes on sexual and reproductive rights and sexual and reproductive health . health are being implemented in Montes de María and Oriente Atiqueño. These • UNFPA recognizes the important role of the projects have increased the political Jesuits in this region of the country, which is commitment of local administrations for the predominantly Catholic, and sees their implementation of the national policy on potential as catalysts for cultural reformation. sexual and reproductive health. They have The Development and Peace project is also promoted mechanisms for intersectoral important in promoting change in a region coordination that guarantee reproductive that is immersed in armed conflict and rights and sexual and reproductive health as poverty. Working in such a difficult zone, in well as gender equality. which trust-building was not easy for an

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 69 institution like UNFPA, was enabled due to responsible sexual and reproductive the support provided by partnerships with the behaviour. Specifically, the use of theatre Catholic Church. From the provided youth with a channel beginning and throughout “Working in a zone immersed in for expression and re- the process, the Jesuit armed conflict and poverty was evaluation of their beliefs. It community that has led and also allowed them to claim carried out this project has enabled due to the support of rights and autonomy over their been faced with moral UNFPA provided by partnerships own bodies. The technical dilemmas and political risks, with the Catholic Church.” capacity of UNFPA to work on which it has discussed the settlement of displaced openly with UNFPA. This populations increased with the atmosphere of constant dialogue and mutual collaboration of local NGOs and other United respect has made it possible to find solutions Nations agencies. and alternatives to deal with divisive issues. • Since 2006, a new partnership has been • UNFPA let religious leaders make decisions developed in the Montes de María region. and define the scope of their political vision, The Fundación Red Desarrollo y Paz de los since they know the risks they face if they Montes de María (Network Development and defend principles that are not approved by the Peace Foundation of Montes de María— ecclesiastical hierarchy. This has allowed FRDPMMa), an alliance between the religious leaders to respectfully manage their Catholic and Mennonite Churches, is the relationship with the Church, as well as to have implementing NGO. Such partnerships with a clear focus on project results. In this FBOs are focused on reproductive rights and relationship, the Catholic Church respects the sexual and reproductive health (including, standards of basic care services for sexual and specifically, those for adolescents and youth), reproductive health; however, it does not gender equality and gender- based violence. distribute supplies for family planning itself, but Issues related to sexual and reproductive instead designates health workers to health have been adopted by these disseminate the contraceptive supplies directly. counterparts. FRDPMMa is experienced with The participation of the Catholic Church in the communitarian work. UNFPA collaborates establishment of sexual and reproductive with specialized partnerships—such as with health projects for peace and development in universities and professional associations— Montes de María and Magdalena Medio with the aim of carrying out the development resulted in greater cultural sensitivity in of institutional capacity. FRDPMMa has supporting interventions, and helped to adequate capacity to operate at all levels address social beliefs and in this area. required by the project. This partnership also generated credibility and increased coordination and social participation. Ecuador

• In targeting displaced youth in areas affected • In response to the priority areas established in by internal conflict, art and communication the UNFPA Country Programme 2004-2008, activities proved to be empowering for these the Country Office in Ecuador began a young people. Moreover, such activities collaborative initiative with the Centro Integral created a space for reflection on human rights, de la Familia (CIF), a local ecumenical NGO equality, and the development of safe and based in Quito. Consisting of evangelical

70 CULTURE MATTERS leaders and with strong leadership from the radical influences. FBOs often perceive the Lutheran Church, CIF aims to create awareness United Nations system to be inaccessible, but and provide guidance among evangelical UNFPA has worked to change this view by leaders, academics and young people on issues fostering dialogue between FBOs and other related to reproductive rights and sexual and United Nations agencies under the reproductive health from a theological and framework of the MDGs to see where public-health perspective. Furthermore, CIF, in mandates can intersect and expand. turn, works closely with the Latin American Council of Churches by providing technical Guatemala support in matters related to its mandate. The partnership between UNFPA and these mixed • UNFPA engaged the Episcopal Conference and Protestant denominations addresses issues of the Catholic and Evangelical Churches, as well reproductive rights and sexual and as the private business sector and the reproductive health as well as gender equality. Coordinating Committee of Agricultural, The main objective of UNFPA in the Commercial, Industrial and Financial partnership is to advocate the agenda of the Associations. The partnerships centred around ICPD and MDGs among evangelical leaders to the issues of reproductive health, maternal and establish a better environment for reproductive infant mortality, and population and health issues. demographics. Activities focused on mobilization of religious leaders through • Through a rapid assessment methodology, knowledge sharing, as well as capacity- UNFPA has built evidence on knowledge, building and trainings designed for advocacy, assumptions and attitudes about sexual and skills and resource mobilization. reproductive health in the specific context of Ecuador. Among the lessons learned is that • With regard to some new arguments for the partnership between UNFPA and CIF has reproductive health and rights, UNFPA was provided a significant opportunity to develop able to find common ground with the beliefs new partnerships by expanding its mandate of the Evangelical churches. Through the to additional geographical areas. FBOs are strong infrastructure and credibility of the important allies in reaching out to local Alianza Evangelica de Guatemala among communities and educational institutions, rural and indigenous communities, the and for positioning sexual and reproductive partnership has allowed UNFPA to reach the health within a human rights framework. By most remote and impoverished families and finding a common understanding on increase the demands for reproductive reproductive rights, UNFPA and FBOs can health services. Evangelical leaders mutually enhance their respective mandates. potentially hold great influence in their congregations’ decision-making process. • As in many other areas in Latin America, Furthermore, the information from religious FBOs in Ecuador are well positioned at the leaders, in turn, lends confidence and political level and are growing in influence credibility to the community members among indigenous leaders, communities and disseminating reproductive health messages. other relevant institutions. Their opinions on controversial topics within the debate of the • UNFPA works directly with the Alianza new Constitution, such as the declaration of Evangelica, which represents approximately Ecuador as a lay state, could ease extreme 85 per cent of the Evangelical churches and

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 71 about 45 per cent of the Guatemalan youth leaders and partnering with the Population population. The Alianza partners with UNFPA Council in order to reach indigenous young girls. to develop and spread reproductive health The training and interpersonal activities messages to its constituencies at the developed by the trainers and trainees were community and national levels. The main reinforced by local radio messages addressing focus groups are church leaders, women, and the reproductive health themes of the project. youth leaders of the Evangelical churches. In Fifty local radio stations communicate 10 daily its reproductive health initiatives, UNFPA also messages and reach an estimated audience of collaborates with the Ministry of Health. The more than 50,000 people. The Alianza also project began with baseline research about takes advantage of their information networks to the knowledge, attitudes and desires around broadcast messages through local radio stations, reproductive health in the Evangelical which, in addition to informing the community, communities. Both men and women (500 of also promote the use of reproductive health each) were interviewed in various churches services. With regard to gender, UNFPA has around the country in order to develop high- exerted efforts to mainstream this perspective in impact strategies to reach them. The data reproductive health projects through the training gathered then contributed to the of trainers and the work of its partners, such as development of a methodological training the Ministry of Health, the Alianza and the other guide for use by the Alianza Evangelica. supporting NGOs. Furthermore, UNFPA has commenced work on the prevention of gender- • UNFPA then worked with the Alianza on based violence. Through the project, a large training its leaders in five areas of reproductive number of adolescents are receiving information health to increase the demand for reproductive about reproductive health for the first time. health services: prenatal care; clean and safe delivery; organization of the community for Honduras emergency obstetric situations; pregnancy spacing and the prevention of adolescent • Based on the previous efforts of the Ministry of pregnancies; responsible parenting; and Health, UNFPA created the Inter-ecclesiastical interpersonal communication techniques. Committee on HIV and AIDS Prevention. This committee co-coordinates with the Ministry of • A two-day workshop for pastors and church Health and allows for the Ministry’s direct leaders was held. Trainers and trainees partnership with representatives of the developed interpersonal communication skills Catholic, Evangelical, Episcopal and Adventist and knowledge of the themes of the project. Churches, as well as the Theological These teams disseminate the messages they Community of Honduras, an ecumenical have learned to their respective congregations. academic institution. UNFPA distributes a People who wish to use reproductive health grant to each FBO partner for HIV-prevention services are referred to the health centres and activities such as educational seminars and hospitals of the Ministry of Health. In the youth peer educational workshops. training workshops of the project, it was essential to showcase significant behaviours of • Since 2004, the Inter-ecclesiastical Committee solidarity to build community. on HIV and AIDS Prevention has organized four Inter-ecclesiastical Forums on HIV • UNFPA has expanded its collaboration with the Prevention and AIDS Treatment throughout the Alianza Evangelica by extending training to country. More than 100 leaders and

72 CULTURE MATTERS representatives of the Catholic, Evangelical, • One of the lessons learned from these Episcopalian and Adventist Churches have programmes is that candid, respectful participated in each of these daylong dialogue can go a long way in achieving workshops. The overall objective of these common ground between UNFPA and FBOs. forums has been to generate a process of Efforts such as bringing in experts who speak analysis to identify common visions, strategies the language of FBOs (e.g., theological and elements to approach HIV prevention and arguments for the respect for life and human AIDS treatment from a religious perspective. rights) and building arguments based on The panels have included topics on sexuality facts (such as providing national and human rights, gender equality, and epidemiological data on HIV) are successful. intergenerational communication. Working groups also have been held, highlighting the • Lack of knowledge on how to address HIV need to address gender equality more prevention in churches provides a good thoroughly in churches, the need opportunity for capacity-building to provide accurate and “As opinion leaders, FBOs by UNFPA. Representative groups thorough information about should be included even if their feel a commitment and sexuality and sexual and perspectives are not initially reproductive health to young responsibility to their compatible with that of people, and the importance of respective communities to UNFPA. FBOs recognize the need frank communication within help prevent HIV.” to address gender equality more families. Based on the thoroughly. Moreover, FBOs are conclusions presented by the aware of the need for home-based working groups at the Inter-ecclesiastical • care services and health facilities for AIDS- Forums, it is apparent that the various churches afflicted parents and their children. acknowledge their responsibility in HIV prevention and AIDS treatment, and in caring • Due to the formation of strategic alliances for those living with HIV or AIDS. with several churches in the country, specifically around the area of AIDS, UNFPA • In addition, the working groups identified has experienced increased support from a possibilities and constraints for their broad network of partners. The threat from churches to work in HIV prevention. The conservative religious groups in the country possibilities are that churches are structurally that oppose the ICPD agenda (and, in some organized and have the capacity to gather cases, have influence over high-level and garner the attention of a large segment officials) remains, and makes it important to of the population; religious leaders have the continue strengthening advocacy through capacity to convince and guide substantial community mobilization, the mass media segments of the community; and young and decision makers. people are particularly interested in the subject matter (underscoring the need to • In 2005, the UNFPA Honduras Country Office provide accurate and through information on facilitated South-South cooperation between sexual and reproductive health). The offices in the region by supporting the constraints are that sexuality and HIV are still Ecumenical Committee on HIV and AIDS in taboo topics in many churches, and some close collaboration with the Costa Rica office, churches still lack the knowledge and which sent experts and religious leaders to capacity to deal with these topics effectively. Honduras to support the process. The exchange

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 73 was positive, as Costa Rica had already made dialogue on reproductive health, a backlash important advances in HIV prevention and from religious conservatives occasionally AIDS treatment. occurs, which underscores the importance of continued advocacy and FBO partnerships. • The national Inter-ecclesiastical Committee has, in the meantime, created three local Mexico committees. It also worked with FBOs on capacity-building, forums and activities • UNFPA partnered directly with the Latin regarding HIV prevention and human rights American Council of Churches on issues of advocacy, based on epidemiological data population and reproductive health and gathered in Honduras on HIV. The Inter- rights. The Latin American Council of ecclesiastical Committee continues to meet Churches is an organization of Evangelical regularly to continue projects and activities in churches in the region with headquarters in Honduras. The forums were successful, with Quito, Ecuador. In 1998, UNFPA held a participants setting aside their differences landmark seminar and produced a publication and seeking common ground. As opinion of the presentations and proceedings, which leaders, they felt a commitment and continues to be used. responsibility to their respective communities to help prevent HIV and AIDS. • In cooperation with the State Secretary of Health and in coordination with the State Jamaica Council on Population, UNFPA maintains an ongoing dialogue with the religious leaders of • Through the United Theological College of the Lutheran Church of Mexico around the West Indies in Jamaica, UNFPA reproductive health issues. collaborated indirectly with the Jamaican Council of Churches, which represents • UNFPA collaborates indirectly with the several Christian denominations. The Catholic Church through the NGO Ayuda y partnership also included the Ministry of Solidaridad con las Niñas de la Calle (Shelter Health and the Women’s Centre Foundation and Solidarity with the Girls of the Street), of Jamaica, an NGO, which worked on issues whose board members are connected to the of HIV prevention and AIDS treatment, sexual Church. The project offers sexuality and reproductive health for adults and education for girls who have been rescued adolescents, and gender-based violence. from the streets, and provides for them in a safe house until they are 16 years old. This • UNFPA partially funded an HIV and AIDS project was successful enough to warrant awareness project with FBOs, also organized media attention, and efforts are under way to by the United Theological College of the scale up activities. West Indies in Jamaica, targeting youth, religious leaders and the general community. Nicaragua This resulted in an increased awareness of HIV and AIDS among several denominations, • UNFPA partnered directly with the Catholic the training of many laypeople and ministers, FBO Fe y Alegría on the issue of sexual and and an expansion of institutional links with reproductive health. The FBO promotes the Ministry of Health and other agencies. education and social development in Latin Nevertheless, in spite of the increased America’s poorest areas in order to build

74 CULTURE MATTERS sustainable human development and a facilitate sexuality education in their own democratic society. In Nicaragua, Fe y Alegría schools and communities, as well as to comprises 22 Catholic schools, some of which introduce the contents and methodologies are managed by religious congregations, with of sexuality education to the Rural 353 teachers. Educative Nucleus of La Asunción, which is home to the only teacher training school in • In 2004, 277 teachers Nicaragua. The nucleus participated in one of nine “By keeping some of the consists of 58 teachers, UNFPA-sponsored basic preliminary work with supportive eight primary schools, one workshops focusing on FBOs low-profile, many activities secondary school and one sexuality education. Fe y rural teacher training school. Alegría perceives this were achieved without a Furthermore, UNFPA worked education to be a key conservative backlash.” to enhance a Sexuality component in building Education Comprehensive private, family and social relationships. In Programme that included training, tracking, negotiating with directors and teachers, evaluation and systematization of activities UNFPA was able to facilitate the development developed with the involvement of of the first phase of the project in 2004. Due students, teachers and families. The view of to the participation of directors in the the religious congregation managing the sexuality education workshops, schools Rural Educative Nucleus of La Asunción opened dialogue to address sexuality with constituted an opportunity to introduce students in extracurricular activities. sexuality education into the curricula. By keeping a low profile on the project, • In 2006, UNFPA coordinated a second UNFPA was able to deliver actions without phase of the project that aimed to create a the interference of conservative religious critical mass of specialized teachers to groups.

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 75 IV Epilogue: Policy Considerations for Engaging Agents of Change

The case for engaging FBOs in development is that the international development world turns, no longer a matter of discussion, but rather one as was the case more than a quarter of a of considered, systematic and deliberate century ago with other civil society engagement of like-minded partners. For a long organizations. time, international development has been a field dominated by, for lack of a better word, the An important realization from the mapping “secular” agents of development—those with a shared in this document is that even where preference for keeping faith and faith-related headquarters of United Nations and development matters strictly in the so-called private domains. agencies were themselves too hesitant to engage At the same time, many scholars, human rights with the faith-based sectors, some of the country activists and, indeed, development actors have or field-based offices did anyway. This was a argued persuasively that the dividing line natural evolution not necessarily always between “public” and “private” is increasingly mandated by policy, but in most instances blurred. In a rapidly globalizing world, where because the realities on the ground required it, information technology leaves and it was strategic to realize little to the imagination, this is “At a time when basic needs are their objectives. even more apparent. becoming increasingly harder to provide for more than half of The legacy of engaging FBOs as Moreover, there is clearly an cultural agents, complemented important parallel faith-based the world’s population, we can by recent initiatives, provides universe of development. At a no longer avoid acknowledging important opportunities to time when basic needs are the parallel faith-based develop- reflect on and formulate the becoming increasingly harder to lessons learned by UNFPA and ment universe that reaches so provide for more than half of the respective policy considerations world’s population, we can no many and provides so much.” around engaging FBOs, as part longer avoid acknowledging of the overall UNFPA strategy to these parallel faith-based actions and create a supportive sociocultural environment. development interventions that reach so many While planning for more in-depth consultations and provide so much. These are critical pools of and deliberations (both within UNFPA and at the outreach and service delivery. United Nations interagency level) on these lessons and policy implications, UNFPA developed The world of faith-based development the following five policy considerations: organizations should not be painted all the same colour. Indeed, the diversity of their 1. Strategic issue-based alliances. Such alliances mandates, missions, expertise, services and must focus on the common ground that allows modality of work, among other things, is vast. engagement and joint efforts to achieve the Among this world are friends of the MDGs and ultimate objectives captured in the UNFPA the ICPD. And it is to these friends—with a mission statement, and must do so by targeting legacy of engagement and service provision— specific issues. This common ground is a critical

76 CULTURE MATTERS building block of these partnerships. UNFPA has that this multi-faith outreach approach cannot found that leaders of faith- and interfaith-based be implicit. UNFPA also recognizes that in organizations are open to discussing order to identify like-minded partners and reproductive health if issues are addressed with continuously enhance the working modality care and sensitivity. It is clear that women’s and programme delivery, teaming with equal rights, and reproductive rights in established multi-faith organizations and particular, are not usually the issues that communities that already work on an inter- generate consensus among religious leaders— and intrafaith basis is critical. and especially not publicly—yet UNFPA recognizes the importance of rallying those 4. Clarity, accountability and consistency. As within the faith-based communities who are with any other partnership, UNFPA clearly already supportive of the common goals and sets out (in Memorandums of Understanding, targets embodied in the ICPD and reflected in joint proposals and other project documents) and re-endorsed by the MDGs, and who have the concrete outcomes expected of the joint have ongoing programmes to that effect. One endeavour. From the perspective of UNFPA, effective approach is to use objective how the partnership falls within the evidence—on issues such as infant and parameters of the strategic plan (and its maternal mortality, violence against women, global and regional programmes) defines joint and HIV and AIDS prevalence—to tap into mechanisms of accountability, monitoring ethical positions. and evalution, which are then discussed and on which agreement is reached. Moreover, 2. A level playing field. While UNFPA the engagement with FBOs needs to be recognizes the differences between its intentional and consistent, not a one-off, mandate and approach and those of FBOs, event-oriented alliance. An engagement that it nevertheless seeks cooperation as equal is intended and designed to be long-term, partners, depending on each other’s with mutual investment in time and effort, is comparative advantage and respective also one that can bear fruit. Together, clarity, strengths. In addition, as equal partners, accountability and consistency are essential neither side is utilized or perceived as a for building the trust necessary to establish a means, and instead both are relevant agents legacy of sustainable partnerships. of action based on their different, respective and, often, complementary strengths. While 5. Multi-dimensionality. Throughout these the partnerships sought within the FBO partnerships, UNFPA maintains important community are expected to share the dimensions and targets of its commitment objectives of the ICPD-linked MDGs, that significantly enrich the experience and UNFPA respects their reaching these inform the policy considerations: objectives differently—using their own language, networks and modus operandi. • South-South engagement: Within each region, and among its five regions (Africa, Arab 3. Diversity of outreach. UNFPA ensures that its States, Asia and Pacific, Eastern Europe and outreach is multi-faith and balanced, according Central Asia, and Latin America and the to the religious diversity within communities, Carribean), the scope is wide for knowledge nations and the world. This is often made sharing, creation of knowledge networks and explicit in the terms of reference of the strengthening of alliances. Indeed, several programmes. One of the lessons learned is UNFPA Country Offices have expressed an

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 77 interest in learning from other experiences of Yet in other instances, some FBOs are engaging FBOs and in strengthening their actually finding very creative means of own networks of faith-based partners. providing ICPD-relevant services at the field levels, mandated by circumstances and • Global perspectives, comparsisons and needs. Such knowledge and comparison of continuity: There is much to be said for a engagements at the regional, national and continuous feedback loop in which the international levels enables better regional, national and global/international appreciation of FBO interventions, as well as enrich one another. In several cases, grounding and sustainability of the regional and national efforts at engagement partnerships formed. have been informed by organizations that, at the global level, advocate against some We conclude with a Mandinka proverb: “Do a aspects of the ICPD Programme of Action. thing at its time, and peace follows it.”

78 CULTURE MATTERS V Select Further Reading, Resources and References

This section of resources is divided into the United Nations Initiatives, Conferences and following subsections: Programmes Covers United Nations-based initiatives, Overview and Magazine Articles conferences, workshops and programmes that Contains journal articles about particular include faith, religion or culture as a major initiatives and specific areas of intervention component. The articles range from overview such as HIV and AIDS or country experiences, articles on development-related topics to and overview articles on concepts of culture. speeches given at conferences.

Books and Reports Reviewed Articles Includes a variety of academic books as well as Contains select reviewed articles from scholarly reports from international organizations and non- journals. This subsection covers specific topics governmental organizations (NGOs) on a broad as well as overviews of cultural perspectives on variety of subjects pertaining to faith, religion, development. politics, development, culture and economics. Toolkits Case Studies Contains practical toolkits for working with Contains case studies from international FBOs, and for integrating culture and religion organizations, FBOs and NGOs dealing with the into programme planning. The integration of integration of faith/religion in specific programmes FBOs in HIV and AIDS programmes, for and projects. The case studies are from every example, is included in two toolkits. region and cover a range of health and development topics.

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 79 Overview and Magazine utilizing oral traditions to transmit ancestral farming Articles lessons in Benin, to reviving raised agricultural fields to produce potatoes and cacao in Bolivia. Baha’i International Community. 1996. Link: http://topics.developmentgateway.org/ Women from and the West find culture/highlights/viewHighlight.do~active common challenges. One Country 8 (1). HighlightId=7188 This article is based on the proceedings from a convention on “Women and the Welfare of Development Gateway Foundation. 2004. Humanity” held in Geneva. The convention Gender and literacy: Narrowing the gap with discussed women’s roles in careers and family cultural strategies for women and girls. in a modern society. Similarities were found This article illustrates how culture can be among European, North American and Chinese incorporated into development projects. Focusing women, as they all faced challenges living in on the issue of literacy for young women, the article male-dominant societies. discusses some creative ways to use tradition Link: http://www.onecountry.org/oc81/oc8108 and cultural expression. Examples showcased as.html range from using poetry and other oral traditions in Yemen, to tying literacy to everyday traditional Baha’i International Community. 2000. In skills such as making chicha, a corn drink, in Peru. Tanzania, a school with a mission: To uplift Link: http://topics.developmentgateway.org/ girls and promote spiritual values. One culture/highlights/viewHighlight.do~activeHig Country 12 (3). hlightId=9187 This article reviews a girls’ school in Tanzania that promotes patience, diligence, courtesy, Development Gateway Foundation. 2004. trustworthiness, compassion and justice. Ruaha Innovation on culture-based HIV and AIDS Secondary School also has programmes that train programs. students to develop skills in agricultural This article showcases cultural practices that are techniques, computer literacy and basic helping HIV and AIDS victims cope with the commerce that will help them enter the job virus. Expressive arts are found to be extremely market. The school was started by the Baha’i well suited for transmitting practical messages community of Tanzania, and it continues to regarding prevention and care, especially to promote spiritual values among the community’s youth. In a Kenyan example, HIV and AIDS students, in addition to offering them job training. orphans are connected to family and local history Link: http://www.onecountry.org/e123/ by a program that enables sick or dying parents e123- 04as_Ruaha_School.htm to record narratives in order to share their personal stories and wisdom with their children. Development Gateway Foundation. 2003. Link: http://topics.developmentgateway.org/ From Burkina Faso to Bolivia: Traditional culture/highlights/viewHighlight.do~activeHig culture protects food and diet. hlightId=103120 This article describes projects that safeguard local tradition and assure cultural survival. Many grass- Development Gateway Foundation. 2005. roots organizations and communities are AIDS donors and culture: How understanding implementing projects designed to revitalize age- a country’s culture promotes aid effectiveness. old practices of food production and use. They This article illustrates how incorporating range from projects aimed at promoting local cultural practices in the implementation of consumption of wild vegetables in Burkina Faso, to development projects can improve their effectiveness.

80 CULTURE MATTERS Link: http://topics.developmentgateway.org/ Link: http://www1.worldbank.org/devout culture/highlights/viewHighlight.do~activeHig reach/march04/textonly.asp?id=237#top hlightId=105780 Isar, Raj. 1996. Our creative diversity. Development Gateway Foundation. 2006. UNESCO Courier, September. Cultural development by reforming old This is an interview with Javier Pérez De Cuéllar practices that are harmful to women. former Secretary-General of the United Nations Traditional practices that are harmful to women and head of the independent World range from female genital mutilation/cutting Commission on Culture and Development, (FGM/C) to forced marriage and sexual abuse, which spent three years (1993-1995) rethinking which are part of long-standing traditions the notions of development and culture and the defended by local leaders. This article relationship between them. Here, he outlines illustrates how awareness raising is a very the Commission’s approach to its task and sums effective way to fight for policy reforms and up some of the conclusions it reached. protection of women. Link: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/ Link: http://topics.developmentgateway.org/ 0010/001044/104497eb.pdf?bcsi_scan_A8 culture/highlights/viewHighlight.do~active- AA4F79F19141A2=0&bcsi_scan_filename= HighlightId=110327?activeHighlightId=110327 104497eb.pdf &activeHighlightId=110327&activeHighlightId =110327 Moncrieffe, Joy M. 2004. The role of culture in development. Fabrizio, Claude. 1996. Reflections: Culture Prepared for the Commission for Africa, this first. UNESCO Courier, October. paper argues that culture is gradually gaining This article focuses on the UNESCO cultural presence in development discourse as dimension of development. It argues that the policymakers acknowledge that the social and economical development programmes cultural norms people observe often influence implemented in the 1960s and 1970s did not their attitudes and choices, and that people need take into account the cultural dimension of not—and in many societies often do not—act social development. Instead of helping the independently of cultural norms. While there is South, development projects that fail to take no consensus on exactly how culture matters or culture into account tend to hinder those what its implications are for policy, this paper societies working to eradicate poverty. Only by suggests that fixed definitions (such as those in the 1980s did the dimension of culture in which culture is depicted as consistently development emerge in programme planning. irrational and inimical to development) tend to Link: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/ overlook or underestimate the very important mi_m1310/is_1996_Oct/ai_18826833 and myriad ways in which culture positively influences development. Giusti, Daniele, Peter Lochoro, Everd Maniple, Link: http://213.225.140.43/english/report/ and John Odaga. 2004. Pro-poor health background/montcrieffe_background.pdf services: The Catholic health network in Uganda. The World Bank Group. Sen, Amartya. 1996. A matter of choice: Is This article examines the experience of the culture merely an adjunct to development? health network in Uganda in providing health UNESCO Courier, September. services to the most economically vulnerable This article explores the different views on populations. development planning and its implication for the

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 81 people who benefit from development projects. It organizations in youth development. Children argues that such economic measures as gross & Youth, February. national product (GNP) alone cannot account for The World Bank, through its Faith and the success of development projects. By explaining Development programme, recently produced an the role culture plays in development, the author article on the ways in which the youth community posits that a paradigm shift can take place in order has been actively involved in interfaith activities, to go from a purely economic view of development such as the organization of World Youth Day. to one that is more culturally sensitive. Link: http://siteresources.worldbank.org/ Link: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/ EXTDEVDIALOGUE/Resources/Building mi_m1310/is_1996_Sept/ai_18798914 BridgesthroughFaithFeb2007.pdf?resourceurl name=BuildingBridgesthroughFaithFeb2007.pdf Sen, Amartya. 2000. Culture & development. International development banks cannot work to eradicate poverty without the help of culture. Books and Reports The author explores the benefits of interaction Alexander, Kanjirathara Chandy, and K.P. between culture and development, and presents Kumaran. 1992. Culture and Development: the example of and its rapid Cultural Patterns in Areas of Uneven transformation to argue that culture strongly Development. New Delhi: Sage Publications. influences behaviours. Sen concludes by The authors of this book argue that cultural warning against generalizations and simple values form an important component of any development theories that fail to take local development strategy. To demonstrate this, cultures into account. their study investigates cultural patterns in Link: http://www.gdnet.org/pdf2/gdn_library/ regions that have experienced different degrees annual_conferences/second_annual_conferenc of development. It concludes that injecting e/sen.pdf money into development projects is important, but that taking the time to understand the Tibetan Women’s Association, Central cultures in which these projects take place is the Executive Committee. 1996. A state-owned only way to guarantee their sustainability. womb: Violations of Tibetan women’s reproductive rights. Dharamsala. India. This report examines the fundamental rights of Alkire, Sabina. 2006. Religion and women that have been impeded by the Chinese development. In The Elgar Companion to government. These include a woman’s rights to Development Studies, by Edward Elgar. her reproductive health, the number of children Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing. a woman can bear, and access to safe abortion In The Elgar Companion to Development Studies, a and various family planning methods. The right reference book that examines various aspects of of women to practice their own religion is also culture and development, the chapter on violated by the Chinese government, which is religion provides a brief exploration of how contrary to the United Nations Declaration of religion can play an important role in social Human Rights. services and post-conflict reconstruction. Link: http://www.tibet.com/Women/ twwomb.html Bayes, Jane H., and Nayereh Tohidi, eds. 2001. Globalization, Gender and Religion: The The World Bank. 2007. Building bridges Politics of Women’s Rights in Catholic and through faith: The role of faith-based Muslim contexts. New York: Pelgreve.

82 CULTURE MATTERS Accompanying the current wave of globalization cold war. The author argues that none of them since the 1970s, conservative nationalist is appropriate, and analyzes new forms of religious movements have used religion to development thinking in which he introduces oppose non-democratic, Western-oriented the idea of culture in development. regimes. Reasserting patriarchal gender relations, presumed to be rooted in religion, has Buchanan, Constance H. 1997. Choosing to been central to these movements. At the Fourth Lead: Women and the Crisis of American United Nations Congress on Women, held in Values. Boston: Beacon Press. Beijing in 1995, Muslim and Catholic delegations The author argues against portrayals of unwed from diverse countries united to oppose teenage mothers as breeding “illegitimacy”, and provisions on sexuality, reproductive rights, as welfare mothers who are compelled to get jobs women’s health, and women’s rights as human on the one hand, or as employed mothers rights. Scholars from eight different Muslim and neglecting their children and families on the Catholic communities analyze the political other. Women and mothers are everywhere in the strategies that women are employing when debate about the crisis of American values today, living in these conditions, ranging from except as speakers and shapers of the debate. acceptance of traditional doctrines to various Choosing to Lead analyzes the barriers that keep forms of resistance that are centred on religious women from full participation in the public reinterpretation, innovation, and political action sphere by tracing the history of religious ideas towards change and equal rights. that restrict women’s authority to domestic concerns, and explores how these ideas continue Belshaw, Deryke, Robert Calderisi, and Chris to shape our modern “secular” values. Sugden, eds. 2001. Faith in Development: Partnership between the World Bank and Burket, Mary K. 2006. Advancing Churches in Africa. Oxford: Regnum Books Reproductive Health and Family Planning International. through Religious Leaders and Faith-based The authors argue that while the World Bank is Organizations. Pathfinder International. a secular institution, it recognizes that its This publication explores the long-standing attempts at economic and social reform are in engagement between the NGO Pathfinder vain if they do not reflect the reality of the International and FBOs. Over the years, they societies in which it works. The book reports on have joined forces to improve maternal health a meeting that took place in Nairobi in 2000 and provide family planning methods to between the World Bank and the Council of populations around the world. Anglican Provinces of Africa that aimed at Link: http://www.pathfind.org/site/ strengthening the partnerships with grass-roots PageServer?JServSessionIdr007= organizations and exploring ways to work more 4ks4bj70w2.app- 7b&pagename=Pubs effectively with them. Issues of gender, post- conflict reconstruction and poverty reduction Buykx, Michael, and Georges Tiendrebeogo. were discussed throughout the meeting. 2004. Faith-Based Organizations and HIV/AIDS Prevention and Impact Mitigation in Black, Jan Knippers. 1991. Development in Africa. Royal Tropical Institute. Theory and in Practice: Bridging the Gap. This study, conducted by the Royal Tropical Boulder, CO: West View Press. Institute (KIT), reviews articles and This book examines the various development documentation on the role of FBOs in African theories that have emerged since the end of the strategies for HIV prevention and AIDS

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 83 treatment. Christian and Islamic religious governmental relations between Canada and principles have been studied, and FBO India. One chapter is dedicated to culture and involvement and ideologies regarding HIV and development. For example, the report presents a AIDS are presented. case study of a farm called the Amul Link: http://www.kit.nl/net/KIT_Publicaties Cooperative that was able to increase milk _output/ShowFile2.aspx?e=603 production while handling its own marketing and production. It is argued that grass-roots Centre for the Study of Faith in Society. 2004. organizations can successfully engage with Faith and development: Practice and theory governments while adopting a more holistic and forum. St. Edmund’s College, Cambridge. culturally sensitive approach. This paper argues that approaches to development are very similar among many FBOs and secular Danish International Development Assistance development agencies. Notions of solidarity, (Danida). 2002. Culture and Development: freedom, respect and collective responsibility are Strategies and Guidelines. all incorporated into development programmes by This publication argues that culture needs to be both sets of stakeholders. a key element in all development partnerships, Link: http://www.st-edmunds.cam.ac.uk/vhi/ and, for development partnerships to succeed, fis/backgroundprogram.pdf they must incorporate a cultural component at all stages. Chandiramani, Radhika, and Geetanjali Misra, Link: http://www.um.dk/Publikationer/Danida/ eds. 2005. Sexuality, Gender and Rights: English/DanishDevelopmentCooperation/ Exploring Theory and Practice in South and CultureAndDevelopment/index.asp . New Delhi: Sage Publications. Chapter 8 of this book, Raising Sexuality as a Drogus, Carol Ann. 1997. Women, Religion and Political Issue in the Catholic Philippines, discusses Social Change in Brazil’s Popular Church. Notre how the women’s rights NGO Likhaan is targeted Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press. by both the Catholic Church and the Communist This book analyzes the attempts of liberation Party because it promotes reproductive rights. theology to mobilize the Brazilian poor for political and social change. Drogus illustrates Cooper, Frederick, and Randall Packard. 1997. the successes and failures of this movement, International Development and the Social and shows how religious personality and gender Sciences: Essays on the History and the Politics have affected the way the urban poor of São of Knowledge. Berkeley: University of Paulo respond to the liberationist message. California Press. This book examines the production, Eade, Deborah. 2002. Development & Culture: transmission and implementation of ideas on Selected Essays. London: OXFAM. development within historical, political and Published in association with the World Faiths intellectual contexts over the past 50 years. Development Dialogue, this book is a collection of papers on culture as a dimension of development. Coward, Howard. 1998. Peace, Development and Culture: Comparative Studies in India and Eck, Diana L. 2003. Encountering God: A Canada, Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute. Spiritual Journey from Bozeman to Banaras. Calgary, Alberta: University of Calgary. Boston: Beacon Press. This report, from a conference organized by the The author focuses on how it is increasingly Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute in celebration important, in our ever-changing communities, of its 20th anniversary, explores official to help people of different faiths negotiate ways

84 CULTURE MATTERS of living together peacefully. Dialogue between many countries, and are an essential part of people of different faiths is crucial in an the governance of the Global Fund programmes interdependent globalized world. Eck reveals in most countries through their involvement in how her own encounters with other religions the Global Fund’s Country Coordinating have shaped and enhanced her Christian faith Mechanisms (CCMs). The report also shows that toward a bold new Christian pluralism. in 2006, nine FBOs received funds from the Global Fund as principal recipients, and an additional 488 Ertürk, Yakin. 2007. Special Rapporteur on were sub-recipients. Furthermore, 94 out of Violence against Women: Intersections between 120 CCMs with active Global Fund grants had at Culture and Violence against Women. least one FBO representative. The Global Fund has This report addresses the dominant, culture- also engaged in a number of activities to based paradigms that justify or explain the encourage the full participation of all members of violations of women’s rights, reducing violence civil society, including FBOs. This includes against women to a cultural problem. It traces developing and implementing requirements to the trends in the development of the diversify the composition of CCMs and other international normative framework on violence workshops and materials to educate FBOs and against women in relation to a culture that other members of civil society on how to best culminated in the recognition of the primacy of engage with the Global Fund. women’s right to live a life free of gender-based Link: http://www.theglobalfund.org/ violence over any cultural considerations. documents/publications/other/FBOReport/ Link: http://www.crin.org/violence/search/ GlobalFund_FBO_Report_en.pdf closeup.asp?infoID=12449 Hoodfar, Homa. 2000. Iranian women and the Gaztambide-Géigel, Antonio, and Rafael intersection of citizenship and the family code: Hernández. 2003. Cultura, Sociedad y The perils of Islamic criteria. In Gender and Cooperación: Ensayos Sobre la Sociedad Civil Citizenship in the , by Suad Joseph, del Gran Caribe. Havana: CIDCC. ed. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press. This book argues that culture and civil society Women in Iran are attempting to break the male organizations are important factors in planning monopoly on interpreting Islamic holy texts, and development projects in the Caribbean. The have reinterpreted traditional understandings of analysis discusses the role of NGOs in Islamic text to advocate reform. Hoodfar development programmes. Case studies are provides accounts of successful lobbying by presented in the last part of the book, including Iranian feminists to change the constitution to a piece titled “Towards a Comprehensive improve marriage contracts and family law. Understanding of the Sexual and Reproductive Health of Caribbean Women”. Human Rights Watch. 2004. Divorced from Justice: Women’s Unequal Access to Divorce in The Global Fund. 2007. Report on the Egypt. Involvement of Faith-Based Organizations in the This report summarizes the status of women Global Fund. and the role religion plays in the social and Recognizing the important role of FBOs as partners economic development process of women in in its work, the Global Fund has been working Egypt. It illustrates how sharia law and a lack of closely with this community since its creation in female lawyers and judges make it difficult for 2002. This report looks at the relationship women to initiate or obtain a divorce. between the Global Fund and FBOs since that time. Link: http://www.hrw.org/reports/2004/ The analysis shows that FBOs administer grants in egypt1204/

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 85 Human Rights Watch. 2004. “Political Jenkins, Carol, and Holly Buchanan-Aruwafu. Shari’a”? Human Rights and Islamic Law in 2007. Cultures and Context Matters: Northern Nigeria. Understanding and Prevention of HIV and AIDS This report documents human rights violations in the Pacific. Manila: Asian Development Bank. since sharia law was introduced to cover This publication provides information on culture criminal law in 12 states in Northern Nigeria. diversity in the Asia-Pacific region. The authors Link: http://www.hrw.org/reports/ argue that a better understanding of the 2004/nigeria0904/ traditions in this region is crucial to successfully expand HIV treatment and health services. Human Rights Watch. 2006. A Question of Link: http://www.hivpolicy.org/Library/ Security: Violence against Palestinian Women HPP001294.pdf and Girls. This report covers violence against Palestinian Juschka, Darlene, ed. 2001. Feminism in the women and the obstacles of the Palestinian Study of Religion. New York: Continuum. women’s movement. Political factions and This book includes various short articles on Islamist groups have attacked the movement issues related to feminist analysis and its at various junctures, accusing it of being part application to the study of religion. Writers of a Western conspiracy to destroy Islamic show the intersection and development of family and social values, and questioning its feminism in the study of religion. commitment to the national cause. At the same time, the sharia court system that local Karam, Azza, ed. 2002. A Woman’s Place: judges follow does not provide real justice for Religious Women as Public Actors. New York: women and suppresses their rights. These WCRP/Religions for Peace. religious, cultural and family perceptions This is a compilation of 11 essays by women restrict women’s rights, and ultimately slow representing a wide variety of religious traditions— the process of economic development across specifically, African traditional spirituality, Bahaism, Palestinian society. Buddhism, Chinese traditional religion, Christianity, Link: http://www.hrw.org/reports/ Hinduism, Islam and . The essays seek to 2006/opt1106/ document the achievements of ordinary women within their respective religious communities, and Human Rights Watch. 2007. Over Their Dead also to demonstrate that religious women are Bodies: Denial of Access to Emergency “capable, articulate, active, aware, and totally Obstetric Care and Therapeutic Abortion in committed.” The essays vary greatly in their styles Nicaragua. and approaches; some put forward a largely This report discusses the ban on abortion in historic overview of the role of women in their Nicaragua, which includes therapeutic religious communities, while others draw heavily abortion. The ban provides no exceptions, on scripture, offering a reinterpretation that even when the pregnant woman’s life is at upholds a wider role for women. stake. The anti-abortion law was passed by political parties in Nicaragua to ensure and Landry, Charles. 2006. The Role of Culture in maintain political support from the Roman Social and Economic Development: Lessons Catholic Church and the Evangelical Church. from the Swiss Cultural Programme. Link: http://hrw.org/reports/2007/ This publication is the outcome of an independent nicaragua1007/ study commissioned by Pro Helvetia and the

86 CULTURE MATTERS Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. needed, but also the concerted efforts of all the It shows how cultural work plays a key role in the stakeholders to focus on results and social development of transition countries. institutional collaboration. Link: http://www.deza.admin.ch/index.php ? navID=26465&itemID=65217&langID=1&user Moghadam, Valentine M. 2003. Modernizing hash=939c3f673b8ebb72eae46bbecaf0c032 Women: Gender and Social Change in the Middle East. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner. Madan, T.N. 1983. Culture and Development. The author focuses on major changes in gender New York: Oxford University Press. dynamics and social progress in the Middle East, The author argues that so far, the relationship including a shift in development strategy and between culture and development has been population policy. She also discusses sharia law studied only from a strong Eurocentric and its implementation in patriarchal societies. standpoint. It is further argued that in the last part of the 20th century, there was a Mukherjee, Ramkrishna. 1991. Society, Culture reformulation of the relationship between and Development. New Delhi: Sage culture and development. However, the book Publications. warns that many policies are still rooted in the This theoretical book defines the concepts of old ways of excluding culture from development society, economic growth, culture and planning, and that has yet to be changed. development through anthropological analysis. The author argues that not one of these terms is Marshall, Katherine, and Richard Marsh, eds. static and independent of each other. In this 2003. Millennium Challenges for Faith and sense, development cannot be perceived as a Development Leaders. Washington, DC: The very specialized instrument for economic World Bank. growth because it is too restricted. Rather, Based on a meeting at which 40 faith and development is successful when it freely development leaders met to examine what needs interacts within culture and society. to be done in order to move the MDGs forward, this book explores the challenges for the faith Nandy, Ashis. 1989. The Intimate Enemy: Loss community in achieving the MDGs. It also presents and Recovery of Self under Colonialism. New some very short case studies that illustrate current Delhi: Oxford University Press. collaborations between FBOs and development This book looks at the effects of colonialism on agencies towards achieving the MDGs. Indian culture, which remained even after British rule ended. Marshall, Katherine, and Marisa Van Saanen. 2007. Development and Faith: Where Mind, Okkenhaug, Inger Marie, and Ingvild Heart, and Soul Work Together. Washington, Flaskerud, eds. 2005. Gender, Religion and DC: The World Bank. Change in the Middle East. New York: Berg Poverty and social injustice demand a vigorous Publishers. response, yet the challenges are vast and the This book is a compilation of articles on the nexus actors many, including complex bureaucracies, between women and religion in the Middle East. limited infrastructure, and constraints on human It looks at Muslim, Jewish and Christian women and organizational capacity. To successfully in the region, and the influences that colonialism, address the huge challenges of development, post-colonialism and Western imperialism have not only careful planning and analysis are had. Contributions include:

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 87 “Justice without Drama: Observations from Philpot-Almeida, Raphine. 1994. A Profile of Gaza City Shari’a Court”, by Nahda Younis the Roles of Women as Economic Producers and Shehada. This article explores the justice Family Supporters in the Gambia. system at a court in Gaza City. The author This book looks at social factors contributing to argues that even though Arab States have used the lack of education of women in the Gambia. personal status codes to govern family affairs, the application of sharia is flexible. Shehada Pieterse, Jan Nederveen. 1992. Culture and believes that women’s rights have not suffered Development. New York: Berg Publishers. in contemporary Palestinian society following The author examines the activities of Christian the codification of law. churches in developing countries. For example, in Southern countries, an increase in the “The Paradox of the New Islamic Woman in number of Evangelical churches has been Turkey”, by Jenny B. White. In the social and noted. Pieterse argues that while Evangelical political mobilization of large numbers of churches claim to be politically neutral, some conservative women in Turkey, women’s of their activities are perceived to have an activism was crucial in bringing various Islamist American political agenda included in their political parties to power. programmes. This book is a collection of essays that portray the role (active or not) the Parry, Sue. 2003. Responses of the Faith-Based Evangelical Church has taken in recent Organisations to HIV/AIDS in Sub Saharan Africa. political history in the South. As an example This report by Dr. Sue Parry, Southern Africa during apartheid in South Africa, the Regional Coordinator for the World Council of Evangelical church tried to stop local churches Churches, reviews the contributions made by from joining the liberation movement. FBOs in the fight against HIV and AIDS. The publication is unique in that it is written from Qurush, Mahmud Shah. 1983. Culture and the standpoint of the South and not from an Development. Bangladesh: National Book international organization or NGO. Centre. Link: http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/ At the request of the United Nations Educational, mission/fba-hiv-aids.pdf Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the author compiled a collection of essays to Perm, Carpal, ed. 1994. Culture and better inform foreigners on aspects of the cultural Development. New Delhi: Her-Anan and intellectual history of Bangladesh. Among Publications. other perspectives, the book examines the role of The premise of this book is that culture in India Muslims during the “Bengal Renaissance”, and is in crisis. The contributors explore different the perspective of . reasons for this, including the fragmentation of life as individuals become increasingly Radcliffe, Sarah. 2006. Culture and Development specialized and dependent on technology. The in a Globalizing World: Geographies, Actors and book also argues that cultural cooperation Paradigms. New York: Rutledge. among nations is important because it creates This book offers a theoretical and empirical bridges of understanding, based on harmony, critique of development discourse and practice. It creativity and fraternity. Intercultural argues that culture is a tool for development that knowledge is needed, and culture is being must be taken into consideration when designing neglected in development plans, which are projects, and examines how culture plays out in often designed by economists. development programmes. The author provides

88 CULTURE MATTERS examples (such as the United Nations understanding of globalization, and is a useful Development Programme (UNDP) and UNESCO) tool for nation-building and achieving and case studies to illustrate her arguments. international human rights standards.

Rao, Vijayendra, and Michael Walton, eds. Serageldin, Ismael, and June Taboroff, eds. 2004. Culture and Public Action: A Cross- 1992. Culture and Development in Africa: Disciplinary Dialogue on Development Policy. Proceedings of an International Conference Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. Held at The World Bank, Washington, DC, The anthropologists and economists April 1992. contributing to this volume defend culture as This publication is a report from a conference central to development, and argue that culture sponsored by the World Bank, UNESCO and the can be a source of profound social and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on economic change. culture and development. The conference was framed by the question, “How can we better Reese, Laura A., and Raymond A. Rosenfeld. incorporate culture into development in Africa?” 2002. The Civic Culture of Local Economic The three sessions were titled “Cultural Theory Development. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage and Development Practice”, “Culture and Civic Publications. Society” and “Economic Development: Culture The authors challenge the idea in economic as a Cause or Consequence”. Included is a development discourse that “one model fits all” UNESCO appendix titled “Towards Developing when trying to achieve economic growth. They Tools for Integrating the Cultural Dimension criticize the paradigm, rooted in economics, that into Development”. all societies are governed by similar infrastructures and regimes and therefore can Smock, David. 2001. Special Report No. 76: be treated the same from a public policy Faith-Based NGOs and International perspective. The authors argue that some Peace-building. Washington, DC: United societies do not have political and economical States Institute of Peace. structures as rigid and solid as those in the This article analyzes the participation of FBOs in or the European Union. In peace-building efforts, exploring ways in which contrast, in these societies, local structure is FBOs work in comparison to secular often held together by civic organizations, in organizations’ efforts in the same field. It argues which NGOs play an important role within local that FBO participation has an impact because politics and the social arena. Furthermore, FBOs benefit from having established the trust development agencies must engage as much as of their communities. possible with local authorities, including NGOs. Link: http://www.usip.org/pubs/ specialreports/sr76.html Schech, Susanne, and Jane Haggis. 2000. Culture and Development: A Critical UNAIDS (United Nations Programme on Introduction. Oxford: Blackwell. AIDS). 1998. NGO Perspectives on Access to This book examines the historical background HIV-Related Drugs in 13 Latin American and of the terms “culture” and “development”, and Caribbean Countries. argues that an understanding of the cultural UNAIDS collected information from 13 Latin context in which development programmes American and Caribbean countries to better take place is fundamental to their success. understand the activities aimed at improving Culture in development improves access to HIV- and AIDS-related services and

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 89 access to pharmaceutical drugs. In the Link: http://ccrtindia.gov.in/ section titled “Church Relationships with productcatalogue.htm#pb NGOs and Institutions”, the authors illustrate the importance of considering the UNESCO. 1996. Our Creative Diversity: Report participation of FBOs and how they facilitate of the World Commission on Culture and access to HIV-related services. Development. Link: http://data.unaids.org/Publications/ Established by UNESCO and the United IRC-pub01/JC100-NGO-Perspectives_en.pdf Nations in December 1992, the World Commission on Culture and Development UNDP (United Nations Development prepared a policy-oriented report on the Programme). 2003. Culture and Development interactions between culture and development. in Viet Nam. Link: http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en UNDP is making an effort to introduce culture in /ev.php-URL_ID=33067&URL_DO=DO_ development planning. This book analyzes six TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html)) case studies from Viet Nam and illustrates how a cultural approach can be included in UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund). programme planning. 2007. Ending Violence against Women. Link: http://www.un.org.vn/undocs/vanhoa/ This is an online exhibition and a book of case culture.pdf studies on how to end violence against women. The exhibition includes case studies from UNDP. 2004. Human Development Report: Bangladesh and Sierra Leone, where FBOs play Cultural Liberty in Today’s Diverse World. a crucial role. In this report, UNDP argues that to reach the Link: http://www.unfpa.org/endingviolence/ MDGs and ultimately eradicate poverty, the home.html challenges of how to build inclusive, culturally diverse societies must be met. UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund). Link: http://hdr.undp.org/en/reports/global/ 2003. Activities Report: The Church and hdr2004/ UNICEF: Latin America and the Caribbean. This publication highlights a 20-year-old UNESCO (United Nations Educational, partnership between UNICEF and the Latin Scientific and Cultural Organization). 1995. American Episcopal Conference. Some of the National Seminar on Culture and Development: issues addressed are education, HIV and AIDS Report. New Delhi: Centre for Cultural and health. Resources and Training. Link: http://www.unicef.org/media/files/ Since the beginning of the UNESCO World celamactivitiesreportUNICEFandCatholicChurc Decade on Cultural Development, the Centre h.pdf?bcsi_scan_A8AA4F79F19141A2=0&bcs for Cultural Resources and Training has been i_scan_filename=celamactivitiesreportUNICEF organizing annual seminars on the decade’s andCatholicChurch.pdf theme. In 1995, the Centre put together a meeting on culture and development with the UNICEF. 2004. Study of the Response by Faith- highlighted question, “How can culture be Based Organizations to Orphans and Vulnerable restored to its rightful place at the core of social Children. development?” The meeting provided This study was conducted in six South African recommendations, and this publication portrays countries by UNICEF and the World Conference a short summary of the findings. of Religions for Peace. The organizations joined

90 CULTURE MATTERS efforts to document what has been done by FBOs to help orphans and vulnerable youth who Warren, Michael, L., Jan Slikkerveer, and are infected with HIV or AIDS. The publication David Brokensha, eds. 1995. The Cultural includes appendices on religious affiliation and Dimension of Development: Indigenous congregation by country, and orphanages and Knowledge Systems. London: Intermediate shelters established by FBOs. Technology Publications. Link: http://www.wcrp.org/files/RPT-ovc.pdf This book is a collection of various development projects that benefited from local cultural Verhelst, Thierry V. 1990. No Life Without knowledge. It includes a section devoted to Roots: Culture and Development. London: Zed international organizations that use local Books. knowledge when designing development This book presents a history of development projects. and presents culture as the “missing link” in development project success. It explores new The World Bank. 2001. Faith in Development: ways of conducting participatory A Partnership between the World Bank and the development projects in which culture is Churches of Africa. taken into account during implementation. Based on an international conference held in The book uses examples from FBOs and Nairobi in 2000, organized by the World Bank and UNDP, and includes case studies on the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa, this custodians of traditional culture. book explores the practicalities and details of the partnership between the World Bank and FBOs, Vohra, N.N., ed. 2001. Culture, Democracy and with a special focus on grass-roots organizations. Development in . New Delhi: New Delhi: Shipra Publications. World Faiths Development Dialogue. 2001. This book examines cultural diversity as a Cultures, Spirituality and Development. means of re-examining existing economic In this publication, the authors explore ways in development theory. The writers explore the which culture and spirituality can be taken into vibrant multicultural and pluralistic society consideration when planning development that exists in South Asia. Religions such as projects. They argue that stressing these Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism were born concepts will ensure the effectiveness and in this region, and others, such as Islam and success of such projects. Christianity, were imported here from other Link: http://www.wfdd.org.uk/documents/ parts of the world. The writers argue that this publications/CutureSp_Dev.pdf has resulted in a pluralistic society, albeit one that is not always at peace. Yet in this context, World Health Organization (WHO). 2008. culture and development have not been Building from Common Foundations: The World treated as interlocking and interdependent Health Organization and Faith-Based terms, resulting in the failure of many Organizations in Primary Healthcare. development methods in the past. However, The key findings in this report, prepared by somewhat of a paradigm shift in development WHO in collaboration with Geneva Global, are has occurred recently, towards engaging that: FBOs are major health providers in FBOs, and South Asia can play an important developing countries whose efforts often go role by highlighting the benefits of a unrecognized because they usually operate pluralistic society and the success of its outside government planning processes; FBOs’ interfaith movement. core values lead them to offer compassionate

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 91 care to people in need; FBO responses to HIV Danish Centre for Cultural Development. and AIDS demonstrates that they have 2006. Culture Strategy in : A New delivered a range of treatment, care and Culture Programme and Culture Fund in prevention activities; with attention to Vietnam. accountability and monitoring, governments The Danish Embassy in Hanoi has prepared a can work with FBOs on the basis that such new culture programme with inputs from partnerships will deliver public value and DCCD. narrow gaps in national health planning Link: http://www.dccd.dk/dccd/cku.nsf/doc/ systems; and local interest in participative kulturstrategiwietnam?OpenDocument planning is strong, according to WHO exercises in community mapping. Engineering Munguti, Nzaya, Moses Mokua, Rick Homan, a network of FBOs and other community assets and Harriet Birungi. 2006. Cost Analysis of could open new possibilities for comprehensive Reproductive Health Services in PCEA Chogoria health systems. Hospital, Kenya. Nairobi, Kenya: FRONTIERS Population Council; Chogoria, Kenya: PCEA Chogoria Hospital; Research Triangle Park, Case Studies NC: Family Health International. Burghart, Richard. 1984. The Tisiyaki Klinik: The Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) A Nepalese medical centre in an intercultural Chogoria Hospital is an FBO that provides field of relations. Social Science and Medicine numerous health services to the community. 18: 589-98. Because of challenges to the survival of PCEA, a This case focuses on a medical centre that team from the hospital attended a workshop in administers treatment to patients using methods Ghana on financial sustainability. Within the that vary according to the patients’ religious scope of this workshop, the team designed a beliefs. In this alternative health-care facility, project to determine the cost of certain exorcism, Brahman traditions and Western reproductive health services. medicine are all being practiced. The author Link: http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/ argues that this clinic is a good example of how PNADG649.pdf different cultures and religions can work side by side harmoniously. Nikolov, Boris. 2002. Religious Social Services in and Egypt. Paper prepared for the Chan, Shun-hing. 2005. Regulating Faith- World Bank. based Organizations by Government Funding: A This paper is an overview of religious social Case Study of the Methodist Church in Hong services in Lebanon and Egypt, the legal Kong. Presented at the annual meeting of the framework within which FBOs operate, and the American Sociological Association, relationship between civil society and the Philadelphia, PA. government. Following this overview, the author By analyzing the Yang Memorial Methodist uses a case study of social services provided by Social Service Agency, a Protestant-based FBOs in Egypt to illustrate his point. medical organization, this paper argues that the Link: https://repository.berkleycenter. Protestant churches in have georgetown.edu/RD-20020804-WorldBank- maintained a social function as a third sector, RelSocServ.pdf building social capital in their communities. Link: http://www.allacademic.com/meta/ Otolok-Tanga, Erasmus, Lynn Atuyambe, p21600_index.html Colleen K. Murphy, Karin E. Ringheim, and

92 CULTURE MATTERS Sara Woldehanna. 2007. Examining the based care and subsequently serve their actions of faith-based organizations and their community and act as a relay between their influence on HIV/AIDS-related stigma: A case community and the organization. study of Uganda. African Health Sciences Link: http://www.reachoutmbuya.org 7 (1): 55-60. This study explores the perceptions, held by Saraswati, Baidyanath, ed. 1997. Integration of Uganda’s political decision-making community, Endogenous Cultural Dimension into of the role of FBOs in combating the stigma Development. New Delhi: D.K. Printworld. attached to people living with HIV and AIDS. This book contains case studies on local religious and traditional healing practices Peuraca, Branka. 2003. Special Report No. among indigenous minority groups in Indonesia. 103: Can Faith-Based NGOs Advance Interfaith The book argues that development projects can Reconciliation? The Case of Bosnia and be viable only if all the complex elements that Herzegovina. Washington, DC: United States constitute a culture are understood. The author Institute of Peace. shows the importance of local traditions and In post-conflict regions, religious reconciliation religions in health service provisions in can be difficult. This article presents a case Kalimantan, Sulawesi and Irian Jaya. study from Bosnia and Herzegovina, where interfaith organizations have been able to Shrestha, Ramesh. 1980. Faith Healers: A provide social services, food, shelter and Force for Change. Kathmandu, Nepal: clothes. Interfaith partnerships also help to Educational Enterprises. overcome the problems that have led, or can This book explores a study conducted in Nepal lead, to armed conflict situations. illustrating that, many traditional faith healers Link: http://www.usip.org/pubs/ working across the country play an important role specialreports/sr103.html in distributing reproductive health information and services to assist in family planning because Reach Out Mbuya Parish HIV/AIDS Initiative. they are in daily contact with the rural population. (2001). Kampala, Uganda. Reach Out began in a Christian community and Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious for its first four years carried out services from Understanding. 2007. Peacemakers in Action: within Our Lady of Africa Mbuya Catholic Church. Profiles of Religion in Conflict Resolution. Ed. Over time, donor funding has allowed Reach Out by David Little. New York: Cambridge to increase operations of its holistic model of care. University Press. Reach Out Mbuya Parish HIV/AIDS Initiative This publication is a collection of case studies serves the poor community of the Mbuya Parish, of projects conducted in various parts of the a suburb of Kampala, Uganda, providing holistic world on interreligious cooperation for care to more than 2,700 people living with HIV conflict resolution. and AIDS. The holistic approach to care and treatment has enabled many clients who were Tyndale, Wendy. 2006. Visions of without hope of receiving care to return to a Development: Faith-based Initiatives. normal, healthy life. Each of the six villages within Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing. the Reach Out catchment area is headed by a This publication is a collection of case studies that community supervisor who works with a team of show the role non-economic social groups, such community workers. The community workers are as FBOs, are playing in assuring socio-economic exemplary clients who receive training in home- development. The book also argues that spiritual

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 93 development can sometimes lead to material both traditional and conventional health development, and that a more holistic approach to systems. It shows ways in which traditional development incorporates all actors and cultures healers can help in the prevention of HIV and when designing projects, producing greater care for AIDS patients. benefits and outcomes for everyone involved. Link: http://data.unaids.org/pub/Report/ 2006/jc0967-tradhealers_en.pdf UNAIDS. 2001. Reaching Out, Scaling Up: Eight Case Studies of Home and Community UNAIDS. 2006. A Faith-Based Response to Care for and by People with HIV/AIDS. HIV in Southern Africa: The Choose to Care This publication explores case studies on local, Initiative. grass-roots organizations successfully This case study shows how the Catholic Church implementing initiatives in the fight against HIV in South Africa has been providing services to and AIDS. Two of the case studies illustrate answer needs related to HIV and AIDS. The examples of FBO initiatives: the Kariobangi Church’s programme is implemented on a small community-based home-care and home-based scale and is rooted in local communities’ AIDS care programme that was established in practices and traditions. 1986 by the Medical Mission Sisters; and the Link: http://data.unaids.org/pub/Report/ Centre for Socio-medical Assistance (CASM), a 2006/JC1281_Choose_To_Care_en.pdf clinic established in 1991 by HOPE, an international FBO that provides services to UNESCO. 2003. Women and Peace in Africa: people living with HIV and AIDS. Case Studies on Traditional Conflict Resolution Link: http://data.unaids.org/publications/ Practices. irc-pub02/jc915-reachout_en.pdf This is a compilation of case studies—from Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African UNAIDS. 2005. HIV-Related Stigma, Republic, Namibia, Somalia and Tanzania—on Discrimination and Human Rights Violations: women’s roles in conflict and peace. In all of the Case Studies of Successful Programmes. case studies, women use traditional cultural This publication illustrates initiatives aimed at practices to keep peace and resolve conflict. reducing the stigma related to HIV and AIDS in Link: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/ order to improve the rights of people living with 0013/001332/133274e.pdf the disease. Case studies include AIDS- integrated programmes undertaken by the UNICEF. Date N/A. Working for the Children: Catholic Diocese of Ndola, Zambia; and Catholic Some Stories about Our Joint Efforts in Latin AIDS Action, in Namibia. An important part of America. the conclusion points to the benefits of working Produced by UNICEF in collaboration with the with faith-based leaders in development. Latin American Episcopal Conference, this Link: http://data.unaids.org/publications/ publication showcases some examples of the irc-pub06/JC999-HumRightsViol_en.pdf work these two organizations have accomplished together across Latin America. UNAIDS. 2006. Collaborating with Traditional Some of the case studies included reflect Healers for HIV Prevention and Care in sub- issues relevant to the MDGs as well as the Saharan Africa: Suggestions for Programme ICPD, such as universal education, maternal Managers and Field Workers. health, and HIV and AIDS. This paper aims to educate health authorities, Link: http://www.unicef.org/media/files/ governments, NGOs and local communities on 5historias.pdf

94 CULTURE MATTERS Young, Greg. 2003. Cultural Mapping in a Western agendas. Religious leaders need to Global World. Speech delivered at the ASEAN re-examine their relationship to power and [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] gender. The Jubilee 2000 movement and its Committee on Culture and Information. influence on the call to cancel the international Australia. debts of the most highly indebted nations is a The author defines cultural mapping as an good example of what FBOs and religious ethical tool for mainstreaming culture in social leaders can accomplish when they collaborate. and economic development. He advocates for Link:http://religiondatabases.georgetown.edu/ wider public engagement and more respect for berkley/religiondev.php?sortColumn=Date& cultural diversity. Included are case studies from direction=DESC#tag1814)) development programmes aimed at indigenous communities in Australia. UNAIDS. 2005. A Report of a Theological Link: http://plt.sagepub.com/cgi/content/ Workshop Focusing on HIV- and AIDS-Related abstract/7/1/71 Stigma. In December 2003, UNAIDS supported this workshop in Windhoek, Namibia, in which 62 United Nations Initiatives, academic Christian theologians participated. Conferences and Programmes The outcomes of the workshop provide themes for further theological reflection on HIV- and Marazzi, M.C., G. Guidotti, G. Liotta, and L. AIDS-related stigma. Palombi. 2005. DREAM: An Integrated Faith- Link: http://data.unaids.org/Publications/ based Initiative to Treat HIV/AIDS in IRC-pub06/JC1119-Theological_en.pdf Mozambique. Geneva: WHO. Drug Resources Enhancement against AIDS and UNAIDS. 2008. Working Group on Religion Malnutrition (DREAM) is a programme created and FBOs. Geneva. by the Community of Sant’Egidio to fight AIDS UNAIDS, in collaboration with UNFPA, WHO, in sub-Saharan Africa. The main objective of the the International Labour Organization (ILO) programme is to enable Mozambique to expand and UNDP, brought together a working group its HIV and AIDS treatment and care and of partnership officers from across the malnutrition-related services. UNAIDS Secretariat as well as co-sponsoring Link: http://www.who.int/hiv/pub/ organizations and FBO representatives to casestudies/mozambiquedream.pdf outline a strategy for future work with FBOs on AIDS issues. The meeting, which took place Tyndale, Wendy. 2004. Religions and the 9-11 April 2008 in Geneva, aimed to establish Millennium Development Goals: Whose a strategy for a more coordinated response to agenda? Speech delivered at the Conference partnership work among all stakeholders of Religion and Development, The Hague, involved in the AIDS response. Participants at Netherlands. this meeting analyzed how to work the most Poverty and wealth are intertwined. Tyndale effectively with the wide range of FBOs argues that for the MDGs to be achieved, a re- focusing on AIDS, discussing the opportunities examination of the relationship between and challenges they offer. The working group international development agencies and produced a three- to five-year strategy that religious leaders must take place. will guide UNAIDS and its co-sponsors’ efforts Development agencies cannot provide only to consolidate a response to AIDS in financial support for FBOs to carry out coordination with the faith community.

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 95 UNESCO. 2004. Workshops on the Cultural being associated with religious belonging. It Diversity Programming Lens. stresses the reciprocal interactions and In order to better implement the cultural diversity influences among religions and spiritual and lens, the culture sector of UNESCO Bangkok humanistic traditions on the one hand, and the organized workshops to raise awareness and need to promote understanding among them in train programme officers in the use of the cultural order to challenge prejudice and foster mutual diversity programming lens. The workshops respect on the other. included “Introduction to Cultural Resource Link: http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/ Management”, “Cultural Mapping Principles”, ev.php-URL_ID=11680&URL_DO=DO_ “Cultural Mapping Applications” and “Cultural TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html Heritage Impact Assessment”. Link: http://www.unescobkk.org/index.php UNESCO. UNESCO Courier. ?id=2529 Created in 1947, this magazine covers current concerns in the UNESCO agenda. It has been UNESCO. Bangkok Country Team. available online since March 2006, issued every The Bangkok office of UNESCO is active in the two months in all six official United Nations field of culture and development, and has languages. worked to incorporate a cultural dimension into Link: http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php- its development programmes. Its website URL_ID=42213&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_ provides information on the various activities in SECTION=201.html which this country team is involved. Link: http://www.unescobkk.org UNICEF. 2007. Fifth International Congress on Culture and Development. UNESCO. Chairs in Interfaith Studies. This conference in Havana, Cuba, organized by The UNESCO Chairs on Intercultural and UNESCO and UNICEF, was attended by nearly Interreligious Dialogue have been created in 800 intellectuals, artists and spokespeople academic centres of acknowledged experience in from 64 countries. The theme was “Defense of the field, bringing together teachers and Cultural Diversity in a Globalized World”. It researchers who specialize in the multidisciplinary served as a forum for open debate and free aspects of the history of religions, and who are exchange of ideas about multiculturalism and committed to the promotion of interreligious diversity in development projects. dialogue. This network aims to foster educational Link: http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/ exchanges among students and researchers, cuba_40125.html including those considering undertaking a religious vocation, providing them with a secular, UNRISD (United Nations Research Institute multireligious and intercultural education. for Social Development). 2007-2009. Link: http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/ Religion, Politics and Gender Equality. ev.php-URL_ID=29403&URL_DO=DO_ The prediction that secularism would sweep the TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html#2 world has been confounded in recent years as religion has left the place assigned to it (by UNESCO. Interreligious Dialogue. theories of modernity) in the private sphere and The UNESCO Interreligious Dialogue thrust itself into the public arena. This research programme aims to promote dialogue among project seeks to examine the social and political different religions and spiritual and humanistic implications of religion assuming such prominent traditions, as world conflicts are increasingly and contested public and political roles. Some

96 CULTURE MATTERS observers, including many feminists, see policy research. Comments delivered at the incompatibilities among democracy, human rights World Bank “Culture and Public Action” and gender equality on the one hand, and a world Conference. in which religious issues and organizations have This speech examines what culture is, what it is an active presence in public affairs on the other. not, and how it plays out in development policy Others, however, argue that religion (at its best) research. Woolcock argues that when can act as a significant counterweight to the policymakers study culture and development, otherwise hegemonic institutions of the state and they need to keep an open mind, be flexible to the market, revitalizing public debate on their new ideas, and work to integrate qualitative and moral underpinnings and their social outcomes. quantitative methods and data in their work. The task of this research, therefore, is to develop Link: http://www.cultureandpublicaction.org/ analytical and normative criteria to differentiate pdf/Woolcock.pdf among the various forms of public religion and their social and political consequences, including The World Bank. Date N/A. Culture and the implications for gender equality. Development. Link: http://www.unrisd.org/unrisd/website/ In its programmes and projects designed for the projects.nsf/(httpProjectsForProgrammeArea Latin American and Caribbean community, the en)/3F3D45E0F8567920C12572B9004180C World Bank has identified culture and 5?OpenDocument development as a thematic area of social development. To ensure that development UNRISD. 2008-2010. Religion, Identity and projects and policies are feasible and effective, Business. it is essential to understand the social, cultural This research project explores the resurgence and institutional contexts in which they are of religious movements in various regions of carried out. The areas identified as having a the world, which has been linked to the focus on culture and development are: collapse of secular ideologies and movements; long-running economic, social • Support for the identity and culture of and political crises associated with global indigenous peoples and Afro-descendants. economic change; and problems of war and Projects include the Peru Indigenous People large-scale migration. These developments and Afro-Peruvian Development Project; the raise questions about the relationship among Indigenous and Afro-Ecuadorian Peoples religious identity, socio-economic change and Development Project (PRODEPINE); the conflict. Religious movements, including new Indigenous Peoples Development Project in revivalist movements, seek to address a range Bolivia; and the Indigenous Community of issues relating to spirituality, , well- Development Project in Argentina being, community development and political change. They often fill a void in social • The New Cultural Heritage programmes, with provisioning and protection associated with projects such as Profuturo, the Honduras state failure and marginalization. Interactive Environmental Learning and Link: httpProjectsForResearchHomeen)/ Science Promotion; and the Regional D207052B7F422966C12571C60046B0AE?O Development in the Copan Valley Project penDocument&panel=team • Culture and education policies, such as the Woolcock, Michael. 2002. Culture and Universalization of Basic Education Project in development: Rethinking implications for Guatemala.

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 97 Link: http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/ Bradley, Tamsin. 2007. The Relationships EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/LACEXT/EXT Between Religion and Development: Views from LACREGTOPSOCDEV/0,,contentMDK:20547 Anthropology. Working Paper 5. 292~menuPK:1308760~pagePK:34004173~pi The author of this paper conducted a review of PK:34003707~theSitePK:847655,00.html literature on religion and development, and concluded that very little literature actually The World Bank. 2005. Dialogue Between the exists on the work that FBOs and NGOs are Worlds of Faith and Development. doing to improve their communities. The Development Dialogue on Values and Ethics Link: http://www.rad.bham.ac.uk/files/ is a unit within the Human Development Network resourcesmodule/@random45c8b732cd96d/ Vice-Presidency. It is primarily responsible for 1186738047_WP5.pdf engaging with faith institutions around development issues, and working with other Brijnath, Bianca. 2007. It’s about TIME: institutions and leaders who are addressing the Engendering AIDS in Africa. Culture, Health complex ethical issues around globalization. and Sexuality 9 (4): 371-386. Link: http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/ This paper analyzes how TIME magazine EXTERNAL/EXTABOUTUS/ORGANIZA represents sub-Saharan African women in its TION/EXTPRESIDENT2007/EXTPASTPRESI coverage of HIV and AIDS. As rates of infection DENTS/PRESIDENTEXTERNAL/0,,contentMD escalate across the continent, researchers K:20091872~menuPK:232057~pagePK:13987 increasingly are emphasizing the need to 7~piPK:199692~theSitePK:227585,00.html understand the socioeconomic and cultural contexts that make women particularly vulnerable to infection. Reviewed Articles Bergendorff, Steen. 2007. Cultural complexity Carranza, Jose. 2002. Culture and and development policy. European Journal of development: Some considerations for Development Research 19 (2): 195-209. debate. Latin American Perspective 29 (4): 31- This article examines the UNESCO report Our 46. Creative Diversity and investigates the assertion This article examines the concepts of culture that culture matters in development. The author and development as defined by UNESCO. It concludes that instead of creating new roles or does not provide case studies. introducing democracy, development policies should address the nature of local interaction Elyachar, Julia. 2002. Empowerment money: and the rules upon which it is based. The World Bank, non-governmental Link: http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/ organizations, and the value of culture in content~content=a779217086~tab=send Egypt. Public Culture 14 (3): 493-513. Financing for development has taken a new turn Boehle, Josef. 2007. Religions, civil society since the mobilizations and protests at the 1998 and the UN system. Studies in Interreligious World Trade Organization (WTO) meetings. Dialogue 17 (1): 20. Microfinancing is becoming the new way to The author of this article explores how civil finance development. While this may seem a society organizations—in particular, religious more just way of financing, compared with more NGOs or FBOs—can better interact with the mainstream development projects, it does not United Nations system. He argues that in incorporate culture. The author illustrates her today’s globalized world, societies have to move point with the case of Egypt and the past the religion-versus-state dichotomy. microfinance industry.

98 CULTURE MATTERS Griffin, Keith. 1997. Culture, Human In this article, the author explores the history Development and Economic Growth of the partnership between the World Bank (UNRISD/UNESCO Occasional Paper Series and FBOs and highlights lessons learned. She on Culture and Development). portrays this engagement in terms of three This paper aims to contribute to and facilitate categories: first, the political dimension of the debate on culture and development on FBOs; second, the oppositional dimension the eve of the release of the World Culture whereby FBOs pursue different agendas on Report, published by the World Commission development than that of the World Bank; and on Culture and Development. Its main theme third, in terms of the relevance of religion in a is that culture is an important component modern society. of development but is often overlooked Link: http://www.informaworld.com/ by development planners. However, the smpp/content~content=a785830223~db=all author believes that the World Culture Report will ignite a new debate that will have Pieterse, Jan Nederveen. 1995. The cultural important consequences in future turn in development: A question of power? development programming. European Journal of Development Research 7 Link: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/ (1): 176-192. 0012/001241/124175eo.pdf The author contests economic globalization and its ethnocentrism in terms of culture, and Ibhawoh, Bonny. 2000. Between culture and argues that globalization renders ethnocentrism constitution: Evaluating the cultural inviable. The ideological shift, since the end of legitimacy of human rights in the African the cold war, forces the West to make a place states. Human Rights Quarterly 22 (3): 838- for religion and ethnic movements when 860. designing development projects. The author Examining a dilemma confronting many African agrees with the UNESCO discourse on pluralism states, this article explores ways in which and local cultures. culture, through adaptation and modification, can serve to complement rather than constrain Rouhana, Hoda. 2003. On feminism and specific national human rights aspirations. national identity: The experience of Palestinian women in and Muslim Lewis, David. 2003. NGOs, organizational women in India. Critical Half 1 (1): 4-9. culture, and institutional sustainability. This article explores the double oppression Annals of the American Academy of Political faced by Muslim women in India and Palestinian and Social Sciences 590 (1): 212-226. women in Israel because of their gender and This paper draws on qualitative research on a their religion. sericulture (silk farming) project in Link: http://www.womenforwomen.org/ Bangladesh to explore the ways in which the downloads/CHJournalv1.pdf concept of organizational culture can provide understanding of the complex root of Sachedina, Abdulaziz. 2003. Globalization, sustainability problems within multi-agency religion, and women. Critical Half 1 (1): 10-13. rural development projects. Sachedina perceives globalization as a new type of domination and universal ideology. This Marshall, Katherine. 2001. Development and ideology presents new challenges for women’s religion: A different lens on development human rights due to the use of women as a debates. Peabody Journal of Education 76:3&4: cheap source of labour, the exploitation of 339-375. women by multinational companies, and male

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 99 domination in patriarchal societies. The writer impediment to improving women’s lives and proposes “religious globalization”. reproductive health, and eliminating female Link: http://www.womenforwomen.org/ genital mutilation and HIV and AIDS. downloads/CHJournalv1.pdf Link: http://www.rad.bham.ac.uk/files/ resourcesmodule/@random45c8b732cd96d/ Salbi, Zainab. 2003. Why might women 1186738083_WP8.pdf support religious fundamentalism?” Critical Half 1 (1): 14-19. Tucker, Vincent. 1996. Cultural perspectives This article focuses on Middle Eastern women on development. European Journal of who seek to advance their own interests through Development Research 8 (2). the revival of religious traditions. Religion touches What does cultural analysis have to offer upon the private spheres, which traditionally development studies? Is culture a new paradigm encompass the women’s sphere. Increased for the study of development, or a minefield of poverty, unemployment and economic insecurity theoretical confusion? Can we move beyond generate interest in returning to traditional notions of “global culture” and “local culture” to Islamic society with predefined gender roles. a more refined notion of cultural processes? Link: http://www.womenforwomen.org/ downloads/CHJournalv1.pdf Uchem, Rose. 2003. Overcoming women’s subordination in the Igbo African culture and Selinger, Leah. 2004. The forgotten factor: in the Catholic Church. Critical Half 1 (1): 26- The uneasy relationship between religion and 31. development. Social Compass 51 (4): 523. This article explores the roots of gender equality The author argues that religion is a defining in egalitarian traditions of pre-colonial/pre- force within culture. By exploring the roots of Christian Igbo society. Colonialism brought development and its historical avoidance of gender inequality to the Igbo people. Along with religion, the article seeks to determine a course the Europeans came Christianity, which re- of action that incorporates the social enforced the gender differences. Uchem argues significance of religion, to be recognized and that Western colonial rulers interpreted the handled in a constructive manner. equal power of men and women in the Igbo society as a threat. Sered, Susan Starr. 1990. Women, religion Link: http://www.womenforwomen.org/ and modernization: Tradition and downloads/CHJournalv1.pdf transformation among elderly in Israel. American Anthropologist (New Series)92 (2): Vohra, Sumona. 2003. The practice of dowry 306-318. from the context of Hinduism. Critical Half 1 The author states in this article that (1): 32-35. modernization has affected the lives of women The author discusses the dowry system and how by increasing women’s involvement in society. it affects the lives of women in India. Due to the misinterpretation of the Hindu texts by the Tomalin, Emma. 2007. Gender Studies British, dowry has become something that it was Approaches to the Relationships between not meant to be. Initially, dowry was supposed to Religion and Development. Working Paper 8. be money given to the bride by her father to be This is a literature review of the impact of used in a time of difficulty. Instead, it is now seen religion on social differences between the sexes. as something the father must give to the groom The main themes are religion portrayed as an and his family to take care of his daughter.

100 CULTURE MATTERS Link: http://www.womenforwomen.org/ UNESCO is developing a cultural diversity downloads/CHJournalv1.pdf lens. It will use the lens to identify the gaps and shortcomings of a project or programme Winter, Bronwyn. 2002. Religion, culture and and develop appropriate indicators for the women’s human rights: Some general political promotion of cultural diversity. and theoretical considerations. Women’s Link: http://www.unescobkk.org/index.php Studies International Forum 29 (4): 381-393. ?id=2529 Though many countries endorse women’s rights, such rights are rarely implemented. Since the UNESCO. The Cultural Diversity Programming majority of those promoting human rights are Lens Toolkit. men, women’s rights have often been given less This toolkit is designed to help implement preference or ignored. Winter supports her the cultural diversity lens. It contains a argument with examples of various conventions general introduction and a step-by-step in which religious text and religious practices guide on how to develop and use the cultural have interfered in giving women their full rights. diversity lens. Link: http://www.unescobkk.org/fileadmin/ user_upload/culture/Cultural_lens/CDPL_ Toolkits Toolkit-August_Workshop.pdf Kettle, C.K., and Saul Libby. 2006. Guidelines for Managing the Integration of Culture into UNESCO. 1995. The Cultural Dimension of Development Programmes. Development: Towards a Practical Approach. The ASEAN Foundation worked with SEAMEO- Paris: UNESCO Publishing. SPAFA, the Regional Centre for Archaeology and Constructed as a how-to manual, this book Fine Arts, to produce this toolkit—a guide to provides information on incorporating cultural integrating culture into development programs. factors into development programmes. It shows Link: http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwt.nsf/ the links that exist between culture and db900SID/OCHA-6EXCYY/$File/SEAMEO_ development in order to identify the common guidelines.pdf?OpenElement methodological aspects of development.

Lux, Steven, and Kristine Greenaway. 2006. UNESCO. 1997. A Cultural Approach to Scaling up Effective Partnerships: A Guide to Development: Planning Manual, Concepts and Working with Faith-based Organisations in the Tools. Paris: UNESCO Publishing. Response to HIV and AIDS. This practical tool, a complement to The Cultural Co-produced by Church World Service, the Dimension of Development: Towards a Practical Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance, Norwegian Approach, is aimed at development planners Church Aid, UNAIDS and the World Conference and practitioners to help them better integrate of Religions for Peace, this toolkit is designed to local customs into their planning. improve partnerships and collaborations with FBOs in the fight against HIV and AIDS. UNESCO. 2005. Faith in Action: Working Toward Link: http://www.e-alliance.ch/media/ the Millennium Development Goals: An Action media-6695.pdf Toolkit for Religious Leaders and Communities. This toolkit was created in response to UNESCO. Cultural Diversity Lens. religious leaders asking what they can do in To ensure that cultural diversity is addressed the endeavour to achieve the MDGs. After at all stages of project implementation, presenting all eight goals, the manual

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 101 provides tools on how to enlist the support recognize the complex social, cultural and and participation of communities by economic factors in HIV prevention, and to advocating for the MDGs and mobilizing to partner with FBOs to address them. The take action to achieve them. ultimate goal is to advance the ICPD agenda Link: http://www.wcrp.org/files/ and reverse the spread of HIV. English%20African%20MDG%20toolkit.pdf Link: http://www.unfpa.org/publications/ detail.cfm?ID=337&filterListType= UNFPA. 2007. Engaging Faith-based Organizations in HIV Prevention. A Training UNICEF. 2003. What Religious Leaders Can Do Manual for Programme Managers. about HIV/AIDS: Action for Children and Young UNFPA has embarked on a number of joint People. initiatives with FBOs to address the spread of This publication was developed after members HIV and to fight the stigma often directed of the African Religious Leaders’ Assembly on towards people living with the virus. Dialogue Children and HIV/AIDS asked for information on and partnership with FBOs have yielded how to help children tackle HIV and AIDS. The results that have been mutually beneficial to manual contains tools and resources useful to UNFPA and religious institutions, and, most religious leaders working on HIV and AIDS at important, have improved the lives of the the community level. people they serve. This training manual aims Link: http://www.unicef.org/ to encourage policymakers, programmers in Religious_leaders_Aids.pdf the field and development practitioners to

102 CULTURE MATTERS Appendix A. Matrix of Case Studies

FBO Mapping Chart

Region: AFRICA

Issues Target Country Religion Project name Partnerships Activities Duration addressed Groups

Botswana Evangelical ASRH Campaigns in Botswana Council of Advocacy: Forums, Adolescent 2005-2006 Youth the Church Churches, community, educa- sexual and Evangelical tional institutions, reproduc- Fellowship of media Capacity- tive health Botswana, building: Religious (SRH); HIV Organization of leaders and AIDS; African Independent maternal Churches mortality Democratic Catholicism Reinforced Capacity Congregation of the Advocacy: Elderly May-June Elderly Republic of to Protect Older Little Sisters of the Community health 2005 people the Congo Persons Poor Eritrea Islam, Care and Support for Orthodox Advocacy: Reproductive December People liv- Catholicism, People Living with Patriarchate, Islamic Forums/committees health (RH); 2001-June ing with Evangelical, HIV and AIDS Mufti Office, HIV and 2005 HIV and Orthodox Catholic Secretariat, AIDS; mor- AIDS Evangelical Church bidity and mortality

Ethiopia Orthodox N/A Churches Capacity-building: HIV and N/A N/A Religious leaders AIDS; gender Ghana* Catholicism, Strengthening Ties Supreme Muslim Advocacy: Adolescent 2001-2006 Religious Protestantism, with a Religious Council; churches; Community; data SRH; gen- leaders, Islam Network in Ghana Planned Parenthood gathering and der equality; professional that Promotes Association (NGO) research; media and HIV and personnel, Interfaith information AIDS; fami- youth Understanding and Capacity-building: ly planning; Better Prospects for Mobilization of reli- population Youth gious leaders and and demo- resources; training graphics the trainers

Ghana Catholicism, Liberating Slaves and International Needs Advocacy: SRH 4 years N/A Protestantism, Changing Minds Ghana Community Islam Capacity-building: Training the trainers Madagascar Protestantism, Strengthening the Lutheran and Advocacy: Adolescent 2005-2009 Health Lutheran Reproductive Health Protestant Churches Community RH, family staff, youth, Activities Capacity-building: planning, men Religious leaders, HIV and health clinics, train- AIDS, ing the trainers overall RH

* Data from the 2004 UNFPA publication. Culture Matters: Working with Communities and Faith-based Organizations and Working from Within: Culturally Sensitive Approaches in UNFPA Programming.

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 103 Region: AFRICA

Issues Target Country Religion Project name Partnerships Activities Duration addressed Groups

Malawi* Catholicism Partnering with Government; Advocacy: Media SRH and N/A Religious Religious, Cultural Scripture Union of and information rights; HIV leaders, pro- and Faith-based Malawi, Christian Capacity-building: and AIDS fessional Institutions: An Hospitals Mobilization of reli- health Underutilized Force Association of gious leaders and personnel in the Fight against Malawi, Catholic resources; training HIV and AIDS Development the trainers; health Commission, clinics Christian Council of Malawi, Fertility Awareness Support Unit of the Catholic Church (FBOs) Mauritania Islam UNFPA Country Ulemma and imam Advocacy: Forums Capacity- RH and N/A Office in Mauritania associations building: rights; gen- Religious der; family leaders planning Niger Islam N/A N/A Capacity-building: Population N/A N/A Religious leaders and demo- graphics Rwanda Islam, RWA03P04-RH in Religions against Advocacy: Capacity- SRH and May- Catholicism Imidugudu AIDS (FBO); Communities building: rights; gen- December Catholic, Religious der; family 2006 Protestant, and leaders planning; Islamic HIV and religious groups AIDS Senegal Islam, N/A Islamic community Advocacy: Capacity- RH; family 2004- Christianity Community building: planning; ongoing? Religious gender; HIV leaders and AIDS; maternal and infant mortality Sierra Christianity Getting at the Roots Women in Crisis Advocacy: Capacity- Gender- 2001-Present Leone** of “Survival Sex” Movement (FBO), Community building: based vio- NEWMAP (women Resource lence parliamentarians mobiliza- (GBV), HIV and ministers) tion, reli- and AIDS, gious lead- adolescent ers, training reproductive the trainers and sexual health (ASRH)

Sierra Leone Christianity Integration of Pastors and other Advocacy: Capacity- RH; HIV and Ongoing Reproductive Health religious leaders in Community building: AIDS in Faith Clinics the church Religious leaders, resource mobilization

* Data from the 2004 UNFPA publication. Culture Matters: Working with Communities and Faith-based Organizations and Working from Within: Culturally Sensitive Approaches in UNFPA Programming ** Data from the 2007 UNFPA publication. Programming to Address Violence Against Women

104 CULTURE MATTERS Region: AFRICA

Issues Target Country Religion Project name Partnerships Activities Duration addressed Groups

Sierra Leone Islam Islamic Network for Churches, imams, Advocacy: Forums Capacity- RH and 2005- Reproductive Health sheiks; Islamic building: rights; fami- ongoing? and Population women’s Religious ly planning; Development organizations leaders gender; Promotion in Sierra (FBOs) female geni- Leone tal mutila- tion/cutting (FGM/C); HIV and AIDS

Uganda* Islam Partnering with Muslim Supreme Advocacy: Capacity- RH and 1995- Uganda’s Muslim Council Community; building: rights ongoing Community for forums; media and Religious Better Reproductive information leaders, Health training the trainers, health clinics Uganda* Islam Winning Support Sabiny Elders Advocacy: RH and 1995-? Religious and from Some of Association (NGO), Community; forums; rights; HIV indigenous Uganda’s Custodians Kinkizi Diocese media and informa- and AIDS; leaders, of Culture: Elders, Church of Uganda, tion Capacity-build- family plan- youth, Bishops and Kings Bunyoro and Tooro ing: Religious lead- ning; gen- women, kingdoms ers, training the der equali- government trainers ty; FGM/C officials

Uganda Islam, Inter-Religious Catholic, Anglican Advocacy: Forums, Adolescent 2001-ongo- Religious Catholicism, Council of Uganda and Orthodox community and overall ing leaders and Anglican, (IRCU) churches; Uganda Capacity-building: RH; gender organizations Orthodox Muslim Supreme Religious leaders equality; Council HIV and AIDS Zimbabwe Christianity N/A Churches Capacity-building: HIV N/A N/A Religious leaders

* Data from the 2004 UNFPA publication. Culture Matters: Working with Communities and Faith-based Organizations and Working from Within: Culturally Sensitive Approaches in UNFPA Programming

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 105 Region: ARAB STATES, EASTERN EUROPE, CENTRAL ASIA

Issues Country Religion Project name Partnerships Activities Duration Target groups addressed

Algeria Islam N/A Government Capacity-building: STIs; HIV N/A Religious (Ministry of Religious leaders, and AIDS leaders Religious Affairs) training the (imams), trainers youth

Armenia Christianity Third-Party World Vision Capacity-building: SRH; HIV September Communities Procurement of Armenia (FBO) Resource and AIDS 2005-June Condoms mobilization 2006

Armenia Christianity Joint Project on Indirect partner- Advocacy SRH; HIV July- N/A HIV and AIDS ship through NGO and AIDS October Capacity-Building/ with Lori Marz 2007 Prevention (region) Diocese of Armenian Apostolic Church

Azerbaijan Islam, N/A Local mosques Capacity-building: RH, HIV 2 years N/A Zoroastrianism Forums/ committees

Egypt Islam Advocacy of Al-Azhar Advocacy: RH; HIV; January Religious Reproductive University, Educational population 2005- leaders Health in the International institutions; media and demo- December Context of Islam Islamic Centre and information graphics; 2006 for Population Capacity-building: gender Studies and Religious leaders equality Research; government

Eastern Orthodox, N/A UNICEF, World Advocacy: Data Gender N/A N/A Europe Christianity Bank gathering and equality research

Georgia Orthodox, N/A Government, Advocacy: Forums RH, family N/A Communities Christianity NGOs, churches planning

Georgia Orthodox, N/A Government, Advocacy RH, family 2006-2007 N/A Christianity churches, media planning

Jordan Islam N/A Mosques, Capacity-building: RH N/A Religious religious leaders Religious leaders leaders

Kosovo Catholicism, N/A Catholic Church, Capacity-building: RH N/A Religious Islam Office of the Religious leaders leaders Mufti for Pristina, UNICEF, govern- ment (Ministry of Health)

Kosovo Islam Cairo Workshop Religious leaders, Capacity-building: RH N/A Religious on Population and Senior Member of Religious leaders leaders, Islam Kosovo’s parlia- culture ment, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Islamic Studies

Kyrgyzstan Islam Reproductive State Commission Advocacy: Forums RH and 2001-2005 Youth, Health Programme on Religious Capacity-building: rights; women, Affairs; Clerical Religious leaders family communities Department of planning; Muslims; gender Mutakalim equality (women’s FBO)

106 CULTURE MATTERS Region: ARAB STATES, EASTERN EUROPE, CENTRAL ASIA

Issues Country Religion Project name Partnerships Activities Duration Target groups addressed

Kyrgyzstan Islam Reproductive State Agency on Capacity-building, SRH and 2001-2007 Youth, Health Religious Affairs; advocacy, social rights; fami- women, Programme Clerical mobilization, ly planning; Muslim Department of training HIV preven- religious Muslims; tion and communities, Mutakalim AIDS treat- Muslim (women’s FBO) ment; social religious and its regional mobilization leaders branches; Kyrgyz on SRH and Family Planning reproduc- Alliance (NGO) tive rights; gender equality

Lebanon Islam, N/A Religious leaders Advocacy: Media SRH 4 years Youth Christianity Oman Islam N/A Government Capacity-building: RH and 3 years N/A Religious leaders rights; gender; HIV

Occupied Islam IEC in Support of Department of Capacity-building: RH, GBV N/A Sharia Palestinian Reproductive Family Training the department Territories Health Counselling and trainers officials, reli- Reconciliation in gious leaders Sharia Courts

Sudan Islam N/A Religious leaders Capacity-building: RH N/A N/A Religious leaders

Syria Islam Awareness Ministry of Advocacy: Media RH, family 2003-2006 Religious Creation Among Islamic Affairs Capacity-building: planning, leaders (e.g., Decision-Makers (Awqaf ) Religious leaders gender imams) and Opinion Leaders Tajikistan Islam Enhanced Islamic University Advocacy: RH and 2005-2009 Religious Availability of of Tajikistan; Educational insti- rights; fami- leaders, Quality and Government tutions, communi- ly planning; youth, NGO Gender-Sensitive Religious ty Capacity-build- HIV and workers Reproductive Committee; Safe ing: Religious lead- AIDS Health Services Motherhood ers, training the (NGO) trainers

Yemen* Islam Opening the Door Ministry of Advocacy: SRH; HIV 2002 Religious to Reproductive Islamic Affairs Community; media and AIDS; leaders, Health in Yemen (Awqaf ) and and information family plan- youth Religious Capacity-building: ning Guidance Mobilization of religious leaders and resources Yemen Islam Reproductive Seminar for Advocacy: Forums, RH, gender, 4 years Religious Health, Family Islamic Youth in community youth, family leaders, Planning Riyadh, World Capacity-building: planning, youth Islamic Council for Strengthening the FGM/C Advocacy and structures, training Rescue the trainers

* Data from the 2004 UNFPA publications Culture Matters: Working with Communities and Faith-based Organizations and Working from Within: Culturally Sensitive Approaches in UNFPA Programming

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 107 Region: ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Issues Country Religion Project name Partnerships Activities Duration Target groups addressed

Bangladesh Islam, Involvement of Religious leaders Capacity-building: RH and 1998-2005 Religious Hinduism, Religious Leaders (imams, monks, Religious leaders rights; HIV leaders Buddhism in Human etc.) and AIDS; Resource gender Development equality

Bangladesh N/A Challenging Age- Ministry of Advocacy: GBV; RH 2003-2005 Women, Old Views on Women’s and Community and rights; youth Violence Against Children’s Affairs Capacity-building: HIV and Women (from the Religious leaders, AIDS 2007 UNFPA training the trainers publication Programming to Address Violence Against Women)

Cambodia* Buddhism Tapping the Religious leaders Advocacy: RH and 2002-? Youth Potential of (Buddhist monks Community, data rights; HIV Buddhist Monks and nuns); ; gathering and and AIDS; and Nuns to Halt Pharmaciens sans research Capacity- gender the Spread of HIV Frontières Save building: Religious equality and AIDS the Children leaders Australia (inter- national NGOs); Women’s Organization for Modern Economy and Nursing, Operation Enfants de Battambang (local NGOs)

India Hinduism, Faith for Action Art of Living Advocacy: Forums, RH, gender 8 months Religious Islam, against Sex Foundation media Capacity- leaders, Sikhism, Selection building: Religious women, Jainism leaders, resource men, youth mobilization

India N/A Restoring the Sex Ministry of Advocacy: Sex selec- 2 years Community Ratio in India* Health and Family Community tion, RH, Welfare gender

Iran* Islam Moving the ICPD Government Advocacy: RH and N/A Religious Programme of (Ministry of Community; edu- rights; leaders, Action Forward Health, Ministry cational institu- gender women, through Patience of Education); tions; data gather- equality; men, youth, and an Enabling Centre for ing and research; family indigenous Environment Women’s media and infor- planning minorities Participation, mation Capacity- other women’s building: Training NGOs the trainers

Lao PDR Buddhism N/A NGOs Community HIV and N/A N/A AIDS

108 CULTURE MATTERS Region: ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Issues Country Religion Project name Partnerships Activities Duration Target groups addressed

Malaysia Islam Promoting Federation of Advocacy: Adolescent 1998-2004 Youth Adolescent Family Planning Community SRH Reproductive Associations, Health and Malaysia (NGO); Healthy Living JAKIM/Departme nt of Islamic Development Malaysia (FBO) Maldives Islam N/A N/A Religious leaders RH; popula- N/A N/A tion and demograph- ics

Pacific Island Christianity UNFPA Fiji Council for Advocacy: Adolescent Ongoing Youth, Countries Partnership with Social Services, Community, edu- SRH; HIV women FBOs in the Pacific Pacific Council of cational institu- and AIDS; Island Countries Churches, tions Capacity- gender Christian schools building: Religious equality leaders, resource mobilization, health clinics

Pakistan Islam Ulemma Heads of religious Advocacy: Forums Population 2004-2008 Religious Conference schools, religious Capacity-building: and devel- leaders leaders, govern- Religious leaders opment ment (Ministry of Population Welfare)

Papua New Catholicism, Adolescent Marie Stopes Advocacy: Adolescent 5 years Women, Guinea Protestantism Reproductive and International Educational insti- SRH; HIV youth, Sexual Health Australia (NGO), tutions Capacity- and AIDS; religious University of building: Religious gender leaders Papua New leaders, training equality Guinea the trainers

Philippines Islam, Interfaith Philippine Advocacy: RH; popula- 2003-2006 Religious Protest- Partnership Legislators’ Forums/commit- tion and leaders, antism Development Committee on tees Capacity- demograph- FBOs Population and building: Resource ics; family Development mobilization planning Foundation

Sri Lanka Buddhism, Support for Sarvodaya (NGO) Advocacy: RH, gender, 2002-2007 Religious Christianity, Advocacy for Community GBV leaders Hinduism, Reproductive Capacity-building: Islam Health and Gender Religious leaders

Thailand Islam N/A Planned Advocacy: RH N/A N/A Parenthood Community Association of Capacity-building: Thailand Religious leaders Timor-Leste Catholicism, The Provision of Caritas Dili, Advocacy: Forums, Family 2006-2007 Health staff, Protestantism Natural Family Pastoral da Saude, educational institu- planning; religious Planning and Christian tions Capacity- RH; HIV leaders Reproductive Connection for building: Religious and AIDS; Health Training International leaders, training population and Services Health (FBOs); the trainers and Health Alliance development International (NGO); govern- ment (Ministry of Health)

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 109 Region: LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN

Region:Latin Issues America and Religion Project name Partnerships Activities Duration Target groups addressed Caribbean

Brazil* Catholicism Information and Pastoral da Advocacy: Forums, Adolescent 3 years Youth Communication/ Criança (FBO) community RH, family Pastoral da Criança planning

Brazil Catholicism Amigas das Catholics for a Advocacy: RH, gender March-July Women, Católicas Free Choice Community; 2005 Catholics, media and infor- other mation Capacity- religious building: Resource communities mobilization

Colombia Catholicism Sexual and Catholic Church; Capacity-building: SRH, gender 5 years Women’s Reproductive Corporation for Training the train- equality and youth Health in the Development and ers, strengthening organiza- Magdalena Medio Peace (FBO) the structures tions; SRH Region service providers and civil servants; conflict- affected populations

Ecuador* Evangelical N/A Centro Integral de Advocacy: Forums SRH, gender N/A Evangelical la Familia (NGO) Capacity-building: equality religious Religious leaders, leaders; training the organizations trainers and educational systems Guatemala* Catholicism, Pursuing Episcopal Advocacy: RH; mater- 2001 Religious Evangelical Advocacy and Conference, Community, nal and leaders Consensus-building Catholic and forums; data gath- infant mor- in Guatemala, Evangelical ering and tality; popu- Leading to a Churches; research; media lation and New Law on Coordinating and information demograph- Reproductive Committee of Capacity-building: ics Health Agricultural, Religious leaders, Commercial, training the Industrial and trainers Financial Associations

Guatemala Evangelical Alianza Evangelica Alianza Advocacy: Media Family 2004-2006 Rural and de Guatemala Evangelica de and information; planning; indigenous Guatemala, data gathering and RH rights; women and NGOs research Capacity- maternal families building: Religious and infant leaders, training mortality the trainers

* Data from the 2004 UNFPA publications Culture Matters: Working with Communities and Faith-based Organizations and Working from Within: Culturally Sensitive Approaches in UNFPA Programming

110 CULTURE MATTERS Region: LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN

Region:Latin Issues America and Religion Project name Partnerships Activities Duration Target groups addressed Caribbean

Honduras Catholicism, Strengthened Government Advocacy: Forums, HIV and 2004- Women, Evangelical, Response to HIV (Ministry of committees AIDS ongoing youth, Episcopalian, and AIDS in Health), church- families Adventist Vulnerable es, educational Populations in institutions Honduras

Mexico Evangelical Umbrella of 1998 Latin American Advocacy: Family plan- 1998 N/A Council of Community ning, RH Churches and rights

Mexico Lutheran Proyecto Estatal Iglesia Luterana Capacity-building: RH, gender 2000 Indigenous de Cooperacion- de Mexico, gov- Health clinics community Puebla ernment (State Secretary of Health and State Council on Population)

Mexico Catholicism Desarollo de Ayuda y Advocacy: SRH 3 years Adolescent Habilidades para la Solidaridad con Community girls Hida en Niñas que las Niñas de la han sido Calle (FBO) Rescatadas de la Situacion de Calle

Nicaragua Catholicism Strengthening of Fe y Alegría Capacity-building: RH January Catholic Schools Joined to (FBO), religious Training the 2004- school Fe y Alegría on congregations trainers December directors and Sexuality 2006 teachers Education Matters

Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations 111 © UNFPA 2008