NEW ISSUES IN REFUGEE RESEARCH Research Paper No. 275 Shouting towards the Sky: the role of religious individuals, communities, organisations and institutions in support for refugees and asylum seekers Christine Goodall Email:
[email protected] April 2015 Policy Development and Evaluation Service Policy Development and Evaluation Service United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees P.O. Box 2500, 1211 Geneva 2 Switzerland E-mail:
[email protected] Web Site: www.unhcr.org These papers provide a means for UNHCR staff, consultants, interns and associates, as well as external researchers, to publish the preliminary results of their research on refugee-related issues. The papers do not represent the official views of UNHCR. They are also available online under ‘publications’ at <www.unhcr.org>. ISSN 1020-7473 Shouting towards the sky: the role of religious individuals, communities, organisations and institutions in support for refugees and asylum seekers Introduction Many social scientists see in religious conviction an eclipse of reason, and in religious motivation a constraint of enlightened social behaviour. Buttressing these perspectives is the observation that religious identity and religious differences are often seemingly the sources of prejudice and violence. In much social science literature there is an aversion to treating religion as the basis for progressive social solidarity. (Candland, 2000, p.355-6) Religious people and communities of many different faith traditions have a long history of aid for those in need, including those fleeing war, poverty or persecution. Religious orders and monasteries of various traditions offered places of safety and aid to the poor, and from the 19th century onwards religiously based charities of many different faith backgrounds have become involved in humanitarian assistance of various kinds (Pacitto and Fiddian-Qasmiyeh, 2013; UNHCR, 2013; Ager, 2011; Ferris, 2005).