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  • Religion and Global Affairs: The Role of Religion in Development
  • Judith A. Mayotte (bio)

With diminishing government involvement in social programs at home and development aid abroad, the importance of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) is increasing. NGOs with a religious orientation have the potential for making significant contributions in the development arena. Indeed, they may prove to be the most effective and lasting of development agencies.

Throughout history, religion’s role in society extends along a spectrum from full integration in political, cultural, and civic life to the total banishment of religion and the persecution of its followers. Recently, under the rubric of human rights, the United States Department of State has established an Advisory Committee on Religious Freedom Abroad. Their mandate is to work for religious freedom throughout the globe. Another arena that the U.S. government has recognized is the role of religion in development.

The rise of faith-based development organizations stems from the retrenchment of government from international assistance, as well as the devolution of welfare programs from the federal government to the state. At the close of World War II, the U.S. government was very much involved in the reconstruction of Europe through the Marshall Plan. The U.S. federal government became involved in poverty issues at home through the programs created by the New Deal and the Great Society. This is no longer the case. Less than 1 percent of the U.S. federal budget is allocated to foreign aid. Among the industrialized nations, this is the lowest percentage of GDP allocated to foreign assistance. The current [End Page 65] climate in Congress is to cut more and move further away from international involvement. Domestically, the U.S. federal government is increasingly handing responsibilities and decision-making prerogatives to state and local governments. Recent welfare reform legislation consequently reduces federal involvement to merely an oversight role in fifty newly created state programs. In addition, the new legislation includes a “charitable choice” provision, which assumes that churches will take up a significant portion of the government funding previously allocated to development initiatives.

At the same time, grassroots movements and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have gained currency. The importance of local and international NGOs increases as government-to-government aid decreases and welfare reform within the United States becomes operative. NGOs have emerged not simply to fill a vacuum but to lead the development community in new directions. They are often founded and usually run by local residents. Such NGOs enhance and promote local action and people-centered development. By empowering people at the community level to accept responsibility for themselves and build their capacity to take advantage of opportunities, dependence is diminished and genuine social change is more likely to occur.

NGOs and organizations with a religious orientation have the potential for making significant contributions to development. They may even prove to be the most effective and lasting of the development agencies. Whether within the blighted inner cores of this nation’s cities or in the most remote village of the least developed nation in the world, the presence of religious figures is constant. Their staying power, commitment, and immersion into the community give them an in-depth perspective and understanding of local people and issues.

Religious organizations are moving to the forefront of the development field, particularly in the health and human development sectors. Such organizations also play a significant role in agriculture, environmental preservation, micro-credit, and the media. In fact, with governments cutting back their role in development, it is quite plausible that faith-based organizations may become the single major sector financing and promoting development efforts. These organizations can operate at every level of society and often are the only constant presence in a community. Their personnel may be the last development experts respected by [End Page 66] the public. To meet ever increasing development needs, religious humanitarians are emerging from the confines of their institutions to address the problems of poverty. They are forming coalitions and alliances with other neighborhood associations and civic groups to meet the needs of their communities. The core values of religious groups which often transcend social, political, and economic issues of a community, can...

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