Topic 5: Aid organistions
Working with Faith Based Organisations (FBO’s)
Christian Blind Mission, Tanzania
Source: http://www.cbm.org.au/content/news/10-million-cataract-operations
Post 9/11, working with religious and Faith Based Organisations (FBOs) is now a more commonly accepted experience for international humanitarian actors, including in conflict-affected areas where most social structures and other support structures are considerably weakened. Indeed, FBOs usually possess several distinct advantages, the most common being:
- Close and often permanent contact with the grassroots communities, and
- Potential influence on the national and local authorities.
FBOs have played a key role in numerous peace building, mediation and conflict resolution processes because of their standing in local communities. In other words, working with religious organisations is especially relevant in regions and communities where religion plays a significant role in public life, and where the involvement of religious actors and the respect of religious values are vital.
Considering the potential impacts of FBOs, many of the contributors recommended that international actors and the UN system should focus on building long-term relationships, getting to know the religious organisations and building mutual trust and capacities. Moreover, the local knowledge of FBOs can help the international community to contextualise programs for local conditions and needs. Recent research conducted by World Vision, the Overseas Development Institute and Tearfund on the collaboration between humanitarian organisations and faith based communities recommends the following basic principles for cooperation with FBOs:
- knowing your partner before the emergency;
- creating common ground;
- working on mutual understanding;
- adapting to the particularities of organisation, and
- assessing capacities.
However, it is crucial for international actors to have a good understanding of the socio-political context and to be able to understand the social forces behind the FBOs. Two important factors should be taken into consideration:
- Perceptions of impartiality of FBOs and the different interests that guide their activities (these can include a range of religious, ideological, ethnic, commercial or similar interests).
- The dialogue between international actors and religion-based organisations needs to be efficient and to avoid the pitfall of well-intentioned activities being sidelined into irrelevance. In other words, cooperation with FBOs should be linked to the wider socio-political context or local conflict dynamics.
The close relations between the FBOs and the local communities, as well as the confidence, ethics and equity images of the FBOs, make them key actors to convey and spread information on initiatives. UNDP has, for example, been working with FBOs in Rwanda to promote decentralised environmental management activities. They may also convey key peace messages, often connected to religious scripture, thus making such messages acceptable to people. Moreover, religious organisations are often the first port of call for the most vulnerable groups during emergencies.
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Locate five humanitarian aid agencies and in the table below enter the purpose of their involvement in complex emergencies.
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