September 2007
Vol. 25, No. 9
InterAction

Andrea Barron
Thu Cao
Suzanne Kindervatter

InterAction
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Suite 210
Washington, DC 20036

Monday Developments is published 12
times a year by InterAction, the largest
alliance o\ue002 U.S.-based international
development and humanitarian

more than 160 members operating in
every developing country, we work
to overcome poverty, exclusion and
su\ue001ering by advancing social justice and
basic dignity \ue002or all.

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Over 40 InterAction members identi\ue000y themselves as \u201c\ue000aith-based\u201d or \u201c\ue000aith-\ue000ounded.\u201d In partnership with \ue000aith communities around the world, these organizations play important roles in tackling poverty around the world. This issue \ue000ocuses on the challenges and successes o\ue000 bridging the \ue000aith and development communities in the fght \ue000or social justice and peace.

(Cover) courtesy o\ue001 istockphoto.com; (Above) courtesy o\ue001 courtesy
o\ue001 ENS/Alex Dyer; istockphoto.com; Kay Chernush/U.S. State
Department; Jean Du\ue001\ue001

pproximately one-third o\ue001 InterAction\u2019s members identi\ue001y themselves as \u201c\ue001aith-based\u201d or \u201c\ue001aith-\ue001ounded.\u201d Along with

communities around the world, these organizations play important roles in advancing development, alleviating su\ue001\ue001ering and promoting peace. This issue recognizes the unique perspectives and contributions these organizations bring to this work.

We read in the newspapers how divisions in \ue001aith are pulling the world apart. This obscures the countless positive and success\ue001ul initiatives o\ue001 \ue001aith-based organizations globally, \ue001rom community- based malaria eradication programs to con\ue000ict resolution e\ue001\ue001orts on the international level.

There is a long history o\ue001 the \ue001aith-based development community and the secular development

working together both within InterAction and in the feld. To expand and \ue001urther leverage these relationships, we need to understand and appreciate what our respective communities bring to the table. Katherine Marshall, Senior Fellow at the Berkley Center \ue001or Religion at Georgetown University, has written extensively on \ue001aith in the fght against poverty, and has an article in this issue. Ms. Marshall has \ue001ound particular advantages o\ue001 \ue001aith-based organizations through her eight years o\ue001 work on a project global program to help promote

dialogue and partnership between development and \ue001aith institutions. Faith communities exist in all parts o\ue001 the world, and their engagement with communities is typically long-term. The organizations have built a presence and established trust in the places they work. In addition, \ue001aith communities are already actively engaged in almost every aspect o\ue001 development and humanitarian assistance, giving them insights into what may be e\ue001\ue001ective or not e\ue001\ue001ective in specifc areas.

Another area o\ue001 expertise is their presence in con\ue000ict-a\ue001\ue001ected countries and their leadership in con\ue000ict resolution. They bring ethics and values to development work, such as in the fght against apartheid in South A\ue001rica.

Finally, \ue001aith communities have shown they can mobilize constituents \ue001or a global agenda. The Jubilee 2000 campaign against burdensome country debt is a good example.

There is much solid experience to build upon as we seek to create new and dynamic partnerships needed to achieve breakthroughs \ue001or ending poverty and securing peace. The promise o\ue001 the Millennium Development Goals and halving poverty by 2015 could be within our reach. To meet these challenges and opportunities, the \ue001aith and development communities clearly need each other. Toward this end, I encourage both the \ue001aith-based and secular communities to broaden their understanding o\ue001 the unique contributions each brings to their work and to fnd new ways o\ue001 building common cause \ue001or the greater common good.