Faiths in Development

Director: Professor Carole Rakodi

International Development Department, School of Public Policy, University of Birmingham

Website: www.rad.bham.ac.uk

Taking faiths seriously: understanding the relationships between values and beliefs, societies, states and development

Through interdisciplinary research, the Research Programme Consortia (RPC) will develop the shared concepts and analytical tools we currently lack in order to improve understanding of relationships between faiths and development. It will enable positive dialogue between development partners to facilitate achievement of development goals, especially the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Interconnected projects will generate new knowledge on:

• relationships between religious values and beliefs and the actions of individuals and social groups
• commonalities and differences between religious values and those underlying contemporary development theory and practice
• dynamic inter-relationships between religious organisations and states, societies and economies, focusing on new alignments between faiths, politics, governance and development
• conceptions of security and the role of faith communities in post-conflict reconstruction and development.

Research will be based in comparative analysis of world faiths (especially Christianity, Islam and Hinduism, but also Buddhism, Sikhism and traditional belief systems) across Africa and Asia, with a focus on Nigeria, Tanzania, India and Pakistan. Select additional cases will enrich the research's international comparative dimensions. Engagement with international agencies, governments and non-governmental users, especially faith groups, at international, national and local levels, will drive the research, provide audiences for the findings and create opportunities for outputs to ease dialogue and collaboration.

Last updated: 25 November 2005