Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

Latest event in 2014 series of Westminster Faith Debates asked whether the benefits of engaging religion for development outweigh the dangers

Preview video of the debate

Dr Elena Fiddian-Qasmiyeh took part in the debate alongside Douglas Alexander, Shadow Foreign Secretary and former Secretary of State for International Development; Robert Calderisi, a former director of the World Bank and an author on international aid and development; and Loretta Minghella OBE, Chief Executive of Christian Aid. The debate was chaired by Charles Clarke, former Home Secretary, and Linda Woodhead, Professor of Sociology of Religion at the University of Lancaster.

A majority of the panel speakers agreed with Mr Calderisi's assertion that the role of faith-based organisations in international development is 'not just unobjectionable but also indispensable.' However, Dr Fiddian-Qasmiyeh was more cautious. She emphasised that both secular and religious aid can have negative consequences, and stressed the need for critical evaluation of some particular effects of religious involvement in international development.

Read the debate summary >>

Related content

Elena Fiddian-Qasmiyeh People

Faith-Based Humanitarianism in Contexts of Forced Migration Research

Westminster Faith Debates External