Religion and Humanitarianism
Elena Fiddian-Qasmiyeh
Since the 2000s in particular, humanitarian actors and agencies have begun to investigate the implications of religion for humanitarian assistance and development. Due to the informal and decentralized nature of much faith-based assistance, it remains difficult to establish precisely how much humanitarian work is undertaken by locally-based religious communities, ranging from providing shelter during an emergency, mediating conflict or facilitating transitional and durable solutions for displaced populations. Indeed, the interplay between religion and modern humanitarianism can be complex. Key questions include whether the involvement of local faith communities and both national and international religious groups in humanitarianism necessarily contravenes basic humanitarian principles such as impartiality, independence and neutrality? Furthermore, are religious actors and stakeholders a sector present in virtually all humanitarian contexts that must therefore be constructively engaged with? This resource summary has been prepared in conjunction with the RSC/JLI Working Paper, "Local Faith Communities (LFCs) and the promotion of resilience in humanitarian situations", and aims to provide an introduction to this increasingly debated issue. The summary includes a sample selection of references selected from FMO, and a range of full-text documents, journal articles, web resources and relevant organizations. - See more at: http://www.forcedmigration.org/research-resources/thematic/religion-and-humanitarianism#sthash.Xrf5cX1N.dpuf