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It is maintained that religion and socio economic development belong to different spheres and are best cast in separate roles and watertight compartment. However, the large number of Faith Based Organizations (FBOs) and development agencies across the world share a central focus on poor people, concern about patterns of social exclusion, and a searing disappointment in the face of unfulfilled human potential. This common ground ties both communities to the global consensus underlying the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Faith Based Communities of Practice and MDGs

The MDGs, which along with the UN Millennium declaration, was signed by 189 countries in 2000, constitute eight goals oriented towards basic human development. Achieving the MDGs therefore is conducive to a substantial betterment in poor people’s life conditions. The indicators that constitute the MDGs represent many of the most important development objectives, which we have been fighting for over a long time.

Not only do the MDGs translate human development into simple and meaningful objectives, these goals go right to the heart of improving lives of people & address some of the most enduring problems of human sufferings. More importantly, they are achievable goals, dependant only upon political will and citizen’s determination. In substance, they constitute an agenda for eradicating poverty – human poverty not just income poverty – in the world.

Faith leaders and FBOs have always been part of global solutions for human development. They have demonstrated their love and compassion through education and health initiatives. The outreach of FBOs through health and education in India has benefited rural and deprived communities in India. Innovations such as telemedicine in health and ICT in education have linked this deprived community to world..

It is also evident through global experience that faith organizations have tremendous potential to play a critical role in partnerships and coalitions that are needed to confront even greater issues related to human sufferings. For instance Uganda, Thailand and Senegal, are three countries that have witnessed for their courageous and effective efforts related to HIV/AIDS.

Therefore, with the critical importance of knowledge and information as a central vehicle in making a poverty free world, we need to keep the focus on communication. Here, the proposed one-day seminar focuses on following objectives -

• To communicate with one another about what different FBOs are doing,
• To learn form one another about new ways of reaching out to the disadvantaged and deprived.
• To create a Community of Practice (CoP) of FBOs and networks so as to provide a platform for working towards common objectives that link to the MDGs

This is a wonderful opportunity to pursue the multi-sector and multi-stakeholder dialogue that this unique set of challenges entails. We are convinced that the Faith Based Communities of Practice have vital contributions to make on each MDG and we are to explore & facilitate partnerships and initiatives that will enhance and support them.

For more information contact:

Satyavir Chakrapani Kowledge Coordinator- Poverty & Hunger One World South Asia C-5, Qutub Institutional Area, New Delhi-110016 Phone-91-011-51689000,Ext.123 Fax-51689001

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