• About us
  • GSDRC Publications
  • Research Helpdesk
  • E-Learning
  • E-Bulletin

GSDRC

Governance, social development, conflict and humanitarian knowledge services

  • Governance
    • Democracy & elections
    • Public sector management
    • Security & justice
    • Service delivery
    • State-society relations
    • Supporting economic development
  • Social Development
    • Gender
    • Inequalities & exclusion
    • Poverty & wellbeing
    • Social protection
  • Humanitarian Issues
    • Humanitarian financing
    • Humanitarian response
    • Recovery & reconstruction
    • Refugees/IDPs
    • Risk & resilience
  • Conflict
    • Conflict analysis
    • Conflict prevention
    • Conflict response
    • Conflict sensitivity
    • Impacts of conflict
    • Peacebuilding
  • Development Pressures
    • Climate change
    • Food security
    • Fragility
    • Migration & diaspora
    • Population growth
    • Urbanisation
  • Approaches
    • Complexity & systems thinking
    • Institutions & social norms
    • PEA / Thinking & working politically
    • Results-based approaches
    • Rights-based approaches
    • Theories of change
  • Aid Instruments
    • Budget support & SWAps
    • Capacity building
    • Civil society partnerships
    • Multilateral aid
    • Private sector partnerships
    • Technical assistance
  • M&E
    • M&E approaches
    • Indicators
    • Learning
Home»GSDRC Publications»Faith-based organisations and current development debates

Faith-based organisations and current development debates

Helpdesk Report
  • Rachel Cooper
June 2020

Question

Please provide a brief synthesis of the role of faith-based organisations in civil society

Summary

This report provides a brief synthesis of the role of faith-based organisations in civil society. Faith-based organisations (FBOs) became more prominent in donor agendas, international development and academic research in the 1990s. There has been an increase in the number of FBOs from the 1980s onwards in response to neo-liberal policies in many countries, which resulted in the withdrawal of the state from social service provision; the evolving role of diasporas funding service provision in their countries of origin; and also more recently in response to the rise and salience of identity politics. Limited engagement between Western donor governments and development organisations on the one hand, and FBOs on the other, in the post-war period, was based on assumptions that as societies became more ‘developed’ or ‘modern’ they would become more secular. However, FBOs began to receive increasing attention from donors and development policy in the 1990s due to several developments. These developments illustrate increasing awareness that FBOs can be important agents of social change. Christian and Muslim FBOs are the most widely studied in the literature, hence this synthesis largely draws on examples from these two groups.

file type icon See Full Report [405 KB]

Enquirer:

  • DFID

Suggested citation

Cooper, R. (2019). Faith-Based Organisations and current development debates. K4D Helpdesk
Report 624. Brighton, UK: Institute of Development Studies

Related Content

Trends in Conflict and Stability in the Indo-Pacific
Literature Review
2020
Responding to popular protests in the MENA region
Helpdesk Report
2020
Support for civil society engagement in peace processes
Helpdesk Report
2019
Civil Society and Accountability in Rwanda
Helpdesk Report
2019
birminghamids hcri

gro.crdsg@seiriuqne Feedback Disclaimer

Outputs supported by FCDO are © Crown Copyright 2021; outputs supported by the Australian Government are © Australian Government 2021; and outputs supported by the European Commission are © European Union 2021
Connect with us: facebooktwitter

Outputs supported by DFID are © DFID Crown Copyright 2021; outputs supported by the Australian Government are © Australian Government 2021; and outputs supported by the European Commission are © European Union 2021

We use cookies to remember settings and choices, and to count visitor numbers and usage trends. These cookies do not identify you personally. By using this site you indicate agreement with the use of cookies. For details, click "read more" and see "use of cookies".OkRead more