January 30, 2009

Consultation on Faith-Inspired Organizations and Development in Latin America

On January 30-31, 2009, Georgetown University's Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the World Faiths Development Dialogue (WFDD) hosted a consultation in Antigua, Guatemala on the role of faith-inspired organizations in responding to development challenges in Latin America. The meeting brought together practitioners, religious leaders from a range of faith traditions, and academics to review major issues facing the region.

The group explored issues including the role of fast-growing Protestant churches in service delivery, major challenges facing children and youth in the region, and the need for an ongoing forum for faith-inspired organizations working on development to collaborate and share ideas.

The discussion about children's issues revealed a disturbing portrait in which the region's children face a range of problems from sexual abuse to gang violence. There was general agreement that issues of family instability were major causes of many of these problems.

The consultation was the fourth in a series of geographically-focused explorations undertaken by the Berkley Center, with support from the Henry R. Luce Foundation, whose objective is both to increase knowledge about institutions and their work and to identify and explore emerging policy issues.

For additional information please contact Thomas Bohnett at thomas.bohnett@gmail.com.

Co-conveners:
Katherine Marshall, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs
Nadine Gasman, UNFPA

Attendees
Alfredo Mora, VIVA Network
Elias Szczytnicki, World Conference of Religions for Peace
Dr. Juan Silva, WHO-PAHO
Ana Victoria Pelaez Ponce, World Conference of Religions for Peace
Alejandro Bilbao, Centro Magis
Corina Villacorta, World Vision
Msgr. Alvaro Ramazzini, Diocese of San Marcos
Dra. Zilda Arns Neumann, Pastoral da Crianca
Schuyler Thorup, Catholic Relief Services
Sylvia Davila, Fundacion Avina
Fr. Oscar Azmitia, Universidad de la Salle

Katherine Marshall is a Senior Fellow at the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, where she leads the Center's Program on Religion and Global Development. After a long career in the development field, including several leadership positions at the World Bank, Marshall moved to Georgetown in 2006, where she also serves as a Visiting Associate Professor in the Department of Government. She helped to create and now serves as the Executive Director of the World Faiths Development Dialogue.

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