Religion, development and human rights
Course is now fully booked.
Is religion an obstacle to women’s rights? Do faith-based organizations present an ‘added value’ to development cooperation? Can missionaries provide neutral aid? Can religious leaders contribute to conflict resolution? Do religious traditions conflict with a human rights-based approach?
Discussions of the role of religion in development and human rights work have become increasingly prominent in recent years, reflecting a shift in theory and practice. In 2000, the sociologist Kurt Alan ver Beek declared that religion was ‘a development taboo’, arguing that neither scholars nor practitioners paid much attention to religion; indeed they seemed to avoid the topic, considering religion to be at best irrelevant, at worst an obstacle to development and human rights promotion. Today, a decade on, ver Beek’s taboo has been broken. In fact, there is now common agreement that development and human rights cooperation needs to take religion into account. But how?
This course aims to increase participants’ understanding of the role of religion in development and human rights cooperation and to strengthen participants’ capacities to address religion in concrete activities. The nature of religion as a resource and an obstacle is investigated, as is co-operation between religious actors, secular NGOs, donors and local communities. The course will explore these aspects across a variety of religious and geographical contexts and regions.
More specifically, the course offers:
- An introduction to the main theoretical and practical discussions on religion, development and human rights
- A presentation of existing policies, strategies, tools and guidelines on religion in development and human rights cooperation
- Concrete case studies presented by Danish NGOs
- Discussions and reflections on major conflicts, complementarities and possibilities for cooperation.
Practical information
The course is organised by the Danish Institute for Human Rights in cooperation with the Danish Network on Religion and Development.
The course will take place on Monday the 2nd November and Monday the 9th November 2015, both days from 9:00 to 15:30, at the Danish Institute for Human Rights, Nordskov Meeting Room, Wilders Plads 8K, 1403 Copenhagen K.
For further information, please contact Marie Juul Petersen, mape@humanrights.dk.
The course is free of charge, but the number of participants is limited.
The course primarily targets human rights and development professionals working in e.g. NGOs, Foreign Ministry, or consultancy firms. However, students, assistants and interns who wish to participate will be put on a waiting list and may be offered a space after the application deadline.
Course programme
MONDAY 2 NOVEMBER 2015
9:00 - 9.15: Welcome and introduction
Marie Juul Petersen, Danish Institute for Human Rights, and Lars Udsholt, Danish Mission Council’s Development Department
9.15 - 10.30: Religion – in theory and practice
Karen Lauterbach, Centre for African Studies, University of Copenhagen
10.30 - 11.00: Break
11.00-12.30: Religion and development. Actors, approaches, conflicts and complementarity
Ben Jones, School of International Development, University of East Anglia
12.30 - 13.30: Lunch
13.30 - 15.00: Practitioners’ perspectives on religion and development. Presentation of cases
Danish NGO representatives (names to be confirmed)
15.00 - 15.30: Discussion and summing up
***
MONDAY 9 NOVEMBER 2015
9.00 - 9.30: Welcome and summary of Day 1
Marie Juul Petersen, Danish Institute for Human Rights
9.30 - 11.30: Religion and human rights. Actors, approaches, conflicts and complementarity
Erin Wilson, Centre for Religion, Conflict and the Public Domain, University of Groningen
11.30 - 12.30: Lunch
12.30 - 14.00: Practitioners’ perspectives on religion and human rights. Presentation of cases
Danish NGO representatives (names to be confirmed)
14.00 - 14.15: Break
14.15 - 15.30: Check-list: What to remember when working with religion in development and human rights?
Lars Udsholt, Danish Mission Council Development Department