In any humanitarian crisis, it is possible to ask the “religion question:" how is religion embedded in this situation? Our reading lists present this question in a range of examples, each representing a different type of humanitarian challenge as an entry point for consideration: conflict, resource distribution, a crisis caused by a natural hazard, and disease. They include discussions of Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar; the ongoing conflict and refugee crisis in Syria; resource distribution in Sudan; and responses to HIV-AIDS and Ebola, particularly in West Africa. These resources were initially developed for the January 2017 Symposium on Religious Literacy and Humanitarian Action held at Harvard Divinity School.
These readings are not intended to be representative of best (or worst) practices. Rather, they present an approach to a topic in order to provide a common core of knowledge for practitioners in the field.
The humanitarian action reading lists draw from a range of sources. Though there are often overlaps and it is impossible to separate issues, each represents a different type of humanitarian challenge as an entry point for consideration.
As you review the resource(s) chosen for the case studies, consider the following questions:
- What roles do/did religions play in this humanitarian crisis and in response to the crisis?
- What international and local religious actors or institutions have been involved in the response to the crisis? At what points? In what capacities? What aspects of their interventions have been positive or negative?
- Where is religion engaged in an innovative way? Where is it treated as a cliché (perhaps obscuring what’s really going on in the process)?
- Are there other ways of understanding the roles that religions play in the case that would enrich our understanding of what’s happening?
- What forms of cultural violence and/or peace is religion supporting or resisting in this case? (See the Peace and Violence section of Our Approach for understanding cultural violence and peace.)
- To the extent that there was/is local humanitarian leadership in the response to this crisis, are religious actors among the local actors leading the response?
We also pose the following questions about the field of humanitarian aid/action more broadly:
- What are the strengths and drawbacks of both secular and faith-based organizations in humanitarian action?
- How does a focus on humanitarian leadership shape how organizations understand the roles of religions and engage religious actors in local contexts?
- What are the implicit and explicit assumptions about religion in different humanitarian aid organizations?
- What kinds of training regarding religion do humanitarian aid workers receive in different organizations?
- What are participants' experiences of the ways funding bodies respond to applications for humanitarian projects and programs that engage with religion?
- As an individual practitioner or researcher working in the field of humanitarian action, how do you think about the roles that religions play in your work?