Faith-based Organizations and International Development: What does Religion Add?

• In Event: 341 - Section on Sociology of Religion Refereed Roundtable Session and Business Meeting
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 01. Religious Organizations

Abstract

On January 12, 2010, an earthquake in the country of Haiti caused severe damage, killed countless hundreds of thousands, and struck fear in the survivors as buildings continued to crumble during the aftershocks. While the immediate aftermath of the earthquake was dismal enough, the slow recovery in the months and years following did little to restore hope in the Haitian people. Many foreign governments, transnational organizations, and international nongovernmental organizations (INGOs) went to Haiti to provide relief. Despite the billions of dollars that were pledged, however, these organizations were ill-prepared to address the systemic challenges that worsened the destruction caused by earthquake. Although they often receive criticisms of inefficiency, INGOs currently provide a majority of the aid and development relief in post-earthquake Haiti (Hefferan 2007; Schuller 2012). In my research, I ask how, if at all, does a religious identity shape the organizational visions, purposes, and stated practices of faith-based organizations (FBOs) in Haiti? Given the scrutiny of their work, I would expect that INGOs would be more likely to provide clear rationales for why and how they can make a difference. Therefore, a comparison between FBOs and NGOs will contribute a greater understanding of how FBOs might approach their work distinctly from NGOs and whether or not that impacts stated practices. My project explores how INGOs approach their work despite criticism of their inefficiency.

Author

• Katherine Comeau, University of Notre Dame