Staff Reporter
THE Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar (SFS-Q) held a symposium on ‘Global Development, Organisations, and Faith in the Muslim world’ on Monday.
The symposium was sponsored by the Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS) at SFS-Q, the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, and the Henry R Luce Foundation, that was geared towards practitioners working across the Muslim world.
Participants included the director of CIRS, Mehran Kamrava; president of Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRF), Dr Hany El Benna; director for Policy and Research at the Office of HH Sheikha Mozah Nasser al-Misnad, Salman Shaikh; the director of Brookings Doha Centre, Hady Amr; director of the Arab World Center for Democratic Development, Sameer Jarrah; and director of Rota, Omnia Nour among other distinguished guests.
The symposium was part of an ongoing joint Luce/SFS multi-year research, focusing on issues involving institutions that play critical role in social and economic development that are inspired by and linked to faith.
The programme is also examining the role of religious groups and ideas in both donour and developing countries, and the prospects for greater religious-secular co-operation in the development field.
“The programme will be fully integrated into the Georgetown University curriculum and the students will benefit greatly from engaging directly with the research results and actively participating in the creation of a database concerning faith-related organisations, both governmental and non-governmental (NGOs),” said Kamrava.
According to him, the initiative is testimony to commitment by Georgetown University and CIRS to encourage in-depth scholarship and to also provide a forum for dialogue and exchange of ideas.
“By spring 2008, the programme will have institutionalised classes and student research support within the undergraduate and graduate curricula; generated publications and scholarly resources that help to define interdisciplinary debates; and established institutional linkages between the academic and policy communities around questions of religion and international affairs,” he said.
The first stage of the ongoing investigation focused on the US, and culminated in a conference held at Georgetown in April 2007. The conference also focused on emerging issues, including distinctive elements of faith-inspired development work, financing sources and trends, relationships with governments, sensitivities around proselytising work, and priorities and areas of focus. The second stage of investigation focused on the Muslim world. This will involve the role of non-state institutions in majority Muslim countries, with special focus on those inspired by faith, as well as the emerging role of global Muslim inspired institutions, including Islamic Relief, the Red Crescent Society, and the Aga Khan Network. Further phases will explore European faith inspired institutions, Latin America, Africa, and Asia.
The project will be completed by spring 2009 and will be summarised at its conclusion in a book. The work will be pursued in partnership with other institutions working in the field, in the US and overseas, said a spokesperson.
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