3.1 Kaplan (2010) Inspiring Development in Fragile

Central Argument

Shift from top-down secular models to bottom-up approaches that levarge the unique capabilities of FBOs

Secular Bias in Western Development

• Prioritizes scientific objectivity and “number crunching”

• Rationalist and bureaucratic

Misdiagnosis

Secular lens often leads to ____ of the problems in fragile states. Agencies act as if emotional reforms and elections alone can fix dysfunction while ignoring sociopolitical dynamics and religion.

Cogs, partners with indigenous legitimacy

When western agencies do engage with FBOs, they often treat them merely as ___ in a Western, top-down delivery system rather than as _______

Role of Religious Networks in Fragile State (PapaSadEyes)

Public Goods

Social Capital & Networks

Entrepreneurial Outlets

Public Goods

• FBOs frequently provide half of all health and education services in sub-Saharan Africa and have replaced the state as primary suppliers in regions like the Dominican Republic of Congo and Pakistan

  • (DRC) and Pakistan, churches and mosques have effectively replaced the state as the primary supplier of public goods

Social Capital and Networks

Cohesive groups (such as the Mouride brotherhood in Senegal) leverage spiritual networks to foster entrepreneurship and wealth creation

Entrepreneurial Outlets

• Due to a lack of professional opportunities in stagnant economies, many talented locals channel their ambitions into religious entities rather than business or politics

  • Given the loss of confidence in formal government institutions and the dearth of professional opportunities available in stagnant, unstable environments,

Reasons to reorient Western Development Strategy

• Shapes values

• Primary means of association and of conflict management

• Builds social capital

• Holds community leaders more accountable

Evenhanded Partnerships

• Donors must move past their secular bias and engage local faith groups (Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist, etc.) on their own terms

  • Many religious groups feel excluded from aid programs. Muslim organizations, for example, “are not part of major humanitarian reform efforts; they often see themselves pushed aside.

  • Western groups come to the Muslim world, they try to work only with secular organizations, not with grassroots religious organizations that are well-represented in the local communities

  • Women seeking international help are completely left out unless they are secular

Focus on Spiritual Capital

• Programs should help codify norms and expand services within faith networks to foster trust in low-trust environments

  • Training the spiritual and administrative leaders of FBOs—everyone from ministers and imams to school principals and the heads of waqf foundations—on management, economics, education, and social welfare would help their organizations take on larger projects, expand their services, and improve their operations

  • Greater financial and material aid from the international community would enable mosques, churches, and temples to expand the numbers of poor children who benefit from the schooling they provide.

not steer absolutely clear

• While the provision of aid must be handled carefully when dealing with organizations that proselytize, agencies should _______ from them, as missionary groups often have the closest relationships with the most deprived sectors of society

  • Risks exacerbating, rather than healing, divisions

  • Be more nuanced and flexible