Chap 4 Wilson

International development and humanitarianism have historically operated under a "secular bias," treating development as an inherently secular field where religious actors are viewed with suspicion or required to prove their "added value."
While international institutions have increasingly partnered with faith-based organizations since the 1990s, engagement often remains strategic and perfunctory rather than deeply integrating core religious values and beliefs.
Neoliberal market indicators (such as cost-effectiveness) and donor focus on Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) have pushed organizations toward professionalization/secularization, while securitizing migration and crowding out other aid priorities.

Development interventions take place across complex, multi-layered spaces—spanning local communities, national offices, international donors, and global frameworks like the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Critical analysis of religion in aid requires accounting for these overlapping geographic, political, and cultural contexts, as well as the historical power dynamics between the Global North and Global South.

Overcoming Binary Views: Prevailing secular assumptions frame religion as inherently patriarchal and opposed to equality, but many religious actors actively challenge gender-based violence and patriarchal norms.
Channels of Hope (World Vision International): Engages sacred texts, science, and local leaders to shift community attitudes on gender roles, domestic violence, and family health.
Fahmina and Mosintuwu (Indonesia): Grassroots organizations utilizing indigenous Islamic scholarship and women-led interfaith networks to advocate for women's empowerment, peacebuilding, and human rights.

Beyond Scientific Binary: Framing climate change strictly as a technical or scientific issue often positions religion as an "irrational barrier." Effective adaptation requires engaging community worldviews and existential frameworks.
Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS): While bodies like the Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC) advocate for climate action, top-down scientific messaging can provoke local resistance if it neglects local spiritual understandings and God-centered perspectives.

Religious Identity & Resettlement: Assumptions about displaced populations' religious identities can lead to securitization, stereotyping, or misinformed resettlement practices.
Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS): Forced displacement causes existential and spiritual trauma. Addressing religious and spiritual well-being is increasingly recognized as vital, though practitioners often hesitate due to strict commitments to secular neutrality.

Existing development models often perpetuate colonial-era power imbalances where Northern donors dictate terms to Southern recipients.
Reframing "development" into global partnership, mutual learning, and equalized cooperation acknowledges that issues like climate change, gender inequality, and displacement are shared global challenges.