MSc Plus MPhil/PhD International Development (project title: Building inter-communal trust through faith partnerships for aid delivery)

MSC Plus MPhil/PhD International Development(项目标题：通过提供援助的信仰伙伴关系建立社区间信任)援助的本地化是人道主义界正在辩论的一个中心问题，也是2016年5月世界人道主义峰会的主题之一。虽然捐助者和更广泛的人道主义界成员表示，他们希望与信仰网络接触，但许多人也注意到，他们不知道如何最好地这样做。捐助者、多边机构和大型国际非政府组织希望更好地了解哪些参与方式在实地发挥作用，以及存在哪些大规模参与机制。在最近的文献中，确定了基层信仰人道主义反应的一些潜在优势。由于当地信仰团体(LFC)在危机开始时就已经在受影响的社区建立起来，并与当地有牢固的关系，因此通常能够迅速动员援助计划，表现出深厚的文化意识，并将精神层面融入到他们提供的援助中。除许多其他人道主义行为者所依赖的机构捐助者外，低收入国家可能可以获得其他资金来源，而且这些资金往往非常灵活，这有助于它们迅速采取行动，并与它们确定的优先事项保持一致，而不是不熟悉情况的另一个大陆的捐助者可能确定的优先事项。这一研究项目将有助于了解与地方信仰社区的伙伴关系，特别是与地方信仰领袖以及其他以信仰为基础的组织的伙伴关系之间的相互作用，以及在复杂冲突和冲突后环境中有助于社会凝聚力的宗教间参与之间的相互作用。还将在这方面探讨人道主义援助、社会凝聚力和长期发展之间的交集。这项研究将有助于更广泛地理解本地化的方法，以及信仰社区在支持复杂社会动态中建立信任方面的作用。这项研究将特别探讨：--在人道主义危机的背景下，与不同宗教传统的宗教行为者建立地方伙伴关系，如何促进作为发展基础的社会凝聚力？--地方宗教行为者在应对人道主义危机方面发挥什么作用？信仰行为者如何运作，当地信仰行为者独有的约束和机会？-在多信仰社区中，信仰行为者如何在危机期间为建立(或破坏)公共信任做出贡献？他们能做什么，不能做什么，在什么情况下不能做？-在人道主义危机期间，与不同宗教传统的当地宗教行为者建立伙伴关系如何有助于社会凝聚力，以及国际非政府组织如何最好地支持这种进程？这项研究将集中在一两个国家作为研究的案例。这些地点将位于经合组织脆弱国家名单上列出的国家，以及人口众多、至少有一个以上宗教社区的地方。确切的地点将由世界宣明会、SOAS和研究人员在博士课程的第一年联合选择。

MSc Plus MPhil/PhD International Development (project title: Building inter-communal trust through faith partnerships for aid delivery)The localization of aid is a central issue being debated within the humanitarian community, and it was one of the main themes at the May 2016 World Humanitarian Summit. While donors and members of the wider humanitarian community have stated that they want to engage with faith networks, many have also observed that they do not know how to best do so. Donors, multilateral agencies and large INGOs want to understand better what modalities of engagement are working in the field and what mechanisms exist for engagement at scale.A number of potential advantages of grassroots faith-based humanitarian response have been identified in recent literature. Because they are already established in affected communities at the outset of a crisis and have strong local relationships, local faith communities (LFCs) are often able to mobilize an assistance program quickly, demonstrating a deep cultural awareness and integrating a spiritual dimension into their provision of aid. LFCs may have access to funding streams other than the institutional donors on which many other humanitarian actors depend, and those funds are often extremely flexible, which helps them to act quickly and in keeping with the priorities they identify rather than priorities which may have been set by a donor in another continent who is unfamiliar with the context. This research project will help understand the interplay between partnership with Local Faith Communities (LFCs) and in particular local faith leaders as well as with other faith-based organizations, and interfaith engagement that can contribute to social cohesion in complex conflict and post-conflict settings. The intersection between humanitarian aid, social cohesion and long-term development will also be explored in this context. This research will contribute to a wider understanding of approaches to localization, as well as the role of faith communities in supporting trust-building in complex social dynamics. In particular, the research will explore: - How can local partnerships with faith actors of different religious traditions, in the context of humanitarian crises, contribute to social cohesion as a foundation for development?- What role are local faith actors playing in responding to humanitarian crises? How do faith actors operate, and what constraints and opportunities are unique to local faith-based actors?- In multi-faith communities, how do faith actors contribute to the building (or undermining) of communal trust during periods of crisis? What can they and can they not do, and under what circumstances?- How can partnerships with local faith actors across different religious traditions contribute to social cohesion during humanitarian crises, and how best can INGOs support such processes?The research will be focused on one or two countries as a case study for the research. The locations will be in countries listed on OECD list of Fragile States, and places with significant populations of at least more than one religious community. The exact sites will be selected jointly by World Vision, SOAS and the researcher during the first year of the PhD process.