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

国际发展（项目名称：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讨论的一个核心问题，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的成员表示，他们希望参与信仰网络，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。在最近的文献中已经确定了基于信仰的基层人道主义反应的一些潜在优势。由于当地宗教团体在危机发生之初就已经在受影响的社区建立了基础，并与当地建立了牢固的关系，因此它们往往能够迅速动员援助项目，表现出深厚的文化意识，并将精神层面融入其提供的援助。在许多其他人道主义行为体所依赖的机构捐助者之外，低成本国家可以获得资金流，这些资金往往非常灵活，这有助于它们迅速采取行动，并符合它们确定的优先事项，而不是不熟悉情况的另一个大陆捐助者可能设定的优先事项。该研究项目将有助于了解与当地信仰社区（LFCs），特别是当地信仰领袖以及其他基于信仰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促进社会凝聚力的信仰间参与。在此背景下，还将探讨人道主义援助、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，以及信仰团体在复杂的社会动态中支持信任建立的作用。该研究将特别探讨：-在人道主义危机的背景下，与不同宗教传统的信仰行为者建立地方伙伴关系如何有助于作为发展基础的社会凝聚力？-地方信仰行为者在应对人道主义危机中扮演什么角色？信仰行动者如何运作，当地信仰行动者有什么独特的限制和机会？-在多信仰社区中，在危机时期，信仰行为者如何为建立（或破坏）社区信任做出贡献？他们能做什么，不能做什么，在什么情况下？-在人道主义危机期间，与不同宗教传统的地方信仰行为者的伙伴关系如何有助于促进社会凝聚力？国际非政府组织如何才能最好地支持这一进程？研究将集中在一个或两个国家作为研究的案例研究。这些地点将在经合组织脆弱国家名单上列出的国家，以及至少有一个以上宗教团体的大量人口的地方。具体地点将由世界宣明会、SOAS和研究人员在博士课程的第一年共同选定。

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.