WORLD FAITHS DEVELOPMENT DIALOGUE
Conference "Ways Ahead for the Dialogue"
11
November 1999 at the World Bank, Washington
1. Address by James D. Wolfensohn, President of the World Bank
Mr. Wolfensohn gave an introductory address in which he pointed out the challenges faced by those concerned with the reduction of poverty. Trends show that the divide between rich and poor is increasing. Moreover of the additional two billion people who will be living on this planet by the year 2025, 97 per cent will find themselves in developing countries, where most of the world’s megacities of over 10 million inhabitants will be situated. The international target of halving poverty by the year 2015 is unlikely to be met.
One reason suggested by Mr. Wolfensohn for the failure of the efforts made so far
to overcome poverty was the hitherto disconnected and project orientated approach of all involved, from the faith-based organisations to the World Bank and government agencies. The WFDD is a modest attempt to link the faith communities with the international institutions.
There have been various moves towards co-operation by the international community since the conference at Lambeth Palace in February 1998. An important initiative is the Comprehensive Development Framework (CDF) which involves countries setting their own development targets and strategies with the involvement of all sectors of civil society as well as governments and the financial institutions. This is an opportunity for the faith communities to take part in national planning processes.
Another opportunity will be provided through Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers to which the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have made a joint commitment. These will also be drawn up with all sectors of society, and will be particularly important as a way of ensuring that the money released by the agreed debt relief for the most Heavily Indebted Poorest Countries (HIPC) will be spent well on social ends.
Mr. Wolfensohn drew attention to two particular issues: corruption, in the fight against which the religions have a leading role to play, and a world-wide data base, which he is planning to set up with the help of Bill Gates. This will enable an exchange of knowledge as well as the collection of essential information on what is being done in the field of development. It could be an excellent way to document the work of faith-based organisations, as well as linking them in with others doing similar work.
The World Bank President ended by emphasising the moral duty of the faith communities to be aware of their temporal accountability and their responsibility to seek new ways of working more effectively to overcome poverty.
2. Address by Michel Camdessus, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund
Michel Camdessus then spoke, paying tribute to the role that Mr. Wolfensohn had played in gathering people together to increase effectiveness. He mentioned the power of the Jubilee 2000 campaign for debt relief and suggested that the momentum should not be lost, but broadened into a world-wide anti-poverty drive.
There are four avenues which are open to us, he said:
i. To make clear that the responsibility for poverty reduction lies, too, with the governments of the poorest countries, who must be persuaded to spend money on social change rather than on arms or corruption.
ii. To stress the importance of biding by one’s word and to campaign for the implementation of the pledges which were made over the last decade at Rio, Copenhagen, Cologne etc.
iii. To be more vigorous in working for peace.
iv. Instead of cynically demonising the international institutions, to create incentives for them to improve and to work with them for change.
3. Debate
The presence of Michel Camdessus was very much appreciated and hopes were expressed that the dialogue would, in future, include the IMF – a proposition to which M. Camdessus acquiesced with some enthusiasm.
The contributions which followed from the conference participants focused on the following
topics:
Petty corruption is as much a problem as corruption on a grand scale and, indeed, sometimes affects the poor more immediately.
The fact that the problems of today were little different from those of two decades ago – poverty, the arms trade, drugs, the oppression of women etc. – was encapsulated in a quotation from the late Julius Nyerere, who had referred to an era "not of development but of stagnation".
Cultural identity was a recurrent theme of the conference, with the flowering of thousands of cultures all over the world being held up as the goal. The need to encourage cultural diversity at the local level as a pre-requisite for long-lasting successful development was noted.
All agreed that the call to spirituality had never been stronger and nor has the need for the religious communities to unite ever been more urgent. A concerted effort must be made to train spiritual leaders of the future.
An appeal was made for more information about what the international financial institutions were really doing. They were called upon to give more support to small businesses, so that people in transitional economies could be encouraged to see that engaging in honest and successful business is a positive way forward.
Work in general was a topic which received attention. The unemployment caused by over-mechanisation and the failure to help people to earn a living by doing what they have always done came in for condemnation. People want dignity, and this comes from earning one’s own living, not from charitable hand-outs.
The role of the religions in stressing the quality of improvements in the lives of the poor, rather than just the quantity was undisputed, though the challenge of combining quality with quantity was recognised. It is important to document what the religions are doing, but inventories must be analytic to be useful, showing what has worked well and why.
The need for peace was a theme which recurred throughout the conference, since conflict is one of the main causes of poverty and the religions have a very clear role to play in the prevention of conflict as well as in reconciliation and post-conflict reconstruction work.
The meetings of the faith communities with the World Bank are seen as an opportunity to combine the wisdom of many disciplines. They provide a challenge to the faiths to recover their “lost agenda” of imbuing politics and economics with ethical principles. The suggestion was made that the WFDD should articulate the ethical principles underlying their engagement on development issues.
A challenge was thrown out to "reinvent" globalisation with humanity at its centre, and with it, many of the world’s institutions. There was a general feeling that more could be achieved by interacting with each other than by adopting a confrontational approach.
Suffering must be addressed and not avoided by a flight into consumerism. The present way of conducting economics is not making the rich happy either.
It was proposed that the different faith communities might start working together on joint projects. Questions were asked about the possibility of funding for the faith-based organisations, by-passing all too frequently corrupt governments, but Mr. Wolfensohn indicated that the CDF process was supposed to bring civil society and governments together, and thus ensure a more effective use of aid.
An appeal was made for the WFDD to have regard for local conditions and to leave the organisation in the field in the hands of local people. This would imply the need for networking at a local, regional and national level.
4. Testimonies about the work of the WFDD
Four “witnesses” of the WFDD process were then called to give their testimonies.
Having given an account of the very important role played in Tanzania by the religious organisations in the fields of health and education, Dr. Wilson Mtebe, the General Secretary of the Christian Council of Churches in Tanzania, pointed out four ways in which the WFDD could be helpful:
i. in helping the different faith communities to get together
ii. in facilitating an inter-action between the faith groups, other NGOs, the government and donor agencies
iii. in empowering the faith-based groups to participate in national decisions as a part of civil society
iv. in providing the technical back up needed for improved development.
Dr. Mtebe told the conference of the enthusiasm that had been generated by the WFDD in Tanzania, where plans are being made for an inter-faith group to identify key issues in the delivery of social services and to carry out an inventory of what is being done by the faith communities in that area. Qualitative surveys will also be carried out and then concrete plans will be presented to the rest of civil society, the government and the donors.
Dr. Mtebe ended by reiterating the importance of allowing local groups to run their own processes, so that the WFDD avoided becoming a top-down process.
Dr. Azim Lakhani, one of the convenors for the WFDD Engagement Group on Social Services, started by explaining that two Engagement Groups had been set up, through which inter-faith groups will collaborate with the World Bank in identifying major issues in the context of the national food security programme in Ethiopia and, in Tanzania on health work and social action funds. Dr. Lakhani then gave some information about his participation in a World Bank mission to Tanzania.
Lessons will be learnt from examples drawn up of good practice. Too little is as yet known about what the faith communities are doing. The Government of Tanzania has welcomed the offer of the services of a multi-faith network in drawing up an essential inventory of health care in the hands of faith-based organisations. The Engagement Group has suggested that the faith communities, significant social service providers, should be seen as genuine partners, both in the shaping and the delivery of the government health care strategy.
Professor Ravi Kanbur, the director of the World Development Report 2000, on the subject of poverty and development, then turned the attention of the conference to the contribution made by the WFDD to the thinking of his team. He described the process of engagement and emphasised the broad approach to poverty adopted by the WDR, as well as the need for highly differentiated approaches at different levels and in different places. He ended by inviting the people present to judge for themselves how much influence the religions had had, when the next version of the
WDR 2000 comes out next year.
The fourth speaker, Sri Thevangudi Radhakrishnan spoke with enthusiasm about the interest raised by the WDR process in India and commented on the surprise felt in India by the World Bank opening its doors to a dialogue with the religions. He spoke of work being done in India on health, education and rural development and offered healthcare services to other countries. Sri Radhakrishnan had arranged a conference in Chennai to follow up the discussions around the WDR 2000 and was confident that the WFDD would contribute to the inclusion in development work of people's spiritual, cultural and social needs, as well as their material needs.
These testimonies led Mr. Wolfensohn to speak of the World Bank’s work on “Voices of the Poor”, whereby 60,000 people had been invited to speak about their views of poverty. Many people mentioned non-economic factors, such as feeling little heard or represented, the lack of recognition for women, domestic violence and a desire for a life free from fear. Elements contributing to a sense of well-being included family relationships, community and the opportunity to follow one's own cultural practices, as well as education and health for one's children. In speaking of institutions important to them, people ranked religious organisations and local holy people very high.
5.
Introduction to the “WFDD Progress Report and Ways Ahead”
In her introduction, Wendy Tyndale, the coordinator of the WFDD highlighted the encouraging response that the discussions on the WDR 2000 had received. She suggested that the key contribution that the religions would have to make at all levels of action and debate was their vision of the underlying values and the overarching aims of the development process. She asked the conference for guidance on the future of the WFDD’s work, suggesting that, while the emphasis should now be on country-based engagement, including participation in the CDF and Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers, the religions would always have an important contribution to make to debates at a global level, so that the focus on the World Bank’s World Development Reports should continue. Pointing out the limited staff resources available, she stressed the importance of volunteer help and ended by asking for some comments on the proposal in the report for a future structure of the WFDD.
6.
Future of the WFDD
The suggestion made in the WFDD report that an organisation be set up, which was neither of the faith communities nor of the Bank but served both, was picked up by Mr. Wolfensohn. He mentioned the sum of $400,000-$500,000 which would be needed to run it and said that he hoped that contributions would be forthcoming from all sides. He then suggested that an outside consultancy group should be brought in to come up with some recommendations for the future. A small informal group would interface with the consultants, with a commitment to gather the views of all present. Dr. Carey and Mr. Wolfensohn are willing to continue to monitor the effort and to do all they can to bring it to fruition.
There was a clear consensus that there was no turning back and that a five-year work plan would be appropriate. The WFDD is offering a unique way forward for the faith communities to interact with international financial institutions and governments (and possibly in the future, too, with corporations). It is playing a vital task in bringing together people who have a different conception of time, use a different language and often have little understanding of each other. Moreover, the urgency of the situation of the poor leaves us no option but to go forward.
The importance of enhancing the effectiveness of the work of the WFDD through partnerships with other existing inter-faith organisations was stressed.
It was accepted that outside consultants could be helpful, though a note of caution was sounded about the “northern” flavour of consultancies in general and the need to get people in who possess sufficient sensitivity to the unusual character of this alliance.
The suggestion was made that training should be an important element in the future, and not only at the country level. The religions have a lot to offer to World Bank staff, but they have a lot to learn as well about the indispensable role of the international financial institutions.
It was proposed that a possible model for the WFDD might be that of an umbrella which encouraged people to come together and provided training opportunities. A small centre with regional networks seemed an appropriate structure to some. The dependence of the WFDD on volunteers was recognised and there was an agreement that only a modest increase of staffing for the central office should be contemplated.
Particularly recommended was that the agenda of the WFDD should be fulfilled in many different ways in different places and include different themes, among which the role of women, the environment and drugs were mentioned. Trust was considered to be one of the most essential ingredients for the work. The importance of bringing in young people was also discussed, and the proposal to move towards more practical work was approved. This was, however, followed by a note of caution that realistic prioritisation was essential, so that good work can be completed.
7.
Summing up by the Chairs
The conference ended with a summary by the two Chairs, which was comprised of the following points:
1. The commitment to improving the lives of the poor found among those at the conference enables the bridging of huge cultural and theological divides. It is crucial to try to replicate this in many practical country settings, and the signs are that is already beginning to happen.
2. The Dialogue remains as timely and important as ever. There is consensus that the work needs to be planned within a longer time frame of about five years, with a commitment to a thorough mid-term review to assess results.
3. There is a need to formulate an overarching set of development ethics on which the faith communities are in broad agreement. It is also necessary to articulate continually the values and ethics inherent in development programs for examination and reflection, not just by donors but by the people affected by such efforts.
4. While acknowledging the particular link of the WFDD to the World Bank and the IMF, every effort should be made to draw out the best mutual advantage from close relations with existing inter-faith groups.
5. The four core thematic areas agreed when the Dialogue was started were endorsed as continuing priorities. These are: Hunger and Food Security, Conflict Prevention and Resolution, the Delivery of Social Services and Culture as an Element of Development. It was recognised that more could be developed in due course from field experience but it was considered important to start by focusing on a few areas for the time being, to ensure results.
6. Both sides recognise that the process of mutual understanding still has to be deepened. There is a need for cultural change not only in the World Bank but also on the part of the faith communities, who need to become more aware of the true nature of the operations of the international institutions and of the context in which they are working.
7. There was a vigorous call to the representatives of the faith communities to mobilise volunteers for the Dialogue. These should be people who are rooted in work with the poor and thus understand both the nature of poverty and the kinds of changes needed.
8. Readiness was expressed on all sides to explore how to use the Comprehensive Development Framework (CDF) as an instrument in the Dialogue. The CDF provides an ideal opening for the religions to participate in vital decision-making processes. The same is true of the inclusive poverty reduction framework approach, which is now being implemented by both the World Bank and the IMF in low income countries.
9. The two Chairs will designate a small group of participants assisted by independent advisers to review the objectives, work programme and structures of the WFDD and report back to them and those present within six months.
The Dialogue will meet again within about two years in a developing country. Several offers were forthcoming to organize the event in India.