Asian religious, community leaders meet in city
Sunday, 28 March 2010
Asia's religious and community leaders play a vital role in combating corruption, poverty, and instability but need to expand their understanding of critical national issues in order to contribute more effectively to development plans at the community level.
Such a view was expressed at a regional conference on the Role of Religious and Community Leaders in Advancing Development in Asia.
The four-day conference, convened jointly by the United States Agency for International Development and The Asia Foundation, was held in Dhaka and was attended by religious and community leaders from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste, Tajikistan, and Thailand, together with representatives from The Asia Foundation and the United States government.
The discussants identified ways that religious and community leaders can tackle important national development issues, including good governance and corruption prevention, improved public health services, conflict resolution, empowerment of youth, and gender justice and equity.
Delegates developed strategies to improve their ability to address their community's most pressing needs, and also identified challenges such as a lack of coordination among governments or civil society groups in involving religious leaders in formulation and implementation of local policies, and distrust between various religious organisations along theological or political lines.
Conference delegates also had the opportunity to observe the successful Leaders of Influence (LI) programme, developed by The Asia Foundation in collaboration with the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Government of Bangladesh, and the Imam Training Academy with USAID support, and to participate in an inter-faith, intergroup meeting with their LI counterparts.
Such a view was expressed at a regional conference on the Role of Religious and Community Leaders in Advancing Development in Asia.
The four-day conference, convened jointly by the United States Agency for International Development and The Asia Foundation, was held in Dhaka and was attended by religious and community leaders from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste, Tajikistan, and Thailand, together with representatives from The Asia Foundation and the United States government.
The discussants identified ways that religious and community leaders can tackle important national development issues, including good governance and corruption prevention, improved public health services, conflict resolution, empowerment of youth, and gender justice and equity.
Delegates developed strategies to improve their ability to address their community's most pressing needs, and also identified challenges such as a lack of coordination among governments or civil society groups in involving religious leaders in formulation and implementation of local policies, and distrust between various religious organisations along theological or political lines.
Conference delegates also had the opportunity to observe the successful Leaders of Influence (LI) programme, developed by The Asia Foundation in collaboration with the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Government of Bangladesh, and the Imam Training Academy with USAID support, and to participate in an inter-faith, intergroup meeting with their LI counterparts.