USAID Logo
The Center for Faith-based
and Community Initiatives

November 2017 Newsletter

LETTER FROM THE ACTING DIRECTOR

Dear Friends,
tim photo
At the workshop for local faith-based organizations from Central America on November 16-17 at Catholic University of America (referenced below), I was particularly impressed by the partner methodology described by World Vision (WV) entitled "Channels of Hope" (CoH). CoH is an interactive, facilitated process to create a safe space for faith leaders and faith communities to learn, share and debate. It reaches to the root causes and deepest convictions that impact attitudes, norms, values and practices toward the most vulnerable. CoH is more than just workshops or education, it is designed to move the heart, inform the mind and motivate a sustained and effective response to significant issues. CoH does not proselytize or change people's doctrine, but equips faith leaders to apply their sacred texts to key social issues and encourage other faith leaders to do the same. WV has adapted its CoH methodology to address Gender, Child Protection, Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition, and the Ebola pandemic and has been used in a variety of inter-faith contexts (i.e. in partnership with Islamic Relief), as well as with Buddhist and Hindu faith leaders and communities.

Sincerely, 

Timothy Lavelle
Acting Director, USAID Center for Faith-based and Community Initiatives
News

Global Entrepreneurship Summit 
USAID Administrator Mark Green and Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator and Senior Coordinator for Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment Michelle Bekkering attended the  Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) in Hyderbad, India. They met with female entrepreneurs, and discussed how women can become more active in the economic development of their communities. Administrator Green also visited a diagnostics lab to meet with public health professionals, tuberculosis survivors, and corporate-sector representatives, whose joint efforts are advancing India's goal of becoming tuberculosis-free by 2025.

USAID Announces $18.4 Million in Support of Development Innovations 
Since 2010, Development Innovation Ventures (DIV) have collectively impacted 25 million people living in poverty and resulted in $4 in funding from outside investors, lenders and philanthropies for every U.S. taxpayer dollar spent. USAID recently awarded eighteen new grantees, the majority of which are new partners to USAID. For more information on the awardees read here. 
Highlights

Combating Trafficking In Persons and Gender-based Violence in Central America
Photo Credit: USAID
USAID and Catholic University of America co-hosted a workshop on combating trafficking in persons (TIP) and gender-based violence (GBV) in Central America. Over 40 participants, including 13 from local, faith-based organizations in Central America discussed efforts and challenges to building communities' capacity to empower and protect women and girls. Participants recommended ways to further engage local, faith communities and country governm ents on ways to prevent and protect victims of violence, recognizing  the value of investments in men tal health and well-b eing interventions that provide spiritual shelter, as a vital step to restoring community resilience.  The Most Reverend Bishop Oscar Cantú, Chairman of the Committee on International Justice and Peace, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops spoke on the importance of these issues in our communities. You can read his full remarks  here . Contact fbci@usaid.gov for a report of recommendations from the workshop.

Human Rights and Religious Freedom in Sudan
The U.S. understands the importance of interfaith groups throughout Sudan working to bridge the religious and cultural divides in the country. The Deputy Secretary of State Department, John Sullivan delivered remarks in Khartoum, Sudan on the importance of religious freedom in attaining human rights and dignity. You can read his full remarks  here.

International Partnership on Religion and Sustainable Development: Second Annual Meeting
On November 12-15, the  International Partnership on Religion and Sustainable Development (PaRD) held its Second Annual Meetings at Wilton Park in England. Gathered together were some 70 faith-based organizational partners, bilateral government officials, and U.N. agencies to review the work of PaRD in its second year and forecast the next year's annual workplan, driven by three workstreams focusing these organizations efforts to achieve the  Sustainable Development Goals across health, gender equality and women's empowerment, and sustaining peace through just and inclusive societies. The report on the second annual PaRD meeting will be release by the PaRD Secretariat on December 10th, 2017. New members to join this year's meetings include officials from the governments of Italy and Denmark, along with dozens of new FBO partners. Contact PaRD for more information here.
USAID Business

For contract, grant and cooperative agreement opportunities visit www.fbo.gov and www.grants.gov. 

Register here for updates to USAID's business forcast.
Contact Us

If you have questions or comments about the newsletter email us at  fbci@usaid.gov. 

Register for our newsletter here.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provides this newsletter service to further engage and enhance cooperation with the international development community. The listing of events, meetings or organizations in this newsletter do not constitute support or endorsement of any specific ideas, concepts or organizations by the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government.