The Mbuliuli Principle: What is in a Name?

Abstract

In the wake of a renewed general interest in the role of religion in public life, development agents have begun to re?ect on the relation between religious thought and development practice. This is distinct from the substantial literature that has been produced on the role of institutions that channel religious ideas, known as faith-based organizations or FBOs (e.g. Marshall & Keough, 2004; Tyndale, 2006; Marshall & Van Saanen, 2007). Well-known FBOs include international organizations with a Christian background, such as Caritas or World Vision, Tearfund or Christian Aid to mention only a few examples widely known in Europe. There are also many other faith-based organizations that have been, inspired by different types of faith. These include major organizations such as Islamic Relief or the Aga Khan Foundation, but also numerous ones of Hindu and Buddhist extraction that are operating mainly in parts of the world where a majority of the population adhere to these religious traditions. In fact, it appears that, considered from a world perspective, religion provides an important inspiration for many people to engage in development programmes (e.g. http://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu; http://www.religon-and-development.nl). In recent years, this fact alone has caused policy-makers of all sorts, including governmental as well nongovernmental agents, to pay attention to the factor of religion in designing their policies.