We have many updates to share from the Joint Learning Initiative on Faith & Local Communities (JLI)! JLI’s goal is to increase engagement of religious and faith-based organizations in development work and humanitarian response. We are proud to receive a 3 year grant from the GHR Foundation to support our work of equipping policymakers and practitioners with the information they need and want to make evidence-based decisions about faith engagement. We have new additions to JLI staff and governing bodies, updates from our Learning Hubs, upcoming events, and new resources.
Helena Manguerra has served JLI as part time project manager since February 2015. She has taken a fellowship at the Institute for Health Metrics in Seattle and is attending graduate school at the University of Washington As most of you know first hand, Helena has done exceptional work, in particular on the Religion & Sustainable Development Conference, World Humanitarian Summit, JLI web & operations and Evidence Working Group. We salute and thank Helena for the energy, invention and commitment to the JLI. Helena will continue to support JLI on the Evidence Working Group. On behalf of all of us at JLI, Helena: best wishes and heartfelt gratitude!
On September 1, we welcomed our New Knowledge Manager, Stacy Nam, as JLI's first full-time employee. Stacy, a recent Master's in Public Health graduate from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, brings her expertise in communication with policymakers and in health related behavior change. She will provide a broad range of support to Learning Hubs, JLI events, the Board and the JLI web platform, focusing on translation of knowledge to policy makers and practitioners.
Stacy will be reaching out over the next months to learn about supporting the growth and effectiveness of the JLI. You can reach her at stacynam@jliflc.com.
We would also like to thank JLI's three interns --Alexandra Daniels, Andrea Arzaba and Jasmine Leewong-- who undertook special projects for JLI over the summer months. Thanks for your many gifts and support. Wishing you well!
New JLI Governance Bodies
JLI warmly welcomes members of its new Board of Directors, and Executive Committee and Advisory Group.
Now 30 members strong, the new Board joins the experience of many founding members of JLI with the new perspectives of talented religious and faith-based leaders, academics, and even the head of an important secular NGO ( who can’t help referring to Oxfam’s Quaker roots!). We also created an Advisory Group so key leaders in multilateral, bilateral and other organizations could actively guide the progress of the JLI as it enters its second three year program of activity.
JLI’s annual in-person meeting will be on October 25/26 in London, with hospitality provided this year by Christian Aid.
Learning Hub Updates
The new JLI Learning Hub Religion, Faith,Refugees and Forced Migration,launched on July 11, will be hosting an in-person meeting of its members in NYC to coincide with the UN Summit on Refugees and various meetings of faith networks on SDG related issues. Hub co-chairs are Sadia Kidwai, Policy & Research Analyst, Islamic Relief Worldwide and Elena Fiddian-Qasmiyeh, Co-Director of University College London's Migration Research Unit. Please fill out this form if you're interested in hearing more about the new Learning Hub.
Meeting date and time: September 19 (6-8pm EDT), after the UN Summit on Refugees and Migrants. Light supper will be served. For more information about the meeting please go to our website.
The Peace & Conflict Learning Hub will host the next online meeting at: 1300 UK Time on Friday 16th September using 'Blackboard' collaborative software (instructions to be emailed).
Message from cochairs; (Sarah Pickwick, Lucy V. Salek and Alpaslan Ozerdem)
“We appreciate that the date will never be best for all of our 130+ members, as always we will continue to publish minutes after. The Agenda will include an update on the events at the World Humanitarian Summit and presentation of the results of the survey of members. We welcome and encourage your input!”
After a pause, the Capacity Learning Hub has reactivated with an in-person meeting at Trinity College Dublin in December 8 and 9th 2016. The agenda will focus on evidence for impact of local faith community mobilization and capacity building on aspects of community well-being.
Click on any of the Hubs to sign up to join and to receive communications or contact Stacy Nam directly.
Upcoming Events
What Works? Evidence for the role of Faith in Poverty Reduction? Conference on Sept 20 and 21 at Yale University, co-hosted by Innovations for Poverty Action, JLI, and International Care Ministries. The conference will discuss preliminary results from a randomized controlled trial of the ICM faith-based livelihoods intervention with the ultra poor in the Philippines, topics relating to spiritual metrics, and faith and public funding. Please visit to our website for more information for how to request an invitation.
Partnership for Religion and Development (PaRD) Call for Members
PaRD, a new bilateral coordinating mechanism on religion and development initiated by the German Government, and now supported by several bilateral and multilateral bodies, invites religious and faith-based organizations to join as partners.
