Ancient and contemporary wisdom and practice on governance as religious leaders engage in international development1

This paper was originally presented at the IDEA Conference on Accountability at Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda, July 2006.

Abstract

This paper reviews intersecting paths that bring ethics, values, and integrity into development thinking, arguing that religious voices are likely to be heard more frequently in future development debates, with repercussions for development thinking and practice. The case of governance, corruption, accountability and responsibility is highlighted as an example. Here religious experience, actors, and institutions offer wisdom and material experience, but their roles have been less active and visible than the prophetic traditions and expectations of religious teachings would suggest. The actual and expected entry of different religious voices into governance debates poses new challenges for relationships and partnerships. The paper describes seven areas where faith institutions could and should engage more actively on governance issues. Among these areas, speaking substantively and forthrightly about the issues at stake and contributing to the public discourse at international, national and local levels have special significance. Emerging new forms of partnership, dialogue and alliance among religious and development institutions are part of the ongoing paradigm shift about directions and instruments for international development. More active engagement with faith institutions around governance issues has the potential to contribute to raising standards of development work in many areas.

Keywords:

• religion
• ethics
• corruption
• governance
• alliances

Acknowledgements

This article benefited from helpful comments from Jay Drydyk, Asuncion St Clair and Marisa Van Saanen.

Notes

This paper was originally presented at the IDEA Conference on Accountability at Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda, July 2006.

For more on the 11th International Anti-Corruption Conference in Seoul in May 2003, see http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/APCITY/UNPAN019160.pdf.

See, for example, the Cardinal's statement at a meeting of the InterAmerican Development Bank, at http://www.iadb.org/news/articledetail.cfm?artID=1930&language=EN&arttype=WS.

For a fuller discussion of the topic of religion and development, see, for example, Marshall and Van Saanen 2007. Chapter 19 addresses corruption issues.

In 1946 UNESCO led a dialogue about values and ethics issues underlying the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, which tapped the views of leading theologians and religious practitioners; the consultation is summarized in Glendon 2002.

For more background on the Millennium Declaration and the MDGs, see the UN website at http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/.

See http://www.stt.lt/lt/files/global_forum3_on_fighting_corupption.pdf.

Among Kung's many works on the topic are A global ethic for global politics and economics, 1997, Yes to a Global Ethic, 1996, and Global responsibility: In search of a new world ethic, 1993.

For the text of the Global Ethic, see http://astro.temple.edu/∼dialogue/Center/kung.htm. See also Report on the conclusions and recommendations by a high level expert group on in search of global ethical standards, chaired by Helmut Schmidt, 22–24 March 1996, at http://www.interactioncouncil.org. Kung's Global Ethic Foundation in Tubingen published a document based on the exhibition, ‘World religions – universal peace – Global Ethic’ as a pamphlet. It includes summaries of core beliefs of the major world religions (and some major secular traditions also), followed by a digest of the principles of the Global Ethic.

The WFDD organized consultations on approaches to poverty in 1999–2000; see http://www.WFDD.org.uk. The International Labor Organization and the WCC organized consultations on decent work; see Peccoud 2004.