• Home
  • About RSIS
    • Introduction
    • Building the Foundations
    • Welcome Message
    • Board of Governors
    • Staff Profiles
      • Executive Deputy Chairman’s Office
      • Dean’s Office
      • Management
      • Distinguished Fellows
      • Faculty and Research
      • Associate Research Fellows, Senior Analysts and Research Analysts
      • Visiting Fellows
      • Adjunct Fellows
      • Administrative Staff
    • Honours and Awards for RSIS Staff and Students
    • RSIS Endowment Fund
    • Endowed Professorships
    • Career Opportunities
    • Getting to RSIS
  • Research
    • Research Centres
      • Centre for Multilateralism Studies (CMS)
      • Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies (NTS Centre)
      • Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS)
      • Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS)
      • International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR)
    • Research Programmes
      • National Security Studies Programme (NSSP)
      • Studies in Inter-Religious Relations in Plural Societies (SRP) Programme
    • Future Issues and Technology Cluster
    • [email protected] Newsletter
    • Other Research
      • Science and Technology Studies Programme (STSP) (2017-2020)
  • Graduate Education
    • Graduate Programmes Office
    • Overview
    • MSc (Asian Studies)
    • MSc (International Political Economy)
    • MSc (International Relations)
    • MSc (Strategic Studies)
    • NTU-Warwick Double Masters Programme
    • PhD Programme
    • Exchange Partners and Programmes
    • How to Apply
    • Financial Assistance
    • Meet the Admissions Team: Information Sessions and other events
    • RSIS Alumni
  • Alumni & Networks
    • Alumni
    • Asia-Pacific Programme for Senior Military Officers (APPSMO)
    • Asia-Pacific Programme for Senior National Security Officers (APPSNO)
    • International Strategy Forum-Asia (ISF-Asia)
    • SRP Executive Programme
    • Terrorism Analyst Training Course (TATC)
  • Publications
    • RSIS Publications
      • Annual Reviews
      • Books
      • Bulletins and Newsletters
      • Commentaries
      • Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses
      • Commemorative / Event Reports
      • IDSS Paper
      • Interreligious Relations
      • Monographs
      • NTS Insight
      • Policy Reports
      • Working Papers
      • RSIS Publications for the Year
    • Glossary of Abbreviations
    • External Publications
      • Authored Books
      • Journal Articles
      • Edited Books
      • Chapters in Edited Books
      • Policy Reports
      • Working Papers
      • Op-Eds
      • External Publications for the Year
    • Policy-relevant Articles Given RSIS Award
  • Media
    • Great Powers
    • Sustainable Security
    • Other Resource Pages
    • Media Highlights
    • News Releases
    • Speeches
    • Vidcast Channel
    • Audio/Video Forums
  • Events
  • Giving
  • Contact Us
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
RSISVideoCast RSISVideoCast rsis.sg
Linkedin
instagram instagram rsis.sg
RSS
  • Home
  • About RSIS
      • Introduction
      • Building the Foundations
      • Welcome Message
      • Board of Governors
      • Staff Profiles
        • Executive Deputy Chairman’s Office
        • Dean’s Office
        • Management
        • Distinguished Fellows
        • Faculty and Research
        • Associate Research Fellows, Senior Analysts and Research Analysts
        • Visiting Fellows
        • Adjunct Fellows
        • Administrative Staff
      • Honours and Awards for RSIS Staff and Students
      • RSIS Endowment Fund
      • Endowed Professorships
      • Career Opportunities
      • Getting to RSIS
  • Research
      • Research Centres
        • Centre for Multilateralism Studies (CMS)
        • Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies (NTS Centre)
        • Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS)
        • Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS)
        • International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR)
      • Research Programmes
        • National Security Studies Programme (NSSP)
        • Studies in Inter-Religious Relations in Plural Societies (SRP) Programme
      • Future Issues and Technology Cluster
      • [email protected] Newsletter
      • Other Research
        • Science and Technology Studies Programme (STSP) (2017-2020)
  • Graduate Education
      • Graduate Programmes Office
      • Overview
      • MSc (Asian Studies)
      • MSc (International Political Economy)
      • MSc (International Relations)
      • MSc (Strategic Studies)
      • NTU-Warwick Double Masters Programme
      • PhD Programme
      • Exchange Partners and Programmes
      • How to Apply
      • Financial Assistance
      • Meet the Admissions Team: Information Sessions and other events
      • RSIS Alumni
  • Alumni & Networks
      • Alumni
      • Asia-Pacific Programme for Senior Military Officers (APPSMO)
      • Asia-Pacific Programme for Senior National Security Officers (APPSNO)
      • International Strategy Forum-Asia (ISF-Asia)
      • SRP Executive Programme
      • Terrorism Analyst Training Course (TATC)
  • Publications
      • RSIS Publications
        • Annual Reviews
        • Books
        • Bulletins and Newsletters
        • Commentaries
        • Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses
        • Commemorative / Event Reports
        • IDSS Paper
        • Interreligious Relations
        • Monographs
        • NTS Insight
        • Policy Reports
        • Working Papers
        • RSIS Publications for the Year
      • Glossary of Abbreviations
      • External Publications
        • Authored Books
        • Journal Articles
        • Edited Books
        • Chapters in Edited Books
        • Policy Reports
        • Working Papers
        • Op-Eds
        • External Publications for the Year
      • Policy-relevant Articles Given RSIS Award
  • Media
      • Great Powers
      • Sustainable Security
      • Other Resource Pages
      • Media Highlights
      • News Releases
      • Speeches
      • Vidcast Channel
      • Audio/Video Forums
  • Events
  • Giving
  • Contact Us
  • instagram instagram rsis.sg
Connect

Getting to RSIS

Map

Address

Nanyang Technological University
Block S4, Level B3,
50 Nanyang Avenue,
Singapore 639798

View location on Google maps Click here for directions to RSIS

Get in Touch

    Connect with Us

      rsis.ntu
      rsis_ntu
      rsisntu
    RSISVideoCast RSISVideoCast rsisvideocast
      school/rsis-ntu
    instagram instagram rsis.sg
      RSS
    Subscribe to RSIS Publications
    Subscribe to RSIS Events

    RSIS Intranet

    S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies Think Tank and Graduate School Ponder The Improbable Since 1966
    Nanyang Technological University Nanyang Technological University

    Skip to content

     
    • RSIS
    • Publication
    • RSIS Publications
    • Towards ICCS 2022 – HADR in Multilateral Asia: Whither Faith-Based Actors?
    • Annual Reviews
    • Books
    • Bulletins and Newsletters
    • Commentaries
    • Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses
    • Commemorative / Event Reports
    • IDSS Paper
    • Interreligious Relations
    • Monographs
    • NTS Insight
    • Policy Reports
    • Working Papers
    • RSIS Publications for the Year

    CO21183 | Towards ICCS 2022 – HADR in Multilateral Asia: Whither Faith-Based Actors?
    Tan See Seng

    27 December 2021

    download pdf
    RSIS Commentary is a platform to provide timely and, where appropriate, policy-relevant commentary and analysis of topical and contemporary issues. The authors’ views are their own and do not represent the official position of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), NTU. These commentaries may be reproduced with prior permission from RSIS and due credit to the author(s) and RSIS. Please email to Editor RSIS Commentary at [email protected].

    SYNOPSIS

    With big powers seemingly throwing off restraint and privileging power over principle against their strategic rivalries, and interactions between and among the great religions of the world deteriorating significantly, the need for multilateralism around HADR has never been greater.


    Source: Max Bender / Unsplash

    COMMENTARY

    THE TALIBAN’s victory in Afghanistan, which has been simultaneously hailed and lamented by observers is certainly a big blow to Western intervention in a country that has a different set of beliefs and values. In many other parts of the world, such blood-soaked “clash of civilisations” continues.

    Nevertheless, there are instances where efforts to provide support, regardless of race, religion and ethnicity, have been fruitful. One prominent area is cooperation among faith-based actors in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operations.

    Inclusion of Non-State Actors

    The post-Cold War era witnessed the rise of “participatory regionalism,” which is the inclusion of non-state actors in spaces and activities that were previously deemed the exclusive preserve of states. Many of these non-state actors are religiously motivated, driven by their respective callings to display compassion and hospitality towards their fellow humankind.

    As a result, the participation of faith-based actors in peace and humanitarian missions across the world began to garner greater attention. This shift in perception and policy was extraordinary for Asia, where countries uphold the importance of sovereignty and non-intervention in state matters, often making it unfavourable for multilateralism.

    Being the world’s most militarised and dynamic region, opening its borders for humanitarian missions was a much-needed leap in humanitarianism. This is because the region is a host to a myriad of natural and manmade humanitarian crises such as cyclones, earthquakes, and ethnic conflicts.

    Having religious actors participate in the road to recovery together with people from different backgrounds helps reconcile differences, creates understanding between cultures and helps newly formed communities in the aftermath of disasters to build more socially cohesive societies.

    Despite the prevalent weakness of multilateralism in Asia, what has proved contrarian is the relative willingness of regional players – including faith-based organisations – to seek ways to collaborate and synergise with one another in HADR in the common interest to serve and save communities adversely impacted by disasters.

    Faith-Based Actors

    It is hard these days to find a faith-based organisation in Asia that does not engage in some form of HADR efforts, or at least claim to do so. When a disaster strikes, it is often local churches, mosques or temples that are among the first to respond to the crisis on the ground, and one of the longest to remain in the recovery and rehabilitation process.

    The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) of the United States is one example of a faith-based organisation that has partnered with local faith-based organisations in countries such as Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and India to engage in HADR-related work within local communities.

    The involvement of faith-based actors in HADR-related operations in Asia is ubiquitous – not as standalone actors, but as part of the wider growth of local faith-based and secular humanitarian agencies.

    In the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, for instance, World Vision, a Christian International Non-Government Organisations (INGO), worked closely with Muhammadiyah, the second largest mass-based Muslim organisation in Indonesia to develop projects focusing on education and health of children in Aceh, Indonesia, a Muslim-populated province that was severely impacted by the disaster. Their efforts were no less significant than the contributions of state actors and better resourced standalone western INGOs.

    Asia’s New Paradigm of Humanitarian Assistance?

    The talk of “a new paradigm of humanitarian assistance” for Asia has become endemic in regional policy and academic discourse. This does not imply that faith-based organisations enjoy comparative advantage over their secular counterparts as humanitarian actors as they are seen as more compassionate and hospitable.

    As the religious leader, Timothy Fitzgerald once observed, simplistic tropes like “angel in the house” and the “irrational maniac” are not particularly helpful when explaining the involvement and impact of religious actors in HADR.

    But, as argued by the regional experts, Robin Bush, Philip Fountain and Michael Feener, the expansion of “participatory regionalism” in Asia, has increased the scope of religious actors in leveraging resources for humanitarian assistance and disaster response and in advocating for disaster prevention and mitigation efforts.

    Potential Tensions

    Nonetheless, there is need to practice some caution when faith-based actors are engaged in HADR as they are increasingly interacting with one another in the humanitarian space.

    Disaster relief expert, Muhammad Riza Nurdin when explaining religious activism in Aceh after the 2004 Tsunami, said that Muhammadiyah was the preferred partner of World Vision because of Muhammadiyah’s established presence and networks in the affected communities and its proven track record in community service.

    Yet critics have charged some faith-based humanitarian actors, especially Christian organisations, for their propensity to proselytise. But humanitarianism’s so-called proselytism problem goes beyond religious evangelism – Cecelia Lynch and Tanya Schwarz speak of “donor proselytism”.

    In this practice, donors place undue pressure on humanitarian actors to win over converts or conform to neoliberal conceptions of efficiency, sustainability, and measurable results. Tying HADR to evangelisation efforts is a hindrance to wider inter-faith cooperation.

    Any sensitivities and tensions among faith-based organisations responding in a humanitarian crisis could have implications for inter-faith dialogue and collaboration across the world. Hence, the promises of interfaith cooperation are many in the humanitarian space, but so are the limitations.

    Multilateralism as Key

    This brings us back to the relevance of multilateralism. With so many actors competing to be part of the HADR operations, disaster zones in Asia have become crowded with numerous players, including faith-based actors. Often, everyone gets in each other’s way. Hence, the need for greater multilateral coordination and coherence among actors has never been more urgent.

    Regular HADR dialogues that bring together relevant policy, military, academic and increasingly, faith-based actors for the purpose of sharing experiences and best practices and fostering innovation have proven invaluable in establishing common terms of reference and approaches and divisions of labour within HADR.

    These initiatives could be undertaken by overarching humanitarian organisations in regions or countries. In many disaster-prone areas in Asia, the United Nations’ Office for Coordinating Humanitarian Assistance (OCHA) plays a crucial coordinating function that has allowed non-state actors to contribute in synergistic ways with state agencies.

    Within Southeast Asia, the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre) is an inter-governmental organisation that plays a similar role to OCHA. These organisations would be a good platform for both state and non-state actors to come together to build better HADR responses.

    Governments can initiate these conversations by providing space and resources for these organisations to conduct these collaborations in their country.

    About the Author

    See Seng Tan is the President and CEO of International Students Inc., a faith-based non-profit organisation in the United States. He is concurrently Research Advisor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) and Senior Associate at the Centre for Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS), both at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. This is part of a series leading up to the International Conference on Cohesive Societies 2022.

    Categories: Commentaries / Country and Region Studies / Non-Traditional Security / Regionalism and Multilateralism / Religion in Contemporary Society / Singapore and Homeland Security / East Asia and Asia Pacific / Global / South Asia / Southeast Asia and ASEAN

    Last updated on 24/01/2022

    comments powered by Disqus
    RSIS Commentary is a platform to provide timely and, where appropriate, policy-relevant commentary and analysis of topical and contemporary issues. The authors’ views are their own and do not represent the official position of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), NTU. These commentaries may be reproduced with prior permission from RSIS and due credit to the author(s) and RSIS. Please email to Editor RSIS Commentary at [email protected].

    SYNOPSIS

    With big powers seemingly throwing off restraint and privileging power over principle against their strategic rivalries, and interactions between and among the great religions of the world deteriorating significantly, the need for multilateralism around HADR has never been greater.


    Source: Max Bender / Unsplash

    COMMENTARY

    THE TALIBAN’s victory in Afghanistan, which has been simultaneously hailed and lamented by observers is certainly a big blow to Western intervention in a country that has a different set of beliefs and values. In many other parts of the world, such blood-soaked “clash of civilisations” continues.

    Nevertheless, there are instances where efforts to provide support, regardless of race, religion and ethnicity, have been fruitful. One prominent area is cooperation among faith-based actors in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operations.

    Inclusion of Non-State Actors

    The post-Cold War era witnessed the rise of “participatory regionalism,” which is the inclusion of non-state actors in spaces and activities that were previously deemed the exclusive preserve of states. Many of these non-state actors are religiously motivated, driven by their respective callings to display compassion and hospitality towards their fellow humankind.

    As a result, the participation of faith-based actors in peace and humanitarian missions across the world began to garner greater attention. This shift in perception and policy was extraordinary for Asia, where countries uphold the importance of sovereignty and non-intervention in state matters, often making it unfavourable for multilateralism.

    Being the world’s most militarised and dynamic region, opening its borders for humanitarian missions was a much-needed leap in humanitarianism. This is because the region is a host to a myriad of natural and manmade humanitarian crises such as cyclones, earthquakes, and ethnic conflicts.

    Having religious actors participate in the road to recovery together with people from different backgrounds helps reconcile differences, creates understanding between cultures and helps newly formed communities in the aftermath of disasters to build more socially cohesive societies.

    Despite the prevalent weakness of multilateralism in Asia, what has proved contrarian is the relative willingness of regional players – including faith-based organisations – to seek ways to collaborate and synergise with one another in HADR in the common interest to serve and save communities adversely impacted by disasters.

    Faith-Based Actors

    It is hard these days to find a faith-based organisation in Asia that does not engage in some form of HADR efforts, or at least claim to do so. When a disaster strikes, it is often local churches, mosques or temples that are among the first to respond to the crisis on the ground, and one of the longest to remain in the recovery and rehabilitation process.

    The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) of the United States is one example of a faith-based organisation that has partnered with local faith-based organisations in countries such as Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and India to engage in HADR-related work within local communities.

    The involvement of faith-based actors in HADR-related operations in Asia is ubiquitous – not as standalone actors, but as part of the wider growth of local faith-based and secular humanitarian agencies.

    In the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, for instance, World Vision, a Christian International Non-Government Organisations (INGO), worked closely with Muhammadiyah, the second largest mass-based Muslim organisation in Indonesia to develop projects focusing on education and health of children in Aceh, Indonesia, a Muslim-populated province that was severely impacted by the disaster. Their efforts were no less significant than the contributions of state actors and better resourced standalone western INGOs.

    Asia’s New Paradigm of Humanitarian Assistance?

    The talk of “a new paradigm of humanitarian assistance” for Asia has become endemic in regional policy and academic discourse. This does not imply that faith-based organisations enjoy comparative advantage over their secular counterparts as humanitarian actors as they are seen as more compassionate and hospitable.

    As the religious leader, Timothy Fitzgerald once observed, simplistic tropes like “angel in the house” and the “irrational maniac” are not particularly helpful when explaining the involvement and impact of religious actors in HADR.

    But, as argued by the regional experts, Robin Bush, Philip Fountain and Michael Feener, the expansion of “participatory regionalism” in Asia, has increased the scope of religious actors in leveraging resources for humanitarian assistance and disaster response and in advocating for disaster prevention and mitigation efforts.

    Potential Tensions

    Nonetheless, there is need to practice some caution when faith-based actors are engaged in HADR as they are increasingly interacting with one another in the humanitarian space.

    Disaster relief expert, Muhammad Riza Nurdin when explaining religious activism in Aceh after the 2004 Tsunami, said that Muhammadiyah was the preferred partner of World Vision because of Muhammadiyah’s established presence and networks in the affected communities and its proven track record in community service.

    Yet critics have charged some faith-based humanitarian actors, especially Christian organisations, for their propensity to proselytise. But humanitarianism’s so-called proselytism problem goes beyond religious evangelism – Cecelia Lynch and Tanya Schwarz speak of “donor proselytism”.

    In this practice, donors place undue pressure on humanitarian actors to win over converts or conform to neoliberal conceptions of efficiency, sustainability, and measurable results. Tying HADR to evangelisation efforts is a hindrance to wider inter-faith cooperation.

    Any sensitivities and tensions among faith-based organisations responding in a humanitarian crisis could have implications for inter-faith dialogue and collaboration across the world. Hence, the promises of interfaith cooperation are many in the humanitarian space, but so are the limitations.

    Multilateralism as Key

    This brings us back to the relevance of multilateralism. With so many actors competing to be part of the HADR operations, disaster zones in Asia have become crowded with numerous players, including faith-based actors. Often, everyone gets in each other’s way. Hence, the need for greater multilateral coordination and coherence among actors has never been more urgent.

    Regular HADR dialogues that bring together relevant policy, military, academic and increasingly, faith-based actors for the purpose of sharing experiences and best practices and fostering innovation have proven invaluable in establishing common terms of reference and approaches and divisions of labour within HADR.

    These initiatives could be undertaken by overarching humanitarian organisations in regions or countries. In many disaster-prone areas in Asia, the United Nations’ Office for Coordinating Humanitarian Assistance (OCHA) plays a crucial coordinating function that has allowed non-state actors to contribute in synergistic ways with state agencies.

    Within Southeast Asia, the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre) is an inter-governmental organisation that plays a similar role to OCHA. These organisations would be a good platform for both state and non-state actors to come together to build better HADR responses.

    Governments can initiate these conversations by providing space and resources for these organisations to conduct these collaborations in their country.

    About the Author

    See Seng Tan is the President and CEO of International Students Inc., a faith-based non-profit organisation in the United States. He is concurrently Research Advisor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) and Senior Associate at the Centre for Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS), both at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. This is part of a series leading up to the International Conference on Cohesive Societies 2022.

    Categories: Commentaries / Country and Region Studies / Non-Traditional Security / Regionalism and Multilateralism / Religion in Contemporary Society / Singapore and Homeland Security

    Last updated on 24/01/2022

    Back to top

    Terms of Use | Privacy Statement
    Copyright © S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. All rights reserved.
    This site uses cookies to offer you a better browsing experience. By continuing, you are agreeing to the use of cookies on your device as described in our privacy policy. Learn more
    OK
    Latest Book
    Towards ICCS 2022 – HADR in Multilateral Asia: Whither Faith-Based Actors?

    SYNOPSIS

    With big powers seemingly throwing off restraint and privileging power over principle against their strategic rivalries, and interactions between a ...
    more info