Exploring the transformative role of faith communities in safeguarding life, territory and natural resources.

Faith communities are now seen as key partners in the pursuit of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals as well as in the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss. However, little is known about the role they play in natural resource governance disputes or the mechanisms through which they influence natural resource governance.

WRI Faith and Sustainability is partnering with WRI Brazil, WRI Colombia, WRI Mexico and the Laudato Si' Research Institute at the University of Oxford to study the role of faith communities as civil society actors in natural resources governance disputes. This research, which will span Brazil, Colombia and Mexico, aims to bring new insights into how faith actors can engage in promoting just natural resource governance and sustainable development. Ultimately, it aspires to position faith-based organizations as vital collaborators in fostering inclusive civic spaces and engaging proactively to promote sustainable natural resource usage.

Although initially focused on Latin America, our team is actively engaging with stakeholders from diverse ecosystems such as the Congo Basin and Indonesia, exploring how our findings can be adapted to various contexts and geographies to secure land and resource rights for local communities. We invite stakeholders from these and other regions to contact us to learn more about this work and to explore potential avenues for collaboration.

Image by diversityphotos/Flickr