Video
Twitter
Facebook
RSS Feed
Archive: Faith in Action
Switzerland, beyond the minaret ban
The most significant finding for many was that the ban won in areas where few if any Muslims lived, and it was defeated in the areas where Muslims were concentrated.
By Katherine Marshall | March 9, 2011; 12:20 AM ET | Comments (1)
Immigration reform: The view from the faith side
A survey put to respondents a comprehensive package for immigration reform: that illegal immigrants be required to register with the government, work, pay taxes, and learn English before they can apply for citizenship; 86 percent of those polled supported it, six in ten "strongly."
By Katherine Marshall | February 28, 2011; 12:39 AM ET | Comments (17)
Evangelicals and Islam
While 45 percent of Americans said they thought the values of Islam are at odds with American values, the figure was much higher (57 percent) for white evangelicals who responded to the survey.
By Katherine Marshall | February 15, 2011; 02:50 PM ET | Comments (7)
Morocco: it's complicated
I found people torn between a euphoric hope, especially at the unleashing of freedom of speech, and uncertainty laced with fear for the future
By Katherine Marshall | February 7, 2011; 07:44 PM ET | Comments (9)
Forgotten crisis: Stateless in Bangladesh
At least 200,000 Rohingya live in a painful limbo, stateless, unwelcome and unrecognized in the country where they find themselves.
By Katherine Marshall | January 31, 2011; 12:46 AM ET | Comments (3)
South Africa's inspiring constitution
National pride is palpable in South Africa but so are the stunning challenges that face what is in many respects a new nation, reborn with the death knell to Apartheid in 1994. Nowhere are the roots of both more evident than on Constitution Hill in Johannesburg.
By Katherine Marshall | January 24, 2011; 01:00 AM ET | Comments (4)
Feminist Muslims? The view from Bangladesh
Women actively living and reinterpreting Islam, looking to the essence of beliefs and teachings rather than to age-old cultural traditions, is an exciting trend.
By Katherine Marshall | January 17, 2011; 01:00 AM ET | Comments (22)
A stink over sanitation
It's going to take more than a World Toilet Day to solve this problem.
By Katherine Marshall | January 10, 2011; 12:48 AM ET | Comments (3)
American values, seen from abroad
Corruption can seem simple and clear when viewed from Washington, but in many cases it's anything but.
By Katherine Marshall | January 3, 2011; 12:44 AM ET | Comments (0)
Portugal in Africa
Portugal today is proudly secular and it is one of five European countries where same sex couples can marry legally. But its history is very Catholic.
By Katherine Marshall | December 21, 2010; 02:55 PM ET | Comments (1)
Nobel inspiration: Albert Schweitzer
What had excited me as a child was the example of a person who committed his life to changing the world.
By Katherine Marshall | December 13, 2010; 12:47 AM ET | Comments (3)
In Trinidad and Tobago, youth and faith join hands to fight homophobia
The threat of the HWO visit helped to motivate a new level of advocacy--from NGOs, the youth who took leadership on the issue of sexuality, and U.N. agencies.
By Katherine Marshall | December 6, 2010; 12:14 AM ET | Comments (4)
Faith and development: exploring the link
The starting puzzle is why, when religion is so obviously a powerful force in the world's poor societies, the very word "religion" has long been essentially taboo in almost all Swiss official debates on development.
By Katherine Marshall | November 29, 2010; 01:36 AM ET | Comments (5)
In Malawi, defending the orphans
With no resources and no allies, Sister Beatrice determined to improve the lot of AIDS orphans.
By Katherine Marshall | November 22, 2010; 12:24 AM ET | Comments (2)
In Norway, taking religion seriously
Religion is so central to the way people see the world that it is simply foolish not to try to understand its role.
By Katherine Marshall | November 15, 2010; 01:32 AM ET | Comments (1)
Holy healers and the polio campaign
It's not smart policy in a place where religion is vitally important to omit religious leaders from the planning.
By Katherine Marshall | November 8, 2010; 06:11 AM ET | Comments (7)
In aid of Moroccan women
Our grandmothers knew girls who were rejected because they got pregnant and out-of-wedlock children who lived in shame all their lives. Happily today we have progressed. Morocco, like other countries, is in the midst of a social revolution about treatment of girls.
By Katherine Marshall | November 1, 2010; 12:23 PM ET | Comments (0)
Roads from Rome
Unless the Vatican can put aside its emphasis on doctrine, take on board alternative views, and focus on what it knows about addressing poverty, it cannot be a major player in international development circles.
By Katherine Marshall | October 26, 2010; 10:45 AM ET | Comments (2)
Recipe for Peace: Dialogue
The lesson we must learn, yet again, is that war achieves nothing and that tenacious dialogue is the path to peace.
By Katherine Marshall | October 12, 2010; 02:32 PM ET | Comments (2)
Restoring ethics in India
The Mahabharata is, Das says, obsessed with questions of right and wrong.
By Katherine Marshall | September 27, 2010; 12:21 AM ET | Comments (9)
Political lessons from a Buddhist monk
Monychenda argues that conflicts are not resolved unless people can live together afterwards. Legal proceedings rarely leave people talking to each other.
By Katherine Marshall | August 30, 2010; 01:08 AM ET | Comments (3)
Malaysia's cool imam
Malaysia's challenges involve above all its diverse ethnic, religious and economic identities, and today's debates turn on how the three are intertwined.
By Katherine Marshall | August 16, 2010; 12:44 AM ET | Comments (1)
Orphan Debates
There remains a nagging suspicion that the resources lavished on orphanages could go a long way toward solving the underlying problems that send children to orphanages in the first place.
By Katherine Marshall | August 9, 2010; 12:01 AM ET | Comments (4)
Closure for Cambodia
Closure in the Duch case is a milestone but only a first step toward the reconciliation that needs to occur among the survivors and the perpetrators.
By Katherine Marshall | August 2, 2010; 12:30 AM ET | Comments (2)
Bringing faith into the TB fight
How to make the connection between the insights of the communities that see tuberculosis day in and day out and those who lead the global campaign against it?
By Katherine Marshall | July 26, 2010; 12:53 AM ET | Comments (2)
The imam and the pastor
How two religious leaders brought peace to northern Nigeria despite vast differences.
By Katherine Marshall | July 19, 2010; 12:28 PM ET | Comments (3)
Religion's Invisible Women
It will take some persistent work to alter the habits and also the rules that have men still dominating peace and religious tables.
By Katherine Marshall | July 12, 2010; 12:13 AM ET | Comments (2)
Holy boldness of women
Nuns, sisters and other religious women are taking the lead in work for peace, justice, human rights.
By Katherine Marshall | June 29, 2010; 10:48 AM ET | Comments (4)
New beginnings in Egypt?
Voices east and west, Christian and Muslim seem to be ready to move beyond talking to actual listening.
By Katherine Marshall | June 22, 2010; 10:27 AM ET | Comments (10)
Soccer and the soul
Mandela the Invictus is an example for us all on and off the field.
By Katherine Marshall | June 14, 2010; 09:42 AM ET | Comments (4)
Hope for Guinea
Can a lay Catholic movement help a predominantly Muslim country move toward democracy and peace?
By Katherine Marshall | June 7, 2010; 08:12 AM ET | Comments (2)
Redeeming religious laughter
Indeed humor and religion go together and most or all religious traditions have elements of humor.
By Katherine Marshall | June 1, 2010; 12:30 AM ET | Comments (3)
Religion's glorious complexity
Prothero is taking on what he sees as a set of dangerous tendencies to lump religions together.
By Katherine Marshall | May 23, 2010; 10:40 PM ET | Comments (15)
Gentle economics
Poverty is violence. We must redefine peace to mean more than the lack of war and riots.
By Katherine Marhsall | May 17, 2010; 01:30 AM ET | Comments (1)
Students on a mission
Today mission trips are in easy reach of high schoolers on spring break, and they go to every corner of the earth.
By Katherine Marshall | May 10, 2010; 12:22 AM ET | Comments (7)
Côte d'Ivoire in Crisis
Religious leaders agreed politics and corruption are to blame, not ethnic or religious divisions.
By Katherine Marshall | May 3, 2010; 12:10 AM ET | Comments (1)
Engagement and peacemaking
Arab leaders may celebrate the U.S.-Israeli breach, but it's bad for the Palestinians.
By Daniel Brumberg | April 27, 2010; 02:12 PM ET | Comments (7)
Good news on mothers
Women around the world are having fewer and healthier children.
By Katherine Marshall | April 25, 2010; 11:55 PM ET | Comments (6)
Religious wildfires
Don't blame Nigeria's violent conflicts on religion -- although many in Nigeria do.
By Katherine Marshall | April 19, 2010; 12:44 AM ET | Comments (8)
Vertigo times
The call for a social justice grounded in rights that extend to everyone is profoundly revolutionary.
By Katherine Marshall | April 12, 2010; 01:28 AM ET | Comments (5)
Corruption: myths and solutions
Corruption is about greed and exploitation. It is not inevitable.
By Katherine Marshall | April 5, 2010; 12:02 PM ET | Comments (4)
Faith vs. fear in America
Religious leaders say lack of faith drives fear, which drives America's hyperpartisan, uncivil discourse.
By Katherine Marshall | March 29, 2010; 12:00 AM ET | Comments (5)
Heroines against gendercide
The prospect of a generation of large societies in which men far outnumber women is chilling.
By Katherine Marshall | March 22, 2010; 12:21 AM ET | Comments (9)
Women's Day
Why aren't faith leaders speaking out against domestic violence. What on earth are they missing?
By Katherine Marshall | March 8, 2010; 12:46 AM ET | Comments (5)
The real angel investors
The Acumen Fund uses patience, determination and faith to invest in projects that benefit poor communities.
By Katherine Marshall | March 1, 2010; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (4)
Faith-based aid conversion
The lines separating saintly support from religiously motivated action are not always as precise as they may seem.
By Katherine Marshall | February 22, 2010; 12:06 AM ET | Comments (3)
Faith inaction
Last week's National Prayer Breakfast cast a spotlight on the gaps between what people of faith say (and pray) and what they actually do.
By Katherine Marshall | February 8, 2010; 04:28 AM ET | Comments (0)
The activist Buddhist
For Sulak, Buddhism's main priority is good friends who tell you what you don't want to hear.
By Katherine Marshall | January 31, 2010; 11:58 PM ET | Comments (4)
Environmentalists as missionaries
Environmentalists are often described in terms reminiscent of missionaries: righteous in their fervor, certain in their beliefs.
By Katherine Marshall | January 25, 2010; 08:13 AM ET | Comments (1)
One Haitian tragedy
Arns Neumann's legacy offers solace, practical ideas and hope. She achieved miracles through love and faith.
By Katherine Marshall | January 19, 2010; 12:16 AM ET | Comments (0)
Pentecostalism, African style
The greatest mystery is what this explosion of new churches across Africa means for society, economy, and politics.
By Katherine Marshall | January 11, 2010; 12:12 AM ET | Comments (10)
Charity and justice for all
Visitors to America marvel at our personal charity, but wonder about commitment to community.
By Katherine Marshall | January 4, 2010; 12:04 AM ET | Comments (6)
Nopenhagen: Not There Yet
We need to live up to the moral standard of a "poverty line" and limit ourselves to some form of "greed line."
By Katherine Marshall | December 21, 2009; 12:06 AM ET | Comments (1)
Greed (not America) gets the blame
Consumerism the bad guy at World Parliament of Religions, but too-simple solutions compete with sky-high expectations.
By Katherine Marshall | December 14, 2009; 12:17 AM ET | Comments (4)
Kaleidoscope of religions
The Parliament of World Religions focuses on injustice of poverty, perils of climate change, women in religion.
By Katherine Marshall | December 7, 2009; 12:40 AM ET | Comments (2)
Going glocal: a World Bank parable
World Bank protests focused on global issues but they also woke consciences on local matters.
By Katherine Marshall | November 30, 2009; 12:21 AM ET | Comments (0)
Faith and development
Faith communities could infuse the whole "development project" with a renewed political and moral energy.
By Katherine Marshall | November 23, 2009; 12:49 AM ET | Comments (1)
Faith and farming
The moral case for fighting hunger can resonate at all levels and across societies.
By Katherine Marshall | November 16, 2009; 12:56 AM ET | Comments (8)
And the Opus Goes to . . .
Gutsy Moroccan woman stands with unmarried mothers against the devils of harsh traditions.
By Katherine Marshall | November 9, 2009; 12:45 AM ET | Comments (2)
A more civil discourse: idealistic pragmatism
Ethics, inspired by the theological principles or plain decency, is about daily realities more than absolutes.
By Katherine Marshall | November 2, 2009; 08:26 AM ET | Comments (7)
A religious view of 'development'
Religion offers a reality check on whether development addresses what people truly want.
By Katherine Marshall | October 26, 2009; 12:38 AM ET | Comments (1)
A billion hungry people
Feeding the hungry is right up there with loving God and caring for one's neighbor. So why don't we?
By Katherine Marshall | October 19, 2009; 12:48 AM ET | Comments (4)
Finding Community in Diversity
The challenge of faith is to balance belonging and exclusion, diverse community and common purpose.
By Katherine Marshall | October 13, 2009; 09:20 AM ET | Comments (5)
"God Gulf" Hurts Women
It will take sustained focus to end most maternal deaths and give girls the chance to act on their dreams.
By Katherine Marshall | October 4, 2009; 11:56 PM ET | Comments (11)
Roots of Prejudice
Why does prejudice run so deep? What makes decent people act in ways that stray so far from their values?
By Katherine Marshall | October 1, 2009; 01:40 PM ET | Comments (31)
Keeping Poverty on the Global Agenda
Ending poverty is a central spiritual quest for mankind. That is true in good times but still more in times of crisis.
By Katherine Marshall | September 20, 2009; 11:42 PM ET | Comments (6)
Interfaith Call for World Peace
The Prayer for Peace draws many of world religions' most senior and respected leaders and inspires many more.
By Katherine Marshall | September 14, 2009; 12:55 AM ET | Comments (1)
Blessing Work
The moral imperative for labor leaders demands they work to advance the interests of poorer workers overseas.
By Katherine Marshall | September 7, 2009; 11:30 AM ET | Comments (1)
Need Plus Greed
Trafficking and exploitation of women and children is happening on a far larger scale as community restraints crumble.
By Katherine Marshall | August 31, 2009; 12:35 AM ET | Comments (16)
Starting Over in Cambodia
A young monk from a small village is determined to build a modern school for his community
By Katherine Marshall | August 24, 2009; 01:20 AM ET | Comments (1)
Interfaith Health-Care Reform
Cambodia's poorest receive excellent care at no charge. It's an inspiring interfaith example.
By Katherine Marshall | August 16, 2009; 12:55 AM ET | Comments (5)
Confronting Religionophobia
Many institutions that work on development simply do not understand the work of religious institutions.
By Katherine Marshall | August 10, 2009; 12:01 AM ET | Comments (34)
Wilde Journey
Oscar Wilde offered some of the most moving passages I have encountered about the power of religion as a witness to poverty.
By Katherine Marshall | August 3, 2009; 12:39 AM ET | Comments (2)
Human-land Security
Swiss village hosts warring factions to discuss freedom from want and freedom from fear.
By Katherine Marshall | July 27, 2009; 12:13 AM ET | Comments (0)
Alliances for Health
The idea is to link the strengths of medicine and religion to stop millions of preventable deaths.
By Katherine Marshall | July 20, 2009; 11:49 AM ET | Comments (8)
Saving a Drowning Girl
Benedict and Bono speak up about wide gap between promises made to address poverty and realities on the ground.
By Katherine Marshall | July 13, 2009; 12:32 AM ET | Comments (15)
Health Care Reform, African Style
A visit to a health clinic in Ghana would remind Obama that many human problems are the same across the world.
By Katherine Marshall | July 6, 2009; 12:20 AM ET | Comments (0)
Spiritual Counsel to the G8
Religious leaders here want offer a prophetic voice to call world leaders to their moral and practical responsibilities.
By Katherine Marshall | June 29, 2009; 12:29 AM ET | Comments (1)
Fathers and Families
The world needs more family planning, and more fathers engaged in that discussion.
By Katherine Marshall | June 22, 2009; 01:18 AM ET | Comments (3)
Faith-Based Competition
White House says faith-based office not there to ensure faith groups get their "fair share" of federal funding.
By Katherine Marshall | June 16, 2009; 02:25 AM ET | Comments (1)
Sweet Echoes from Cairo
Obama's speech in Cairo shows the meaning of dialogue, an articulation of values and a search for understanding.
By Katherine Marshall | June 8, 2009; 12:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Hearing Muslim Voices
Muslim Voices: Arts & Ideas sets out to challenge or change preconceptions Americans have about Muslims.
By Katherine Marshall | June 1, 2009; 11:54 AM ET | Comments (6)
"Good News" or Something Else?
The international community is watching Obama's approach to public funding for faith-inspired organizations.
By Katherine Marshall | May 26, 2009; 08:25 AM ET | Comments (4)
End Game in Sri Lanka
Few governments seem interested in punishing a country they believe is justifiably trying to crush an insurgency.
By Katherine Marshall | May 18, 2009; 12:03 AM ET | Comments (1)
Mothers Need More Than a Day
A woman in Niger faces a 1 in 7 chance of dying of pregnancy-related causes; a woman in Sweden has 1 chance in 17,400.
By Katherine Marshall | May 10, 2009; 11:02 PM ET | Comments (0)
Modern Witch Hunts
Witch hunts are part of crisis and turmoil. We are seeing that today and will see more as economic and social storms intensify.
By Katherine Marshall | May 4, 2009; 12:37 AM ET | Comments (9)
Pakistan's Quicksand
The Swat scene should be our wakeup call, demanding our urgent and sustained attention..
By Katherine Marshall | April 24, 2009; 09:46 PM ET | Comments (5)
Crisis and Opportunity in Darfur
Muslims joining Christians and Jews to undertake one of the world's largest humanitarian efforts.
By Katherine Marshall | April 20, 2009; 08:55 AM ET | Comments (1)
Faith-Based Diplomacy
Obama should use extraordinary organizational capacity of global religions in the cause of peace, welfare.
By Katherine Marshall | April 16, 2009; 12:00 PM ET | Comments (13)
Weak Economy Crippling the Poor
Religious communities see the economic crisis as tightly linked to justice and ethics.
By Katherine Marshall | April 8, 2009; 03:56 PM ET | Comments (3)
Wrong Message from the Pope
Even the Vatican's most ardent admirers have to wonder about the Pope's insensitive comments about condoms.
By Katherine Marshall | March 28, 2009; 07:40 PM ET | Comments (30)
Unkind Cuts
No religious text or teaching prescribes cutting, so why do millions believe the process has religious origins?
By Katherine Marshall | March 24, 2009; 01:15 AM ET | Comments (38)
Limbaugh, the Vatican and a Woman's Place
What's needed is a healthy and open debate, within the Catholic world and beyond, of the warring values that arise in debates about women's rights. What does respect for life and dignity, a wonderful clarion call, truly mean?
By Katherine Marshall | March 16, 2009; 09:28 AM ET | Comments (22)
