This opportunity was unique because EWB does not usually form partnerships with religiously affiliated organizations. “Developing societies and economies is incredibly difficult. Building strong spiritual communities is also incredibly difficult. I personally believe that working on both of these problems is important, but that there should be a separation of concerns between the two,” wrote Ben Best, an African Programs Staff at EWB in the Agricultural Value Chains venture who was Naomi’s coach last summer. “That said, there are Christian NGOs that do not evangelize and take a critical view of development. In my experience, these are quite rare, and where they do exist, they tend to be quite small. CHIPS is a great example of this and I’m extremely happy that it worked out for us this summer.”
Naomi was drawn to volunteer for EWB because she appreciated their intelligent approach to development. “My passion for international development and helping the poor comes through my faith” said Naomi “but I have a lot of respect for [EWB’s] smart approach, even though it isn’t Christian.” The intelligent approach to development that EWB pursues is “an unprecedented, locally driven approach to development” which provides “tools and information” instead of unsustainable monetary aid (for instance, focusing on maintenance of sanitary systems instead of drilling wells which will break down), as described on their website.
CHIPS is an NGO involved in peace promotion. The project Naomi was involved in was an attempt to make peace between two conflicting tribes by inciting their cooperation on a Community Animal Health Workers project. Though they ran services and invited the locals to pray with them, CHIPS is not a proselytizing organization.
Naomi described her experience as extremely positive in terms of community reception of the volunteers. In her blog about her experience, she wrote, “Canadian aid is valuable and appreciated… [A “community leader”] was especially grateful that I was not bringing any goods or money with me, but rather that I was simply spending time in their community and sharing my knowledge and skills.”
In this instance, there was no marked difference in reaction to Christian versus secular aid groups. A Muslim man in the community approached Naomi and expressed that he understood and respected that the reason she did this work was that she was motivated by her faith and love for Jesus. People were happy to meet the generous, friendly Canadians and did not question their motives.
Ultimately, in Naomi’s eyes, the difference between religious and non-religious NGOs lies in the source of motivation for the volunteers. “EWB volunteers are united by a shared belief in the potential of people. As Christian volunteers our belief in the power of God creates an overflow of love for our neighbour. These are equally valid motives, just different,” she explains.
Working in a community of Christians who worshiped and worked together was extremely rewarding for Naomi. “The community group aspect was huge. My personal perspective fits a lot more with a Christian organization.” Naomi found that the religious base primarily affected the dynamic within the NGO, not the dynamic between the NGO and the community.
Ultimately, whether or not an NGO takes an intelligent and sustainable approach to development is what determines their success and community reception. That said, evangelism is seen by some volunteers as an unintelligent development strategy, as it can, in Best’s opinion, contribute to an “imbalance in power between relatively richer foreigners bringing developmental assistance under the banner of religion” instead of helping them to build and shape their communities by their own design.
If Naomi’s experience is any indication, the proper balance was struck between EWB and CHIPS this past summer. No matter the cause of their motivation, NGOs who adopt an intelligent and sustainable approach are the most valuable to development.
