Agree to Differ

[

] 80

From February through April 2013 UNHCR, working

with a group of faith-based organizations, networks and

religious experts, drafted a text that consists of 16 affirma-

tions which draw upon principles and values shared by

the world’s major religions. The document aims to provide

faith leaders with an opportunity to affirm the role faith

communities play to “welcome the stranger, the refugee,

the internally displaced, the other … to challenge intoler-

ance … and respect the right of the stranger to practice his

or her own faith freely.”

The call to welcome the stranger is essentially a statement of

belief flowing from principles of hospitality, respect and equal-

ity, as these are values that are deeply rooted in all major faiths.

Hospitality:

Although non-traditional humanitarian actors,

such as local faith communities, may carry out humanitar-

ian assistance activities as an adjunct to their faith-related

work, they are often the first to respond to individuals, fami-

lies and communities in the initial stages of a humanitarian

crisis. They respond by virtue of their presence in some of the

most isolated and remote areas. Recognition of this fact has

sparked renewed interest in engaging with these communities

to improve outreach to the most vulnerable.

Respect:

Respect for the diversity of identities, values and

traditions is pivotal to enhance the protection and resil-

ience of forcibly displaced individuals and communities.

Local faith communities are uniquely aware of the fact that,

in many countries and communities, faith is a ‘basic need’

and provides spiritual sustenance for persons of concern

to UNHCR. Local faith leaders and faith communities are

uniquely positioned to meet these needs.

Equality:

Cooperation should be based on a shared set of

objectives, and be premised on mutual respect and partner-

ship. Equality should also translate into equal treatment and the

right to equal protection according to humanitarian standards.

These principles serve as a normative backdrop to the

minimum standards that follow. They are a point of depar-

ture for dialogue between UNHCR and faith actors aimed at

working together in mutually beneficial ways to serve persons

of concern to UNHCR. Principles also help guide partners

that may wish to establish dialogue across faiths and between

traditional and non-traditional humanitarian actors.

As active members of civil society, faith actors and their

organizations can leverage significant social and physical

assets for the benefit of those UNHCR serves. Strengthening

partnerships is further a goal of the wider humanitarian

reform process that aims to improve the effectiveness of

humanitarian response. Finally, faith actors are widely

present in all parts of a given country and their presence

Image: UNHCR/E. Hockstein

A father and son pray in Ifo camp, Dadaab. These camps are under immense population pressure as Somalis continue to flood into Kenya to escape violence

gree

iffer