| A significant aspect of the mission and operations of multilateral, regional, and bilateral development and donor agencies is the sustainable management and protection of our environment and natural resources through "bottom-up" problem-solving and community-based resource management, which is characterized by grassroots organizing, participatory decision-making, and local self-reliance. This approach has prompted such agencies to work closely with local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the implementation of environmental management projects.; The subject of this dissertation is the role and contribution of a specific type of NGO, namely, the faith-based organization (FBO). In particular, it aims to show how FBOs can develop productive partnerships with international development and donor agencies whose influence on global environmental matters is widespread. Using qualitative research methods on a small sample of organizations from Kenya, Tanzania, the Philippines, US, and France, I sought to determine how three sets of organizational aspects---cognitive, relational, and external---were manifested in an FBO's structure and operations, and how each aspect was instrumental in achieving successful environmental project outcomes, thereby making them attractive partners for international development agencies.; I find that in general, FBOs are not that dissimilar to their secular counterparts. In fact, it is more likely for an FBO to act like a secular NGO than for a secular NGO to act like an FBO. For instance, an FBO does not compromise scientific rigor for spirituality; they enjoy positive relationships with their partners; they often draw on the same sources of expertise and funding as NGOs; and, they are not affected directly by political, economic, and cultural factors. However, an FBO's ability to balance its value-based logic with a goal-oriented rationality proves to be a strategic and potent combination that implies less scrutiny from the secular world, greater acceptance from environmental professionals, and the potential to collaborate more closely with international development agencies. This exploratory study also offers specific, practical measures that could be taken by international development agencies in helping shape, facilitate, or respond to cognitive, relational, and external aspects of faith-based organizations and that could prove useful in promoting conditions conducive to further collaboration in the environmental sector. |
