Faith in Action International supports grassroots organizing that enables those who are most vulnerable and exploited to build political and economic power to better their lives and communities.
The organizations we support in Central America, Africa, the Caribbean and Eastern Europe train leaders and equip them with the tools to put their faith values into practice, organize their communities, decide on community priorities, hold public official accountable, create economic opportunity, generate income for vulnerable families, and press for more inclusive and effective policies to reduce poverty and suffering and make society more equitable.
Our model begins with bringing people together to reflect on their purpose and share their stories.
We help people build teams that go out and solicit input from their neighbors.
People prioritize the most important concerns they hear and then do research to understand who has the power to make changes.
Building strong accountable relationships among themselves helps people build the collective power to hold public officials accountable.
Taking action to bring about tangible changes in a community and then reflecting on that action increases people’s confidence in themselves and deepens their understanding of the world. It paves the way for regional and national campaigns to change public policy on land rights, water, housing, health care and community development.
Through this cycle of action and reflection people gain the capacity to transform their lives and their societies.
Putting faith into action
Faith in Action helps people put their values into action to create a world that reflects the inherent dignity of every human being. We work with people from every faith tradition and those who are not religious but believe in the possibility of a better world.
The work we do to bring people together to imagine communities and societies in which all people can flourish is profoundly spiritual. In a world in which religion has been used to divide, we believe that faith and values can bring people together, create community and hold governments and corporations up to a higher moral standard.
Developing leaders
Organizing makes it possible for people who are oppressed, exploited and neglected to build organizations that they can use to negotiate change. Our approach to change offers people an opportunity to become leaders with a following.
Through their participation and leadership people share their stories with each other, organize their neighbors, build accountable relationships with public officials, and lead campaigns to change public and company policies to better meet the needs of families.
People not only get results that make their lives better, but they also come to see themselves as powerful agents of change in the world. They become leaders who can win their own liberation.