Rural support programmes in Pakistan are major players in rural development, with significant outreach. Owing to funding constraints, they are currently exploring an exit strategy whereby they facilitate the formation of multi-tier local support organisations (LSOs), including those exclusively run by women. The present article focuses on the impact of this exit strategy on rural women. The findings, based on survey research, show that women have fared well, been more effective in running the LSOs than men and, despite confronting a conservative culture, have effectively filled in spaces vacated by men.

The present article outlines a development project carried out in Namibia in 2006–2010 by the Icelandic International Development Agency and the Namibian Ministry of Education. The project aimed primarily to empower deaf people by building capacity in deaf education and developing Namibian Sign Language. Strong emphasis was placed on strengthening government structures and services to contribute towards equal rights and participation in society. The article contextualises project activities and the lessons they offer with discussion on disability, development and deaf education, emphasising the importance of working closely with government and enlisting wide stakeholder participation to achieve sustainability.

This paper examines Congolese children's experiences of war and displacement in the context of the material, social, and relational aspects of their lives in Dar es Salaam. It argues that the challenges, privations and indignities of daily life in urban Tanzania were characterised by feelings of loss, deprivation and hardship so intense they were felt by many to be as or more devastating in their brutality than was life in the midst of war. In so doing, the paper raises profound questions about what kind of ‘protection’ we are providing to children in these circumstances, and for what purpose.

The role of religion in development is often neglected, whether this refers to the faith of intended beneficiaries, provides staff and volunteers with a motivation for involvement in development practice or influences the design and implementation of projects. This paper examines how Islam provides guidance for development practice, with a focus on addressing HIV/AIDS, using a South African case study. The case study highlights important principles on which two Muslim organisations (Islamic Careline and the Muslim AIDS Programme) base their operational methodologies. It shows how Islamic beliefs have influenced their approach to addressing issues related to HIV/AIDS in the South African context, where prevalence rates remain very high, the impact of the epidemic is widely felt and Islam is a minority faith.

Previous research has revealed that social policy design is relevant for addressing social problems, particularly for reducing poverty. However, evidence on poverty reduction exposes a sluggish trend towards achieving its main goals. This paper first reports on research examining to what extent social policy design has addressed social problems, poverty in particular. Second, this paper examines whether poverty lines have linked social policy design and social problems. Finally, this paper reveals that social policy design does not address poverty reduction and that poverty lines have not linked policy design and poverty reduction.

This article describes a holistic approach to organisational development that promotes learning and its integration into everyday work practice. It presents the approach and how it leads to genuine organisational transformation, increased organisational efficiency, and resilience during change. When an organisation is both willing and able to engage with a holistic approach, the results are significantly better than any that external one-off interventions or standalone training programmes can produce.

A growing number of international networks, like those linking religious institutions, engage in development-related activities across the world. Improvements in technology and increased travel opportunities for international volunteers have given these networks new influence, with unknown implications for the trajectory of development, especially where states are weak. This paper examines the role of a transnational religious network in a newly formed nation: the Republic of South Sudan, where the dominant Episcopal Church has links with dioceses elsewhere in the Anglican Communion. Through field observations, interviews and a survey of US Episcopal Church links in other countries, preliminary evidence is presented about the real and potential impact of this emergent form of globalised solidarity.

Transnational Muslim NGOs are increasingly important actors in the field of aid provision. Much of the literature has presented a rather static and homogeneous picture of this group of organisations, overlooking their heterogeneity and changing nature. Tracing the historical trajectories of transnational Muslim NGOs, this article shows how changing political, economic, and social contexts have shaped the identities, activities, and relations of these organisations. Using four specific events – the famine in the Horn of Africa, the wars in Afghanistan and Bosnia, and the War on Terror – as windows through which to study these trajectories, the article argues that recent history has seen the emergence of at least four types of transnational Muslim NGO: da'watist, jihadist, solidarity-based, and secularised. Trajectoires d'ONG musulmanes transnationales Les ONG musulmanes transnationales sont des acteurs de plus en plus importants dans le domaine de la prestation de secours humanitaires. Une grande partie des documents écrits à leur sujet ont présenté un tableau assez statique et homogène de ce groupe d'organisations, oubliant leur hétérogénéité et leur nature en mutation. En retraçant les trajectoires historiques des ONG musulmanes transnationales, cet article montre comment les contextes politiques, économiques et sociaux en évolution ont façonné les identités, activités et relations de ces organisations. En se servant de quatre événements précis – la famine de la Corne de l'Afrique, les guerres d'Afghanistan et de Bosnie et la Guerre contre le terrorisme – comme voies permettant d'étudier ces trajectoires, l'article soutient que l'on a assisté récemment à l'apparition d'au moins quatre types d'ONG musulmane transnationale : da'watiste, jihadiste, solidaire et laïcisé. Trajetórias de ONGs Muçulmanas transnacionais As ONGs Muçulmanas Transnacionais são cada vez mais agentes importantes na área de provisão de ajuda humanitária. Grande parte da literatura tem apresentado um quadro mais estático e homogêneo deste grupo de organizações, ignorando sua heterogeneidade e natureza variável. Traçando as trajetórias históricas de ONGs Muçulmanas transnacionais, este artigo mostra como a mudança de contextos políticos, econômicos e sociais têm influenciado as identidades, atividade e relações destas organizações. Utilizando quatro eventos específicos – a fome na região do Chifre da África, as guerras no Afeganistão e Bósnia, e a Guerra ao Terror – como janelas através das quais estuda-se estas trajetórias, o artigo argumenta que a história recente tem presenciado a emergência de pelo menos quatro tipos de ONGs Muçulmanas transnacionais: da'watist, jihadist, baseada em solidariedade e secularizada. Las trayectorias de las ONG islámicas multinacionales Las ONG multinacionales islámicas son actores cada vez más importantes para el suministro de ayuda. Lo que se ha escrito al respecto ofrece una imagen estática y homogénea de estas organizaciones pasando por alto su heterogeneidad y dinamismo. Este ensayo, basado en una investigación de las trayectorias históricas de las ONG multinacionales islámicas, muestra cómo los contextos políticos, económicos y sociales en evolución han moldeado las identidades, actividades y relaciones de estas organizaciones. A través de cuatro casos —la hambruna en el Cuerno de África, las guerras en Afganistán y Bosnia y la guerra contra el terrorismo— como ejemplos para examinar sus trayectorias, este ensayo sostiene que en el pasado reciente han emergido al menos cuatro tipos de ONG multinacionales islámicas: dawatistas, yihadistas, solidarias y laicas.

The evolution and achievements of the Eagles Relief and Development Programme in Malawi are inspired and influenced by Christian values. The strength of Eagles comes from its integration of religious teaching and values with the way it works and from its decision to work through the local congregations, despite the challenges that such integration entails. The Eagles Programme challenges the stereotype of Pentecostal churches as being preoccupied with providing charity and welfare rather than justice for the poor. This case study shows how combining an explicitly Christian approach with recognised good development practice can lead to sustainable impact in a profoundly challenging context.