Abstract
The devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and the outbreak of wildfires in the U.S. state of Hawaii in 2023 revealed the significance of efficiently involving non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in disaster response and recovery endeavors once more. Such catastrophic disasters often result in heated debate regarding the sufficiency of government involvement in disaster response and recovery. Typically, during these debates, the issue of whether governments effectively benefit from the institutional and human capabilities of NGOs comes to the fore. In this vein, the participation of FBOs in disaster response and recovery occupies the public agenda at local and national levels due to their ability to provide social services such as food and shelter through their organized human resources, as well as their capacity to carry out search and rescue operations. The involvement of FBOs is also followed with interest on a global scale. For example, the Global Forum of Faith-Based Organizations for Population and Development, organized by the United Nations Population Fund in Istanbul in 2008, hosted a panel that allowed FBOs to share their experiences in providing moral and material assistance to local communities in the face of natural disasters and conflict. Within this particular framework, this research examines the involvement of FBOs in disaster response and recovery efforts in the United States, a country whose governmental structure relies on the delicate balance between the state and religion, in light of legal and political debates.
Presenters
Fadime ApaydinStudent, Ph.D., University of California, Riverside, California, United States Ihsan çapcıoğlu
Professor, Sociology of Religion, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Disaster and Religion, Disaster Relief, Non-governmental Organizations, Religion, Religious Groups