Everything could be different ...
"I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." (John 10:10)
I have life in abundance, first and foremost, when I have a choice. This is not the case for most people worldwide. This makes the well-being of disadvantaged or discriminated people one of the decisive criteria for our work. In the contemporarz world we realise that a life of abundance/dignity is denied to a large part of humanity due to a variety of cultural, economic, religious, ecological and social factors.
"God, change the face of the earth - and start with us."
Issues of underdevelopment and development are rooted, among other things, in the philosophy of the 18th century Enlightenment, which helped to shape the image of white superiority. As a rule, the German majority - as well as the "political whites" of the global North - are not aware of their whiteness, but that makes it no less real. We are challenged to critically question our own attitudes and to change. We need to deconstruct our image of ourselves as "the committed" with regard to our responsibility for the world and give new meaning to the concepts of peace, justice and the integrity of creation. This should also be considered with regard to the concepts of development/underdevelopment and the associated globally established forms of "development cooperation."
"Agenda 2030 - an opportunity or a lazy compromise?"
Definitely an opportunity. Politics is always dependent on (sometimes the lowest) common denominators. The 2030 Agenda formulates common goals that are supported by large parts of the global community: finally official strategies also include the fact that the global North must take responsibility for the vision formulated here. From the preamble: "this Agenda is a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity. It also seeks to
strengthen universal peace in larger freedom. We recognize that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, is the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development." This formulates a realisation as political will: The global challenges of our time can only be overcome together. To this end, the guiding principle of sustainable development must be consistently applied.
The role of religion and development
While the Millennium Development Goals (2000 - 2015) focus strongly on government programmes, during the development of the 2030 Agenda civil society and religion, among others, have become more prominent. The realisation that the role of religion in development, for example, has been undervalued far too much up to now, has found its way into the respective government programmes through studies and resolutions
of the United Nations, so that following the publication of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (Role of religion in German development policy) published in 2015, one can now speak of a clear recognition of this field of work in the area of government development cooperation. After all, a development policy that focuses on individuals must take their culture, religion and worldview seriously.
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Despite all the critical factors of religion (e.g. the image of women) and religiously motivated conflicts, it should also be noted that, according to World Bank estimates, around half of all services in the areas of education and health in sub-Saharan Africa, for example, are provided by religiously motivated organisations. In the area of migration, it should also be noted that so-called "remittances," i.e. payments that migrants transfer to family members in their countries of origin, among others, exceed official development aid (ODA) many times over worldwide.
The contribution of churches, congregations and church organisations
In addition to these global political contexts, the various Christian churches, church institutions and congregations also take on a new significance in the context of the 2030 Agenda. In its brochure "Geliehen ist der Stern, auf dem wir leben. The 2030 Agenda as a Challenge for the Churches", the Protestant Church in Germany calls for churches worldwide to face up the to global challenges by being admonishers, mediators and drivers of change. The Christian message offers the opportunity to get involved in public debates. For example, the Evangelical Lutheran Mission in Lower Saxony (ELM) can work with partner churches to test sustainable development in an exemplary manner. Advocacy work can also be realised through global networking. However, it is just as important to consider at a local level, e.g. within the framework of a Christian South-North partnership group or congregation, how to work on attitudes towards "foreigners" or how a diaconal organisation can organise its purchasing in an eco-fair way.
Dr Mirjam Laaser
