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Building Bridges in Development: USAID’s Strategic Religious Engagement Policy

Date: Tuesday, September 12, 2023 / Time: 9:30am - 10:30am 

Center: Applied Conflict Transformation Center

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Since its founding, USAID has partnered with religious communities and faith-based organizations to advance shared development and humanitarian objectives. USAID’s first-ever religious engagement policy affirms the important role of religious actors as strategic development partners and provides the USAID workforce with a framework for engaging religious communities and faith-based organizations in every sector and region where USAID has a presence.  

On September 12, USIP and USAID launched “Building Bridges in Development: USAID’s Strategic Religious Engagement Policy.” USAID Administrator Samantha Power and other leaders across the U.S. government discussed the new policy and its impact on development, diplomacy and peacebuilding moving forward.

Speakers

Lise Grande, opening remarks 
President & CEO, U.S. Institute of Peace

Samantha Power
Administrator, USAID

Adam Phillips
Executive Director; Local, Faith, and Transformative Partnerships Hub, USAID

Alexandra Rice
Policy Analyst, Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, USAID

Jay Singh
Country Representative and Mission Director, Jamaica, USAID

Melissa Rogers
Executive Director, White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships

Rashad Hussain
Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, U.S. Department of State

Palwasha Kakar
Interim Director, Religion & Inclusive Societies, USIP

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