Abstract

Communal violence is a scar on society because it fosters disharmony and reinforces the cultural differences between different communities. Communal violence rips apart the very fabric of society and the result is displacement, intense trauma. Misconstrued interpretations of religion and the externalization of faith becomes a focal point for power groups to exercise politics and social power over people. Faith Based Organizations (FBOs) despite being the proponents’ faiths are supposed to be secular in outlook which means that they have equal respect for other religions as well. These FBOs have a big role to play in influencing people and shaping their attitude towards other religions in the spirit of secularism. This Paper will address the role of the FBOs in post disaster communal violence (2008) in the state of Odisha. This paper aims at explaining the tools and strategies undertaken by the FBOs for the holistic rehabilitation of the victims of the violence. This study will elaborate the contribution, approach and processes, right from identifying needs, relief distribution, social reconciliation, psychosocial counseling to restoring the livelihood of the victims. Further, it will critically analyze the paradigm shifts of the FBOs, from charity and right based approach in translating the values and principles of the church. This study has used few case studies and limited to only two FBOs namely Society for Welfare, Animation and Development (SWAD) and Catholic Charity (CC) that are working in the affected regions of Odisha.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.