COVID-19 is a global crisis that needs all communities across the world, together with governments, UN entities, and broad civil society organizations, to join forces in keeping people safe and well. As an international learning exchange, the JLI aims to facilitate evidence building and creation to support faith and COVID-19 response. We will update this page with JLI collaborations and partner initiatives (as possible)
Quick links: JLI-Berkley Initiative, Webinars, Partner Initiatives
The Multi-religious Faith in Action COVID-19 Initiative as part of the Faith and Positive Change for Children Global Initiative
We affirm the unique roles played by religious leaders and actors, in influencing values, attitudes, behaviours and actions that affect the development and wellbeing of the world’s children. The Initiative is coordinated by Religions for Peace (RFP) and UNICEF with support from Joint Learning Initiative on Faith and Local Communities ( JLI) as part of the global partnership on Faith and Positive Change for Children, Families and Communities. This initiative just launched global guidance documents for religious leaders and faith communities.
To date the partners held seven regional webinars to increase awareness and strengthen coordinated efforts through the global Faith-in-Action campaign, to mobilize inter-faith commitments of Religious Leaders and Faith representatives including Women of Faith and Interfaith Youth Network Members to support the specific calls to action; to equip these Influencers with a standard set of global guidance with messages and resources that can be customized for local use and to share existing examples of best practices to motivate others
- COVID-19 Initiative Reference Document for Religious Leaders and Faith Communities Guidance, Ed 1, April 2020
- Launch of Global Multi-Religious Faith in Action COVID-19 Initiative: UNICEF and Religions for Peace Initiative
- Faith-In-Action Guidance Documents:
- Series 1: Adapting how we gather together, pray and practise rituals – Adaptation of ceremonies, burial practices, rituals, hygiene and handwashing
- Series 2: Communicating to end misinformation, discrimination and to instill hope – Mental and spiritual health, misinformation and rumours, stigma and discrimination
- Series 3: Helping people who are at risk – Elderly, homeless, migrants, people with disabilities, pregnant women and children
- The FPCC launches first virtual ‘Mind and Heart Dialogue Training‘ series to support faith leaders during COVID-19 in Eastern and Southern Africa
JLI and Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs at Georgetown University and the World Faiths Development Dialogue
Faith and COVID-19 Response Resource Platform: The joint platform aims to organize information so that it can be quickly found and used by development policymakers and practitioners and religious actors who seek to work together in the COVID-19 response. View the resource repository here and sign up to get daily emails
- Religion and COVID-19: Four lessons from Ebola experience from co-conveners of the repository Dr Olivia Wilkinson, JLI and Dr Katherine Marshall, WFDD and the Berkley Center and Dave Robinson on Oxfam’s Blog From Poverty to Power
- Blog post on COVID-19 Guidance for Religious Communities and Leaders
- The Resource Platform above began with exploratory discussion with Dr Katherine Marshall, Dr Olivia Wilkinson and Dave Robinson – exploring the faith dimensions
Webinar Series
- The COVID-19 Crisis: Taking Stock of Religious Responses: JLI &Berkley Center Webinar link
- The COVID 19 Crisis: From Past Experiences to Present Realities: JLI & Berkley Center Webinar
- The COVID-19 Crisis: Adaptations and Tensions During the Month of Ramadan: JLI & Berkley Center Webinar with guest speakers including JLI Refugees and Forced Migration Co-Chair Atallah Fitzgibbon see here for video
- The COVID-19 Crisis: Faith Engagement Between Peace and Conflict in Asia: K. V. Soon Vidyananda, entrepreneur and Buddhist leader, and Somboon Chungprampree, a Thai social activist chats with Katherine Marshall about vulnerable populations and how to support them during COVID-19 see here for video
- Balancing in the Face of the COVID-19 Crisis: Adapting and Reimagining Faith-Inspired Programs: JLI & Berkley Center Webinar
- The COVID-19 Crisis: Civil Society Responses in Mexico and Along the Border: JLI & Berkley Center Webinar
- Young Women of Faith and Transformative Leadership in COVID-19 Response: JLI & Berkley Center Webinar
- Food and Faith Responses to the COVID-19 Crisis: Directions Ahead: JLI & Berkley Center Webinar
- Discussions will be ongoing, see the Berkley website for more information

COVID-19 Response among Faith-based Health Organizations Survey
Christian Connections for International Health (CCIH) and the Joint Learning Initiative on Faith and Local Communities (JLI) are working together to identify unmet needs for support among faith-based health providers during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. This will be a monthly survey to see how needs change over the course of the response.
Webinars
Coping with Coronavirus: World Council of Churches Webinar
- JLI Director of Research Olivia Wilkinson participated as part of a panel of Health Experts and Church Leaders Co-Address COVID-19 Pandemic
Children on the Move: KAICIID webinar
- JLI Director of Research Olivia Wilkinson participated as part of a panel
JLI Partner Initiatives:
- ACT Alliance: Briefing paper: Gender and faith perspectives on COVID-19
- Adventist Development and Relief Agency, ADRA: Biblical-Theological Guidance during COVID-19
- Anglican Alliance: Faith in a time of Covid-19, 18 March 2020; Resource Page
- Arigatou International: Faith in Action for Children in response to COVID-19 , videos of children’s and religious leaders’ perspectives, includes 12 Messages and Actions to Ensure Children’s Wellbeing during the COVID-19 Pandemic
- Accord Network: Resources, Webinars on M&E and WASH
- Cadena International: Go Viral Competition
- Christian Aid: Tipping Point: How the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to push the world’s poorest to the brink of survival
- Christian Connections in International Health: Resources for Christian faith-based organizations and an ongoing call for papers on epidemics and pandemics
- Christian Journal for Global Health: COVID-19 Special Issue
- Emory Interfaith Health platform: COVID-19 Resources for Faith Communities
- Episcopal Relief and Development: Faith-Based Response to Epidemics: https://www.episcopalrelief.org/what-we-do/us-disaster-program/faith-based-response-to-epidemics
- Harper Hill Global:
- IMA World Health: Preparing Africa for the coronavirus, https://imaworldhealth.org/covid19
- Islamic Relief USA: Resources
- Islamic Relief Worldwide: Guidance on safe religious practice for Muslim communities during the coronavirus pandemic
- KAICIID – Interreligious Platform for Dialogue and Cooperation
- Religions for Peace COVID-19 action page and Multi-religious Faith in Action Initiative
- Sarvodaya
- Tearfund:
- Resources on Tearfund Learn Covid-19 webpage
- Faith responses to Covid-19: taking lessons from the Ebola response
- Guidance for churches on how to support older people during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Wheaton Humanitarian Disaster Institute (HDI)- Preparing your Church for Coronavirus: HDI in partnership with National Association of Evangelicals Summit Webinar Series
- The website above includes many resources and tip sheets
- New time-limited webinar series on church preparedness and response to COVID-19. HDI will plan to continue to offer a new webinar each week & is holding a Spiritual First Aid Summit on Thursday, April 30 see here to register
- Resource on Caring for Vulnerable People during COVID-19: Understanding the effects of a pandemic response on Child Maltreatment, Human Trafficking, and IPV (Intimate Partner Violence)
- World Council of Churches: Overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic with faith-communities: some guidance for churches, 21 March 2020
- World Evangelical Alliance: Resources
- World Vision International:
Other key resources:
- Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action: MHPSS and COVID-19
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/organizations/index.htm
- Tony Blair Global Institute – Online advisory materials on government engagement with religious leaders to help address COVID-19
- World Health Organization:
- UN Secretary-General: Statement on the impact of Covid-19 on children
- UN Special Representative to the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children:
- Article from Religion News Service: Religion can be a healing balm for COVID-19’s disruption, if applied judiciously, by Azza Karam, Susan Hayward and Katherine Marshall
- Interview with Dr. Selina Palm, Stellenbosch University: Role of Faith-based Organizations during a Pandemic
- Tazkiyah Publications Muslims’ COVID-19 Handbook -A guide on how to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic from an Islamic perspective
- A collective of religious actors and faith-based networks issued a Joint Statement on Gender, Faith and COVID-19
- An e-book on The Distanced Church: Reflections on Doing Church Online
- WHO Guidelines on COVID: Practical considerations and recommendations for religious leaders and faith-based communities in the context of COVID-19
- WHO Interim Guidance: Safe Eid al Adha practices in the context of covid-19
- Parenting for Lifelong Health: Parenting Tips: A Guide for Church Leaders
- Raising Voices Series on Preventing Violence against Women During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Guidance Note 5: How can SASA! / SASA! Faith / SASA! Together adapt?
- Christian Journal for Global Health second 2020 special COVID-19 issue: Responding to Epidemics and Pandemics