Faith and Development
Faith and Development
Faith-based perspectives can often have a significant influence on breaking underlying attitudinal, behavioural, and cultural norms and practices that perpetuate poverty and child vulnerability. Religion and values assert a strong social influence within most societies in South Asia and the Pacific, and they play a significant role in guiding the thoughts, priorities, and actions of communities.
World Vision seeks meaningful partnerships with various faith-based actors across the Asia Pacific region to ensure that progress made in community development has greater reach and is sustainable, as these leaders embody a long-term presence and commitment to their communities
World Vision works with faith leaders from different faith traditions in strengthening a multi-sectoral approach to child well-being.
Latest consolidated regional figures available from our 2020 Impact Report.
The Asia Pacific Faith-Based Coalition for Sustainable Development (APFC) is a regional, interfaith coalition that brings together faith-based organisations and faith actors across the Asia-Pacific to advance sustainable development, peace, and social cohesion.
Formation and Background
APFC emerged through dialogue and collaboration among faith-based organisations engaged in regional and global development processes, particularly around the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The coalition was officially launched in March 2018 during the Fifth Asia Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) in Bangkok, Thailand, by a group of founding organisations, including World Vision, ACT Alliance, Islamic Relief Worldwide, Soka Gakkai International, and Arigatou International, and was later joined by the Joint Learning Initiative on Faith and Local Communities (JLI).
The coalition was established to provide a collective platform for faith actors to:
- Engage more effectively with regional and global policy spaces
- Amplify faith perspectives in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- Foster interfaith collaboration grounded in shared values of human dignity, justice, and peace
Role and Contribution
APFC strengthens cooperation among diverse faith traditions while promoting locally led, values-driven responses to poverty, inequality, and social exclusion. Through regional advocacy, interfaith dialogue, and strategic partnerships, the coalition contributes to development approaches that are inclusive, contextually grounded, and responsive to the needs of the most vulnerable. especially children.
Through its convening role, World Vision continues to provide leadership and coordination, enabling faith partners to work together across differences to influence development discourse, policy, and practice across the South Asia Pacific region.
Latest APFC Updates:
- Faith at the Frontlines” at Regional Humanitarian Partnership Week, December 2025 - Learn more
Faith in Action for Food Security, Human Dignity and a Sustainable Future, October 2025
On 16 October 2025 (World Food Day), faith leaders and faith-based networks from Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean came together for a High-Level Virtual Roundtable on Food Security and Sustainable Development, issuing a joint Open Letter calling for urgent, values-driven action to end hunger and malnutrition.
The roundtable was convened under the Trilateral Partnership of Regional Faith-Based Networks for the SDGs, comprising the Africa Faith Leaders Initiative on SDGs (AFLI), the Asia Pacific Faith-Based Coalition for Sustainable Development (APFC), and the Interreligious Alliance for the 2030 Agenda in Latin America and the Caribbean. Participants reaffirmed that access to adequate, nutritious, and affordable food is a universal human right and a moral imperative.
Discussions from faith-based organisations including World Vision South Asia and Pacific, and Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations highlighted the worsening global hunger crisis, with rising conflict, inequality, inflation, and climate change pushing millions further into food insecurity. Faith actors emphasized their unique role as moral voices, trusted community partners, and agents of hope, calling on governments, international institutions, and development partners to place the right to food at the centre of public policy.
The Open Letter calls for:
- World Vision Assumes Convenorship of APFC, Strengthening Faith-Based Collaboration in the Asia Pacific April 2025: Learn more
If you are a regional faith-based organisation and is interested to join APFC, please contact desmond_lim@wvi.org
Our Faith and Development Partners
