Joint Learning Initiative on Faith & Local Communities

🌟 Partner Spotlight: Shafak Organization

JLI is proud to highlight منظمة شفق Shafak Organization, a non-profit and non-governmental organization founded in 2013, and operating in Syria and Türkiye to provide integrated humanitarian and developmental responses that meet the needs of conflict-affected communities.

Under its slogan “For Humanity We Work”, Shafak Organization aims to contribute to the empowerment of marginalized individuals and communities by providing humanitarian and developmental responses based on rights principles and transparency, while strengthening effective and sustainable partnerships.

Their programs evolve around the areas:
-Social Cohesion
-Mental Health: Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS)
-Role of Religious Actors
-Integration Strategy

Shafak Organization seeks to build resilient communities by providing services in the fields of health, education, food security and livelihoods, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), protection, and accountability to affected populations.

Their partnership with JLI is grounded in a shared belief in mutual learning and the value of building knowledge networks that connect local and international actors.

Their advice to others is simple: “Remain open to flexible knowledge exchange. True partnership requires humility and recognizing the strength of local community practices.”

Read more here 👉 https://jliflc.com/2025/12/partner-spotlight-shafak-organization/

Climate change is often discussed as an environmental issue. But in many parts of the world, it is inseparable from conflict, displacement, and the struggle to protect identity and land. In this week's episode of a special series of the #podcast Walk Talk Listen called Crossing Thresholds, I speak with Binalakshmi Nepram, an Indigenous scholar and peacebuilder from Manipur in Northeast India. Bina shares what it means to grow up in a land shaped by armed conflict, how Indigenous spiritual practices sustain resilience, and why women are often the first and last line of protection for their communities. This conversation reminds us that Indigenous knowledge is not folklore or tradition frozen in time. It is living science. It is survival. And it challenges us to rethink how we understand climate resilience, migration, and peace. We need to start with those who have been living these realities long before they entered policy language. For the full episode go to: walktalklisten.podbeanc.com or to your favorite podcast streaming platform. #ClimateMigration #IndigenousKnowledge #WomenPeacebuilders #WalkTalkListen @jliflc Joint Learning Initiative on Faith & Local Communities

📣 Join JLI in Upcoming Webinar with partners ADRA, ERD, and The Salvation Army, unpacking insights from the new report: “State of the Debate: Faith Actors’ Experiences of and Perspectives on Localisation and Decolonisation.”

Together, we’ll explore how faith-based actors are shaping localisation and decolonisation in development, humanitarian action, and peacebuilding.

🗓️ 5th Nov | 10 AM New York | 3 PM London | 5 PM Kenya
💻 Zoom
🔗 Register on our website to join the discussion

That’s a wrap! Yesterday we concluded our online symposium – thank you to everyone who joined, and to our panelists, facilitators, and the many organizations represented in the room.

We also shared a short 3-minute video highlighting our ongoing work with . You can view and share it now – on our JLI YouTube channel.

🌍 Thank you!