Islam and Development Cooperation

Programme Office for Intercultural Relations

with Muslim Countries
 Imprint
ek,
n, Published by: Authors:
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Dr. Peer Gatter, Anja Köhler,
Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH Jenny Bednarek, Elvira Ganter, Nina Prasch,
Division 3300 Arwa Hassan, André Kahlmeyer
P.O. Box 5180
D-65726 Eschborn Photos:
T +49 6196 79-0 © Peer Gatter
E info@giz.de
I info@giz.de Translation:
GIZ Language Services / Richard Holland,
Responsible: Stephanie Feige
Regina Bauerochse Barbosa, Director
Mediterranean and Middle East Division Design:
(3300) design werk, Nikolai Krasomil
www.design-werk.com
Programme Office for Intercultural Relations
with Muslim Countries Place and year of publication:
Dr. Peer Gatter (Programme Coordinator), Eschborn, 2013 (3 rd edition)
Anja Köhler and Jenny Bednarek
© GIZ 2011-2013
Contact e-mail:
Islam-und-EZ@giz.de ISBN 978-3-944152-17-2

02
Contents

Preface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 04

Islam and development – a contradiction?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 06

Programme Office for Intercultural Relations with Muslim Countries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Our thematic range. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Maghreb: Tough issues brought to the table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Algeria: Green Islam. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Tajikistan: State and civil society in dialogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Cooperation with Arab donors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Promotion of inter-religious Dialogue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Publications by the Programme Office. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

03
 Vorwort

04

Preface
Dear reader,
The countries that partner German development
cooperation span an extremely broad range of
cultural and religious diversity which holds great
potential for pioneering innovative solutions to
existing development problems. However, this
kind of social complexity and variety also presents
a significant challenge for our work. Development
approaches are not easily transferrable but have to
be adapted to the respective political, economic,
social and cultural context, if the desired results
are to be achieved and the relevant people reached.
Even the best development initiatives can only
succeed if they are supported by the decision-
makers and people in our partner countries them-
selves. Our high regard for local traditions and
values encourages our partners to assume direct
responsibility for the development processes in
their countries.
For several decades now we have been working in
Muslim countries on behalf of the German
Government, in particular the Federal Ministry
for Economic Cooperation and Development
(BMZ). Together with its partners, GIZ imple-
ments measures for various clients in 38 of the
roughly 50 predominantly Muslim countries
around the world.
Public debates about the role of religion and reli-
gious actors gain momentum in the course of the
recent political changes in North Africa and the
Middle East. Although future actors and tenden-
cies are not yet entirely clear, it already becomes
obvious that religious actors (e. g. the Muslim
Brotherhood in Egypt and An-Nahda in Tunisia)
have gained mobilizing powers and thus influen-
tial roles within their societies. They will be repre-
sented in future governments and parliaments in
many of our partner countries.
Preface
Regina Bauerochse Barbosa,
Director of the Mediterranean and
Middle East Division
Religious authorities have traditionally enjoyed
great influence within Muslim societies. They do
not only provide believers with orientation regar-
ding faith and religious practice but also with a
feeling of social affiliation as well as with several
social services. Thus, they also strongly influence
public discourse. To ignore these actors when
promoting democratization and development
means to neglect crucial parts of civil societies and
their potentials. This would not only be a loss of
opportunities but could potentially lead to a radi-
calization of these groups.
The Programme Office for Intercultural Relations
with Muslim Countries was set up within the
Mediterranean Region and Middle East Division
in 2007 in order to help mainstream the issue of
cultural and religious diversity in development
cooperation.
On the following pages you can read about how
the Programme Office is actively working with its
partners on the ground to bring about sustainable
development in these countries. You can also find
out more about its track record in terms of its
successes and experience to date.
I hope you enjoy your read.
05
 Islam and development – a contradiction?
Islam and development – a contradiction?
T oday, Islamic movements are an integral part
of the civil societies of Muslim countries.
The growing importance of Islamic organisations
and educational institutions, mosques, Islamic
councils and religious dignitaries within these
societies should not, however, automatically be
equated with tendencies towards radicalisation. In
many places Islamic organisations offer basic
social services and so help reduce poverty, provide
education and supply medical care. Consequently
they are often more strongly embedded in the
population than government authorities.
>> O
 pportunities and challenges for
cooperation
Development cooperation can no longer ignore
these movements – after all, involving moderate
Islamic institutions in development processes can
reduce conflict potential and increase the level of
acceptance of our work, as well as its effectiveness
and sustainability. Against this background, GIZ
has made it its purpose to more actively embrace
the potential of Islamic cultures and societies to
help shape development processes. Islamic values
such as the preservation of God’s creation, for
example, or the focus on the common good, or
social justice as an obligation to ensure equitable
distribution of profits, exhibit distinct parallels
with the guiding principles of sustainable deve-
lopment. At the same time, Islam is not a mono-
lithic construct with a rigid, unchanging system
of values and norms, as it is often simplistically
portrayed. It is shaped not only by a variety of
re­ligious currents and legal schools but also by
local traditions and political and historical experi-
ences, such as those from the colonial period. It is
precisely this diversity that presents opportunities
for fruitful cooperation. A differentiated perception
of the socio-cultural context and a realistic assess-
ment of religiously motivated social forces are
therefore vital tools that enable us to better gauge
what can and cannot be negotiated in a given
situation and to make use of the scope for action.
>> Breaking down prejudices
Often, though, successful cooperation is hindered
by a great variety of obstacles and prejudices,
including conflicts between state powers and
Islamic opposition forces. Tensions between the
Western cultural sphere and Islam are also a cru-
GIZ has made it its purpose to more actively embrace
the potential of Islamic cultures and societies to help shape
development processes.
cial factor. The relationship between the two is
often filled with prejudice and stereotypes. Public
opinion in Europe is dominated by an image of
Islam that attributes the causes of development
gaps and a backlog of reform to the religion
‘Islam’, suspecting Islamic culture of harbouring a
high propensity for violence. Conversely, Muslims
fear that, by intervening in political systems and
selectively promoting individual actors, the West
wants to influence the partner country’s society,
culture and religion in order to create an Islam
that is more amenable to Western taste.
This is where development cooperation has a vital
role to play in reducing tensions and information
deficits. But to do this takes experts with a high
degree of both cultural and religious sensitivity.
07
 Islam and development – a contradiction?

>> Culturally sensitive approaches Examples of successful cooperation include pro-

are a success
GIZ initiatives in the field of Islam and develop-
ment cooperation demonstrate that Islamic deve-
lopment concepts and basis for action frameworks
can be compatible with the values of German
development cooperation. This enables develop-
ment projects to be designed in ways that lead to
tangible and measurable improvements to people’s
lives, and that promote good governance and
non-violent conflict resolution. A capacity for
dialogue is needed here along with the ability to
engage expertly and competently with the realities
on the ground and to embrace values that, in
many partner countries, are significantly imbued
with Islamic philosophy.
jects set up to introduce social health insurance
schemes for the poor on the basis of Zakat (the
obligation to contribute a proportion of personal
wealth for the benefit of the needy), microfinance
in accordance with the principles of Islamic ban-
king, cooperative ventures with mosques and
imams on environmental education and biodiver-
sity, and collaboration with religious dignitaries to
improve the legal status of women and combat
domestic violence.

8
Development cooperation has a vital role to play in
reducing tensions and filling information gaps.
 Programme Office for Intercultural Relations with Muslim Countries

Programme Office for Intercultural Relations

with Muslim Countries

G alvanised by what is perceived as the gro-

wing politicisation of Islam and increasingly
strong extremist tendencies, the world today is
focusing more attention on Islamic issues. Faced
with societal conflicts and geopolitical interests,
many people in Muslim countries are now que-
stioning the credibility of global problem-solving
strategies, and rejecting external influences.
>> Occident meets Orient
In order to strengthen confidence in development
cooperation and boost its acceptance among the
population, especially within the complex social
environment of our Muslim partner countries,
high standards of quality and effectiveness are
essential, along with a clear focus on the partner,
transparency and intercultural sensitivity. This all
needs to tie in with a differentiated awareness of
the religious and cultural manifestations of Islam,
its values and traditions as well as of the religious
and secular spectrum in civil society in order to
en­sure that different interests and reform approaches
can be identified and successfully integrated into
development processes.
The Programme Office for Intercultural Relations
with Muslim Countries was set up in 2007 with
the aim of further mainstreaming cultural and
religious diversity in future development coopera-
tion. The approach emerged from a series of pilot
projects with Islamic actors which showcased the
importance of culture and religion for the pro-
gress and results of development processes.

10
 Programme Office for Intercultural Relations with Muslim Countries

>> What we do
One of the programme’s most important tasks is
to design and implement culturally adapted deve-
lopment measures, with the aim of improving
results and raising levels of acceptance and
sustainability. The programme also offers a range
of sector-specific advisory services for projects and
experts in German development cooperation. The
most important services offered include:
• implementing pilot projects that understand
religious and cultural diversity as an engine for
development;
• providing advice throughout GIZ on the cultu-
rally sensitive design of development measures;
• analysing the partner landscape in Muslim
countries and involving new actors in develop-
ment cooperation;
• preparing the ground for dealing with new
development-related issues;
• strengthening the intercultural competences of
German development cooperation experts;
• running dialogue forums with local partners
(religious-secular dialogue);
• reappraising successful development cooperation
approaches relating to the issues of Islam and
culture, documenting them and transferring
them to other partner countries;
• offering expertise and issuing publications on
sectoral themes.
In addition to running training courses, such as
those that have been held regularly in Yemen, Algeria,
Egypt and Jordan, and also in Germany in recent
years, the Programme Office organises regular
events dealing with topical development cooperation
themes in Muslim countries. These include confe-
rences on political Islam, Islamic economics, or the
“cartoons controversy”, or Sharia law, and its reper-
cussions for German development cooperation.

11
 Programme Office for Intercultural Relations with Muslim Countries

>> Our regions and our partners

Regionally, our work focuses on the Arabic-
speaking countries, South-East Europe, Central
Asia and Afghanistan. In future the Programme
Office intends to extend its activities to Muslim
countries of South-East Asia and Sub-Saharan
Africa.

Numerous practical examples from Yemen,

Pakistan, Mauritania and Indonesia show how
important it is to involve Islamic actors and repre-
sentatives of traditional elites to make develop-
ment processes succeed. This not only gives our
measures greater legitimacy, it also strengthens bring partner governments around a table with
civil society and the individual responsibility of representatives of civil society and religious insti-
our partners. By creating and extending partner tutions as well as with figures from academia and
networks in the traditional religious sector, the research. The objective here is to take entirely
Programme Office therefore supports projects different viewpoints and craft a common perspec-
under German development cooperation. One of tive.
the ways the Programme Office often approaches
new themes is through dialogue forums which

12
Numerous practical examples show how important it is to
involve Islamic actors and representatives of traditional elites
if development processes are to succeed.

13
 Our thematic range
Our thematic range
I slam has a deep influence on the lives of people
in many partner countries of the German deve-
lopment cooperation. Not only does Islam offer
guidance on religious practices and interpersonal
relations, it also has a variety of impacts on culture,
law, politics, business and the form of govern-
ment. Interfaces with Islam thus arise in a whole
range of fields covered by development cooperati-
on. In many of these fields, involving Islamic
actors paves the way for more effective cooperation.
In others, however, there may be tension between
the objectives of development cooperation and
the partners’ interests. High cultural sensitivity is
required for example concerning women’s deve-
lopment, legal advice or good governance.
As well as mainstreaming Islam in development
cooperation and harnessing new topics relevant to
the work with our partners in Muslim countries,
the Programme Office’s focus is also directed at
providing advisory services in fields where there is
notable conflict potential.
In addition to culture, Islamic business ethics,
political Islam and Islamic education, the
Programme Office also looks at issues like climate
change, environmental protection and the conser-
vation of natural resources, Islamic microfinance,
Islamic law, legal reform and women’s rights,
which it deals with in the context of pilot projects
and consulting services for German development
projects, as well as through studies, training
schemes and conferences.
14
>> Strengthening women’s rights
Women’s rights in Muslim countries are determi-
ned by the Sharia and cultural values, some of
which are the result of patriarchal traditions. In
matters of marriage and divorce, the custody of
children, inherited nationality or dress codes, this
frequently results in women being put at a disad-
vantage, a situation that is often declared to be
virtually sacrosanct on the basis of the Sharia.
Sharia is also the reason for the reservations that
most Islamic states have when ratifying the UN
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). There
are considerable regional differences in the inter-
pretation and implementation of Islamic codes.
Their application can be left to the individual’s
personal discretion (as in Central Asia, for examp-
le), codified as civil status rights (e.g. in Morocco),
or even enforced by specially trained custodians or
guardians (as is the case in Iran or Saudi Arabia).
Equality of rights is a prerequisite for sustainable
development, however. And the basis for this is
not only equal treatment under law, but also
access to education. For many women though,
education as a human right is something that
exists only on paper. Education gives people the
opportunity to choose their own path in life and
to participate in a representative democracy.
Furthermore, women’s involvement in the econo-
mic process needs to be strengthened, as the com-
petences they do acquire through better access to
education are often still unutilised on the labour
market.

The Programme Office works gender approaches
into the design and implementation of pilot pro-
jects; it also advises government institutions and
civil society actors in Muslim countries on the
advance­ment of women. Female Quran teachers
are key partners and vital multipliers when it
comes for example to introducing the issue of
biodiversity into the curricula of Algerian Quran
schools. The dialogue forums run by the Pro­
gramme Office also offer an important platform
for debating development-policy topics from the
angle of gender-specific roles, rights and needs.
>> Focus on security
The region is marked by a number of conflicts.
Besides the decades-long conflict between Israel
and the Palestinians, there are other disputes both
between and within states over natural resources,
Development cooperation is increasingly tasked with
the peaceful reconciliation of interests and with promoting
negotiation processes.
Our thematic range
minority rights, equality of opportunity, access to
education and work. International terrorism also
poses a constant threat for Muslim countries and
impacts massively on their economies. It is no
surprise, then, that security has become an incre-
asingly important focus of GIZ’s work in recent
years. As development policy becomes more inter-
linked with issues of foreign and security policy,
development cooperation is increasingly being
tasked with the peaceful reconciliation of interests
and with promoting negotiation processes. How
well prepared are our experts to deal with these
demanding tasks? How can trust be reinforced,
and how can the ownership of our partners for joint
projects in Muslim countries be strengthened?
These are questions that the Programme Office
tries to answer. In line with GIZ's Spotlight of the
Year for 2009, Developing Security – Securing
Development, the Programme Office organised a
conference on the subject of ‘Blasphemy as an
15
 Our thematic range
international security risk’ in collaboration with the
GIZ Representation in Berlin in May 2009. The
trigger was what had become known as the ‘car-
toons controversy’, which since 2005 had unleashed
worldwide protests by Muslims and led to the loss
of well over 100 lives in our partner countries,
too. Added to this, the events and training schemes
organised by the Programme Office on inter­
cultural competence also focus on the issue of
security – bearing in mind that understanding the
religious and traditional setting in our partner
countries enhances the personal security of deve-
lopment cooperation experts.
>> Focus on Islamic economics
Muslim countries need to find the right response
to the changing circumstances brought about by
high population growth rates and advancing eco-
nomic globalisation, and adapt their economic
structures to suit. More and more young people
are entering the labour market, yet economic
growth in these countries continues to have little
16
impact on employment. The relative insigni-
ficance of the private sector in most Muslim
countries means that value creation has not yet
been diversified. Typically, numerous informal
economic actors dominate the scene. Increases in
productivity are few and employment opportuni-
ties for the population are limited. In particular,
the female employment rate in the Middle East is
the lowest in the world.
The global economic crisis, and the fact that it
had a relatively minor impact on the Islamic
bank­ing system, has given Islamic solutions such
as Islamic microfinance a considerable lift in
recent years. Consequently, Islamic economics
and business ethics are key topics at the Programme
Office’s dialogue forums in the Middle East/
North Africa region and in Central Asia. Together
with the Algerian Minister of Religious Affairs
and the Algerian-German economic development
programme, the Programme Office is working to
devise more efficient ways of extending microcre-
dits and to improve the administration of the
Zakat, a fund for religious charitable donations.
Aus dem Themenspektrum des Programmbüros

17
 Maghreb: Tough issues brought to the table

Maghreb: Tough issues brought to the table

D evelopment needs vision, and it needs alliances

that are capable of action. Following this
maxim, a series of events called the Maghreb
>> Creating a better future
Environmental protection and the conservation of
Round Tables initiated an innovative exchange natural resources are particularly critical issues in
among a wide variety of actors on urgent develop- the countries of the Maghreb and are major factors
ment-policy issues in the region. Religious digni- in the push for greater sustainable development in
taries met representatives of science and business, the region. The increasing scarcity of water, in par-
and members of government institutions met ticular, is an enormous challenge for the people of
activists from civil society organisations. The North Africa and one that demands innovative
events dealing with the environment, migration solutions. This explains why the transfer of expert
and economic development highlighted one point knowledge on climate change and environmental
in particular: on the journey towards establishing protection was a central theme of the second dia-
shared guiding principles and solutions for logue forum (Algeria, November 2008), along with
sustain­able development, dialogue and reflection the role of socio-cultural and religious values in
are essential. sustainable environmental development. A lack of
environmental awareness was identified as a major
problem here. Examples from Tunisia and Algeria
>> Tradition and modernity illustrated how scientific arguments, traditional
values and religious teaching in environmental
In recent decades, social and economic changes education can be effectively intertwined in very
have not only brought about significant economic different ways – in line with each country’s given
growth in the Maghreb but have also strengthened political and socio-cultural context – in order to
the region’s own concept of its identity. This is reach more people. The dialogue forum provided
most evident in the move towards Islamic solutions the impetus that led to biodiversity being included
such as the Islamic banking system. The main as a subject in the curriculum of Quran schools in
focus of the first dialogue event (held in Morocco Annaba, Algeria.
in April 2008) was on the significant potential of
Islamic business ethics for sustainable develop-
ment and the role of traditional and religious
actors in development processes. This also involved
addressing the difficult position of many women
in the region who, caught between the traditional
gender role and the demands of modern life, are
often unable to realise their economic potential.
In the course of controversial, but nonetheless
constructive debates, the participants succeeded
in agreeing on common values and development
goals. Successful approaches from various coun-
tries in North Africa have helped to keep the
dialogue process going and have given it greater
depth.

18

>> Youth, education and migration
High unemployment and the ensuing lack of pro-
spects for juveniles and young adults are common
characteristics of the Maghreb countries. In the
hope of finding work and a better life, many
people are turning their backs on North Africa.
The majority of them are drawn to Europe. The
third event in the series of Maghreb Round Tables
(Spain, April 2009) was dedicated to the causes,
the extent and the consequences of migration,
focusing particular attention on the problems of
young people and women. Participants agreed
that a series of complementary measures is needed
in order to curb the detrimental effects of migra-
In recent decades, social and economic changes have
not only brought about significant economic growth in the
Maghreb, but have also strengthened the region’s own
concept of its identity.
Maghreb: Tough issues brought to the table
tion and to harness the potential for development.
Both state-sponsored and private-sector measures
are required, at the local and regional level but
also at the international level. Better social inte-
gration of young people and improved access to
high quality education and labour markets are key
factors. Project examples from the countries of
North Africa highlighted how politics, civil society
and religious actors can bring about tangible
improvements in the lives and future prospects of
young people. They also drew attention to the
scope of civil society’s ongoing engagement in
youth promotion in the Maghreb.
19
 Algeria: Green Islam
Algeria: Green Islam
T he Muslim countries of North Africa, the
Middle East and Central Asia are seriously
affected by global climate change, increasing
desertification and the depletion of natural resour-
ces. The overexploitation of water resources, for
instance, jeopardises people’s drinking water sup-
plies just as much as it threatens agricultural prod­
uction. The discourse surrounding environmental
awareness and protection of the environment in
these regions is therefore now becoming more
important. Islamic theologians are also increasingly
picking up on this issue, and are now addressing
it in their Friday sermons, bringing it to a wide
public audience.
20
The Islamic concept of the relationship between
man and nature is founded on four central tenets
which the Islamic ecological discourse interprets
as the duty of every Muslim to uphold for the
good of the environment. Derived from traditional
sources such as the Quran, the sunna and the
hadiths, this duty is about preserving God’s crea-
tion (fitra) and about the unity of creation, in
which all things are connected to each other
(tauhid), as well as the balance of creation, which
represents a perfect state and therefore has to be
restored and must not be destroyed (mizan), and
the role of humans as the trustees of God’s creation
(khilafa). As interpreted by ecological theology,
the Quran also commits to conserving natural
resources: sura 7:31 calls on Muslims to avoid
waste and excess.

>> Imams for environmental
conservation
This ecological and theological understanding fits
in very well with the objectives of German
develop­ment cooperation. GIZ is therefore incre-
asingly involving the religious sector in develop-
ment measures, and thus giving religious dignita-
ries the role of multipliers due to their prominent
position within the societies of many predomi-
nantly Muslim countries. In this way, it is possible
to raise awareness for environmental issues across
broad swathes of the population.
A manual for imams detailing the role of the mos-
que in environmental education and a textbook
on biodiversity for Quran schools have proved to
be highly successful measures. Like the manual,
which offers imams lines of religious argument
enabling them to link the issue of environmental
conservation to the Quran for their Friday ser-
mons, the textbook on biodiversity also arose
from cooperation between the Algerian-German
programme for integrated environmental manage-
ment, the Algerian Ministries of the Environment
and Religious Affairs and the Programme Office
for Intercultural Relations with Muslim Countries.
The success of these measures has been noted well
beyond the borders of Algeria, and today resonates
in projects in Yemen, Pakistan, Bangladesh and
Afghanistan.
The pilot project in the Algerian town of Annaba
was documented by the Programme Office in the
film ‘Belief in change – Algerian imams for environ-
mental protection’.
The Quran calls on believers to
conserve natural resources and
avoid waste and excess.
Algeria: Green Islam
>> Biodiversity at Quran schools
The biodiversity textbook aims to give pupils a
clear understanding of why ecological diversity is
so important for the preservation of human exi-
stence. At the same time, the book – which was
written by a joint team of Algerian natural scien-
tists and religious scholars – establishes a connec-
tion between the environment and Islam on the
basis of religious sources. The textbook vividly
explains how humans influence ecosystems and
the atmosphere, and describes the connections
between environmental pollution and diseases,
and the diversity of life, from microorganisms to
human beings. A number of Quran schools in the
pilot region of Annaba in Algeria have already
trialled the textbook in lessons. Thirty Quran
teachers have received training from GIZ on how
to use the book, and around 2,000 pupils are now
familiar with the issue of biodiversity. The Algerian
Minister of Religious Affairs advocated distri­
buting the textbook to other Quran schools
throughout country. In 2011 the project was
documented in a film entitled “Theology of Nature
– Biodiversity Education in Algerian Quran Schools”.
21
 Tajikistan: State and civil society in dialogue

Tajikistan: State and civil society in dialogue

M uslims account for a large proportion of the

population in the former Soviet republics
of Central Asia. However, governments’ relation-
ships with both civil society and Islamic actors are
often fraught. While the state officially remains
secular and atheist, with a tendency towards the
authoritarian, Islamic values, norms and institu­
tions often play an increasing role in education,
health and economic and social development.
German development cooperation is primarily
involved in the fields of economic development
and education in Central Asia where it adopts a
conflict-sensitive approach and specifically pro-
motes participatory dialogue and negotiation
processes. The programme’s role here is an adviso-
ry one. In 2007, for example, it carried out studies
in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan entitled
‘Framework for sustainable economic development in
Central Asia: cultural-religious and political aspects,
conflict potential and causes of fragility’ whose find­
ings suggest creating opportunities for citizens to
play a greater part in shaping the political, econo-
mic and social development of their countries.
Cultural and religious factors, including some
controversial topics, were a prominent feature in
the discussions and were hotly debated by the
participants, including the role of religious schools
(madrasahs) in the country, and the influence of
religious authorities on development issues, such
as education for girls. Sensitive topics like combat­
ing corruption in the school system and business
world were addressed, as was the growing level of
religiosity in the population and the consequences
this had for the state and government policy on
religion. Crucial challenges that have to be faced
in Tajikistan include improving the quality of
education, reforming the economic system, con-
trolling labour migration and designing a demo-
cratic and participatory political system. To
address these issues, the participants of the dia-
logue forums produced recommendations direc-
ted not only at the Tajik side, but also at German
and international development cooperation.

>> Helping to shape development

Following up this recommendation, a series of
dialogue forums on development-policy themes
were held in Tajikistan between 2008 and 2010,
with the aim of initiating sustainable, participatory
negotiation processes. The forums were intended
for representatives of the state apparatus, civil
society, the media, the private sector and religious
actors along with representatives of German and
international development cooperation. The
forums on the subjects of education, economics
and migration were each run in close collaboration
with German development cooperation projects
and partners from the Tajik Government (the
Ministries of Education, Labour and Social
Protection, for example).

22
 Tajikistan: State and civil society in dialogue

>> B
 uilding confidence between were thus able to help build confidence between
state and society the state, civil society and religious actors. The
forums also attracted the attention of the media,
One of these recommendations was taken up by with Tajik state television, for example, broad­
the Minister of Education who asked the Tajik casting a lengthy video documentary about the
steering group for the dialogue forums to draw up series of dialogues and the work being carried out
a curriculum for the subject of religious studies. by German development cooperation.
This has been a permanent part of the syllabus in
state schools since October 2009 and is signi-
ficantly helping to normalise the state’s dealings
with an increasingly religious population. The
active involvement of ministers and high-ranking
representatives of the state apparatus is indicative
of the government’s growing interest in engaging
in dialogue with civil society. The dialogue forums

The dialogue forums of the Programme Office are

specifically designed to initiate participatory negotiation
processes in Central Asia.

23
 Cooperation with Arab donors
Cooperation with Arab donors
I n addition to the need for tighter alignment
with German and ‘traditional’ international
actors, greater cooperation with regional donors is
fundamental to sustainable development in our
partner countries. In recent years Arab states have
featured more and more prominently in the
donor community alongside OECD member
countries. Building networks to promote civil
society organisations and disadvantaged population
groups in close cooperation with Islamic and Arab
donor organisations has therefore been one of the
main priorities of the programme’s work from the
very beginning. In order to deepen these relation-
ships, BMZ awarded GIZ the contract in 2009 to
establish a regional programme for cooperation
24
with Arab donors in the Middle East/North
Africa region.
>> Promoting synergies
The underlying idea is that better cooperation
between German and Arab development organi-
sations can promote synergies and make develop-
ment cooperation more sustainable and effective
by incorporating the experience of both sides. The
member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council,
in particular, have specialised institutions dedicat­
ed to the allocation of development aid. As well as
direct financial transfers, which for the most part
go directly to the national budgets of the Arab

countries, grants and loans are allocated via natio-
nal and multilateral funds and through quasi-
governmental and private non-governmental
organisations and foundations. Important sectors
for Arab development cooperation are education,
health, energy and water supplies, environmental
protection and climate change, agriculture and
food security, and humanitarian aid and poverty
reduction. Arab donors thus address areas in
which the OECD member countries are also active.
The regional cooperation project ‘Cooperation
with Arab donors in the MENA region’, based in
Jordan, has set up an open regional fund on
behalf of BMZ from which projects in various
Arab countries are financed on a pro-rata basis.
Together with the implementing organisations, at
least one Arab donor organisation is involved in
each project in the recipient countries. The joint
projects mainly concentrate on promoting civil
society structures and working to reduce poverty.
Arab experts from the region and experts from
Germany advise participating organisations on
how to plan, implement and evaluate the measures.
These triangular Arab-German cooperation
arrangements feature transparent processes, good
networking with other Arab institutions, culturally
sensitive approaches and joint public relations.
In recent years Arab states have featured more and more
prominently in the donor community alongside OECD member
countries.
Cooperation with Arab donors
>> R
 egional donors as strategic
partners
A key partner is the Arab Gulf Programme for
Development (AGFUND), a multilateral organisa-
tion, based in Saudi Arabia, that is financed by six
Gulf states. GIZ and AGFUND are jointly pro-
moting a project in Yemen combating violence
against women. The project helps women and
girls affected by domestic violence, and women
released from prison, to gain better access to edu-
cation and small loans, and assists with business
start-ups. To do so, GIZ and AGFUND work
closely with microfinance institutions, social esta-
blishments, prisons and the police in Yemen.
Another project with AGFUND involves promo-
tion of the Center for Arab Women Training and
Research (CAWTAR) based in Tunis. CAWTAR
implements measures in, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen
aimed at improving services for women in the
health sector. Other partners are the Arab
Democracy Foundation and Silatech. Both organi-
sations are headquartered in Qatar and funded by
the Qatari Government to implement projects
promoting young people in Arab countries. A
number of projects with the Islamic Development
Bank are in preparation.
Thanks to the joint work, there have been some
significant improvements, both in terms of confi-
dence-building measures and dialogue with Arab
donor organisations. The programme also explains
how Arab donors function and allocate their
funds, information which can be of benefit to
German development cooperation programmes
in the acquisition of combined financing.
25
 Bosnia and Herzegovina: Promotion of inter-religious Dialogue
Bosnia and Herzegovina:
Promotion of inter-religious Dialogue
M ore than 15 years after the Bosnian war
(1992–1995), the society of Bosnia and
Herzegovina is still divided. People do still not
identify themselves as fellow citizens of the same
nation, but as members of certain ethnic groups
(Bosniaks, Serbs or Croats) and/or of one of the
religious communities (the three major ones being
Muslim, Christian Orthodox, and Catholic).
Their everyday lives are mostly separated, there is
hardly any interaction. People know very little
about the life and realities of ethnic and religious
groups other than their own.
A constructive coexistence of different ethnic and
religious groups in Bosnia and Herzegovina con-
stitutes an important precondition for stabilizing
peace and rapprochement to Europe. To this pur-
pose the young in particular should be guided to
cross ethnic boundaries and develop common
26
visions of the future. It is a long-standing process
in the country still burdened with war memories.
Leaders and representatives of the three major
religious communities, Muslim, Orthodox and
Catholic, as well as the Jewish community invited
GIZ to render support to interreligious dialogue
in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Therefore, a pilot project is jointly implemented
by the GIZ country programme in Bosnia and
Herzegovina and the Program Office for intercul-
tural relations with Muslim countries. It aims at
strengthening important actors in the area of inte-
rethnic and interreligious dialogue, as well as to
establish opportunities for exchange and networ-
king among youth of different ethnic and reli-
gious backgrounds, secular and religious civil
society organisations, academia and state institu­
tions.
 Publications by the Programme Office

Publications by the Programme Office

• Theology of Nature – Biodiversity Education in Algerian Quran Schools

(film in German, French and Arabic).
• Sharia and Development Cooperation (in German and English).
• Development Cooperation in Muslim Countries – The Experience of German Technical Cooperation
(in German and English).
• Textbook on biodiversity for Quran schools (La Biodiversité - Défis et Solutions)
(in Arabic, French and English).
• Political Islam in Arab countries [Politischer Islam in arabischen Ländern] (in German).
• Belief in change – Algerian Imams for environmental protection [Glaube der Veränderung –
Algerische Imame für den Umweltschutz] (film in German and French).
• Tradition and Modernization – Promoting Sustainable Economic Development
(Maghreb Round Table 1, Ifrane, Morocco) (in French and English).
• Creating a Future Worth Living: Supporting Environmental Ethics in the Maghreb
(Maghreb Round Table 2, Algiers, Algeria) (in French and English).
• Young People, Migration and Education
(Maghreb Round Table 3, Seville, Spain) (in French and English).
• Challenges and Main Directions of Development of the Education Sector in Tajikistan
(Tajikistan Forum 1) (in German and Russian).
• Challenges of Economic Development in Tajikistan under the Conditions of the Global Economic
Crisis (Tajikistan Forum 2) (in German and Russian).
• Challenges of Migration and Employment in Tajikistan against the Background of the Global
Financial Crisis (Tajikistan Forum 3) (in German and Russian).

27
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Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

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T +49 (0) 6196 79-0
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