The University of California, Irvine has received a $40,000 grant from The Henry R. Luce Initiative on Religion and International Affairs for a project - headed by Cecelia Lynch, political science professor – that encourages dialogue between scholars and religious leaders on the issue of ethics in humanitarianism.

“Charity is often said to have religious roots, but today it appears in secular as well as religious discussion and debate,” says Lynch who also directs UCI’s International Studies Program. “Differing conceptions of charity underpin assumptions of the goals of humanitarianism and shape how aid recipients are conceptualized and represented.” 
 
Using The CIHA Blog (Critical Investigations into Humanitarianism in Africa) as a launching point, Lynch will bring together a network of international scholars and religious leaders to explore different perspectives on the way humanitarian aid in Africa is sought, delivered and perceived. She will travel to selected areas of the continent during summer 2012 to create new and solidify existing relationships with African universities and institutions to deepen the dialogue and expand its impact. Posts to the blog will update followers on the progress and content of the on-going dialogue, information which contributors hope will make humanitarian policy makers, non-governmental organizations and academics better informed about the ethical and material advantages and disadvantages of providing religious and secular assistance to others.

Funding for this research began in January 2012 and will run through December.