[ParlTrack]

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Acknowledges that churches, in particular Christian churches and especially the Catholic Church and its informal associations of the faithful, certain faith- based organisations (FBOs) and religious associations have a major role in the social fabric of developing countries, are important partners in delivering humanitarian assistance to hard- to-reach communities and greatly contribute to sustainable development and to achieving the SDGs, in particular SDGs 3 and 4 because of the values they spread in society and the essential role of faith in the lives of many people in some developing countries; further notes that churches and FBOs deliver in social sectors where shortcomings in state services are experienced;

2021/09/07
Committee: DEVE

Dominique BILDE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Notes, however, that the term 'faith-based organisations' encompasses a very heterogeneous set of organisations, including 'large faith-based organisations in the West that tend to resemble secular NGOs in terms of policies and programmes', but also 'formal, independent NGOs with (more or less) close links to a religious community or tradition', as is the case, for example, with the Islamic faith-based organisations, Islamic Relief;1 a _________________ 1a https://opendocs.ids.ac.uk/opendocs/bitstr eam/handle/20.500.12413/15397/624_Fait h_Based%20Organisations_Synthesis.pdf ?sequence=1&isAllowed=y " Faith-based organisations and current development debates, Rachel Cooper, University of Birmingham, 17 June 2019, commissioned by the UK Department for International Development and other Government departments (K4D helpdesk).

2021/09/07
Committee: DEVE

Dominique BILDE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2 a. Notes, however, that for the purposes of granting any public funding to faith-based organisations, the European Union and the Member States must exercise discernment and vigilance by refraining from supporting, directly or indirectly, any organisation which is based on values and principles that are manifestly incompatible with those promoted by the European Union (particularly in relation to the status of women), or whose main objective is religious proselytism rather than charity, or which is sectarian in its purpose or activities, for example by not providing support to members of certain religious minorities;

2021/09/07
Committee: DEVE

Dominique BILDE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)

2 b. Regrets, in this respect, that the European Commission has mentioned in its list of NGOs certified as humanitarian partners as of 2 August 2021 the NGOs 'Islamic Relief Sverige' and 'Islamic Relief Humanitäre Organisation in Deutschland e.V.', since these NGOs refer explicitly on their respective websites to the NGO 'Islamic Relief Worldwide',2 a which is classified as 'a terrorist organisation' in the United Arab Emirates2 b and whose Egyptian organisation is said to have been founded by 'prominent members of the Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt'2 c and, therefore, calls on the European Commission to exercise reasonable vigilance in the selection of its humanitarian partners; _________________ 2a https://ec.europa.eu/echo/sites/default/file s/weblistpartners.pdf https://islamic- relief.se/om-oss/historia/ https://www.islamicrelief.de/wer-wir-sind/ 2b https://www.ngo- monitor.org/ngos/islamic_relief_worldwid e_irw_/ 2c https://www.meforum.org/61740/islamic- relief-subsidizes-terror

2021/09/07
Committee: DEVE

Dominique BILDE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 c (new)

2 c. Notes that the European Union and the Member States must exercise greater vigilance with regard to the granting of public funding to NGOs and in particular to faith-based organisations operating in conflict zones, especially in areas where Islamist terrorist groups are active;

2021/09/07
Committee: DEVE

Dominique BILDE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 d (new)

2 d. Notes the essential role of the Catholic Church in health care in Africa, through the large number of Catholic health facilities, and notes that, according to the Vatican in 2012, 'organisations linked to the Catholic Church provide about 25% of all HIV treatment, care and support in the world', making the Catholic Church a notable interlocutor in the fight against and elimination of HIV/AIDS in Africa and globally; 3 a _________________ 3a https://www.unaids.org/en/resources/press centre/featurestories/2012/april/20120411 afaithbasedresponsetohiv

2021/09/07
Committee: DEVE

Dominique BILDE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 e (new)

2 e. Stresses, however, that since the 1970s in particular, some faith-based organisations from certain Islamic countries may have contributed to the rise of radical Islam (or a literal interpretation of Islam), particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, and that such organisations should not seek to enter into conflict or be at odds with central States in some of their areas of competence (particularly with regard to education, for example through the funding of 'madrasas' in Africa, which are sometimes suspected of 'promoting more conservative forms of Islam'); 4 a _________________ 4a https://opendocs.ids.ac.uk/opendocs/bitstr eam/handle/20.500.12413/15397/624_Fait h_Based%20Organisations_Synthesis.pdf ?sequence=1&isAllowed=y " Faith-based organisations and current development debates, Rachel Cooper, University of Birmingham, 17 June 2019, commissioned by the UK Department for International Development and other Government departments (K4D helpdesk).

2021/09/07
Committee: DEVE

Dominique BILDE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Notes that churches and FBOs are frequently the only providers of healthcare and other social services in remote areas of sub-Saharan Africa and in conflict-prone settings such as northern Mozambique and other crisis zones and that the importance of faith in social life makes local churches essential partners in reaching certain populations in remote areas;

2021/09/07
Committee: DEVE

Dominique BILDE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Welcomes the activities of churches and certain religious leaders, in particular those of the Catholic Church, in the field of conflict management and mediation, and in fostering reconciliation, dialogue and peace; highlights that inter-religious dialogue is crucial, notably in conflict areas, to foster peace and reconciliation, but that it must take place within the framework defined by the competent national authorities;

2021/09/07
Committee: DEVE

Dominique BILDE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Stresses, however, that interreligious dialogue should not be construed as including any organisations deemed to be extremist or fundamentalist, in particular those that propagate radical Islam or challenge the foundations of the rule of law or certain fundamental rights or principles, in particular with regard to the status of women;

2021/09/07
Committee: DEVE

Dominique BILDE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Calls on the Commission and the Council to make the fight against the persecution of religious minorities, especially Christian minorities, a priority in the programming of activities related to EU development assistance, in line with the areas of cooperation for geographic and thematic programmes of NDICI-Global Europe and calls on the Member States to include the issue of the persecution of Christians in their diplomatic dialogue with the States concerned;

2021/09/07
Committee: DEVE

Dominique BILDE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Stresses that, according to the NGO Open Doors, more than 340 million Christians worldwide face persecution and discrimination on account of their faith and that this situation has worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic and that, furthermore, more than nine out of ten cases of Christians being killed due to their faith in 2020 were on African soil; 5a _________________ 5a https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/ jan/13/christian-persecution-rises-as- people-refused-aid-in-covid-crisis-report

2021/09/07
Committee: DEVE

Dominique BILDE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6 a. Calls on the European Union and, in particular, the Member States to provide concrete and commensurate support to the African states concerned in the fight against Islamist terrorism, in particular the G5 Sahel states, and stresses in this regard the very difficult situation of Christian minorities in this region of Africa, for example in Burkina Faso, due to Islamist terrorist violence. 6 a _________________ 6a https://www.portesouvertes.fr/persecution- des-chretiens/profils-pays/burkina-faso- fc6bb232-2f3c-4508-99d3-33a8410bdecb

2021/09/07
Committee: DEVE

13 Amendments of Dominique BILDE related to 2021/2055(INI)

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