Fifteen Houghton students and two professors attended the eighth-annual Faith and International Development Conference at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, last weekend.
The conference, subtitled “From Here to Shalom: Participating in God’s Plan for Universal Flourishing,” was intended to inform students of current development issues around the world, and to supply them with new perspectives on how to address them. For conference attendees it was also an opportunity to interact with potential employers.
“It was a great chance to network with NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations), some that I would possibly like to work with in the future,” said Moeun Sun, sophomore.
Approximately three hundred and thirty students from thirty colleges and universities attended the conference. It was organized by Calvin students with the assistance of their International Development Studies faculty, and featured representatives from twenty-five different NGOs. It lasted four days, during which attendees were able to enjoy the full extent of Calvin’s snow-covered campus and ventured into Grand Rapids.
The conference was constructed around a number of general plenaries for all to attend, which were interspersed with smaller sessions, in which representatives of various NGOs gave presentations on the nature and goals of their organizations. These presentations ranged the full spectrum of developmental issues, including peacemaking, healthcare, advocacy, and the environment.
Sun said, “I was pleasantly surprised at how many different kinds of FBOs (Faith-Based Organizations) were represented there.” The individual NGOs held smaller sessions to discuss general ideas or issues and the means by which the NGO seeks to address them.
Senior Andrea Pacheco said, “As someone who has attended the conference for two years now, I found it to be very instrumental in learning about the field of international development, and what it involves.” “This year there were key speakers, such as Steve Radelet, that I think added much more academic and professional credibility to the conference,” Pacheco continued, pointing out that many of the NGOs present have high-minded goals while not necessarily having the necessary expertise.
The conference was not simply a collaboration of NGOs from different fields, but also from multiple denominations. Among the speakers and leaders were Mennonite, Reformed, and Episcopalian Christians. Readers who know Church history might appreciate the ecumenical development exemplified at the conference.
While the conference was overall a success, the information which was presented tended to be fairly basic. There is an inherent difficulty in organizing such a conference, as the attendees all come from different backgrounds. While some might find the information to be basic, it might be entirely novel to others, who are more recent to the topic. This diversity shows up even among the Houghton students who went.
Freshman Matthew Munkittrick said, “I went because I am studying International Development and wanted to get to know a bit more about what I am going to be studying.”
Additionally, the speakers generally focused on their own experiences and contextual situations. Pacheco says, “I’d like to see some more presentations on concrete, current research of the field.” The attendance of Dr. Radelet was a step in that direction, but the vast majority of the speakers were still anecdotal.
Despite the criticisms some of the Houghton students had, they all enjoyed the conference, and everyone got more from it than they had anticipated. In the words of Munkittrick, “Overall, it was definitely worth the twelve-hour bus ride!”