By the PaRD Secretariat, July 2025

Participants of PaRD’s Annual Forum on Religion and Sustainable Development 2024 in Brasilia, Brazil
© PaRD/GIZ

Welcome to PaRD!

This guide introduces the International Partnership on Religion and Sustainable Development (PaRD) to you, the new members of PaRD. It helps understand PaRD’s background, how it’s governed, and how it works. The guide provides you with a clear overview of how you can actively participate in PaRD.

Background

PaRD was formed in 2016. Since its inception, this partnership has evolved into a dynamic multi-stakeholder-partnership bringing together more than 180 members. convenes governmental entities, multilateral organisations, academic institutions as well as religious, traditional, Indigenous and other civil society actors in a safe space that provides continuity for dialogue, learning, and collaboration to better inform policy and practices in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda.

In 2021, PaRD members adopted PaRD’s new strategy “Becoming More Together” for the five-year cycle from 2022-2026. The strategy sets forth several strategic and organisational objectives that will drive PaRD for this period. Therefore, PaRD will focus on:

• • Fostering the safe space for dialogue provided by PaRD

• • Strengthen the evidence base on the potential of the engagement of religious actors in sustainable development and humanitarian aid

• • Enhance effective and inclusive development practice and policy

Understanding PaRD

Visit PaRD’s website for the latest information on the following topics:

• • Mission & Vision – Gain insights into PaRD’s goals

• • Partnership Principles – Discover the key principles guiding this partnership

• • Governance and Leadership – Understand PaRD’s organisational framework and governance and learn more about its current Steering Board

• • Members – Familiarise yourself with all member organisations

• • Secretariat – Learn more about the role and functions of the Secretariat

Role of PaRD Main Contacts:

As we collectively strive towards sustainable development goals, it’s essential to maintain smooth transitions within our partnership. A gentle reminder to all PaRD members: organisations, not individual persons, are the constituents of our vibrant platform. However, it is important that all member organisations appoint a dedicated main contact for PaRD.

PaRD relies on those dedicated main contacts within organisations to facilitate seamless transitions. If the current main contact is due to leave the organisation, we kindly request their assistance in referring a responsible successor within the organisation. This ensures that the continuity of engagement with PaRD remains intact. Simply email the Secretariat at info@pard.international and inform them about upcoming changes.

As a responsible main contact, it’s crucial to raise awareness within your organisation about its PaRD membership. This includes informing relevant colleagues about the initiatives, opportunities, and the broader impact that PaRD strives to achieve.

Staying Informed: Navigating PaRD’s Website for the Latest Updates

The PaRD website is the main hub of the partnership on which all resources are pooled:

• • The news section provides a comprehensive overview of the partnership’s activities since its launch in 2016 and documents ongoing processes.

• • The calendar on the PaRD website lists events by or with the participation of PaRD members as well as PaRD’s own events.

• • PaRD’s unique Knowledge Centre offers a place where selected publications on the nexus of religion and development are made publicly available.

• • A newsletter is published every three months highlighting recent activities by PaRD and its members. To sign up, simply register here.

How to engage with PaRD

Engaging with PaRD is a straightforward process that allows you to actively contribute to its mission. Here’s a quick guide on how to get involved:

1. 1. Joining Workstreams and Taskforces: As a PaRD member, you have the opportunity to be part of various Workstreams and Taskforces (find a current overview here), each focusing on specific aspects of sustainable development. To express your interest in joining any of these groups, simply email the Secretariat at info@pard.international. Please provide your name, affiliation, and the specific Workstream or Taskforce you wish to be involved in.
      Once your interest is communicated, you will be added to the respective Workstream/Taskforce lists. Subsequently, you will receive Workstream/Taskforce related news and will be invited to Workstream/Taskforce meetings.

1. 1. Becoming part of PaRD’s Leadership: For organisations seeking a deeper level of engagement and increased influence within PaRD, the opportunity to join PaRD’s Leadership awaits. This level of involvement comes with more substantial responsibilities but offers a chance to shape the direction of our collaborative efforts. There are two pathways to becoming part of PaRD’s Leadership:
      • • PaRD Steering Board Membership: Every two years, organisations have the chance to become members of the PaRD Steering Board. This role involves active participation in decision-making processes and contributing to the overarching strategic direction of PaRD.
        • Workstream/Taskforce Lead: Another option is to take on the role of  a Workstream/Taskforce Lead. This entails organising meetings, coordinating projects, and participating in the annual Leadership Meetings of PaRD. By doing so, you directly influence the priorities set for each working year. 

It is important to note that, similar to other PaRD engagements, organisations take the lead in both the Steering Board and Workstreams/Taskforces. However, individuals will be chosen to represent the organisation in these leadership capacities. For further information on these leadership opportunities, please reach out to the Secretariat.

• • Sharing Information with PaRD members: Members are encouraged to actively share information with the entire PaRD community through the Secretariat. Useful information for sharing:
    • News articles: Share links to news articles from your organisation that align with PaRD’s objectives.
    • Publications: Contribute links to relevant publications owned by your organisation that are free to share and can enrich the Knowledge Centre.
    • Self-written articles: Craft and share news articles detailing your recent engagement with PaRD activities.
    •  

(Additional Note: Please be aware that the PaRD Secretariat will review the submitted materials to ensure their alignment with PaRD’s goals and standards. If the Secretariat determines that certain content may not fit the website or is not in line with the partnership’s objectives, it may choose not to share such materials. This review process is essential to maintain the quality and relevance of the information shared within the partnership.)

The Annual Forum on Religion and Sustainable Development

The Annual Forum on Religion and Sustainable Development is PaRD’s central event of the year, where representatives from civil society, especially religious and faith-based actors, governmental entities, multilateral organisations, and academic institutions, gather. This exchange platform facilitates collaboration and dialogue on the unique contributions of religious actors towards achieving the 2030 Agenda. It fosters high-level conversations, networking, information sharing and the strengthening of cooperation within PaRD and beyond.

The General Assembly of Members (GAM) is part of the Annual Forum. During the GAM, the previous Steering Board’s actions are approved, and the new Steering Group members and co-chairs are elected bi-annually. In addition, the current annual activities of PaRD are validated and priority areas based on urgent global challenges are identified to address the needs and interests of the members. Registration options for members are announced via the usual PaRD channels. Here you can find a short recap of the PaRD Annual Forum 2023 in Berlin.

Connecting with PaRD: Ways to Reach Out

Area	Point of contact
General enquiries	PaRD Secretariat
Membership issues	Peter Noack
FoRB Workstream	Peter Noack
Health Workstream	Peter Noack
Gender Equality and Empowerment Workstream	Peter Noack
Sustaining Peace Workstream	Monika Kirchmann
WECARE Workstream	Peter Noack
Food Security Taskforce	Peter Noack
Communication (website, newsletter, twitter, emails)	Monika Kirchmann

Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to frequently asked questions about PaRD.

Disclaimer for PaRD publications

If you would like to use the PaRD logo for events and publications, kindly note that it is mandatory to use the disclaimer below:
*Disclaimer: Owing to its nature as an international partnership bringing together governmental and intergovernmental entities with diverse Civil Society Organizations (CSOs)/ Faith-based Organizations (FBOs), PaRD does not endorse specific policies or advocate for the adoption of policies by government or international organizations. Rather, PaRD dedicates itself to creating a neutral space for all its members to discuss development goals, review evidence-based research, share best practices, and develop independent policy recommendations, with the aim of fostering partnership between government and faith-based organizations, while respecting the unique identity and positions of all members. For this reason, research, publications, or policy recommendations published by either individual or collaborative organizational members of PaRD, represent solely the opinions of the authors and the independent organizations they represent. Such publications do not reflect, nor are intended to reflect, the views of PaRD, its leadership team, the full body of its members, nor any consensus of members within the PaRD network.

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