Vlad Zavadskyi, Presbyterian Church & Taiwanese Identity

Presbyterian Church & Taiwanese Identity

By Vlad Zavadskyi

Our mother is Taiwan, and we are the masters of Taiwan. For hundreds of years, our mother’s tolerance and kindness persevered and nurtured every generation of Taiwanese. Therefore, every one of us needs to have courage today and openly and loudly shout it out, “I am Taiwanese!” -- Lee Teng-hui (Tsai, 2005, p. 1)

For the prosperous countries of the world, the question of Westphalia sovereignty was resolved decades ago. The proclamation of its own independence is the recognition of one’s uniqueness and maturity of self-determination. Taiwan, as a result of four centuries of colonialism has grown gradually, incorporating the ways of the foreigners and thus strengthening itself. The presence of other rules and religions contributed to Taiwan’s tolerant character, and enabled them to form a distinct identity. The whole country is located on the island which is situated on the trade crossroads of three ‘tiger’ civilizations: Chinese, Japanese and USA. It hasn’t been easy for Taiwanese in their history, since its independence is still “de facto” as they haven’t been recognized by their “brother country” – China.

Jessica Brown, The Role of Religion in Development: A Case Study of World Vision

The Role of Religion in Development: A Case Study of World Vision

By Jessica Brown

The relationship between religion and development is complex and dynamic, originally manifested in the form of colonial missionary work, and evolving into modern faith based development organizations (FBDO). Religion’s role as accomplice and oftentimes fundamental driver of imperial ambitions has resulted in a highly polarized public opinion on its place in development. Consequently, many FBDOs, and the churches that they spring from, have transformed their role overseas from missionary work to development work. However, despite this attempt to accommodate civil society’s transformed world views, criticism continues to be laid against these FBDOs. Non-religious donors remain skeptical of their agenda in developing countries, while religious donors criticize what they see as waning Christian content in development dialogue¹. World Vision is one of the most recognizable FBDOs working from the northern hemisphere, and has maintained the evangelical traditions of its missionary roots, which has limited the efficacy of its development projects. To be truly successful as a development organization in the 21st century, World Vision must divorce itself from its evangelical ambitions, but not necessarily from its religious motivations.

Amy Antonini, The Muslim Brotherhood

The Muslim Brotherhood: A Global Islamist Movement Trapped by the Nation-State

By Amy Antonini

Throughout the 20^th and 21^st century the rising power of Islamism has been affecting the global sphere. Now more than ever, some members of the Muslim community are aiming to create a world caliphate and have more and more political authority. Within the Islamist movement, one of the most powerful groups is the Muslim Brotherhood (MB). The MB has branches all over the world and considers the movement as fighting for Islamism. However, although it is considered a global movement, the question of if the group really transcends borders is present. This essay will first look at the beginnings of the MB, with its foundation in Egypt and the evolution of the Egyptian MB. It will then look at the global Islamist movement as a whole. From there it will turn to the MB as a transnational movement and what defines and shapes the movements in certain nation-states. This essay will look at two case studies of the MB in Palestine and Syria. Finally it will consider two definitions of transnational organizations to prove that the MB does not transcend transnational borders. The MB should be considered a part of the global Islamist movement, however as an organization, its functions and branches do not work transnationally.