IMA VP Appointed to Task Force

IMA Vice President of International Programs Appointed to Interfaith Task Force

Washington D.C. – Dr. Sarla Chand, IMA World Health Vice President of International Programs, has been appointed to the Task Force to Advance Multireligious Collaboration on Faith, Health and Development for the Global Initiative for Faith, Health and Development. The Global Initiative was created as a response to President Obama's call to the world's religions to join hands together across faith lines to address issues of common concern. 

This initiative, developed by the Center for Interfaith Action on Global Poverty (CIFA), is a multi-day, international process which will result in a strategic framework for expanding multi-religious collaborations to reduce global disease and poverty. CIFA is working in close consultation with the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships and its Director, Rev. Joshua DuBois, to move this process forward.

Dr. Chand will serve on the task force with other international leaders and stakeholders in the religious and public sectors.

The first meeting of the task force took place at the White House on July 26th and opened with encouraging words and a call to action by Rev. DuBois. Representatives of prominent faith-based relief and humanitarian organizations as well as those of major faith groups – including Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Buddhist – actively participated laying the groundwork for future meetings.

On October 4, the task force will again convene at the White House. On November 22-23, a two-day Leadership Consultation to Advance Multireligious Collaboration will be held at the Washington National Cathedral and the White House to finalize the framework with a clear plan of action on energizing different faith communities in the fight against poverty and disease. This will culminate in a discussion on new funding mechanisms at a conference on Financing Faith, Health and Development at Wilton Park in the United Kingdom on December 6-8.