The Multilateral Imperative: Seeking the Common Good

This chapter underlines that religions matter to the possibility—and imperative—of realizing the global common good. The case is made by sharing some facts about how religions—institutions, faith-inspired NGOs, and religious leaders—contribute to welfare as parts of all communities, as critical service providers, and as influencers of socio-cultural, political, and financial behavior. Lessons learned from actual work done with and within the UN, and diverse realms of religions, are shared. The argument is made for how current engagements with religion have not, in fact, served the common good, as unfolding events in the world clearly reveal. The chapter concludes by making the case for more critical research on current multi-religious efforts; and a call for more discernment and civic collaborations, which are multi-religious and multi-stakeholder in nature, for the sake of accountability for the common good.