A Comparison of Values of Religious NGOs and Members of the Steering Committee for Humanitarian Response

Abstract: Attention to the role of religious NGOs (RNGOs) in international arenas has grown in the past decade. This study explored the role of values in the policies of RNGOs involved in humanitarian aid. It sought to compare the values of RNGOs with varying levels of involvement with the Steering Committee for Humanitarian Response (SCHR) in order to determine if values may be an issue inhibiting cooperation. Concepts, categorization, and analysis were heavily rooted in Patrick Kilby’s (2006) definition of NGO Values. The data collection and analysis were carried out through an ethnographic content analysis (ECA) of the websites of RNGOs. Two rounds of analysis were conducted with a total of 19 RNGOs being analyzed. This study found that RNGOs involved in humanitarian aid are largely based upon the same or similar values. It is instead suggested that further research seeking to find factors inhibitive to cooperation should look mainly at inter-relations between RNGOs, donors, and states.