Ecumenical Social Activism and Transnational Connections Between Brazil and Britain: Practitioner Perspectives on Networks and Power

Burity, Joanildo; Orton, Andrew

Abstract

Ecumenical forms of social activism arising from Christian practitioners seeking connections beyond formal religious differences have played a significant role within action for social change globally, whilst varying significantly in form between different national and local contexts. Building on theoretical analysis of these ecumenical forms of social activism as established in a previous article, this sequel article explores how activist practitioners within related non-governmental organisations in Brazil and Britain reflect on their engagement in ecumenical networks that are operating within and connecting these contexts. We focus particularly on how these practitioners use ecumenical relationships to support them in achieving their aims. The article draws on a thematic analysis of 42 semi-structured interviews with these practitioners (conducted 2015–2018), with supporting online research (2015–2022). Different forms of power arising from these relationships are identified, focusing particularly on convening, mobilising, agenda-setting/influencing, leveraging/resourcing and learning power. The resulting analysis highlights the significance of how practitioners manage similarity and difference throughout their use of these different forms of power whilst connecting across complex nested layers of networks and different scales of action.

Citation

Burity, J., & Orton, A. (online). Ecumenical Social Activism and Transnational Connections Between Brazil and Britain: Practitioner Perspectives on Networks and Power. International Journal of Latin American Religions, https://doi.org/10.1007/s41603-024-00264-7

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 1, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Dec 2, 2024
• Deposit Date: Jan 9, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 9, 2025
• Journal: International Journal of Latin American Religions
• Print ISSN: 2509-9957
• Electronic ISSN: 2509-9965
• Publisher: Springer
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41603-024-00264-7
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/3328846
• Additional Information: Read-only access of the article can also be found here: https://rdcu.be/d2fnz