Faith as a catalyst for community organization & participatory transformation: the case of Gale Dewalaya, Minuwangoda, Sri Lanka

Abstract

Scholars argue that faith groups often lead and drive urban regeneration and local development. However, the knowledge in this regard is seemingly limited to western church-based faith groups, and the global south experience has often been overlooked. This paper explores the role of faith in community organization and participatory community transformation, focusing on the case Gale Dewalaya, a community-centered shrine in Minuwangoda, Sri Lanka. Drawing upon the conceptual framework, on Mancini and Bowen’s Community Resilience, Social Organization, and Change Model (2009) and Chaskin’s Community Capacity Framework (2001), the research examines how faith-centered communities organize and transform spatial, economic, and socio-political structures towards local community development. The research is a qualitative case study, and focus-group discussions, semi-structured interviews have been used for the data collection. Thematic analysis was employed for data analysis. Findings of the study reveal that faith-centered communities participate in community transformation, enhancing community capacity, social capital, and resilience, with spatial, economic and socio-political outcomes. The study also highlights the importance of community-led spatial planning associated with faith-centered community networks to foster inclusive and sustainable development.