Construire Des Passerelles Ou Ériger Des Barrières ? Associations Cultuelles Et Développement Local À Hillbrow, Johannesburg

Growing efforts by religious organizations to pursue developmental goals have directed scholarly attention to their role as potential antipoverty agents in local settings. But faith-based organizations (FBOs) are organized in a myriad of ways. Some forge alliances across traditional boundaries via ?bridging? mechanisms ; others defend particularistic interests by adopting ?barrier? strategies. The former is more likely to lead to poverty reduction in poor neighbourhoods. In Johannesburg?s most economically stressed inner-city neighbourhood, Hillbrow, at least nine FBOs facilitate community development projects. But despite the implementation of these projects, poverty and hardship prevail. This paper seeks to investigate reasons for developmental fragmentation.