Religion, conflict, and peacebuilding the role of religion in many modern armed conflicts has been well noted. The role of religion in conflict and peacebuilding gsdrc. The evident optimism and increased support for this area of peacebuilding practice prompts. Spirituality and religious peacebuilding oxford handbooks.
Religion and peacebuilding refers to the study of religion s role in the development of peace. List of contents list of acronyms and abbreviations 7 1. Understanding religion in conflict and peacebuilding religion can be understood as a human response to a perceived nonphysical reality concerning the origin, meaning, and purpose of life. It revolves around developing constructive personal, group, and political relationships across ethnic, religious, class, national, and racial boundaries. Religion and peacebuilding reflections on current challenges and future prospects summary the field of religious peacebuilding has begun to move closer to the mainstream of conflict resolution practice and theory. Religion, nationalism, and the politics of secularism. Conflict resolution and peace building the case of sierra leone unisa sahid kamara a dissertation presented to the faculty of arts in the university of malta for the. Conflict not only takes human lives, destroys communities and erodes development gains, but also leaves a legacy of fear, hostility, and trauma. Structural and cultural violence in religion and peacebuilding. Popularized by academics, pundits, and the media, these myths reflect eurocentric and euroamerican biases that have deep connections to colonialism. Peacebuilding, crisis prevention and conflict management.
Chapter 1 introduction to religion and peacebuilding this chapter introduces the ways in which religion and religious actors, institutions, and ideas influence conflict and explains why it is crucial for peacebuilders to understand and engage religious dimensions of conflict. Most of what takes place in the field of religious peacebuilding has been grounded, implicitly or explicitly, in scott applebys the ambivalence of the sacred. Click download or read online button to get women religion and peacebuilding book now. Remarks on the role of religious leaders in peacebuilding. Women religion and peacebuilding download ebook pdf, epub. Peace and security forum on the role of religion in peace. The role of religion in conflict and peacebuilding is complex, yet has often been depicted in binary terms. Religion and peacebuilding overview usip global campus. The fourth part highlights peacebuilding in practice by focusing on constructive resources within various traditions, the transformative role of rituals, spiritual practices involved in the formation of peacebuilders in contexts of acute violence, youth and interfaith activism in american university campuses, religion and solidarity activism.
Religion, violence, and reconciliation and his phenomenological approach to religion. Religion is often considered to be a motivator and mobiliser of masses in conflict areas. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. The study of religion in conflict and peacebuilding has been a major focus of kroc institute research since 2000, when kroc institute director scott appleby invited the first of 16 scholars of religion and peacebuilding to become visiting fellows at the kroc institute. The report offers an overview of the relationship between religion and conflict and looks at the evidence on religion as both a driver of conflict and as a driver of peace. The role of religion in conflict and peacebuilding the. It critically analyses the concepts of religion and conflict and examines the features of religion which are utilised in conflict situations. In her work as a practitioner and researcher, she focuses on pluralism, the impact of the religious sector on peace, gender relations and religion, and. It is labeled as the negative contributor to conflict instead of a potential positive influence on conflict transformation.
The idea of imposing one religion on everybody is often advocated by those who believe that tough measures are required to restore the model of theocratic state. A report analysing the relationship between faith and conflict, and putting forward a set of recommendations for policymakers and practitioners in the. Print view in the post911 world, religions and religious actors are more associated than before with extremism and conflict between religious communities, in particular in the popular mind. Remarks on the role of religious leaders in peacebuilding in. The role of religion in conflict and peacebuilding published by the british academy. The many other dimensions and contributions of religion, in particular in relation to peacemaking and peacebuilding processes. The little book of strategic peacebuilding download ebook. I begin with a brief mapping of the field of religious peacebuilding and continue by challenging its presupposi. Susan hayward works in the religion and peacebuilding program at the us institute of peace usip and is completing her doctorate in buddhist and christian studies at georgetown university. The model of a single religion for a single state cannot fit in the modern world. Religion and peacebuilding looks beyond headlines concerning violence perpetrated in the name of religion to examine how world religions have also inspired social welfare and peacemaking activism. Through cutting edge research, training and field support, usaid analyzes conflict dynamics and invests in.
Click download or read online button to get the little book of strategic peacebuilding book now. Her research interests include interfaith engagement in the midst of political violence, political buddhism, and the role of religion in hampering and propelling womens work for peace and justice. The role of religion in peacebuilding 387 relate to one another peacefully. To recognize and understand better the role of women in religious peacebuilding, the united states institute of peace, the world faiths development dialogue wfdd, and georgetown universitys berkley center for religion, peace, and world affairs launched an initiative with a symposium on july 7 and 8, 2010, at georgetown university. Ultimately, women, religion, and peacebuilding is a call to change the paradigm of peacebuilding inside and outside of the worlds faiths, to strengthen womens abilities to work for peace and, in turn, improve the chances that major efforts to end conflicts around the world succeed. Leading scholars from the aboriginal, hindu, buddhist, confucian, jewish, muslim, and christian traditions provide detailed analyses of the spiritual. A shared set of teachings, doctrines, norms, values, stories, and narratives that provides a framework for understanding and acting in the world. The many other dimensions and contributions of religion, in particular in relation to peacemaking and peacebuilding processes, are less known, or maybe misunderstood, if not entirely neglected. This report presents case study findings from a twoyear research and policydialogue initiative that explores how international peacemakers and development aid providers affect social cohesion in conflictaffected countries. Religious peacebuilding will be defined here as peacebuilding 1 motivated and strengthened by religious and spiritual resources, and 2 with access to religious communities and institutions. Field research conducted by leading international scholars and global south researchers yields indepth analyses of social cohesion and related. Religion, social cohesion and peacebuilding in conflictaffected countries.
Connecting religion and violent conflict is easy to do. This simplification obscures the complexity of the subject and shows that there is no common understanding of the central terms of the debate. Most of the literature regarding religion and peacebuilding is in the form of case studies, that is stories of specific events, groups, and individuals. The role of religion in conflict and peacebuilding has all too often been depicted in binary terms. There is much work to be done before there is an adequate academic understanding of what a religious approach to peacebuilding might entail. Without effective, inclusive peace and reconciliation processes, countries are likely to revert back to violence. The role of religion in conflict and peacebuilding. It examines how religious identity engages the dilemmas faced when relationships are intentionally developed across. Pdf religion, peacebuilding, and social cohesion in. A summary of the remarks and bio of each speaker follows. Still, religious peacebuilding is a developing concept. The oxford handbook of religion, conflict, and peacebuilding.
Grassroots efforts by israelis and palestinians this paper is based on ethnographic research with the jerusalembased interfaith encounter association iea, a grassroots organization committed to peacebuilding between israelis and palestinians. Chaudry is a board member of the interfaith action for human rights, and serves as the liaison to the shoulderto. Religion and postconflict peacebuilding syllabus mari fitzduff, brandeis university, 2010. Women, religion, and peacebuilding oxford handbooks. Scholars generally accept that religion has been, at different points in history, both advantageous and ruinous to the promotion of peace however, there have been many approaches to explaining this variability. However, the mere fact that more than twothirds of the world population is considered to belong to a religion shows the potential of religions and. The chapter explores three critical dimensions of a strategic approach to religious peacebuilding. The iea brings together ordinary people from contending political. Susan hayward serves as the interim director of the religion and peacebuilding program at the united states institute of peace. A report analysing the relationship between faith and conflict, and putting forward a set of recommendations for policymakers and practitioners in the fields of conflict resolution and mediation. Religion and peacebuilding suny series in religious studies. Nassir abdulaziz alnasser, for organizing this important panel discussion.
We will discuss the concept of lived religion as a framework for understanding how religion operates in. Research report ii overview and selected findings this report presents findings from a project of the sie cheou kang center for international security and diplomacy at. Religion and peacebuilding suny series in religious. View religion, conflict and peacebuilding research papers on academia. Download women religion and peacebuilding or read online books in pdf, epub, tuebl, and mobi format. Jul 14, 2015 the role of religion in peace building in international affairs has been a source of meaningful discussion, particularly in the post911 world in which we live, where religious extremism and the threat of conflict between religious communities exist. This simplification obscures the complexity of the subject and shows that there is no common understanding of the central terms of. Many of the worlds violent outbreaks, both present and past, are couched in religious terms, ranging from the. Zainab chaudry is the outreach manager of the maryland chapter of the council on americanislamic relations cair, the nations largest muslim civil rights and advocacy organization. Peacebuilding is an approach to an entire set of interrelated efforts that support peace. Religion, peacebuilding, and social cohesion in conflict. It was found that countries that had higher membership of religious groups tended to be slightly more peaceful.
Religion can be the motivator or catalyst for bringing. The role of religion in mozambique, nigeria and cambodia march 2009 commonwealth and comparative politics 471. I want to thank the high representative for the united nations alliance of civilizations, mr. To provide an overview of the positive possibilities for peacebuilding by faith groups in situations of. The 2011 unrest in the middle east and north africathe arab springreflects ongoing challenges and opportunities for the field. A postcolonial approach to the study of religion and peacebuilding must begin with demystifying the dominant myths that impede productive discussion. In the post911 world, religions and religious actors are more commonly associated with extremism and conflict between religious communities than before, in particular in the popular mind.
Religion and peacebuilding religion peace conflict journal. Pdf on jan 1, 2004, catherine morris and others published case studies in religion and peacebuilding. Peacebuilding, crisis prevention and conflict management a crosscutting theme for gtz 9 2. A few wellknown examples include northern ireland, sudan, the former yugoslavia, lebanon, the philippines, sri lanka, indonesia, the 911 terrorist attack in the usa, and more recently nigeria, myanmar, and syria. Pdf conflict, conflict resolution and peacebuilding. Conflict resolution and peace building the case of sierra leone unisa sahid kamara a dissertation presented to the faculty of arts in the university of malta for the degree of master in contemporary diplomacy february 2009. Still, the link between the absence of religious freedom and the presence of religious violence is only one dimension of the relationship between religious freedom and peacebuilding and leaves.
Powers calls for moving beyond a functionalist approach to the roles of religion in promoting conflict or peace to a fuller appreciation of the complexity of religion and the unique spiritual and religious resources available for peacebuilding. Women religion and peacebuilding download ebook pdf. As a result, initiatives that claim to take seriously the religious and cultural dimensions of peacebuilding have increased exponentially. It begins by illustrating the quality of presence in three realworld examples of peacebuilding. This chapter explores the meaning of quality of presence rising from spiritual resources that facilitate the practice of religious peacebuilding in protracted conflict. Many of these yearlong fellowships, which resulted in a substantial body of. In the wake of september 11, 2001 religion is often seen as the motivating force behind terrorism and other acts of violence.
Religion, conflict and peacebuilding research papers. To recognize and understand better the role of women in religious peacebuilding, the united states institute of peace usip, the world faiths development dialogue wfdd, and georgetown universitys berkley center for religion, peace, and world affairs launched an initiative with a symposium on july 78, 2010, at georgetown university. Peacebuilding efforts aim to change beliefs, attitudes and behaviors to transform the short and long term dynamics between individuals and groups toward a more stable, peaceful coexistence. It is typically organized by communities into a shared system of. Grim andfinkealso makethe case that a lack of religious freedom causes armed violence grim and finke 2011, 7087, 206. Oct 21, 2019 a postcolonial approach to the study of religion and peacebuilding must begin with demystifying the dominant myths that impede productive discussion. Illuminating the unseen examines the obstacles and opportunities that women religious peace builders face as they navigate both the complex conflicts they are seeking to resolve and the power dynamics in the institutions they must deal with in order to accomplish their goals.
In religion and peacebuilding, edited by harold coward and gordon smith. The prevailing secularist paradigm and quantitative analyses of the relationship between religion, conflict, and peace are inadequate. The first part of the definition is a subjective description that is difficult to quantify or evaluate, but which is significant nonetheless. Through cutting edge research, training and field support, usaid analyzes conflict dynamics and invests in peacebuilding and.
1446 1130 230 1017 884 979 158 1518 1445 936 761 121 28 938 562 568 1061 1160 1292 268 569 519 1545 901 601 617 261 676 632 1548 1134 413 225 596 1190 359 1442 908