Religious Environmental Sensemaking in Climate-Induced Conflicts

Joram Tarusarira

doi:10.3390/rel13030204

Abstract

This article used the case of the Pokot community in northern Kenya to argue that focusing only on technical approaches in dealing with conflicts induced by climate change neglects the deeper religio-spiritual mechanisms that motivate actors in such conflicts and give the latter their texture. For example, the sacred connection with cattle, forests, and land, or the spiritual blessings of cattle raiders in times of competition over dwindling resources raise questions concerning whether and how indigenous religions’ sacred beliefs and practices contribute to finding peaceful solutions to such conflicts and advancing the discourse of religious peacebuilding. This article deployed the concept of religious environmental sense-making to argue that framing climate-induced conflicts in sacred terms influences how actors position themselves within them, as well as their level of intensity and intractability. Answering this question is crucial to advancing the field of peacebuilding, understanding what propels actors in climate-induced conflicts, and comprehending how policy-makers and mediators in conflicts can develop locally grounded strategies to address such climate issues.

Highlights

Climate change has become a threat multiplier of fragility, conflict, displacement, and irregular migration, undermining international peace and security
The article used the case of the Pokot community because the Pokot are strongly attached to their indigenous religion, spirituality, and traditional knowledge system, despite infiltrations by Christianity
Indigenous religion and traditional knowledge systems form the cultural archive from which the Pokot critically, hermeneutically, and discursively draw resources to make sense of various issues that affect their lives, including dealing with the challenges of climate change

Summary

Introduction

Climate change has become a threat multiplier of fragility, conflict, displacement, and irregular migration, undermining international peace and security. Drawing on interviews with Pokot community elders, the custodians of Pokot indigenous religion, in northern Kenya, this article, argues that factoring in knowledge about religion and spirituality sheds a critical theoretical light on the context, texture, and structure of climate-induced conflicts and the parties’ motivations and positioning, revealing what underlies the conflict, increasing our comprehension of the conflicts and identifying opportunities It illuminates our understanding of how actors make sense of climate-related conflicts and how that can further our understanding of the intersection of religion, conflict, and peacebuilding. The present article sees them as influencing beliefs, attitudes, and actions regarding conflicts in which the negative effects of climate change are variables It is interested in the religious and spiritual frameworks in which the Pokot of northern Kenya are embedded, and their beliefs and desires are shaped. Religion and spirituality can interpret conflict in zero-sum terms and demonize opponents by treating them as morally inferior and dangerous, and suitable to be dealt with harshly (Pape 2005)

Methodology

Religious Environmental Sensemaking among the Pokot

Religious Climate and Environmental Peacebuilding

Findings

Conclusions