Bridging the DividesInterreligious Diplomacy for Effective Peacebuilding Sharon Rosen (bio) introduction Until recently, most Western secular societies eschewed engagement with religious actors and institutions when it comes to solving conflicts in the field of international diplomacy. Scarred by the violent conflicts of previous centuries, religion has generally been perceived as part of the problem and the marriage of religion and political power an unholy union causing great devastation and needing clear separation. Both the United States and France enshrined this separation in their constitutions, and while the queen or king remains the titular head of the Anglican Church, their purely constitutional roles ensure that religious and political power remain separate in the United Kingdom. But the popular belief that religion is in its death throes in the face of secular, technological globalization has been challenged in recent years as states increasingly acknowledge that religion still plays a dominant role in many societies around the world. Research has demonstrated that religion is not the main cause of war,1 but at the same time, the majority of armed conflicts have a religious dimension—and that number is growing.2 The oft-quoted Pew report that more than four-fifths of the world’s inhabitants identify with a religious community—with an upward projection over the next decades—was startling to many in the secular West, although it was met with less surprise in more traditional societies where religion and religious leaders play a highly significant role in people’s lives and in setting social norms.3 In 2001, the shocking attacks of September 11 focused the world’s attention on the role religion—or, more accurately, the abuse of religion—can play as a weapon of violent conflict. Calls for countering or preventing violent extremism, with concomitant descriptions of “religious fundamentalists and extremists,” proliferated in policy analyses as governments developed even greater numbers of security tools for [End Page 247] their arsenals. This, together, with the growing persecution of religious minorities in more and more countries, has tended to encourage a binary framing of religious actors as either aggressive perpetrators or victimized minorities. In turn, this objectifying of religious people and problems has influenced international policymakers’ considerations on whether to engage religious actors in diplomacy to advance peacebuilding. The above narrative is, however, being seriously challenged both by a growing number of policymakers who acknowledge the failure of present policies to curtail violence and by the increasing recognition of religious actors’ potential to positively influence outcomes as part of the solution. It is also now recognized, particularly since COVID-19 has reared its ugly head and caused such mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual devastation globally, that religious leaders are often among the most trusted and influential members in communities.4 They provide succor, a sense of stability, and spiritual support during these uncertain times, which are likely to continue for some years. They also have multi-religious assets at their disposal, are often the first to respond to needs within their communities, and their influence can extend beyond their communities if they are provided with the skills and the opportunities to act accordingly. religion: the problem and the solution To be clear, religion does have the power to be both a force for peace and a weapon of war. For believers, religion is an inextricable and profound part of their identity, an identity marker at the most existential level of their being, both individually and communally. Identity plays a highly significant role in the intersection between religion and conflict because when people feel that their deeply held religious identities or “their God” is under attack, they tend to withdraw into their communities, demonize the other, and find reasons to justify violence as defense of their beliefs. Religion then becomes a lightning rod that can be manipulated to galvanize people into violent conflict for their country, nation, land, community, and family. Given the above alternative, it makes sense to engage religious actors as a force for peace, and indeed, there are already many religious leaders who are acting as an important part of the solution, rather than the problem. They work to reduce conflicts and help those suffering from violence and...
Read full abstract
Jun 26, 2024
Kevin Martin 
Open Access