In recognition of her work, Dr. Paffenholz received the prestigious Wihuri International Prize in 2015. A lawyer by profession, Peter has 20 years experience in the international policy arena, including more than 12 years as Assistant General Secretary for International Affairs & Human Rights at the Lutheran World Federation and four years as Executive Director of the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance. The horrendous events of 9/11, the conflagration in Iraq, and the aggressive assertiveness of quasi-theocratic Iran only confirm in the popular mind that religion lies behind much of contemporary international conflic. That problem, combined with a growing recognition that peacebuildingwill aid in the sustainability of humanitarian assistance and deve… Traditional African religion is very popular and arrived here with our North and West African ancestors. 2020.12.24 (Nigeria) Islamists burn homes and a church - … With over 25 years of experience as both an academic and policy advisor, Dr. Paffenholz is internationally renowned for her work on and in support of peace and political transition processes worldwide, focusing on mediation and peacebuilding, process design, inclusion and participation, as well as the conditions under which these processes produce sustainable outcomes. However, the survey does raise questions of how religion may contribute to conflict and what could be done within religions to better promote peace. Religion, after all, is a powerful constituent of cultural norms and values, and because it addresses the most profound existential issues of human life (e.g., freedom and inevitability, fear and faith, security and insecurity, right and wrong, sacred and profane), religion is deeply implicated in individual and social conceptions of peace. Rather than seeking to resolve a particular conflict, it aims to defuse interfaith tensions that may cause future conflict or derive from previous conflict. No major religion has been exempt from complicity in violent conflict. Recognising the role of religion and engaging with its multiple facets do not replace the work required to address the other interlocking issues (e.g. / At times, however, these projects have the unintended consequence of creating or exacerbating conflict. Venue: Main Hall, Ecumenical Center, 1 Route des Morillons, Geneva, Switzerland. The test of this accountability must be whether we are serving justice and peace for all, since all are created and in equal need of justice and peace for their well-being, safety, and happiness. Have a sense of forbearance and unity towards other religions, knowing that in spite of all our differences, God created us all human beings in God’s image in order to complement one another. Dr. Elsanousi joined the Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers 2014, and today Dr. Elsanousi works on themes including mediation and peacebuilding in Central African Republic, promoting religious freedom in Muslim majority countries and preventing violent radicalization, especially in the Middle East and North America. This form of religious peacemaking garners less public attention but is growing in importance. Stand together to challenge any form of injustice, and emphasize that PEACE cannot stand without JUSTICE. Religious leaders are employing traditional ceremonies to try to bring closure. Africa’s Response to the Challenge. USIP China-South Asia Senior Study Group. The article then cites statistics from a public opinion survey in Nigeria demonstrating that Nigerians believe religion to be more central to their identity than nationality. USIP’s Jacob Stokes says to properly counterbalance Beijing in the region, the United States should focus “less about responding to China … and more engaging with the states of South Asia.”, By: Rev. USIP has a variety of newsletters and announcements with the latest analysis, publications and events. Israel: Mother of 6 Murdered. Dr&Canon Trond Bakkevig, Dean of Vestre Aker, Church of Norway, Peace Research Institute Oslo He currently serves as Dean of Vestre Aker, a grouping of eleven Oslo city parishes. Visit This paper examines African indigenou… Dr. Mohamed Elsanousi, Director of the Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers, Washington D.C. Office In 2001 on September 11, when two airplanes hit the WTC in New York, Dr. Elsanousi had a leading position at the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), a position that was soon redefined by the changes in society after 9/11. "The Development of the Just War Tradition," (1-13) and "Survey of Roman Catholic Teachings on War and Peace" (15-38) in Catholic Perspectives on Peace and War, T. Massaro & T. Shannon, eds (Sheed & Ward, 2003) Supplemental Reading: Build relationships of trust with other religions. There are no exhaustive explanations to this change, yet the phenomenon can be approached by looking at the prevention work undertaken throughout the last 30 years. South Africa is a non-secular state. Not infrequently, the most contentious interfaith relationships can provide the context for the most meaningful and productive exchanges. Religion of Peace Atrocity of the Week. Studies on conflict data show a sharp increase in conflicts with a religious dimension. Despite the position of Christianity and Islam in relation to peace, peaceful co-existence is still elusive among the adherents of these religions. The request for a contribution to justice and peace for all from religions actually corresponds to the idea of accountability to God or to holy texts. 1. I would love to hear your thoughts regarding what else we can do to try to prevent violence and cultivate peace in our fragile world. Officials in Beijing are driven by aspirations of leadership across their home continent of Asia, feelings of being hemmed in on their eastern flank by U.S. alliances, and their perception that opportunities await across Eurasia and the Indian Ocean. Peter Prove assumed the office of Director, International Affairs, at the World Council of Churches in February 2014, and has responsibility for the WCC’s programs in the field of peacebuilding, conflict resolution, arms control, and human rights. We have seen that potentially African Religion is clearly committed to peace, and in various ways it undertakes ways that teach, encourage, and promote it. When engaging religious leaders and communities, it is necessary to understand the complexities of local religious traditions. Religious affiliation and conviction often motivates religious communities to advocate particular peace-related government policies. Dr. Paffenholz has roots in Europe, Africa and Asia. Whether it’s 9/11, the London bombings, or the ISIS beheadings—it’s always the same refrain: Attacks carried out by radical Muslims have nothing to do with the religion of Islam. David Smock has directed the Institute’s Religion and Peacemaking program since its inception. Sr. … 1. Religion has a definite role to play in people's search for world peace. Casey is the director of the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs at Georgetown University and was formerly the director of the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Religion and Global Affairs. Christianity is the dominant religion in South Africa, with almost 80% of the population in 2001 professing to be Christian. Search for experts, projects, publications, courses, and more. 50 Ways To Promote Peace. Peter has served in numerous leadership roles in UN and civil society contexts and as a founding member of the International NGO Committee on Human Rights in Trade and Investment and the International Dalit Solidarity Network. 2. The event is part of the Geneva Peace Week 2017. In 2010 Dr. Elsanousi co-chaired the founding of the Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign, an interfaith organization dedicated to ending anti-Muslim sentiment by strengthening the voice of freedom and peace. deprivation, marginalisation, institutional malfunctioning, state failure, global dynamics of dependency) related to conflict and peace. So no religion gets more attention than others. Home to about 2 billion people, South Asia has become a strategic focal point for China’s growing global influence. Since its creation in 2000, the United States Institute of Peace’s Religion and Peacemaking program has worked with local partners to promote religious peacemaking in many parts of the world, including Sudan, Nigeria, Iraq, Israel-Palestine, Pakistan, Afghanistan, the Philippines, and Indonesia. 2. From 1997 to 2006, he was a member of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches. Religion is also often being blamed as a tool to mobilise people during conflicts. Building lasting peace in war-torn societies is a daunting challenge for global peace and security. While everyone is entitled to their religion, it is the same religion which has shaped Africa's history especially with the advent of imperialism and colonialism upon which it was built. China has embarked on a grand journey west. First, we must promote better interfaith understanding so as to create a workable degree of unity among all religions. Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers World," in Religion, Law and the Use of Force, J,I, Coffey & Charles Mathewes, eds (Transnational 2002): 23-37. Learn more about the life of Desmond Tutu here. 1 Views contained in this paper do not reflect the position of the African Diaspora Policy Centre. Peter Prove, Director, International Affair, The World Council of Churches Press Grants & Fellowships The United States and India inked on October 27 a key agreement that will help New Delhi get real-time access to American geospatial intelligence. The horrendous events of September 11, the conflagration in Iraq, and the aggressive assertiveness of quasi-theocratic Iran only confirm in the popular mind that religion lies behind much of contemporary international conflict. The concepts of "life" and "death" are not mutually exclusive concepts, and there are no clear dividing lines between them. FI-00131 Helsinki Especially in Africa, religion has been at the heart of much of the contemporary conflicts. Time: 12:30-14:00 No single denomination predominates, with mainstream Protestant churches, Pentecostal churches, African initiated churches, and the Catholic Church all having significant numbers of adherents. Publications Create a peaceful affirmation/mantra. Here are twenty ideas – some of which originated in my own brain, while others were culled from organizations (and credit is given where it is due). After independence Africans were eager to disavow tribalism as divisive. Reconciliation is complex in northern Uganda, where children were both victims and perpetrators of a decades-long civil war. In the article, Philip Jenkins, a noted scholar from Pennsylvania State University, predicts that when historians look back at this century they will see religion as "the prime animating and destructive force in human affairs, guiding attitudes to political liberty and obligation, concepts of nationhood and, of course, conflicts and wars." Finland. Since 1996, Bakkevig has helped facilitate dialogue between Christians, Muslims and Jewish religious leaders in Palestine/Israel, as well as with politicians and international church bodies on the situation there; this task has involved extensive contacts with political and religious leaders in other parts of the Middle East countries. Make a personal commitment to nonviolence. By: Refreshments will be served. This role is well articulated in Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4), which seeks to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education for all and promote lifelong learning.Moreover, the objective of SDG 4.7 is to ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustai… With news of a breakthrough in Afghan peace talks, USIP’s Scott Smith warns that future troop withdrawal should “switch from a time-based deadline approach to a conditions-based approach” because if the Taliban believe withdrawal is inevitable, “they have no incentive to compromise.”, 2301 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037Tel: +1.202.457.1700, About Write to your government (local and federal) 4. The African continent continues to be faced with the challenge of establishing peace and development. Salvation in African religion ‘is not related to Christ, but to rituals which seek to promote fertility, fecundity, healing and other modes of being emblematic of cosmological harmony’.35 Oosthuizen is of opinion that African religion consists of five core components: (1) belief in a Supreme Being; (2) belief in lesser gods; (3) belief in spirits; (4) ancestral belief; and (5) the practice of magic and medicine, each … Numerous peace initiatives have been launched on the continent. According to studies conducted by the Uppsala Conflict Data Program, in 1975 only 2 percent of conflicts included a religious dimension, yet in 2013 the number had grown to more than 50 percent. The traditional African religions or traditional beliefs and practices of African people are a set of highly diverse beliefs that includes various ethnic religions. This report represents reflections on that experience. Many are also engaged in longer-range development projects. David Smock, In recent decades, religion has assumed unusual prominence in global affairs. 3. Religious communities also directly oppose repression and promote peace and reconciliation. There are past cases of mediation and peacemaking by religious leaders and institutions. USIP’s Vikram Singh looks at India’s evolving defense posture, deepening U.S.-Indian ties, and how it relates to India’s rocky relationships with China and Pakistan. Other Recent "Misunderstandings of Islam" 2020.12.24 (Yemen) Shiite militia beat a woman to death in front of her children. Attend a peace rally. In South Africa, various churches were at the vanguard of the struggle against apartheid and the peaceful transition. Box 210 Muslims should keep and promote peace and justice with all, including enemy, keep the greeting peace be unto you, and exercise tolerance. Yet we need to beware of an almost universal propensity to oversimplify the role that religion plays in international affairs. Desmond Tutu, South African Anglican cleric who in 1984 received the Nobel Prize for Peace for his role in the opposition to the discriminatory policies of apartheid in place in South Africa during the last half of the 20th century. His doctoral dissertation was on the topic of theology and nuclear arms. He also has extensive experience of interfaith networking for peace and development, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Friday, February 1, 2008 This comes after a spate of skirmishes this year on the Line of Actual Control (LAC), a Sino-Indian disputed border region. It has many channels of communicating this message: through traditional values and worldviews, rituals, social relations, and the increasing use of modern communication. Religion is not usually the sole or even primary cause of conflict. Nigerians are thus more likely to identify themselves first and foremost as Christians or Muslims rather than as Nigerians. 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