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British Academy
different faith traditions: the Catholic NGO Sant’Egidio that promotes
ethical values in conflict situations in Africa and uses mediation as
a tool to promote peace; Buddhist actors promoting human rights in
Cambodia; and Muslim communities that successfully promote peace
in parts of the Middle East. More recently, his work has focused on
‘Catholic approaches to peacebuilding’, looking at the work of many
transnational Catholic NGOs such as Caritas, and exploring how Catholic
social teaching and the ‘preferential option for the poor’ have been
gradually expanded to go beyond social and economic development,
towards ‘reconciliation’ (Schreiter et al. 2010). Michel (2008)
specifically
focuses on the role that transnational Islamic movements play in
fostering non-violent relations in the Muslim world. The commitment
to positive societal change, personal transformation, and interreligious
dialogue is fundamental for these movements. ‘Study’ and ‘service’
are key elements underpinning the thinking of their adherents
(Michel 2008).
Douglas Johnston (2005) also emphasised the crucial role of faith-based
organisations in conflict prevention and resolution. He concludes that
local organisations can have direct influence within their societies and
be particularly effective, as they promote indigenous ways of preventing
and resolving conflict and can have important moral authority because
they are anchored in local communities.
Weingardt (2007) provided a thorough
examination of the peace
potential of religions, their inherent positive power, and specifically the
role of religious leaders. His first main argument is that more research is
needed to understand the role religions can play in de-escalating violent
political conflicts and promoting peace. Whereas mainstream scholarly
thinking, in particular in the wake of Huntington’s work (1993, 1997),
focused on the negative role that religion has played in conflicts around
the world and throughout history, Weingardt argues that religion has
also had a positive role in preventing, controlling and ending conflicts.
He accepts that it is difficult, if not impossible,
to get a precise measure-
ment of the peace potential of religions, but maintains nonetheless that
religions have an inherent potential for peace, and should be seen as
a factor that contributes to de-escalating conflict.
Weingardt’s second main argument is that the peace potential of
religions lies in the fundamentals, such as writings, teachings and
traditions, rather than in the institutions themselves. ‘Religion-based’
actors (in contrast to individuals acting on faith or on the basis of an
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The Role of Religion in Conflict and Peacebuilding
37
institution only) base themselves on a comprehensive understanding of
their religion and not on a narrow-minded, individualistic
and potentially
arbitrary definition of it. By doing so, they can promote peace not only
in religious conflicts, but also in conflicts with limited or no religious
dimensions. Such actors can be: a) religious communities and religious
institutions as well as their representatives; and, b) institutions,
individuals, initiatives, movements that are not necessarily directly
linked (i.e. financially, institutionally or through persons) to religious
institutions (Weingardt 2008a, 2008b).
Weingardt cites as examples Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther
King, as well as the Quakers and Sant’Egidio, all of whom were or are
inspired
by religious values, and have used them to promote peace in
a variety of ways, including preventing direct violence, fighting against
structural violence and bringing about positive societal change. In
addition, he analyses a variety of case studies (about 40) where religion
played a positive role in conflict resolution and conflict de-escalation,
concluding that the characteristics defining the conflicts, the actors,
and interventions are manifold and diverse. The cultural, religious and
political contexts, the type of conflict,
the issues at stake, the conflict
range, parties to the conflict and the outcomes of the conflict vary as
much as conflict intensity, duration and development. The ‘religion-
based’ actors belong to different religions and confessions, work as
individuals or in interreligious cooperation, and have varying degrees
of institutional attachment, notoriety, political influence and implication
in the conflict. They also differ in their approaches to reducing violence,
their level of interaction, methods, actions,
efficiency and their impact
on the conflict. In other words, Weingardt argues, the peace potential
for religion is manifold; it can be used to promote peace in a variety of
ways and there is no one way forward, but a myriad of them to exploit
the positive power inherent in religions.
Weingardt (2008a, 2008b) does not stop with this rather obvious
analysis. The violent conflicts that he analyses share two main similari-
ties. One is that previous secular activities to reduce violence have
not had satisfactory results, and the second is that decidedly religious
elements participating in actual activities to reduce violence are of
only limited significance and are thus not sufficient
to explain concrete
positive results. It is therefore important to understand what is common
to ‘religion-based’ actors and also what is the basis of their power to
transform conflicts. He argues that these actors share three character-
istics. The first is professional expertise, or conflict-specific knowledge.
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The Role of Religion in Conflict and Peacebuilding
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The second is credibility, or perception of the actors as neutral and fair
by the parties in conflict. The third is closeness to the conflict, namely
emotional, personal, and/or human proximity of the actors to the conflict
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