While everyones process is unique, and there are no fixed steps one has to take in order to forgive, real-life stories collected by The Forgiveness Project a secular charity based in the United Kingdom demonstrate that there are some key attributes to being a forgiving person and some key components to going on a forgiveness journey. For those with no money to give, the Prophet Muhammad considered even the simple act of smiling to be charity, a gift to another. A scoping study exploring the role that faith-based organisations play in conflict resolution and peacebuilding. But it glosses over the fact that forgiveness is a slippery and complex concept, meaning many things to many people. Forgiving people have chosen not to perpetuate a historical grievance; they are somehow able to turn the page, loosen themselves from the grip of the past, and reframe their own story. Research and operational evaluations have expanded in recent years, with some sectors far better documented than others, notably health and peacebuilding. The statement concludes with a call for establishment of the "oneness of humanity", a call which implies "no less than the reconstruction and the demilitarization of the whole civilized world a world organically unified in all the essential aspects of its life, its political machinery, its spiritual aspiration, its trade and finance, its script and language, and yet infinite in the diversity of the national characteristics of its federated units. A Conversation with David Warren, TPNRD Meets in Strasbourg at the Council of Europe, VIDEO: Jos Douma Reflects on Serving as Dutch Religion Envoy, Russias use of Spiritual Security: An Interview with Kristina Stoeckl, VIDEO: Ukrainian Religious Actors and Organizations after Russias Invasion. Muslim giving also focuses primarily on the poor. Barack Obama, when he was president, would often refer to the phrase. Religion connects with peace in four major ways: The ideas of human dignity and the common humanity of all, derived from the notion that all are created in the image of the Divine, are foundational to true peace. Zakat (meaning to grow in purity) is an annual payment of 2.5 percent of ones assets, considered by many as the minimum obligation of their religious giving. endobj This section explores the different ways the contribution of religion to peacebuilding can be conceived. A constructive strategy that may help one break out of an endless cycle of violence is to develop the ability to listen to the pain of the other (the so-called enemy), because if people focus only on their own pain and trauma this locks them into a sense of despair. <>11]/P 22 0 R/Pg 58 0 R/S/Link>> Vulnerable feelings, when expressed to other people, have the potential to establish lasting bonds.. It is true that factors such as wealth, income, education and marital status are all predictors of giving. The themes of women and gender roles in religious peacemaking have been emphasized in recent years as an integral part of the global, national, and regional agendas for peace. In these communities, naming and shaming is considered justice, and while forgiveness is imperative, it is not granted without remorse. For examples, see the Berkeley Center for Religion Peace and World Affairs, the Joint Learning Initiative, and KAICIID Peace Map. The process results in decreased motivation to retaliate or maintain estrangement from an offender despite his or her actions. But thats also a very beautiful thing, because what got replaced was a person who was more tolerant, more open-hearted, and a lot stronger., Marian Partingtons younger sister, Lucy, had beena victim of serial killersFred and Rosemary West. Not taking action to help yourself or someone else, Denial, and suppression of grief and fear, Telling and retelling the right conflict story,leading to acts of justified aggression, Choosing to forgive, committing to taking risks, Repairing your life, establishing justice that restores,leading to movement towards reconciliation. Many leaders of these peace-building efforts model their work on scriptural examples of the Buddha's conflict-resolution strategies, and some drew inspiration from Mohandas Gandhi's philosophy of satyagraha (true-force) and advocacy of nonviolence. Eastern Europe (Estonia in particular) would benefit from civil religion. Umbreit concludes this was not little common conversationsbut real restorative dialogue, as people spent hours together, listening to each others pain and trauma. I compare grassroots understandings of reconciliation with those of the local elite behind this revitalisation effort. They realize I want to listen and learn. Bouta, Kadayifci-Orellana, and Abu-Nimer, Faith-Based Peace-Building,39-40. In this sense, forgiveness is a movement of compassion; and learning to forgive yourself is an important step in learning to become a forgiving person. While each conflict situation and intervention has its own unique set of characteristics in terms of history, culture and particular orientations of religious peacemakers, some overall lessons can be drawn: Outputs supported by DFID are DFID Crown Copyright 2023; outputs supported by the Australian Government are uuid:cf8d30a4-b1bc-11b2-0a00-90424f020000 Learn more. We mobilise these disciplines to understand the world and shape a brighter future. The first volume, On the Significance of Religion in Conflict and Conflict Resolution, demonstrates through careful analysis and illustrative case studies around the three Abrahamic traditions the real yet complex impact of religion in the global sphere, showing clearly the need for collaboration and understanding across sectors and religious traditions in conflict resolution. 48 0 obj Mindfulness and Community Building, the restoration of fractured relationships by overcoming grief, pain, and anger, Kemal Pervanic, a survivor of the notorious Omarska concentration camp in Bosnia, Palestinian Bassam Aramin, and Israeli Rami Elhanan, who both lost young daughters in the Israel-Palestine conflict, Salimata Badji-Knight was brought up in a Muslim community in Senegal. How Religion Influences Peacemaking - Nova Southeastern University "[13], In 1985, as a contribution to the 1986 International Year of Peace, the international governing body of the Bah Faith, the Universal House of Justice, released a major statement on the promotion of peace, that was distributed worldwide by the Bah community. It is a practical way of preventing the pain of the past from defining the path of the future. Government institutions in South Africa, Rwanda and Burundi, Peacebuilding. The violation results in a broken or fragmented relationship between parties. Visit The Forgiveness Project on facebook and twitter. This allows for breaking down the fears, misconceptions and stereotypes and can lead to more productive dialogical peacemaking. For example, three of the top 10 biggest charities by total revenue last year (Catholic Charities, Salvation Army and National Christian Foundation) are explicitly religious. I warmly recommend it". The Role of Religion in Conflict and Peacebuilding. These studies have been generated by practitioners and scholars alike. Reconciling Divided States: Peace Processes in Ireland and Korea, Abingdon, Routledge, International Journal of Social Science Research and Review, Susanne Buckley-Zistel, Christian Braun, International Journal of Academics & Research, IJARKE Journals, From a "Theology of Genocide" to a "Theology of Reconciliation"? This peacebuilding initiative worked because both communities were able to look at each other in the eye, find respect, and build a relationship with greater understanding. Many of these organizations make up the worlds largest NGOs. Request Permissions. However, for many people religion can be a power for peace. Indiana University provides funding as a member of The Conversation US. Reconciliation refers to the restoration of fractured relationships by overcoming grief, pain, and anger. Religion and peacebuilding refer to the study of religion's role in the development of peace. Developing Forgiveness on a Community Level. Your contribution can help change lives. endobj But it can help overcome those causes, and be liberating to the individuals involved in a very personal way.. Can it ever be wrong to offer forgiveness, or to attempt reconciliation. Copyright 20102023, The Conversation Media Group Ltd. A priest and a nun work together to send aid supplies. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. I have come to believe therefore that people dont owe me anything, and just because they are capable of hurting me doesnt make them into bad people: It might simply mean that my needs are greater than theirs., Comparing Sheilas story a relatively small example of harm with all the many forgiving people who have struggled with great traumas, it seems that they too have been able to let go of an expectation that the world owes them. Marie Fitzduff, "Civil Society and Peacebuilding: The New Fifth Estate?" It is a complex and enigmatic concept, hard to pin down because it can apply in different ways to different situations; not everyone experiences it in the same manner. Saturday, August 19 is World Humanitarian Day a time to remember the tremendous humanitarian need around the world. "[6], Pax Christi is the "official international Catholic peace movement" as recognized by Pope Pius XII in 1952.[7]. [11] Bah'u'llh promoted the concept of the oneness of the world and human beings describing the Earth as "but one country, and mankind its citizens". A long time ago, before I found lasting happiness with my husband, I fell in love with Jack. I changed my lens and gained a new perspective. <>28]/P 34 0 R/Pg 78 0 R/S/Link>> She has spoken about the horror of seeing her good Christian friends destroying everything she had worked for with their Muslim neighbors. Sharps faith guided his call to peacemaking. This article explains the compatibility between civil religion and political liberalism. Religious Engagement in Peacebuilding - United States Institute of Peace 62. RELIGION'S ROLE IN CREATING NATIONAL UNITY [with COMMENT and - JSTOR Countries examined here include Kashmir, Israel/Palestine, Iraq, Nigeria, Sudan and Macedonia. In the Southern Hemisphere it is more widely understood that faith and religion are integral parts of the everyday life of most people, so engagement with faith groups should be incorporated into all policies. Developing a shared vision of an interdependent and fair society, Facilitating significant cultural and attitudinal change. Experiencing forgiveness either towards self or others can have a constructive, life-altering effect as part of the process of healing personal pain and trauma as well as building more peaceful communities. Religion and conflict resolution in general, and Islam in particular, have become a main area of research since the September 11 attacks. It can help break the cycle of violence, aid post-traumatic reconciliation, build a more peaceful common future, and ultimately sustain peace. 2 0 obj Forgiveness can help repair broken relationships, Forgiveness can help break the cycle of violence. <>3]/P 6 0 R/Pg 58 0 R/S/Link>> Cantacuzino, M. (2015). As sociologist Christian Smith makes clear, there is a paradox to generosity in giving we receive and in grasping we lose. The British Academy's latest international policy report explores how the role of religion in conflict and peacebuilding has all too often been depicted in binary terms, which have obscured the complexity of the subject. Can we forgive an ongoing evil? It was after I came to London that I tried to make sense of my life and started to ask the question,What is it that makes me at the same time human and inhuman?. Anger, sorrow, rage, and despair are a part of the process, and may be the launching pad for forgiveness. London: Winston Churchill Memorial Trust. In a search of a common core: A content analysis of interventions to promote forgiveness. But if you try to move forward without attending to the pain and the hurt of the injustice and the trauma of the past, your move forward will probably be illusory, and you will carry some of that difficulty into the future and into your relationships as an individual or as a community. Forgiveness then comes into play. [12] Bah'u'llh identified the elimination of disunity as a necessary pre-requisite to peace. Brian Grim, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, 3307 M Street NW, Suite 200 78 0 obj The Role of Religion in Conflict and Peacebuilding But unless you feel the shame, you cant feel remorse, contends Gobodo-Madikizela (2004). It was while taking a course in spiritual psychology that I recognized how with each negative thought directed at my father I was re-wounding myself., Camilla Carr, who was taken hostage in Chechnya in 1997, held captive for 14 months, and repeatedly raped, says: First you have to deal with anger, then with tears, and only once you reach the tears are you on the road to finding peace of mind.. He describes his work as being about changing lenses, and sums up some of the different approaches as follows: Some advocate the use of restorative approaches such as circles (an approach that emerged from the First Nation/aboriginal communities in Canada) as a way to work through, resolve, and transform conflicts in general. Acknowledging guilt is hard, because people are uncomfortable with their own shame, and afraid to recognize that they are to blame. He told the Radio Times: I think the 20th century saw such a level of atrocity that it has focused our minds very, very hard on the dangers of forgiving too easily (Thomas, 2011). There are no institutional and sustainable structures for engagement with policy makers; the engagement is sporadic and dictated by the circumstances or external forces. In any discussion about forgiveness and reconciliation, it is important to make a distinction between the two before analyzing each of them in greater detail. Reconciliation is an additional choice. endobj 2021-07-15T08:44:25-07:00 Among Americans who give to any cause, 55 percent claim religious values as an important motivator for giving. endobj In addition, before he died, I was able to have a good talk with my father. The 2021 G20 Interfaith Forum in Italy, building on its previous annual gatherings in Saudi Arabia, Japan, and Argentina has created a separate ministerial track to engage policymakers and discuss many of the questions that religious and faith-based actors often discuss amongst themselves. There is a lively debate over whether religious and faith-based groups should be engaged across all social, economic, and political areas in society, or confined to these areas in which religious identity is manipulated or utilized in violent conflict. By using this site you indicate agreement with the use of cookies. For Iisaka, the purpose of interreligious dialogue is peace. People must develop the ability to put meaning back into their lives and therefore bring about identity reconstruction. Katalin Karolyi. It was here that I was able to apologize to his people for the shame and humiliation which my ancestors had brought on them through slavery, colonialism, and apartheid. and Peacebuilding in an Emerging Democracy, MENNONITE INTERNATIONAL PEACEBUILDING AND LOCAL OWNERSHIP, Reconciliation from the top down? 20007. News of what had happened to Denise and hundreds of other bereaved parents caused a national scandal in England in the late 1990s with headlines such as, Burying your baby once is bad enough to do it again is just agony., Denises fury in the end led to forgiveness, a positive decision which not only healed her but restored relationships with the professionals. While there is no set order of actions to take, one may start with putting an end to self-punishment. <>2]/P 6 0 R/Pg 58 0 R/S/Link>> Instead, it reflects on the interpretive lenses and language that we use for dealing with these Today the Pax Christi network membership is made up of 18 national sections and 115 Member Organizations working in over 50 countries, The following stages may apply to the experience, thought processes, and actions of individual victims or perpetrators as well as whole groups: Fear, anger, and revenge may maintain the cycle of violence, through, While forgiveness may lead to breaking the cycle of violence, through, Developing Forgiveness on an Individual Level. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. It can build bridges between opposing parties, and help repair fractured relationships. <>25]/P 25 0 R/Pg 58 0 R/S/Link>> Religious agencies make up 13 of the top 50 charities in the U.S. This initiative grew out of conflict arising when thousands of Somali refugees settled in the Twin Cities in the early nineties. endstream Mohammed Abu-Nimer, American University School, USA "This volume is an important contribution to efforts to bring religion back into the mainstream of conflict resolution and peacebuilding. Research on Southern Kaduna the Role of Religion in Peace Building A modest empirical case study of the Presbyterian Church (EPR) reveals how their " Theology of Reconciliation " embraces the four dimensions of theology, institutions, relationships, and remembrance. I chose forgiveness because I did not want to be destroyed by bitterness, she says. It will help set the focus of debates on this issue. Introduction The post-September 11 world is seized with the dangers of religious extremism and conflict between religious communities, particularly between two or more of the Abrahamic faiths: Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. Forgiveness is often categorized as having two distinct forms: It's important to recognize that if you attach too many conditions to forgiveness it may become almost the opposite, with characteristics akin to being vengeful or vindictive. I came to understand that people have a right to change their minds, and that just because someone says they love you one day, doesnt guarantee that this statement will hold true for the next. It highlights the complex and ambivalent relationship between religion and violence, in all its forms, and the important but under-recognised contributions that faith-based actors make in contexts in or emerging from conflict. Religion in Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding - Academia.edu He (Nsengiyumra) took me by the hand and stood in his doorway and told the killer to leave. According to Marina Cantacuzino, founder of The Forgiveness Project who has collected over 140 real-life stories of forgiveness it seems that people are able to forgive heinous crimes because ultimately they are able to muster what Stephen Cherry refers to, in Healing Agony: Reimagining Forgiveness, distasteful empathy. It is distasteful because in order to empathize with the cruel and heartless, one has to imagine being cruel and heartless oneself. Religion and Peacebuilding in Postwar Bosnia-Herzegovina, LOCAL PEACEBUILDING -CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES, Religion and Mediation: The Role of Faith-Based Actors in International Conflict Resolution, Dealing with the Past in the Context of Ethnonationalism The Case of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia, The Role of Religion in Conflict and Peacebuilding, Between Western Theory and Local Practice: Cultural Impediments to Truth-Telling in Sierra Leone, Discourse Transformation in Peace Processes: Revisiting Sudans 2005 Comprehensive Agreement, Gendered Conflict Resolution: The Role of Women in Amani Mashinanis Peacebuiding Processes in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya, Kuala Lumpur Madrid Melbourne Mexico City Nairobi, Emerging from the Shadows: Civil War, Human Rights, and Peacebuilding Among Peasants and Indigenous Peoples in Colombia and Peru in the Late 20TH and Early 21ST Centuries, Buckley-Zistel, Koloma Beck, Mieth, Braun - Introduction. By: Sampson, "Religion and Peacebuilding," 275. The results indicate that religion influences peacemaking in at least two non-mutually exclusive ways: through motivating religious individuals to participate in peacemaking and through the use of religious tactics by those engaged in peacemaking. New York: HarperCollins. Full text Summary The role of religion in conflict and peacebuilding is complex, yet has often been depicted in binary terms. Psychology & Health, 19:3, 385-405. 16 0 obj 66. But religious belief . I thought this was the strategy of the whites, to come to South Africa to call for capital punishment. Rather, it is more a focus on human interaction and a vision of community. Georgetown University. There are many internal and external challenges that face those who attempt to engage in religious peacemaking, and it is worth addressing them to maintain a constructive and critical discussion on the state of this field. Some of them amputated hands, some of them slaughtered women, some split women open to see what baby was in their stomach; but at the ceremony most of them came forward and confessed and asked for forgiveness and we have forgiven them. The engagement of the local imam or priest is essential. Forgiveness can be viewed as a cognitive process, a narrative or journey, a philosophical position, or a combination of these. Both men now live as neighbors in Rwanda. 41.22.798 5162 Fax. Hawa Koroma, Moyamba town: Most of us do not have the opportunity to face the TRC [Truth and Reconciliation Commission] to tell people what happened to us. Of course, charitable giving is not just for the rich. Such policymakers continue to view religious agencies as the source of incitement, as fuel to the fire. Each fortnight we bring insights from Fellows of the British Academy and share our recommendations for what to read, watch and listen. Obviously, there is a long way to go in genuinely integrating women in the field. Beyond Religion: The Role of Religion in Building Peace Nathan C. Funk and Christina J. Woolner, "Religion and Peace and Conflict Studies," in Critical Issues in Peace and Conflict Studies, ed. Upon whose authority? The European Union as a whole is in the process of determining if it can establish shared values to help unify the union. Sensing something was wrong, I confronted him and he confessed he had strong feelings for someone else. Third, there is a growing awareness in the field for the need for the further inclusion of women, especially at senior levels, both when it comes to interreligious peacebuilding and institutional representation. People must have an opportunity to express their grief and rage (in small group work, restorative circles, community courts, etc.). Trusted Christian friends offered well-meaning advice, and in one case an exorcism. In this section of the Community Tool Box, we will explore these common yet complicated aspects of our human existence, describe their importance for personal and community well-being, and illustrate, with many real-life stories, how they might be applied in positive ways to heal and strengthen both individuals and communities. How can I engage with religious institutions? should be a question that every policymaker ask himself or herself on continuous basis. AppendPDF Pro 6.3 Linux 64 bit Aug 30 2019 Library 15.0.4 1 0 obj This section has grown out of the work of The Forgiveness Project, www.theforgivenessproject.com. This contribution thus provides (1.) endobj 67. In spite of this, forgiving has really helped me move forward after the attack. endobj People must be able to hear the others story (as in restorative justice initiatives). Many Christians still look to the Hebrew Bible and the tithe (giving one-tenth of an individuals income) as Gods commandment. This proposes to attain world peace through devotion to a given religion. endobj This was going to be the defining relationship of my life. A third part (3.) 68. Katalin Karolyi, BA, MSc,is Communications Officerof The Forgiveness Project. While different countries apply different methodologies in religious approaches to peacemaking, they are all studies of how religious communities and leaders joined together to resolve religious conflicts that are at least partially rooted in religious conflict. Exline, J., Worthington, E. L., Hill, P., & McCullough, M. E. (2003). Analyzing religion's role in conflict and peace by applying a simple framework to several rich case studies, the authors convincingly demonstrate that religion matters for anyone working in the field of conflict resolution today". Transforming lives through the power of personal narrative. The book also illustrates how the three Abrahamic traditions can be deployed effectively to positively contribute to conflict resolution and peacebuilding in Israeli Palestinian, Pakistan, and Rwanda settings. We begin with some general thoughts about forgiveness and reconciliation, and their place in the spiritual and community worlds. In 2005, Matthew Boger and Tim Zaal had a life-changing conversation. Daniel L. Smith-Christopher (Cambridge, MA: Boston Research Center for the 21st Century, 1998)pp38, History of Christian thought on persecution and tolerance, Buddhism and violence Teachings, interpretations, and practices, Buddhist ethics Killing, causing others to kill, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Religion_and_peacebuilding&oldid=1156482286, This page was last edited on 23 May 2023, at 02:44.