We have seen violent conflicts started in the name of religion, such as in Myanmar, the Southern Philippines, Southern Thailand, East Timur, Sri Lanka, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, among others. What has largely been ignored is the fact that religion offers approaches to peace building, which includes the expanded role and impact of religious institutions in building peaceful and strong communities that have been effective in complementing the secular way of diplomacy. In Bowling Alone scholar Robert Putnam observes that we moderns are a disconnected lot. Isolation, not community, is the measure of our daily lives. We bowl alone today, whereas we once bowled in leagues. This change symbolizes the decline of social capital in Western countries, such as in America.
The ties that bind us in community, referred to as social capital, are weaker now than in the past. Evidence from religion communities validates this conclusion. Every week thousands of Christians visit their local churches, Jews their synagogues, and Muslims their mosques. This kind of act shows us that religion fosters community in a variety of ways. Churches, for example, offer Awana clubs, Celebrate Recovery, soup kitchens, clothing closets, shelters for the homeless, bread for the poor, day care, youth camps, literacy programs, job training, and religious activities that all clearly demonstrate religion is creating social capital.
Religion has become a crucial research topic in a wide variety of academic disciplines, particularly following the events of September 11, 2001, and encouraged by the former U.S Secretary of the State Madeleine Albright’s 2006 book The Mighty and Almighty: America, God, and World Affairs. In the book she encouraged an increase of diplomatic engagements with religious communities or sectors to take more seriously the role of religion to pursue engagement with the religious actors and institutions as part of its work to promote peace, security, and development around the globe. The 2011 unrest in the Middle East and in North Africa–the Arab Spring, the rise of political Islam in the Middle East and in Africa, the ongoing conflict in Myanmar between Muslims and Buddhists, and the Boston Marathon bombings reflect ongoing challenges and opportunities for the important field of religion. International organizations, agencies in the US government, and academics have for a long time people thought of religion as mainly a driver of violence. However, recently religious communities and institutions increasingly engage as partners in creating peace and in building community.
Meanwhile, religious communities have been involved in creating peace and have had an impact on shaping communities for centuries. The role and impact of religion on building community and building peace have evolved within a larger, decades-old discussion about the role of religion in both fomenting and alleviating conflict. With the democratization taking place in the Middle East and the Arab world, some analysts and scholars are alarmed about the rise of political Islam and the government’s insufficient understanding of a global religious dynamic and its effect on international politics.
America’s founding fathers understood the vital role that religion plays in a free society; therefore, the founders promoted freedom of religion and praised the benefits that it brings to society. For example, out of the first 110 universities, 100 were established as seminaries, with Harvard as the first one. Approximately 95 % of the Puritans were because literacy was taught so that individuals could read the Bible. Today, strong evidence from social science demonstrates that regular religious practice benefits individuals, families, communities, and nations on the whole. The practice of religion improves health, academic achievement, and economic wellbeing; as well as fosters self-control, self-esteem, and compassion. The study shows that religious practice protects against social disorder and dysfunction, because religious practice promotes the well being of all levels of society. The practice of religion also leads to a reduction in incidences of domestic abuse, crime, and addictions.
The passage of the US International Religious Freedom Act in 1998, created the Office of International Religious Freedom within the US Department of State. In 2009, the Obama Administration initiated a mapping exercise of all government agencies to determine how, when, and how religious actors and communities overseas were being engaged to advance peace, human rights, security, and development. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton launched the Strategic Dialogue with Civil Society in 2011, which includes a religious and foreign policy group. The group seeks to initiate a continuing dialogue with the religious leaders and other members of civil society who informs U.S. foreign policy and fosters common partnerships with the NGOs, including faith-based groups. The State Department ‘s Foreign Service Institute provides predeployment training for Foreign Service officers to learn about religious engagement. In American academia, the field of religion with centers and institutes studying the intersection of religion, building peace, and understanding has been growing like mushrooms. For example, the Eastern Mennonite University offers a Master’s Degree focusing on religious peacebuilding. Georgetown University’s Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs provides a venue for researchers who study faith-based development, religious freedom, and religious peace building. Notre Dame’s Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies has a distinct program on religion, conflict, and peace building; Emory University has an ongoing study of religion, conflict, and peacebuilding. The University of Arizona also houses the Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict. Several other prominent universities also have initiated multiyear studies of religion. Harvard University’s Religion in Global Politics Research offers seminars, initiatives, and projects, with the latter led by Samuel P. Huntington; the US Institute of Peace teaches courses on religion and conflict.
The explosion of academic interest in religious violence and peace building has led to publication of thousand’s of books, journal articles, and reports. Further, many Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) have emerged that engage especially in religious study, such Religions for Peace, the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy, and the UN General Assembly Resolutions 58/128,59/23,60/10, and 61/221. All encourage forms of interreligious dialogue and cooperation to promote a global culture of peace. A UN Alliance of Civilizations promoted World Interfaith Harmony Week. A tripartite forum on Interfaith Dialogues, Cooperation for Peace, and Alliance of Civilization strengthened the initiatives. Further, centers for Interfaith Dialogues have sprouted across the world
Why is important?
Religious beliefs and practices have created and shaped a variety of social services and institutions in the Philippines and around the globe. The mere facts that more than two-thirds of the world population is considered to belong to a religion shows the potential of religion and religious actors in the international civil society. Although there is no universally agreed upon definition of religion and religious actors, religion can be used to mobilize and to promote either conflict like we could see in Myanmar between Muslims and Buddhists or peace building as in the Philippines. Social functions traditionally performed by the religious actors as key members of local civil societies have had a special role in building community. Many education, health, social, and economic institutions can trace their roots back to the impact of religious institutions. For instance, the abolition of slavery in both the US and the UK directly resulted from emboldened Christians acting on their faith. When we read the history We would like to rediscover how religious history and practice strongly influence our social services and practices that help to create a vibrant and spiritually, socially and economically equal and just society. The role of faith in building community will one more time remind us that religion possesses a positive moral, spiritual, and other social ingredients when properly mobilized and equipped can serve as effective advocates and play a central role in efforts to achieve justice, accountability, human rights, freedom of religion, and equality and can lead the community in promoting participatory governance and good citizens.
Dr. Aland Mizell is with the University of Mindanao School of Social Science, President of the MCI and a regular contributor to The Kurdistan Tribune, Kurdishaspect.com, Mindanao Times and Kurdish Media.You may email the author at:aland_mizell2@hotmail.com