German Institute for Global and Area Studies | Leibniz-Institut für Globale und Regionale Studien

German Institute for Global and Area Studies | Leibniz-Institut für Globale und Regionale Studien

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Religion for Peace: Identifying Conditions and Mechanisms of Interfaith Peace

  • The influence of religion on societies worldwide continues to be very significant. Religion seems to unite and divide people at the same time: There has been an increase in religiously motivated discrimination and violence, but religious ideas are also commonly used to propagate peace. Even where conditions seem less favorable, peaceful coexistence continues. Applying a nested research design, this project aims to identify conditions and underlying mechanisms of peaceful interfaith relations.

    Team

    Dr. Lisa Hoffmann

    Associate

    Julia Köbrich

    Doctoral Researcher

    Forschungsfragen

    This project asks: What are the conditions and mechanisms of peaceful interfaith relations, and what policies are promising for promoting interfaith peace?

    Specific questions are:
    1.What are the conditions for peaceful interfaith relations worldwide?
    2.What institutional, ideational, and other variables work in favor of peace when certain other conditions are not favorable to it?
    3.What are the underlying mechanisms that link religion and peace?
    4.What policies are hence promising for creating interfaith peace?

    Beitrag zu internationaler Forschung

    In recent years, religion has become an increasingly contentious phenomenon, with religious violence and discrimination on the rise worldwide (e.g. Toft et al. 2011; Grim & Finke 2011; Fox 2016). However, according to the “ambivalence of the sacred” (Appleby 2000; Philpott 2007), religion is also connected to peace: interfaith peace is, in fact, the norm rather than the exception. Even where conditions seem less favourable, such as in religiously diverse and rather poor countries like Benin, Ghana, Mauritius, or Tanzania, peaceful coexistence occurs. Theoretically, religion is also a source of positive peace beyond neutralizing conflict risks (e.g. Hasenclever & Rittberger 2000). Religious ideas such as norms and values of nonviolence, universal love, tolerance, and forgiveness increase trust, prevent violence, inspire peace efforts during conflict, and foster reconciliation after it. Regarding the demography of religious identity groups, crosscutting cleavages and high diversity are favourable to peace (e.g. Gubler & Selway 2011). If structural conditions are unfavourable, inclusive institutions can accommodate the interests of religious communities; interreligious networks can reduce prejudice between them. However, while a growing body of empirical works has investigated the link between religion and violence (e.g. Svensson 2007, 2012; Toft 2007; Bormann et al. 2015; Basedau et al. 2016), interfaith peace has scarcely been studied empirically in a rigorous manner—especially the positive aspects of faith.
    We contribute to the rigorous empirical study of the link between religion and peace, especially regarding positive peace. Using several cutting edge methodologies, we expect substantial results that are also very useful for policy.

    Forschungsdesign und Methoden

    The project studies these questions in a nested research design (e.g. Lieberman 2005; Poteete et al. 2010) that connects different levels of analysis in order to make optimal use of the strengths of qualitative and quantitative strategies. In Step 1, the project will refine the theorizing, including explicitly positive aspects of interfaith peace. We then use unique global data—already compiled by the applicant and his collaborators—that provides information on religion and peace to identify global conditions of interfaith peace. A special emphasis will be on conditions such as interreligious networks, or peace norms that can offset unfavourable structural and historical conditions. The cross-country analysis will be the basis for the selection of country cases that are “unlikely success stories” of interfaith peace despite an unfavourable demography or previous conflict experience. We explore additional reasons and the causal mechanisms through qualitative fieldwork (Step 2) and via experiments that can establish causal relationships at the micro level (Step 3). The micro-level results will serve to identify, compile data on, and test additional variables that were not considered in the initial quantitative analysis (Step 4). The last step (Step 5) comprises dissemination activities, including publication endeavours and policy advice in societies at risk of interreligious conflict.

    Projektbezogene Publikationen

    GIGA Focus Afrika | 2/2024

    Peaceful or Contentious? How to Promote Interreligious Peace in Africa

    In afrikanischen Gesellschaften gibt es Anerkennung religiöser Vielfalt, aber auch (gewalttätigen) religiösen Extremismus. Was bestimmt, ob interreligiöse Beziehungen friedlich oder angespannt sind? Was können wir von positiven Beispielen lernen und welche Rolle spielt religiöser Extremismus?

    Hervé Akinocho

    Dr. Lisa Hoffmann

    Julia Köbrich

    GIGA Focus Afrika | 1/2024

    Ten Things to Watch in Africa in 2024

    Die Demokratie in Afrika bleibt im Wahljahr 2024 unter Druck. Konfliktrisiken könnten mit dem schwindenden westlichen Einfluss zunehmen. Das Wirtschaftswachstum wird anhalten, aber auch strukturelle Probleme bestehen bleiben. Die westliche Afrikapolitik muss sich der Migration und Dekarbonisierung stellen.

    Dr. Martin Acheampong

    Prof. Dr. Matthias Basedau

    Dr. Julia Grauvogel

    Beitrag | 2024

    Pictures of Religion and Interreligious Relations in Everyday Life

    Für ein Fotoprojekt haben Menschen aus Togo und Sierra Leone Fotos von Religion und interreligiösen Beziehungen in ihrem Alltag gemacht. Das Projekt zeigt ihre vielfältigen Perspektiven und lädt Betrachtende ein, über Religion und interreligiöse Beziehungen in ihrem Leben nachzudenken.

    Julia Köbrich

    Doctoral Researcher

    Dr. Lisa Hoffmann

    Associate

    Forschungscomic | 2024

    Wie funktioniert interreligiöser Frieden?

    Sometimes, people belonging to different religions do not get along well. In 2022 we travelled to Sierra Leone and Togo where interreligious relations were very peaceful. This comic depicts some examples of how to make interreligious peace: celebrating together, collaborating, being friends, and respecting each other despite differences.

    Julia Köbrich

    Doctoral Researcher

    Dr. Lisa Hoffmann

    Associate

    Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology | 11.2023

    Interreligious Contact and Attitudes in Togo and Sierra Leone: The Role of Ingroup Norms and Individual Preferences

    Rising religious violence makes it imperative to develop strategies to foster and preserve interreligious peace. We examine the role of descriptive and injunctive pro-mixing ingroup norms in explaining interreligious contact and, indirectly, more favorable interreligious attitudes.

    Julia Köbrich

    Ass. Prof. Dr. Borja Martinović

    Ass. Prof. Dr. Tobias H. Stark

    Weitere Inhalte zum Thema

    Große gegenseitige Toleranz: Christen und Muslime in Afrika

    Deutsche Welle | Interview | 12.03.2024

    Große gegenseitige Toleranz: Christen und Muslime in Afrika

    Im Afrika südlich der Sahara bauen Muslime und Christen auf Toleranz und gegenseitiges Verständnis. Als positives Beispiel sticht Sierra Leone hervor.

    Julia Köbrich

    Doctoral Researcher

    Berichte über den Workshop in Lomé zu Konditionen und Mechanismen für den interreligiösen Frieden

    Victoire FM | Lomé Bouge Info | Radio Pyramide FM | Actu-Togo | Erwähnung | 27.09.2023

    Berichte über den Workshop in Lomé zu Konditionen und Mechanismen für den interreligiösen Frieden

    Lokale Radiosender und Web-Medien berichteten über unsere Aktivitäten im Rahmen des Workshops in Lomé über Bedingungen und Mechanismen des interreligiösen Friedens.

    Dr. Lisa Hoffmann

    Associate

    Julia Köbrich

    Doctoral Researcher

    Workshop Berlin: Religion für den Frieden - Identifizierung von Bedingungen und Mechanismen für den interreligiösen Frieden

    Konferenz | 25.09.2023 - 26.09.2023

    Workshop Berlin: Religion für den Frieden - Identifizierung von Bedingungen und Mechanismen für den interreligiösen Frieden

    Workshop Lomé: Religion for Peace? Identifying Conditions and Mechanisms of Interfaith Peace, Hotel Onomo, Lomé Dr. Lisa Hoffmann (Panelbeitragende:r, Organisator:in), Julia Köbrich (Panelbeitragende:r, Organisator:in)

    In diesem Workshop wurden Facetten interreligiöser Beziehungen erörtert. Ziel war, die Bedingungen und Mechanismen zu ermitteln, die den interreligiösen Frieden erleichtern, und die Akteure und Ansätze zu untersuchen, die zur Stärkung friedlicher Beziehungen zwischen den Religionsgemeinschaften beitragen.

    Dr. Lisa Hoffmann

    Associate

    Julia Köbrich

    Doctoral Researcher

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