Theme - Religion and Conflict

 

Religion and religious leaders played an important role in many of the last decades' conflicts. Sometimes religious factors play a role at the start of conflicts, but more often political and religious leaders use these factors to legitimate certain stances or to justify the use of violence. A better understanding of the role of religion in causing conflicts and in their development and resolution is crucial to an adequate peace strategy. This applies first to the international community, but also to national governments and to civil society. There is a great shortage of knowledge on the role of religion in conflicts.

 

During many projects, IKV Pax Christi has studied the role of religious communities; it worked intensively with religious groups and religious leaders in various regions. That offered IKV Pax Christi an opportunity to fill the gaps in its knowledge.

This served first of all for KV Pax Christi to strengthen its own projects and the activities undertaken by its partners.

At the same time Dutch churches nationally and certainly locally showed interest in the issue of religion and conflict. IKV Pax Christi took up the challenge to develop an awareness programme for Dutch churches. Lastly, IKV Pax Christi also wants to present the Dutch government with recommendations on how to regard the role of religious groups in particular regions.