the Clinton Global Initiative
Religion, Conflict, and Reconciliation
Nearly four fifths of the world’s population identifies itself as religious, and the allegiances stemming from that basic fact transcend partisan, national and ethnic lines. For many hundreds of millions, the most important community ties are born of faith— not nation; the most authoritative pronouncements are those of religious leaders—not statesmen; and the most effective provider of social and cultural resources are churches, mosques, and synagogues—not the state. Faith-based loyalties and providers typically outshine all others in terms of their ability to mobilize energies and tap into human resources of all kind, both material and spiritual.
With this reality come several implications. For one, religion remains a chief engine of deadly conflict, providing immediate pretext and overall context—from Northern Ireland to Sudan and from the Middle East to Nigeria. Clearly, terrorist attacks against New York, Madrid, London, Casablanca or Sharm el-Shaikh also cannot be understood without a grasp of Islamic jihadism and the role that faith plays in the radicalization of certain population segments in Muslim countries and Muslim communities in the West. Indeed, today we face a new and deadly challenge—that presented by the growing alienation of Muslim populations vis-à-vis the global system and the corresponding appeal of radical ideologies.
At the same time, religious organizations can play a critical role in preventing and resolving conflict, as well as in post-conflict peace-building. Likewise, they can play a pivotal role in marshaling resources to combat other destabilizing problems, of all magnitude. Inter-faith coalitions helped peace-making efforts in the Balkans and Northern Ireland, and, recently, Jews, Muslims and Christians reached agreement on the First Alexandria Declaration of the Religious Leaders of the Holy Land, a joint commitment to promote peace and oppose violence and terror. Other examples include the work of Imam Mohammed Ashafa and Pastor James Wuye, who through their teachings and experience helped bring an end to Muslims-Christians violence in Northern Nigeria. Or Pi Ouyporn, who uses Buddhist teachings to alter the sexual behavior of young girls in South Thailand, reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS.
And yet, despite the capacity of religion to both fuel and resolve conflict, this powerful instrument has often been neglected. The voice of religious leaders has been largely absent—often deliberately so—from peace negotiations, humanitarian interventions, and efforts to reduce poverty, disease, and environmental degradation. Such caution can be understood, and is sometimes warranted. Due to past and present experiences with religious conflict and legitimate concerns over the intersection of government policy and personal faith, involving religion in the public sphere has often been viewed as posing an unnecessary risk. Discussing the potential positive role of religion is especially uncomfortable in a delicate region like the Middle East, where the rising influence of Islamists in civil society confronts local governments and the West with a difficult challenge. But without a clear and honest discussion of what the religious dimension can bring to the table, one risks ignoring a formidable catalyst for action.
This is not an abstract debate but one with direct consequences for millions affected by deadly conflict or disease. It also has huge implications for the private sector, which in the age of globalization has become an integral player in countless conflict prone regions, including the Middle East, Sudan, Uzbekistan, and Nigeria. For corporations and private businesses, the cost of doing business can be staggering when conflict and humanitarian crises are factored in. To cite only a few examples, there are skyrocketing security and safety costs, a weakened workforce due to death and disease; destroyed assets and infrastructure; and exorbitant costs for raising capital, due to political risk. By the same token, the benefits accrued from preventing, mitigating or resolving such crises are equally substantial.
In addressing this topic, the Clinton Global Initiative will seek to assess the potential represented by religious organizations and intermediaries without avoiding the risks that they also bring. Drawing from specific precedents, panelists and participants will try to identify what practices have and have not worked.
Advisory Board
Dr. Don Argue
President of Northwest University
Preeta Bansal
Chairperson U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
Edgar Bronfman, Sr.
President World Jewish Congress
Dr. John DeGioia
President of Georgetown University
Jeffrey T. Leeds
Co-Founder Leeds Weld & Co.
His Eminence Theodore Cardinal McCarrick
Archbishop of Washington
His Excellency Aziz Mekouar
Ambassador of Morocco to the United States
The Honorable Barack Obama
United States Senator, Illinois
Zainab Salbi
Founder and President Women for Women International
Rabbi Arthur Schneier
Park East Synagogue Appeal of Conscience Foundation
William Vendley
General Secretary Religions for Peace
Clinton Global Initiative
Author