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. 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. 78 0 obj Rather, it is more a focus on human interaction and a vision of community. [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". 2003, p. 75). These arguments contribute to the discussion about the rhetoric of love in religious peacebuilding by the significance of a contribution to peace that does not acknowledge the justice dimension that scholars like Lederach (Citation 1997) and Patterson (Citation 2012) and organisations such as the UN (Ambos, Large, and Wierda Citation 2009 . People must be prepared to see the others as human, like themselves. For terms and use, please refer to our Terms and Conditions Today the Pax Christi network membership is made up of 18 national sections and 115 Member Organizations working in over 50 countries, The Role of Bridging Networks on Peacebuilding of Local Religious Leaders in the Deep South of Thailand, Building on Whats Already There: Valuing the Local in International Peacebuilding, DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE CROSS AND THE CRESCENT: TOWARDS AN EFFECTIVE PEACEBUILDING STRATEGY AND TRANSFORMATION OF RELIGIOUS CONFLICTS IN NIGERIA, The state and ethno-religious violence in plateau state : developing a peace-building framework as a conflict prevention strategy, The Church in Zimbabwes Peace and Reconciliation Process under the Government of National Unity, Interdependence versus Truth and Justice: Lessons from Reconciliation Processes in Maluku, Memory Politics, Cultural Heritage and Peace. There are many other challenges, but I want to end on a positive note. There are, however, substantial gaps in evidence, most . [12] Bah'u'llh identified the elimination of disunity as a necessary pre-requisite to peace. They found that every definition or theory of forgiveness they encountered contained each of the following underlying principles: Regeneration does not necessarily occur, especially when the offender cannot be communicated with (for any of a variety of reasons). For some, forgiveness is a personal decision as part of their own self-healing process: Forgiveness liberates people from the resentment and anger that they have carried with them. In this respect, religion is regarded as civil because it is produced by and supports the democratic process. Donate now. Forgiveness can be especially advantageous when the law has been inadequate in exacting measured retribution. There is a regeneration of the relationship. 45 0 obj 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. 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. I compare grassroots understandings of reconciliation with those of the local elite behind this revitalisation effort. Only local partners can sustain the peace process and give it local roots. Receive bimonthly updates on this programme which seeks to re-frame debates around childhood in both the public and policy spaces. Forgiveness can help repair broken relationships, Forgiveness can help break the cycle of violence. He cried and said that no woman had ever explained the suffering to him. It was powerful and passionate and we described each other as soul mates. While forgiveness was never obligatory in South Africa, its value was upheld within the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission, chaired by Archbishop Desmond Tutu. These cookies do not identify you personally. endobj 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. <>28]/P 34 0 R/Pg 78 0 R/S/Link>> (2003). Beyond Religion: The Role of Religion in Building Peace Cultivating dialogue: Enabling people to embrace tensions in the process of reconciliation and dialogue is the starting point. of conflict and peacebuilding. Self-forgiveness can also be an aspect of interpersonal forgiveness. Their skeptical positions are quickly revealed when approached about potential collaboration with religious actors. Many of these organizations make up the worlds largest NGOs. Many Christians still look to the Hebrew Bible and the tithe (giving one-tenth of an individuals income) as Gods commandment. The process includes violence prevention; conflict management . It became possible because millions and millions of African people, despite their hardship, or perhaps because of their hardship, had never lost the deep traditional spirit of ubuntu, a shared sense of humanity: I am a person because you are a person; my humanity cant be separated from a recognition of your humanity. It requires a broad perspective, namely understanding that life ismorally complicated, that people behave in despicable ways, and that some things can never be explained (Cantacuzino, 2015, p. 2). The report argues that religion is never a static or isolated entity but should rather be understood as a fluid system of variables, contingent upon a large number of contextual and historical factors. Moix, "Faith and Conflict." London and Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. "How can I engage with religious institutions?" should be a question that every policymaker ask himself or herself on continuous basis. The answer was that I had my people had, for ruling, dominating and oppressing three-and-a-half million Palestinians for 35 years., Forgiveness Can Help Repair Broken Relationships. 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. 67. Jeffrey Haynes), In a briefing to the European Parliament in 2016, policy analyst Philippe Perchoc points out, The role of religious groups in conflict and conflict resolution is at the centre of lively academic debate. Interreligious Dialogue, Peace, and Reconciliation It was a moving encounter, from which we both emerged better human beings. It can induce a shift in mindsets and transform harmful attitudes. She says: Little did I know that the word forgiveness would haunt me for the next 30 years prod me,guide me, heal me, label me, enlighten me, imprisonme, free me, and in the end define me. She concludes: Forgiveness is not just a one-off event, nor does it mean youre doing the same thing again and again. She discovered that forgiveness was not about forgiving the act, but forgiving the imperfections which are inherent in all of us., In 1993 Ginn Fouries daughter, Lyndi, was killed in the Heidelberg Tavern Massacre in Cape Town. The work helps war-affected individuals reflect on the past and move forward in ways that avert the renewal of aggressions. Daniel L. Smith-Christopher (Cambridge, MA: Boston Research Center for the 21st Century, 1998)pp38-43, Christopher S. Queen, "The Peace Wheel: Nonviolent Activism in the Buddhist Tradition," in Subverting Hatred: The Challenge of Nonviolence in Religious Traditions, ed. Australian Government 2023; and outputs supported by the European Commission are European Union 2023. The Israel/Palestine project describes the interfaith Alexandria Process aimed at developing a religious track to peace as a complement to secular negotiations. International organisations, states and think-tanks are giving increasing consideration to the religious dimension of conflict resolution (Perchoc 2016, 1). By whom? As participants learn about different aspects of forgiveness and reconciliation, and practice them in their own lives, there is a ripple effect into communities. The report argues that religion is never a static or isolated entity but should rather be understood as a fluid . The next day he called my relatives in Senegal and told them to stop the practice. I suggest it is more appropriate to describe the situation as one of coexistence or negative peace. Peace was the ideal state of harmony concerning inner and external peace, referring to the absence of social and spiritual conflict. The role of religion in conflict and peacebuilding - GSDRC It finds that faith-based institutions can engage in some of the most pressing conflict issues, particularly in religiously based conflicts. Can true reconciliation be accomplished? Authored by [], In this video interview with TPNRD director Judd Birdsall, David Warren discusses his new reportTolerance, Religious Freedom, and Authoritarianism: Implications for U.S. Policy. 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.. New hope and opportunity for building peace is blossoming in nonviolent movements for changein places as diverse as Burma, Sudan, and the United Statesthat seek the vital support that religion can provide. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. endobj The focus was on praying for my abusers redemption. This initiative grew out of conflict arising when thousands of Somali refugees settled in the Twin Cities in the early nineties. Philosophy of Peace | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy 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. Dialogue can be practiced in community halls, schools, prisons, and corporate institutions. Full article: Building peace by peaceful approach: The role of Oromo Based on the above-mentioned key components, forgiveness can be difficult to bring about, and may require a series of challenging intellectual and emotional stages for those involved to go through. At the same time, the goal of religious giving is not just about what it brings to individuals. It has been about me, and has nothing to do with the man who attacked me.. Both authorities compete for the ears and hearts of their communities. <>49 0 R]/P 6 0 R/S/Link>> 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. Even my mother now understands that its a violation of human rights and has told me that she had never wanted to put me through FGM and had done everything in her power to protect me. November 27, 2017 Student Interfaith Reflections on Social Justice through Dialogue In "The Significance of Inter-Religious Dialogue for World Peace," Yoshiaki Iisaka discusses the importance of interreligious dialogue. 1-2. Brenda Adelmans mother, an award-winning artist and photographer, was shot and killed in her home in Brooklyn, New York, in 1995. Contributors For Muslims, giving is one of the five pillars of Islam. USIP's "Introduction to Religion and Peacebuilding" online micro-course offers an overview of the religious peacebuilding field; exploring the role religion plays in driving both peace and conflict and how best to engage the religious sector in peacebuilding activities. There are parallel worlds of religious authorities with formal leadership, often closer to the state, and informal leadership that has a strong presence on social media and satellite television. 6 0 obj This selection of studies edited by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) explores and analyses a number of case studies of faith-based interventions in peacemaking. Some of which include: Project Ploughshares is a Canadian non-government organization concerned with the prevention of war, the disarmament of weapons, and peacebuilding. We have encouraged them, embraced them, we do things together. First is to think that religion plays no role in development, second is to think that it plays some role and the third is to think that it plays a major role in development. 41.22.798 5162 Fax. Sawatsky, J. However, for many people religion can be a power for peace. In South Africa, leaders sought to attend to the hurt of injustice and the trauma of the past through formation of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, as noted below. (2007). In 2002 Letlapa Mphahlele, the man who master-minded the attack, invited Ginn to his homecoming ceremony and asked her to make a speech. Visit The Forgiveness Project on facebook and twitter. . In both of the above examples, as well as in the case of the Israeli Rami Elhanan, citizens who may not be directly responsible for a conflict nevertheless take responsibility for repairing the harm. Are Faith Related Initiatives Important In Development And Peace-Building? New Evidence: How Religion Aids Peaceful Change Typically, this also has key elements and steps, often including: Individuals choose forgiveness for a number of reasons in times of hurt and trauma. Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs <>1]/P 15 0 R/Pg 58 0 R/S/Link>> Whose Justice? What happened was out of my control, but how I respond is within my control. Hundreds of thousands of Burundians have died, and as many have fled to other countries. Is forgiveness also then possible? <>37 0 R]/P 6 0 R/S/Link>> The Transatlantic Policy Network on Religion & Diplomacy (TPNRD) gathered in Istanbul from 31 May to 2 June 2023 for a meeting hosted by the [], In this video interview with TPNRD director Judd Birdsall, Jon Hoffman discusses his recent Foreign Policy article The Arab Autocrats New Religious Playbook. In April [], A recent report from the Stefanus Alliance argues that men and women experience religious persecution differently and, therefore, religious freedom advocacy needs to have greater [], The Transatlantic Policy Network on Religion & Diplomacy (TPNRD) has released a new report onChinas Religious Diplomacy for its Belt and Road Initiative. This recognition of the interconnection of all human life seems a key component of forgiveness. Forgiveness is the principled decision to give up your justified right for revenge; it also requires the forgiver to recognize that the offender is human like myself. As the British philosopher and poet David Whyte has written: It is that woundedun-forgetting part of us thatmakes forgiveness an act of compassion rather than one of simple forgetting. Following hurt, pain, or atrocity, forgiveness can potentially bring resolution and freedom. Themes include war, conflict resolution, human rights, economic development, political philosophy, ethnic violence, interreligious dialogue, and more. Less fear and more sophistication could allow for greater impact. The previous one is considered the level of political peace, that a peace treaty is signed, and wars are eliminated; the latter refers to God's kingdom on earth, the world reaches its unity and in cooperation, all world's people uses an auxiliary language, a unified currency system, achieves economic justice, a world tribunal is available, and massive disarmament of all countries. However, in most instances, the various religious orientations of these faith-based organizations shape the activities they undertake, including when they introduce peacebuilding components into more traditional relief and development activities. It is fundamentally a moral relation between self and other.. Gerrie ter Haar and, Douglas Johnston, "Faith-Based Organizations: The Religious Dimension of Peacebuilding." The above assumptions not only ignore the real pain many people suffer, but shame those who chose not to forgive. It is also said that this model excludes the many contributions of religious people in the development of peace. The report was commissioned and funded by the Department for International Development. I felt humiliated, betrayed, and profoundly hurt. 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. The missing step was embracing my anger in a healthy way. Easy Nofemela, one of the convicted men, demonstrates just how important trust is in the peace process, and that it cant be established unless individuals and communities find ways of repairing and rebuilding relationships with each other. Exline, J., Worthington, E. L., Hill, P., & McCullough, M. E. (2003). This is a form of pardoning, which may lead to reconciliation but is different from forgiveness. I laughed because I remembered the monster this man had been. You can download the paper by clicking the button above. The Forgiveness Project has no religious or political associations. As Bassam says in the film about his and Ramis life, Within the Eye of the Storm: If you want to change others, first you have to change yourself., Rami Elhanan describes the suicide bomber who killed his daughter as a victim, just like my daughter, grown crazy out of anger and shame. He also reflects, When this happened to my daughter I had to ask myself whether Id contributed in any way. However, at some stage, I must also have realized that while this hurt was defining who I was right then and there, I didnt want it to define who I would become. Research on Southern Kaduna the Role of Religion in Peace Building Today my three sisters work with me to stop the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM). For those with no money to give, the Prophet Muhammad considered even the simple act of smiling to be charity, a gift to another. Arendt, H. (1958). A cognitive process is pursued where the painful event or action is understoodor reframed with a fuller context. It was founded after World War II as reconciliary movement by French citizens including Bishop Pierre-Marie Thas of Tarbes and Lourdes. I am sure community reconciliation will help us fight poverty., Hawah Wurie, Bunumbu, Kailahun district: Most of our brothers and sisters played an active role during the war. At the same time, it is also important to remember that when introduced as an option, as a concept with limits as well as opportunities, forgiveness (if chosen as a path through trauma) is undoubtedly a powerful healing process that can mend broken hearts and repair broken communities. A scoping study exploring the role that faith-based organisations play in conflict resolution and peacebuilding.
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