Religion and Culture in Conflict and Peace: Impact in Reconciliation and Peacebuilding

In a world in which right-wing nationalism and religious extremism is growing, in which religious narratives are used to justify the “othering of the other”. Since the public identifies religions as the problem, the session provides deep insights into alternatives and peaceful narratives. Particularly, in fragile state contexts religious and traditional leaders fulfill important social roles. Religions are intertwined with governance, politics and development processes and therefore need to be change makers. The focus of this session is sharing contributions of outstanding knowledge in interfaith dialogue and cooperation. Presenters share models and approaches in preventing violent extremism and provide advice on how to promote peaceful and inclusive societies. Yet, engaging with religious and traditional actors can go along with challenges, as their involvement may also contribute to conflict and polarization or they may be perceived as promoting a proselytizing agenda.