Conflict, Conflict Resolution and Peace-Building: The Role of Religion in Mozambique, Nigeria and Cambodia

2009 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Haynes
Author(s):  
Gülay Türkmen

Out of the 111 armed conflicts that took place worldwide between 1989 and 2000, only seven were interstate conflicts. The others were intrastate in nature. As a result, the last decade and a half witnessed a boom in the publication of works on civil wars. While the percentage of civil wars involving religion increased from 21% to 43% between the 1960s and 1990s, scholars have been rather slow to integrate the study of religion into the overall framework of conflict in general, and of civil wars in particular. Operating under the impact of the secularization thesis and treating religion as an aspect of ethnicity, the literature on civil wars has long embraced ethnonationalism as its subject matter. Yet, since the early 2000s there has been a rapid increase in the number of works focusing on religion and civil wars. While one branch treats religion as a trigger for and an exacerbating factor in conflict, another focuses on religion as a conflict resolution tool. Turkey is an apt case to ponder the latter as several governments have deployed religion (namely, Sunni Islam) as a tool to suppress ethnic divisions for years. During the Justice and Development Party (AKP) rule, religion has gained even more visibility as a conflict resolution tool in the 33-year-long armed ethnic conflict between the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK). Yet, the role of religion in Turkey’s Kurdish conflict still remains understudied. Increased attention to this topic could deliver important insights not only for those who conduct research on the Kurdish conflict in Turkey specifically, but also for those who explore the role of religion in civil wars more generally.


2013 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 111
Author(s):  
Shailendra Singh

This article moots the idea of ‘responsible conflict reporting’ in Fiji and the South Pacific. Prolonged conflict, including three coups since 1987, has resulted in a pattern of social and economic decline in Fiji. In Melanesia as a whole, internal conflict is seen as a major security threat. The proposed responsible conflict reporting framework can be seen as a response to these longstanding trends and concerns. The framework is informed by various concepts in conflict resolution, peace-building, peace journalism and development journalism. By fusing the appropriate themes from these related but disparate frameworks, responsible conflict reporting goes beyond typical media interventions that focus mostly on current ‘hot conflicts’ without adequately addressing their long-term, structural causes.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (12) ◽  
pp. 224-235
Author(s):  
Dickson E. Ekpe

In 31 October, 2000, the United Nations Security Council adopted and signed SC Resolution 1325 on Women Peace and Security. Resolution 1325 recognizes that civilian, particularly women and children are the worst affected by conflict. Resolution 1325 call for women participation in conflict prevention and resolution initiative, the integration of gender perspective in peace building, peace keeping mission and the protection of women in regions of conflict. The resolution reaffirms the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, peace negotiations, peace-building, peace keeping, humanitarian response and in post-conflict reconstruction; stressing the importance of equal participation in peace and security. In Africa, women participation in policy making, peace building and conflict resolution is still faced with setbacks despite the passing of the SCR 1325 two decades ago. Findings from this study has shown that, women have been subjected to domination by men as a result of persisting cultural stereotypes, abuse of religious and traditional practices, patriarchal societal structures in which economic, political and social power are dominated by men while women played the role of followers of male decision-makers.  The study identifies such challenges for a change or reforms them.  The paper reviewed  many of the extant studies on the role and potentials of women in peace building and conflict resolution. Analyzing those challenges inhibiting the participation of women in peace process. The paper adopted the qualitative approach whereby data collected from secondary sources were reviewed, explained and analyzed within the purview of the study. The paper conclude, the views that bringing women into the peace process, as participation of women makes it sustainable and reduces possibility of inadequate outcome or failure of the entire process,  may be an illusion. Unless the women are economically and politically empowered, as one of the outstanding equality of peace-makers or negotiators is the amount of political and economic influence they possessed. Only elite centric gender blind composition of negotiation and peace process team cannot ensure sustainable peace process as there could be no peace with one side so disadvantaged.  


Author(s):  
Begum Sertyesilisik

Deteriorated living conditions of the world endangers humanity's survival and the peace in the world. Human beings whose living conditions have been deteriorated in a way that they cannot fulfil their primary needs (based on Maslow's hierarchy of needs) can look for different options (including war) to have access to the scarce resources vital for their survival. Peace can be sustained through sustainability. For this reason, global leadership initiatives on sustainability are required for the proactive conflict resolution and for the proactive peace building among the countries. This chapter aims to introduce the global sustainability leadership as a key for the peace in the word. With this aim, the chapter covers the following topics: need for sustainability and sustainable development; role of the sustainability in the peace of the world; ways of enhancing sustainability performance of the world; and need for the global leadership initiatives for sustainability movement and role of the global leadership in the proactive conflict resolution and peace building.


2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 413-434
Author(s):  
Mona Kanwal Sheikh

Abstract Is religion the main reason why negotiations with Islamists fail? Contemporary international relations literature views compromise over religious claims as being particularly difficult compared to other types of claims. Religious conflicts are understood as unique phenomena. Do religious factors explain why successful conflict resolution attempts with Islamists are more difficult to achieve than with other insurgent groups who pursue non-religious claims? This article examines the case of the Pakistani Taliban and the types of demands they have made during peace talks and in their communications. The role of religion is examined in this article and, specifically, theories of scarce resources, indivisibility and securitization are analyzed to explain the difficulties of negotiating with Islamists.


2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 30
Author(s):  
Iruloh Betty- Ruth N. ◽  
Uche Chineze M.

Oil and gas activities in Southern part of Nigeria have exposed the region to environmental degradation and social vices. This problem has caused conflicts among stakeholders (government, community, companies, institutions, individuals), which has led to community clashes. These conflicts have resulted to the loss of lives and properties. They are also responsible for youth restiveness, low level of women empowerment and lack of peaceful coexistence in the region. This makes the promotion of understanding and dialogue to be a prime issue in the management of conflict, community peace and security. Professional women belong to professional bodies that spread into all works of life; academia, government, industry, legal institution, health sector, financial institutions, NGOs, security sector.  This paper discussed issues on causes of conflict in Niger Delta, what roles should professional women play in attaining peace, global examples of professional women in conflict resolution, role of professional women in Niger Delta, way in which women engage in conflict resolution and challenges women face in conflict resolution and peace building. The paper concluded that time has come for everybody to be aware of gender equality and involvement in conflict resolution and peace building. Professional women need to intensify effort in achieving this.


2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-119
Author(s):  
Damasus Tuurosong

This study explores themes in Dagbani movies which enhance peace-building, and discusses cultural conflict resolution techniques employed in Dagbani movies for peace-building. Qualitative research design was employed for the study. Focus group discussions and interviews were used for data collection. The study used Agenda Setting theory as analytical framework, and undertook thematic analysis to tease out messages in the content of selected movies. It showed that Dagbani movies contain lessons on peace-building and have become reference materials for opinion leaders and peace campaigners within Dagbon. Out of 11 movies sampled, six exposed bad traditional leadership with a view to admonishing Dagbon chiefs to desist from acts that could promote conflicts. Dagbani movies, re-establish working relations among warring factions, deal with systemic issues underlying conflicts and rebuild mutual relationships. The movies advocate the use of traditional peace-building techniques for conflict resolution. The study concludes that if movie producers get the support of relevant stakeholders, Dagbon movies could be effective in resolving conflicts. It recommends that film makers solicit funding from donor agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to produce movies targeted at maintaining peace in Dagbon. Keywords: Dagbani Movies, Peaceful Co-existence, Chieftaincy Disputes, Conflict Resolution and Culture


2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 106-118
Author(s):  
Solomon Amiara Amiara ◽  
Peace Udoamaka Odii ◽  
Obiora I. Nwobi

This paper examined the role of De Norsemen Kclub Incorporated in peace building and conflict transformation in an environmentally challenged society like Nigeria. Over the years, environmental crisis has become a re-occurring decimal that threatens the sovereignty of Nigeria with the civil societies, religious leaders and nongovernmental organisations seeking to proffer solutions. However, arguments have raged on whether or not De Norsemen has the capacity to ensure peace and resolve conflict in a volatile country like Nigeria. Some are of the opinion that De Norsemen Kclub lacks the legitimate powers to maintain peace because of their inclination to school cult gangs and therefore, they should be proscribed. Other side of the argument opines that De Norsemen Kclub Incorporated are legitimate organization registered under the Corporate Affairs Commission whose motto is “service to humanity” and since conflict is a threat to human security, they therefore have the powers to advocate for peace. Against this background, this paper argued that peace building and conflict transformation are concepts in conflict resolution strategies that are often taken to ensure that conflicts in the society are deescalated and reduced to the barest minimal. The position of the paper is that De Norsemen Kclub is not associated with any form of cultism, they operate under the sovereign constitution of Nigeria and has right like other nongovernmental organisations to make peace and resolve conflict in Nigeria. Key Words: Peace building, conflict transformation, De Norsemen, environment, society


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document