Faith in Peace

8/10/2019 Faith in Peace

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Faith in Peace:

Spirituality in the Bosnian ReligiousPeacebuilding

Kiyo MiyamotoResearch FellowConflict Analysis Research CentreUniversity of Kent, UK


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Religion and Peace

Religion can influence conflict transformation processthrough a religiously motivated intervener (outsidersand insiders) or through the religious characters of theconflict (parties and issues).


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The Former Yugoslavia


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The Former Yugoslavia (Political entities)


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Problems in 1980s

The death of charismatic leader, Tito, in 1980 Deterioration of economic condition

-rising unemployment rate-oil crisis and worldwide economic depression-soaring inflation rate and drop in GDP

Distribution inequality between the entities


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Rise of Ethno-Religious Nationalism

With the background of economic problems, anderosion of the federal politics and the collapse ofcommunism, Yugoslav politics was coloured by ethnicnationalism.

Ethnic nationalist politicians gain power with thebackground of state economic crisis and peoplesfrustration.

Eventually led to the break-up of Yugoslavia in1991.


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Bosnia-Herzegovina Ethno-religious Distribution(1991)


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Choices for Peoples in Bosnia at the YugoslavDisintegration

Bosnian Serbs prefer staying within the framework ofYugoslavia which is likely to be Serb dominant.

Bosnian Muslims prefer to becoming independent,avoiding to stay under Serb dominance.

Bosnian Croats want to have secession in their parts ofBosnia with support from Croatia.

Subsequently war broke out in 1992.


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Bosnia under the Dayton Peace Agreement(1995)


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Problems of DPA Implementation

Slow progress and difficulties in the repatriationof refugees and internally displace persons

(IDPs).

Persistent tendency of ethnic politics.


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Peacemaking and Peacebuilding

Peacemaking aims at settlement such as peaceagreement and containment of violence

Peacebuilding aims at addressing structural issues(deep-rooted sources of conflict) and long-termrelationships between conflictants. It refers to theoverall efforts to cultivate peace culture in order totransform conflict peacefully.


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The Population Affected by Conflict

Middle-rangeLeadership

Grass-rootsPopulation

Source: John Paul Lederach, Building Peace: Sustainable Reconciliation in Divided Societies ,United States Institute of Peace Press, 1997, p 39.

Few

Many

EliteLeadership

A f f

e c t e d P

o p ul a

t i on

Top PoliticalDecision-Making Elite

Cultural/Social leadersPolitical AdvisorsLow-Ranking Politicians


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Peacemaking and Peacebuilding

Peacemaking

Peacebuilding


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Inter-Religious Peacebuilding: Case Studies

Inter-religious dialogue between religious leaders inBosnia

Conflict resolution training seminars for religiouspeople

An individuals peace action and multi -faith choir


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Inter-religious dialogue between religiousleaders in Bosnia

Communication and dialogue between leaders of thereligious communities: Roman Catholic, SerbianOrthodox, Muslim and Jewish.

The leaders communicated through facilitators out ofpublic eyes and eventually articulated a common moralvision.

In 1997 the leaders of four religious communities metface to face for the first time since the outbreak of thewar.


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Statement of Shared Moral Commitment

Singed by the leaders of four religious communities. Articulated the moral principles including mutual

respect, cooperation, and common living sharedamong the religious communities.

Establishement of Inter-Religious Council (IRC) topromote further religious collaboration.


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Conflict Resolution Training for Religious Peopleand Community Leaders from the FormerYugoslavia

A series of training seminars for religious people andcommunity leaders to promote healing andreconciliation

Conflict resolution and problem-solving skill training


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Conflict Resolution Training for Religious Peopleand Community Leaders from the FormerYugoslavia

Intense dialogue between seminar participants fromdifferent religious communities led to increased mutualunderstanding and trust-building

Some went on to take practical actions


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Face to Face Interreligious Service inSarajevo

Director, Friar Ivo MarkovicPersonal peacebulding actions

Pontanima A choir composed of people from different faiths andperformed music from Christian (Catholic, Orthodoxand Protestant), Jewish, Islamic and Far East.


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Pontanima


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Religion: Peacemaking or Peacebuilding?

Religiously oriented peace efforts can possibly be apart of peacemaking through personallycommunicating or publically urging political leaders for

settlement.

The potential contribution of religious efforts seemsgreater for peacebuilding because of it reach to wider

audience.


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Assets for Religious Peacebuilding

Religious communities as institutions

Religious traditions and rituals

Spirituality


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Words by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, South Africa

I told those dedicated workers for peace andreconciliation that they should not be tempted to giveup on their crucial work because of the frustrations of

seemingly not making any significant progress, that inour experience nothing was wasted, for when the timewas right it would all come together and, looking back,people would realise what a critical contribution they

had made. They were part of the cosmic movementtowards unity, towards reconciliation, that has existedfrom the beginning of the time.

(In Northern Ireland, 1998)

Documents

Faith in Peace