ince the mid-1990s, the Conflict Transformation program operates around the world to encourage the cooperation of religious communities in response to violent conflict. When different religious communities work together, they possess an enormous capacity to promote peace. Religious leaders are also uniquely positioned to use their moral stature and influence to encourage mutual understanding within their communities. Religious communities are familiar and trusted institutions that may provide social cohesion and spiritual support, helping people face the most agonizing pain and suffering and leading them to forgive the unforgivable.  Inter-religious councils and groups formed and supported by Religions for Peace have played key roles transforming conflict and rebuilding peaceful societies in the Balkans, West Africa and the Middle East. In the past decade, Religions for Peace has engaged its leadership of prominent international religious figures to bring together diverse Bosnian religious leaders in the aftermath of civil war and to support multi-religious peace building efforts in West Africa. Currently, Religions for Peace is also facilitating emerging efforts for peace building collaboration among religious leaders in Sri Lanka, Iraq, Sudan, and the Korean Peninsula. To date much of Religions for Peace’s conflict transformation and peace building programming has centered on sub-Saharan Africa, where its network of inter-religious councils and groups is the most developed. In West Africa and the Great Lakes region of Africa Religions for Peace has facilitated multi-religious collaborations working to prevent conflicts from developing, to mediate peace negotiations among warring parties, and to rebuild peaceful societies in the aftermath of violence.
The priority objectives of the Conflict Transformation program are: - To deepen interfaith commitments to dialogue and cooperation for promoting peace.
- To equip existing inter-religious councils (IRCs) with relevant knowledge and skills in order to prevent and mediate violent conflicts.
- To strengthen the delivery capacity of the IRCs in the implementation of concrete responses to conflict situations.
- To mobilize and equip religious communities to build new IRCs in conflict areas to serve as a mechanism for peaceful change.
- To strengthen the participation and leadership of women of faith in their respective IRC structures and initiatives.
- To facilitate active sub-regional collaboration among religious leaders and IRCs for the advancement of peace, stability and security.
 a) SUDAN
On December 4–9, 2005, the governing board of the African Council of Religious Leaders (ACRL), a pan-African multi-religious institution comprised of senior religious leaders, paid a solidarity visit to Khartoum, Sudan to promote peace and reconciliation throughout the region. Locally hosted by the Inter-religious Council of Southern Sudan and Munazzamat Al-Dawa Al-Islamia (Islamic Call Organization), the visit provided an opportunity for peace advocates to offer public support in solidarity with religious leaders of Sudan and to take initial steps towards organizing a united moral voice of distinguished African religious leaders from across all faiths in support of peace, reconciliation and religious tolerance. The governing board visited Sudanese government, religious and academic institutions and faith-based organizations involved in peace and development to promote constructive dialogue between communities and to exchange best practice guidelines regarding effective peacebuilding measures and interventions. Participants discussed concrete strategies for advancing the peace process through mediation and mitigation of present violence. b) WEST AFRICA
In West Africa, senior religious leaders have been working cooperatively at the national and regional level to prevent conflicts from developing, to mediate peace negotiations among warring parties, and to rebuild peaceful societies in the aftermath of violence. These multi-religious collaborations have led to the formation of inter-religious councils – independent, self-led bodies – that continue to engage in peacebuilding activities within their societies.
Recognizing the need to act effectively to promote peace and development across borders, the inter-religious council (IRC) leaders formed a sub-regional mechanism to coordinate their actions and share critical information. The West Africa Inter-religious Coordinating Council (WA IRCC), formed in 2003, convenes regularly to participate in training sessions, formulate plans, and implement concrete action and advocacy initiatives.
Religions for Peace has supported multi-religious collaboration in West Africa since 1996 when it worked in partnership with the IRC of Sierra Leone on negotiations that led to the signing of the Lome Peace Accord. Since 2001, Religions for Peace has facilitated regional-level consultations and training exercises and provided national level capacity building and organizational development. Since its formation, the IRC SL made significant contributions to the peace process by negotiating the release of more than 50 hostages, some of whom were child soldiers.
In 1999, Religions for Peace linked with an established interfaith council in Liberia, creating the IRC L. As one of the significant actors, the Council brokered the August 2003 Comprehensive Peace Accord in Accra, Ghana, thus positively transforming the crisis in Liberia.
In 2001 Guinea requested the assistance of Religions for Peace to formalize the IRC G. Since its establishment, they have remained constructively engaged in collaboration with other local actors in conflict prevention and sustainable peace building initiatives.
In response to the ongoing crises in Cote d’Ivoire, religious leaders requested Religions for Peace to assist in strengthening their multi-religious body, the NFR-CI, to advocate for positive change and implement plans formulated for a peaceful solution to the present situation.
Integrating women and youth into the decision-making process at all levels is a concurrent initiative throughout the region. Recently, the Women's Desk of the IRC of Liberia was awarded the inaugural Greeley Prize in recognition of their groundbreaking efforts in making women part of the peace building process in war-torn West Africa.
c) FENICC
Religions for Peace hosted an experts’ meeting, “African Faith Based Communities Advancing Justice and Reconciliation in Relation to the International Criminal Court.” The 2005 gathering was convened by the Steering Committee of the Faith and Ethics Network of the International Criminal Court (FENICC), a coalition of religious, ethics and interfaith organizations working to promote awareness of the International Criminal Court among their communities. Religions for Peace, an international steering committee member of FENICC, has taken on a key role in this endeavor.
The gathering also deepened their commitment toward education, outreach, and action around the ICC and strengthened their capacity to achieve these goals by establishing the African Faith-Based Network for the ICC, to serve as a conduit for the exchange of pertinent information, experiences and initiatives.
As an outcome of the meeting, FENICC created an outreach campaign in Africa to engage religious communities in justice and reconciliation processes. To this end, FENICC created the African Faith-Based Communities Advancing Justice and Reconciliation in Relation to the International Criminal Court training manual.
The manual, which will also be translated in French, explains the ICC mandate and mission within the broader context of justice and reconciliation to ensure that religious practitioners decide to support the complementary role of the ICC. This also promotes effective relationship development between religious leaders, faith-based organizations and the ICC that is characterized by critical dialogue. In this way the ICC will help to deliver justice and hope for the future. | | |
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