Mediating in Conflicts Where Political and Religious Dimensions Interplay

Religious and political factors are intertwined in many contemporary conflicts, making them particularly violent and difficult to resolve, and complicating political and humanitarian negotiations and the implementation of agreements reached. Recent events provide immediate examples, such as those in the Sahel, the Horn of Africa, the East coast of Africa, and southern Thailand. The prevailing approach tends to deny this problem, believing that the invocation of religion in a political or humanitarian process is always an instrument of power. In practice, such a position often proves ineffective or even counterproductive. In the context of the discipline of conflict resolution, this article offers some guidelines for thinking and acting constructively in contexts where religious dimensions cannot be ignored.