Resources

A new Kiswahili language publication called “Utangulizi wa Sheria ya Kimataifa ya Kibinadamu ya Kiislamu” (“Introduction to International Humanitarian Law in Islam” / “muqaddimah fi ‘l-qanun ad-duwali al-insani fi ‘l-islam”), a reference work that was authored in Arabic by Professor…

Psychological First Aid (PFA) is the recommended immediate psychosocial response during crises. As PFA is now widely implemented in crises worldwide, there are increasing calls to evaluate its effectiveness. World Vision used PFA as a fundamental component of their emergency…

This toolkit presents an overview of how youth programs across the globe accommodate religion, identifying positive outcomes and challenges from case studies in the field. The toolkit starts by examining the different types of programming engaging young people and their…

Over the past years in Senegal, AJWS has supported 17 grassroots organizations building a movement to bring lasting peace to the region of Casamance, which has been plagued by violent conflict for over 30 years. To achieve peace and better…

Report conducted by Arigatou International GNRC and Goldin Institute (GI), on Experiential Stories of Former Child Soldiers (FCS), it is noted that the human race is losing close to 20,000 children daily on brutal wars. Children are conscripted against their…

This paper is written for policy makers and conflict transformation practitioners working on conflicts with religious dimensions. It aims to support policy and practice by providing a conceptual framework to strengthen analysis of the role that religion plays in conflict.…

Religion has become increasingly important in conflict resolution worldwide. Religious leaders may play a key role in mobilising believers as they can call for peace or instigate violence. But what makes religious leaders support peace or promote violence? Several studies…

Alliance for Peace Annual Conference: Peace Now More than Ever Session: Beyond a Leap Of Faith: Evaluative Reflections on the Practices of Monitoring and Evaluating Inter-Religious Peacebuilding October 13, 2017 Panelists Peter Woodrow, Executive Director of CDA Collaborative Learning Projects James Patton,…

World Vision Central African Republic (World Vision CAR) has been implementing a variety of social cohesion and peacebuilding programmes as a part of its larger response to an ongoing humanitarian crisis. World Vision began operations in the CAR in 2014.…

Building a Just World examines The Salvation Army's contribution to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) - the UN's sustainable development programme between 2000 and 2015. Using data collected by The Salvation Army during that period, this report aims to give…

In January 2014, during the worst violence in the Central African Republic’s most recent civil war, Mercy Corps launched a unique humanitarian program in the country’s two most socio-economically vital cities, Bangui and Bouar. The program set out to help…

The aim of the presentation is to highlight the role of faith-based actors in conflict related humanitarian response by drawing on specific experiences from Norwegian Church Aid's work and partnership with two of our many local FBO partners namely The…

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) developed this training in response to very practical needs in the field and has implemented it successfully in two distinct settings: (1) a conflict context in which development grants would be forged by a consortium of organizations, and…

In the complex world of peacebuilding , the frequent invisibility of women has become a focus of attention. The challenge is perhaps best exemplified in the important United Nations Resolution 1325, which centers on women’s roles. This report shines a…

End of Project Management Report September 2016 to February 2018 Children as Peace Builders in Damara Sous prefecture Locations: Gbago, Dombe, Bossele, Damara, Binima, Oumba, Tangue, Vangue, Gbozo, Guerengou Project Goal: To increase access to livelihood assistance to conflict-affected children, especially…

This report is based on discussions and interviews with leading CSOs and private sector companies operating within the CVE, prevention, and resilience spaces. Leaders from across the sector agree with policymakers on the urgent need to combat the rise in…

Although many crime victims seek support from members of the faith community, faith leaders may feel unsure of their abilities to assist. This paper describes findings from a descriptive needs assessment that preceded a national project to link faith-based organizations…

Presentation from Maryam Dada Ibrahim at Faith Works Africa: Partnerships for Peace and Prosperity on Conflict Prevention, Migration and Counter Violent Extremism. Includes next steps and recommendations in engaging faith based groups.

Full Article Link: http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/foreign-policy/274064-congress-has-saved-lives-before-and-can-do-it-again

The Syrian crisis has brought to the forefront the enormous challenges that families face in the context of war and displacement. To date, over 7 million people are internally displaced; at least half of those internally and externally displaced are…

The culmination of more than 400 representatives from the three Abrahamic faiths assembled at the Alliance of Virtue in Washington, DC on February 7, 2018. The Alliance of Virtue was formed in Mecca, and included in its embrace the Prophet…

Development in Practice has recently published a special edition issue on Faith and Health in Development Contexts- July 2017. See Full Journal Here Preview of Articles in the special edition: Guest introduction: faith and health in development contexts Christopher Benn Faith…

Adaption and innovation: meeting humanitarian needs in fragile and conflict contexts There is no simple roadmap for operating in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. The nature of these contexts requires constant learning, adaption and revision. And although contexts vary considerably, World…

Progress Study on Youth, Peace and Security Prepared by the Soka Gakkai International October 2017 In March 2011, the northeast region of Japan known as Tohoku1 was hit by a natural disaster of enormous magnitude: The Great East Japan Earthquake.…

This manual is designed for facilitators of the ‘Do No Harm for Faith Groups: Christian-Muslim Edition’ workshop for partners. The participants in these workshops are religious leaders and faith-based organisation (FBO) staff who work closely with the host organisation. The…

The purpose of this document is to encourage churches and Christian organizations to reflect on the structural roots of what has led to the disruption of peace in the world, and on their own current practices and priorities in relation…

Alliance for Peacebuilding (AfP), in collaboration with CDA Collaborative Learning and Search for Common Ground (SFCG) recently convened a group of 30 leading experts to discuss how to better measure the effectiveness of inter-and intra-religious action for peacebuilding. The meeting…

Effective Inter-religious Action in Peacebuilding (EIAP) Guide for Program Evaluation Peter Woodrow and Michelle Garred, with assistance from Diana Chigas, and contributions from David Steele and Ricardo Wilson-Grau CDA Collaborative Learning Projects The Alliance for Peacebuilding and its partners in…

This case study provides an overview of how a peace movement led by lay religious women inspired people across ethnic and religious lines and helped bring an end to the Second Liberian Civil War (1999-2003). The study examines this Liberian…

In 2016 the Secretary General presented a report titled  One Humanity: Shared Responsibility. The report identifies five core responsibilities that will be the focus of discussion and proposed action. The JLIF&LC has prepared evidence briefs linked to each of these responsibilities. Each…

The Myanmar Media and Society Project (M.MAS, a collaboration between the Programme on Modern Burmese Studies at St Antony’s College, University of Oxford and MIDO, the Myanmar ICT for Development Organization) was initially set up to do research into the…

"Faith-based Interventions in Peace, Conflict and Violence: A Scoping Study" was launched at the World Humanitarian Summit on May 23, 2016 at the JLIF&LC & Soka Gakkai International Side Event "Evidence on Religious Groups' Contributions to Humanitarian Response". For more…

With the unexpected and disconcerting reemergence of religion as a first order cleavage in global politics, scholars and policy makers have been scrambling to bring some analytical order to the phenomenon. In this article, the author seeks to show why…

This research brief attempts to contribute on the current challenge in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Based on a series of interviews with foreign fighters and their families, the researchers find that traditional approaches to stabilization and development are unlikely…

Conflicts and humanitarian crises affect men, women, girls, and boys differently due to their different societal roles and the deep-rooted socio-cultural and economic inequalities which become exacerbated during crises. Men and boys form the vast majority of direct victims of…

This report presents the conclusion of a preliminary study aimed at shedding light on the role of Sunni Muslim religious discourse in the Syrian crisis and understanding how to assess this discourse and turn it into a tool to end…

repost from USIP With international assistance and a measure of justice and stability, Iraq’s ancient minority groups may stand a chance https://youtu.be/oOAtPW2nR9U Three years ago this week, the extremist Islamic State group stormed across north-central Iraq, launching a deadly assault…

This article will examine hybridity as it relates to three different spheres of influence within the operational environment. Firstly, experts increasingly focus on today's hybrid threats often stemming from radically inspired terrorism. Secondly, whole of government efforts to stabilize and…

This file contains the message of Shahabeddin Mohammadi Araghi, Under Secretary General,  Iranian Red Crescent Society, speaking on behalf of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The message included the Fundamental Principles, which outline the ethical basis…

Click here to read what IMA World Health is doing related to Faith-Based Organization (FBO) Engagement: http://imaworldhealth.org/faith-based-organization-fbo-engagement/

This project focuses on the impact of the Prevention of Violent Extremism (PVE) education in preventing youths from violent extremism in Afghanistan, using Kabul University students as a case study. The data has been collected by questionnaire from randomly sampled…

The current crisis in Central African Republic (CAR) is often framed in religious terms, with a ‘Muslim’ Seleka group seizing power in the majority-Christian country in early 2013, then with ‘Christian’ militias called the ‘anti-Balaka’ rising up to counter this.…

Interfaith initiatives respond to the violence and uneasy tensions of our times and interfaith efforts aim to confront the root causes, especially those that touch on religious beliefs and practices. Interfaith work looks to identify solutions in common values and…

This paper sets out to explore the connections between Mahayana Buddhism and international humanitarian law (IHL). Based on the Shakyamuni’s Lotus Sutra as interpreted by Zhiyi and Nichiren, it examines how specific Buddhist ethics are related to IHL principles. From…

Studies in Muslim-Christian Cooperation This publication presents case studies on interreligious action, highlighting specific approaches and tools that CRS staff members created and the networks they helped forge. They address shortcomings as well as successes and delineate lessons garnered from everyday experience. They…

Quranic schools (QS) play a central role in the education system in the Islamic world. Despite their relatively small numbers, QS teachers play a major role in introducing Islamic values to the public. Thus, working with QS becomes a key…

Islamic Relief report, Invisible Lives, outlining how a lack of livelihoods options, chronic underfunding and the threat of violence, is making life difficult for Syrian women refugees living in neighboring Iraq and Lebanon.

In July 2015 the Hub held its first meeting and launched the hub. This document contains the minutes for that meeting.

The aim of this report is to highlight evidence regarding the roles and impact that Local Faith Communities (LFCs) play in relation to urban refugees, with the aim of informing interconnected conversations around localisation and urbanisation. The international community is…

Faith Action for Children on the Move: October 16-19 in Rome, Italy

Published by JLI and WVI in preparation for the Faith Action for Children on the Move – Global Partners Forum.

Role of religions and faith actors in combatting xenophobia; the embeddedness of religion in social, cultural, political and economic dynamics

Since the beginning of the current humanitarian crisis in Iraq, more than three million school-aged children and adolescents have experienced disruption to their education. Providing continuity of learning and protection for affected children demands that agencies such as World Vision…

The advent of a signed peace accord in Colombia between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels and government brought the promise of an end to five decades of armed conflict. Unfortunately, on October 2, 2016, in a referendum…

The impact of the Interfaith Peace Platform on the peace process in the Central African Republic Geneva Liaison Office of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) Together with Imam Oumar Kobine Layama, president of the Central African Islamic Council, and Archbishop…

In a bid to promote a peaceful society, free from violent extremism and all forms of violence, young women peace efforts have been greeted with physical assaults and other forms of abuses, capable of affecting them mentally. This is besides…

The Syria crisis alone is the worst humanitarian crisis since the second world war. The following eBook, shows a basic  explanation of the refugee crisis, how life as a refugee destroys children's future and steps anyone can take to make a difference. To…

Association, Dissociation, Kindness, Justice and Compassion Responses to 50 faith-based arguments against peaceful co-existence and an introductory examination of Islamic textual evidence for peaceful interfaith relations See Da'wah Insititute Website

The case study reviews the religious landscape in Kenya and provides an overview of the various types of violence, pointing to the complex overlapping of ethnicity and religion. The difference between types of conflict and their causes are explored, with…

The study titled Tradition- & Faith-Oriented Insider Mediators (TFIMs) in Conflict Transformation – Potential, Constraints, & Opportunities for Collaborative Support,  conceptualises and contextualises a specific set of religious and traditional peacemakers as tradition- and faith-oriented insider mediators (TFIMs). The study…

To a large extent, governance capacity and community resilience explains the nature and structure of the response. In this report, three case studies – from Angola, Mali, and Honduras – of actual responses to climate change and conflict are presented.…

Since the conflict began, more than 1,900 Palestinians – including women and children – have died and hundreds of thousands have fled their homes. Over 1.5 million people are without reliable access to basic services and the public health system…

The U.S. and other Western governments are now turning to strategies known as countering violent extremism, or CVE. According to the White House, CVE addresses “the root causes of extremism through community engagement.” Instead of fighting violent ideology with bombs,…

PaRD’s SDG 16 workstream (peace, justice and strong institutions) commissioned the Joint Learning Initiative on Faith and Local Communities (JLI) to conduct this scoping study on partnerships with local faith actors (LFAs) for peaceful and inclusive societies. The International Partnership…

A Basic Guide for Busy Practitioners Peacebuilding, governance and gender (PBGG) integration constitute a core competency for CRS and our partners around the world. In addition, CRS considers protection, especially of vulnerable groups at risk of exploitation and abuse, to be…

This study, conducted in South Sudan in 2017 and 2018, draws on informant interviews, focus groups, and consultations to better understand and map the religious sector in South Sudan. Its primary finding is that religious actors and institutions are the…

This photo-book is an attempt to bring the stories of hope amid the gloomy context that populations of the Middle East have had to endure, some having lived as internally displaced persons and as refugees in both host communities and…

Based on the Fez Process As efforts to prevent atrocity crimes and their incitement are most likely to succeed when different actors are working in collaboration, the Plan of Action also includes recommendations for other actors, including States and state…

This brief is aimed at policymakers, practitioners and donors working on PVE, conflict and peace and/or research capacity-sharing. It summarises key learnings from a PVE-focused collaborative research capacity-sharing project implemented by the Joint Learning Initiative on Faith and Local Communities…

Promotion of a culture of peace and interreligious and intercultural dialogue, understanding and cooperation for peace 26 September 2016 Report of the Secretary-General The present report provides an overview of the activities that have been carried out by the main…

Report developed by the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children on armed violence in the community. See section 5.6.1 for the role of community and religious leaders and actors.

The United Refugee and Host Churches (URHC) is an association of churches in Kakuma Refugee Camp (Kenya) and the surrounding community of Turkana founded and operated by refugees and local Turkana people. Originally founded in 1996, this group addressed ongoing…

Report from the Second Donor-United Nations-Faith Based Organizations' (DUF II) Policy Roundtable This technical report focuses on the role of religious actors, and religious considerations in the SDG agenda, particularly as they pertain to gender equality, peaceful coexistence and security…

The current crisis in CAR began in December 2012, when the northern-based Muslim Séléka forces overthrew the government, forcing then-president François Bozizé to flee the country. This led to the formation of Christian self-defense militia groups, the Anti-Balaka. Since then…

Though there are over half a billion Buddhists around the world, there has so far been no systematic and focused study of the interface between Buddhism and International Humanitarian Law (IHL). The core of IHL – also known as “the…

The Role of Religion in Preventing Violence November 8, 2017 The Cordoba Foundation of Geneva, in partnership with the Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers, the Peace Research Institute Oslo, Inclusive Peace & Transition Initiative, and the World Council of Churches, is…

Was religion a friend or foe in the post-conflict statebuilding endeavours of Iraq and Afghanistan? An under-explored area in academia and policy circles alike, religious institutions are important non-state actors that wield considerable influence and can draw upon extensive resources.…

THIS IS A SUMMARY of the Religion in Conflict and Peacebuilding Analysis Guide, which is written for people working to address violent conflicts where religion plays a role in the conflict or can play a role in peacebuilding. It provides…

The World Faiths Development Dialogue, with financial support from the GHR Foundation, selected Kenya for a case study to identify and better understand the roles religion plays in building peace, with particular attention to inter-religious relations and collaboration. Kenya offers…

Responding to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s World Humanitarian Summit initiative, the Sovereign Order of Malta set up a Symposium to consider the question: 'Do faith-based institutions have an added value in humanitarian action particularly in conflict situations?’ Two high level…

This online conference takes stock of developments relating to the engagement between humanitarians and religious actors aimed at generating greater compliance with humanitarian norms in times of armed conflict. It seeks to serve as a platform for exchange and reflection…

This article explores the role of Religious Leader Engagement (RLE), a capability under development in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and operational focus of the CAF Chaplain Branch. It stands as a recent contribution to the Comprehensive Approach. Full length…

Brief from the Center for Security Studies in Zurich Religion is a factor in conflict and further understanding of the relationship is needed to resolve these conflicts. Challenges and opportunities in mitigating religious conflicts and effective approaches.  

Role of Religion and Religious Leaders in Farmer-Pastoralist Conflict in Plateau State: An Inter-Religious Peacebuilding in Northern Nigeria (IPNN) Qualitative Research Report In the context of persistent, low-intensity conflict, which has characterized Nigeria’s Middle Belt for the past decade, Mercy…

Religion is a positive force for peacebuilding and preventing violent extremisms (PVE). Indeed, religious institutions and actors play an important role in building peace yet underutilized instruments in the prevention and resolution of violent extremisms. The objective of this research…

Background: Community-level reconciliation, essential in conflict-affected contexts, involves efforts to promote intergroup relationships and to build trust. These processes are related to the development of social capital, which alongside the reduction of horizontal inequalities is a key component of social…

Article by Saferworld Bangladesh, January 2016 By involving religious leaders and using their influence in the local community, a Saferworld project in Bangladesh has been able to more effectively address safety and security issues and promote peace, write G.M. Shoeb…

This Questionnaire provides Peace & Conflict Hub members with the chance to input into the writing of the Scoping Paper to be launched at the Global Religious Forum at the World Humanitarian Summit in May 2016. The Questionnaire gives Hub…

This article underlines the need to move beyond the exhausted notion of all religions preaching peace to studying the specific manner in which violence is legitimised in each religion. This is the first step liberal secularists need to take if…

Statement from FBOs regarding unmentioned faith in the Sendai Framework for DRR 2015-2030 during WCDRR 2015 in Sendai Japan. To see the document, and other publications by the Humanitarian Forum Indonesia, click here: http://www.humanitarianforumindonesia.org/Download/SeminarMaterial.aspx

Niger is a secular country with a Muslim majority. The communities live in harmonious peace and cultivate the spirit of living together regardless of ethnic or religious differences. Freedom of worship is a reality in the country. However, in recent decades,…

The intention of this Hub is to be a horizontal learning community that links academics, policy makers and practitioners working on issues of faith and peace/conflict, within two areas (1) A ‘faith based approach’ to peacebuilding, conflict prevention & conflict resolution and (2) multi faith/inter religious co-operation and programming .

The Capacity for Interreligious Community Action program (CIRCA) was a three-year capacity-building program financed by GHR Foundation and supplemented by Catholic Relief Services (CRS). The overarching goal of the program was to contribute to human development and more peaceful coexistence…

The disruptions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic have challenged social cohesion across the world but with particular force across the South Asia Region. Heightened intergroup tensions are linked in historical factors and to inequalities but in the current crisis a…

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, approved by the General Assembly of the United Nations, announces 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Such goals promote an action plan based on three main principles of the Agenda: respect for human dignity, sustainability and…

On 10 April 2014, the UN Security Council unanimously decided that a peacekeeping mission would be sent to the Central African Republic in September 2014. This is a remarkable step, one which until recently was considered implausible. What is even more extraordinary…

This study explores how resilient and vulnerable youth active in interfaith are to hate speech and the correlation between hate speech and mental health among youth aged 18 to 35 years old who are activists/volunteers in interfaith in Lebanon.

Hi Voices conducted a review of previous research and a new survey both in person and online to analyze youth behavior towards people of other religions, their interaction and learnings with them. We conducted a survey from 366 young people…

This article that frames the problem of secularism, democracy and communalism in India with specific reference to the rise of Hindu nationalism. The writer of the article, Sharma argues "As the American relationship with India deepens, U.S. policy makers and observers…