Globally, almost all wars are now complex societal conflicts, fought mainly intra-state. They are typically identity driven, with religion often not only a critical dimension in defining identity, but also used as a resource for constructing new ideologies of exclusion and violence. An overwhelming proportion of victims in ongoing violent conflicts globally are civilians: while it is estimated that about 90% of the victims in WWI were military personnel,10% civilians, now the statistics are nearly reversed. Belligerent parties also rely on support and recruitment from civilians, often using fear and hatred stirred by religious ideology, with the youth most heavily represented among perpetrators as well as victims of violence.
In these circumstances, a culture of peace requires broad-based engagement of young civilians through experiential learning, to develop not only an understanding of different religions and cultures, but also practical skills for resolving conflict and preventing or mitigating violence through integrative dialogue and collaborative action.
Given the deterioration of political discourse in recent years, in Egypt and the US as well as globally, there is much to gain from nurturing the adoption of exemplary practices for integrative engagement, and from building bridges among diverse faith traditions.
This project, a proposed one-year partnership building on the success of earlier workshops with IPS and BA, will directly engage diverse young leaders (ages 20-39) in workshops designed to prepare them for more constructive engagement across cultural and faith traditions. It will build skills in finding common ground among competing stakeholders using collaborative processes, intercultural communication skills and techniques for transforming conflict and effecting peaceful change.
The proposed endeavor will help channel frustration and protest in ways that help prevent escalation of violence and promote constructive engagement, enhancing prospects for strengthening an inclusive culture of peace.