religion and peacebuilding

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PACS 326/RS 380: Religion and Peacebuilding Monday and Wednesday 1:00 – 1:20 p.m. CGUC 1300 Instructor: Nathan C. Funk Office: CGUC, Room 2130A Office Hours: Monday 9:30-10:30 a.m., Thursday 3:00-4:00 p.m., and by appointment Phone: (519) 885-0220, ext. 24295 E-mail: [email protected] Course Description In much public discussion of religion and conflict, religion is cast either as a driving force behind contemporary strife or as a largely irrelevant factor. Often, religion is represented as a force from the past – if not a spent force, then a threatening and divisive one. On occasion, however, accounts of current events reveal a more dynamically hopeful and affirmative face of religion: religion as an inspiration for peacemaking and perhaps also as an impetus for advancing social justice. Starting from the premise that peace is a widely shared and yet variably defined value of the world’s major religious traditions, this course provides a framework for academic and personal exploration of religiously motivated peacebuilding and social justice advocacy. By exposing students to views from contemporary peace researchers and from several different religious traditions, the course seeks to stimulate active intellectual engagement with the following questions: If most religious traditions offer at least nominal (and usually quite substantial) support for peace as a social value while also embracing peace as an essential condition of the spiritual life, how is it that religious ideas and identities have sometimes been found to sharpen conflict or provide cover for worldly rivalries? And why is it that adherents of different religions so often appear to fall short of their peace-related ideals? What are peace researchers saying about religion’s role in conflict and peacemaking? How does religion interact with other factors, such as ethnic or national identity, in contemporary conflict situations? Is it possible to identify “risk factors” that encourage religiously justified violence, or “enabling factors” that facilitate religious peacebuilding? What are some basic teachings about peace in major world religions (e.g., Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, and Hinduism)? What is the role of interpretation? How do conceptions of peace differ within as well as between religions, and what are the practical implications? And how do distinctively religious perspectives on peace differ from and/or complement secular perspectives? Source: http://interfaithcouncil.net/aboutus.aspx

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Page 1: Religion and Peacebuilding

PACS 326/RS 380: Religion and Peacebuilding Monday and Wednesday 1:00 – 1:20 p.m.

CGUC 1300

Instructor: Nathan C. Funk Office: CGUC, Room 2130A Office Hours: Monday 9:30-10:30 a.m., Thursday 3:00-4:00 p.m., and by appointment Phone: (519) 885-0220, ext. 24295 E-mail: [email protected]

Course Description

In much public discussion of religion and conflict, religion is cast either as a driving force behind contemporary strife or as a largely irrelevant factor. Often, religion is represented as a force from the past – if not a spent force, then a threatening and divisive one. On occasion, however, accounts of current events reveal a more dynamically hopeful and affirmative face of religion: religion as an inspiration for peacemaking and perhaps also as an impetus for advancing social justice.

Starting from the premise that peace is a widely shared and yet variably defined value of the world’s major religious traditions, this course provides a framework for academic and personal exploration of religiously motivated peacebuilding and social justice advocacy. By exposing students to views from contemporary peace researchers and from several different religious traditions, the course seeks to stimulate active intellectual engagement with the following questions:

If most religious traditions offer at least nominal (and usually quite substantial) support for peace as a social value while also embracing peace as an essential condition of the spiritual life, how is it that religious ideas and identities have sometimes been found to sharpen conflict or provide cover for worldly rivalries? And why is it that adherents of different religions so often appear to fall short of their peace-related ideals?

What are peace researchers saying about religion’s role in conflict and peacemaking? How does religion interact with other factors, such as ethnic or national identity, in contemporary conflict situations? Is it possible to identify “risk factors” that encourage religiously justified violence, or “enabling factors” that facilitate religious peacebuilding?

What are some basic teachings about peace in major world religions (e.g., Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, and Hinduism)? What is the role of interpretation? How do conceptions of peace differ within as well as between religions, and what are the practical implications? And how do distinctively religious perspectives on peace differ from and/or complement secular perspectives?

Source: http://interfaithcouncil.net/aboutus.aspx

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What types of religious visions and personal commitments are associated with religious peacebuilding and activism for social justice? How are peacebuilders from various traditions similar to and yet also different from one another?

What are some of the different practical approaches to religious peacebuilding? What are the relevant methods, principles, strategies, and organizational forms? And what are some significant cases in which religious peacebuilding has made a difference?

What role can religious ideas play in efforts to respond to pressing global problems such as war, environmental degradation, poverty, and human rights abuses? Can people with different religious convictions find common ground as they face these challenges – even while continuing to disagree on other matters? And what are some local tasks for religious peacebuilders in our own communities?

What does religious peacebuilding mean to you? Do you wish to become involved? If so, how?

Learning Objectives

Upon completing PACS 326 students should be able to:

Describe ways in which religion can contribute to both conflict and peacemaking

Differentiate between “religious” and “secular” factors that contribute to present-day conflicts

Articulate personal convictions about the role of religion and spirituality in peacebuilding, conflict transformation, reconciliation, and the cultivation of “peace culture”

Identify relevant terms in the religious vocabularies of several world religions for peace, social justice, and reconciliation

Identify “peace traditions” and positive historical precedents for peacemaking within these religious communities, and describe similarities and differences between conceptions of peace and peacemaking

Offer explanations for the diversity of views that may be found within religious traditions on such issues as religious diversity, peacebuilding, social justice, and human rights

Discuss contemporary cases of religious peacebuilding in religiously homogeneous as well as religiously diverse (or secular-religious) contexts

Evaluate various practices of religious peacebuilding, including nonviolent action/witness, interfaith dialogue, multifaith projects/coalitions, hermeneutics, education/training, mediation, and advocacy for peace, social justice and/or coexistence

Discuss the relevance of course topics to personal ethical or spiritual concerns

Develop a proposal for religious peacebuilding in the world today

Source: www.germany.info/relaunch/culture/new/images/coexistence_exhibit.jpg

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Course Requirements and Evaluation Criteria 15% Participation: Fifteen percent of your final grade will be based on the quality of your active participation in class. Participation presupposes both attendance and preparation (i.e., reading!). It manifests through thoughtful engagement with discussions of readings and lecture topics, as well as through contributions to small-group activities. Failure to attend at least two thirds of all class sessions may result in a loss of all participation points. 10% Weekly Talking Point Memos: Ten percent of your grade will be based on the quality of five talking point memos submitted throughout the term. These memos should be typed, submitted at the end of the class session for which they have been written (it is up to you to decide which weeks you would like to write), and should show engagement with all assigned readings. Each memo should consist of 1-3 substantive talking points per chapter or article assigned.

This is your opportunity to “bring something to the table,” by identifying themes you consider worthy of affirmation, deliberation, clarification, or debate. Please precede each talking point with a single, italicized or bold-faced word or phrase that conveys the overall character of your response (for example, Affirm: …, Question: …, Qualify: …, Clarify: …, Wow!: …, Had no idea: …, Confused by this: …, Inspired by this: …, Not sure: …). The commentary provided should go beyond mere summarization or reaction to the author’s writing style; each point should engage key claims or conceptual arguments from the readings, ideally in the space of one or two sentences. Please include a reference to relevant page numbers for each entry. Talking point submissions will be collected at the end of class (so as to allow you to use them during our discussions) and graded on a ✓-/✓ /✓+ scale. Criteria for evaluation include: clarity of communication, substance (do the talking points address one or two peripheral issues, or do they go “to the heart of the matter” and engage central themes?), and scope (is there evidence of serious reading, or could the points have been composed after reading only one or two paragraphs?). 20% Midterm Writing Assignment: Twenty percent of your final grade will be derived from one short (6-8 pp., double-spaced, 12-point font) writing assignment that will ask you to interpret and integrate course material. Topics and more specific instructions will be provided approximately two weeks before the February 13 due date. As with all other written coursework, please note that hard copies (rather than faxed or e-mailed submissions) are expected. 30% Substantive Project: Thirty percent of your final grade will be based on a major course project. There are three options for completing this assignment. You are expected to commit to one of these options by the fourth week of class:

Option 1: Research Paper. Write a short research paper exploring a theme related to religion, conflict, and peace. Many topics are possible – for example, you could examine bases for peace in a particular tradition, analyze a case of religious peacebuilding/conflict, or study the practices of a specific non-governmental organization. You may wish to read from some of the resources identified in this syllabus under “Further reading” as you seek a specific focus. The text of the paper (not including the bibliography) should be between 8 and 10 pages in length (double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font, regular margins). Due on Monday, April 2.

Option 2: Digital Project. Up to five individuals or groups may prepare either a) one 4-6 minute electronic report suitable for uploading to YouTube, the Power of Peace Network, or a similar online forum, or b) a website or blog exploring various facets of an important religious peacebuilding issue. Team projects organized by students with diverse insights and experiences are encouraged, and consultation with the course instructor over team composition and topic is required before the initiation of collaborative work. In addition to an digital submission that must be turned in by Monday, April 2 and a presentation to class during week 12 or 13, each project should include a 2-3 page report that offers the following:

title of project;

name(s) of student(s) submitting the project;

a crisp statement of the project’s intended purpose;

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an explanation of the topic’s importance and relation to course themes; a description of 1) the primary audience for the report, 2) the means of distribution, and 3)

possible uses (e.g., education, persuasion/advocacy); an account of how responsibilities were divided and shared (if the project has involved more

than one person); a brief summary of the learning that resulted from the project; a statement concerning how you might deal with any intellectual property issues raised by the

project in the event of a “real world” release; and additional thoughts and reflections about the significance and value of the project.

Option 3: Service Learning. If you are interested in becoming actively involved with a religiously based peace, development, or social service organization, you can choose a service learning option. To receive credit for this option, you will have to make formal arrangements to volunteer for the organization on a weekly basis. Your service learning efforts will be evaluated on the basis of a final report that reflects on your experiences in relation to a series of questions provided by your instructor; feedback from an administrator at the organization itself will also be sought. Final report due by Monday, April 9.

Option 4: Weekly Journal. Writing a detailed weekly journal provides you with an opportunity to articulate a personal and intellectual response to the course experience that ties together major themes from readings, lectures, discussions, and activities. Be sure to go beyond mere summarization and offer carefully considered insights and reflections. Criteria for evaluation include thoroughness (integration of different readings and themes, responsiveness to lecture material and the overall class experience), thoughtfulness (depth of analytical insight, critical engagement with multiple perspectives, creativity, ability to connect key concepts with personal experiences or world events), and clarity of communication (language usage, readability, mechanics). Handwritten journals in a single notebook are acceptable, but unless you have especially clear handwriting a typed and printed product would be preferred. If typed, the final installment of your printed journal should be approximately 20-24 pages in length (double-spaced, 1-inch margins, regular font – like 12-point New Times Roman). Due by Monday, April 2.

25% Take-Home Final Exam: The term will conclude with a take-home final exam, consisting of short essay questions asking you to apply concepts from readings and lectures to real or hypothetical religious peacebuilding scenarios. The expected length of submissions is 8-12 pages. Due by Monday, April 9.

Late Policy

Deadlines matter. They keep us on track, enable us to be productive, and help us to meet our educational goals. There are times, however, when even the most organized and disciplined person faces difficult obstacles and unexpected challenges. If this happens, it is your responsibility to take the initiative and demonstrate commitment to getting the job done in a timely manner. Students who contact Prof. Funk well in advance of a due date to discuss realistic complications that may postpone completion of work often receive favourable consideration.

Although exceptions may occasionally be made to account for exceptional circumstances, a penalty will be applied to assignments that arrive late without prior clearance. The standard deductions for late work are as follows:

One day to one week late: -5%

Eight days to two weeks late: -10%

Fifteen days to three weeks late: -15%

More than three weeks late: -20% Please do not make the mistake of failing to submit an assignment. The penalties for late work are not insignificant, but up until final exam time late truly is much better than never.

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Appropriate Use of Laptops (and Other Gadgets) Laptops, iPads, smartphones and related devices are amazing tools, with remarkable capabilities. Among other things, they allow us to download PowerPoint slides, maintain a portable work station, keep neatly typed lecture notes, and stay in touch with friends through social networking sites, texting, and instant messaging.

Because activities that provide entertainment for an individual (e.g., movie trailers, party photos, status updates) often prove distracting for others, there is a need to follow basic rules of electronic etiquette in a classroom setting. Whether you are sitting with friends or by yourself, please consider the impact of your electronic activities on those who are attempting to listen to lectures, watch class films, and participate in discussions. All students are expected to comply with a simple principle: if it might distract someone sitting beside you or near you, don’t do it. Further details concerning the PACS 326 policy on laptops and other gadgets will be discussed on the first day of class.

UW Policies on Academic Integrity Academic Integrity: In order to maintain a culture of academic integrity, members of the University of Waterloo community are expected to promote honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility. (Check www.uwaterloo.ca/academicintegrity/ for more information.) Grievance: A student who believes that a decision affecting some aspect of his/her university life has been unfair or unreasonable may have grounds for initiating a grievance. Read Policy 70, Student Petitions and Grievances, Section 4, www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/Policies/policy70.htm. When in doubt please be certain to contact the department’s administrative assistant who will provide further assistance. Discipline: A student is expected to know what constitutes academic integrity (check www.uwaterloo.ca/academicintegrity/) to avoid committing an academic offence, and to take responsibility for his/her actions. A student who is unsure whether an action constitutes an offence, or who needs help in learning how to avoid offences (e.g., plagiarism, cheating) or about “rules” for group work/collaboration should seek guidance from the course instructor, academic advisor, or the undergraduate Associate Dean. For information on categories of offences and types of penalties, students should refer to Policy 71, Student Discipline, www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/Policies/policy71.htm. For typical penalties check Guidelines for the Assessment of Penalties, www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/guidelines/penaltyguidelines.htm. Appeals: A decision made or penalty imposed under Policy 70 (Student Petitions and Grievances) (other than a petition) or Policy 71 (Student Discipline) may be appealed if there is a ground. A student who believes he/she has a ground for an appeal should refer to Policy 72 (Student Appeals) www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/Policies/policy72.htm.

Students with Disabilities

A note from the Office for Persons with Disabilities (OPD): The Office for Persons with Disabilities (OPD), located in Needles Hall, Room 1132, collaborates with all academic departments to arrange appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities without compromising the academic integrity of the curriculum. If you require academic accommodations to lessen the impact of your disability, please register with the OPD at the beginning of each academic term.

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Additional Considerations

As we progress through the course, please remember:

In academics as in life more generally, what we get from an experience depends on what we put into it. Preparation for class (completing reading and writing assignments on time, tracking world events) is the basis for effective learning.

When we come to class prepared to participate and pose questions, we transform the classroom environment, making active and collaborative learning possible. We discover that learning is a communal rather than a solitary endeavor, and that each one of us is a resource for everyone else in the learning process.

The subject matter covered by this course is inevitably open to multiple interpretations. This means that you will not always agree with ideas presented in course readings, lectures, and discussions. In such cases, disagreement is often a good thing, so long as it motivates you to develop an enhanced understanding where you stand in relation to others. What matters most is not whether or not we all agree, but whether or not we are willing to engage one another with respect and integrity.

Collaborative learning requires not only preparation and self-expression, but also a commitment to active listening. Active listening is a communication skill that we develop as we begin to hear not only words, opinions, and ideas, but also the experiences and the awareness behind them. When we practice active listening, we cease to merely debate and begin to sharpen the focus of our deliberations. We clarify divergent perceptions and develop deeper understanding of contrasting perspectives. We become a clear mirror, reflecting back what we have heard and asking questions to learn rather than to score rhetorical points. In the process, we test and refine our own ideas and those held by others.

Throughout the term, we will be privileged to host a number of guest speakers. Please treat these visitors to our classroom with the same respect you would extend to a guest in your home – for example, by maintaining eye contact as much as possible, by asking questions, and by following the basic rules of “electronic etiquette” described above.

Required Texts (Available for purchase, and on reserve in Porter Library)

1) Michael Henderson. No Enemy to Conquer: Forgiveness in an Unforgiving World. Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2009.

2) PACS 326 Reader. Available at Kinko’s, 170 University Ave. West. Reserve a copy online at https://docstore.fedex.com/fedexwaterloo. In the course schedule below, course packet readings are preceded by an asterisk (*).

Source: www.cpt.org/gallery/view_photo.php?set_albumName=ofp&id=women_with_candles

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Course Schedule PART I: INTRODUCTION WEEK ONE (Jan. 4): MEETING ONE ANOTHER Who are we? Why are we here? What are our goals for this course? What are some of your own working assumptions about religion, conflict, and peace? Learning exercises:

Discuss the relevance of course topics to personal ethical or spiritual concerns. What religious, spiritual, and ethical traditions inform your understanding of conflict/peace issues? What do you think can be gained from studying religious traditions other than “one’s own”? What do you hope to learn in this class, or to clarify for yourself?

Describe ways in which religion and spirituality might (or might not) contribute to peace.

WEEK TWO (Jan. 9 and 11): ROLES OF RELIGION IN CONFLICT AND PEACEBUILDING Why are there so many strong and divergent beliefs about the role of religion on conflict and peacemaking? How do we account for the diversity of religious responses to conflict, even within the same tradition? Required reading:

Michael Henderson, No Enemy to Conquer: Forgiveness in an Unforgiving World. o Preface (pp. xvii- xx) and pp. 1-18 of Chapter 1 (“Clash or Alliance?”).

*Nathan C. Funk and Christina J. Woolner, “Religion and Peace and Conflict Studies,” in Critical Issues in Peace and Conflict Studies, ed. Thomas Matyok, Jessica Senehi, and Sean Byrne (Toronto: Lexington Books, 2011), pp. 349-369.

*Gerrie ter Haar, “Religion: Source of Conflict or Resource for Peace?” in Bridge or Barrier: Religion, Violence and Visions for Peace, ed. Gerrie ter Haar and James J. Busuttil (Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill, 2005), pp. 3-34.

Film: The Imam and the Pastor Learning exercises:

Define key terms such as religion, spirituality, and peacebuilding.

Describe some reasons for popular skepticism about religion’s relevance to peacebuilding. How well-founded are they?

Differentiate between “religious” and “secular” factors that contribute to present-day conflicts.

Articulate your own convictions about the relationship between religion and politics. What are some positive and negative aspects about religious advocacy in the public sphere? Do any topics raise “red flags” or special concerns? If so, why?

Articulate personal attitudes with respect to the role of religion in peacebuilding and conflict resolution. How have these attitudes been formed?

Further reading: -Alger, Chadwick. “Religion as a Peace Tool.” The Global Review of Ethnopolitics, Vol. 1, No. 4 (June 2002): 94-109. -Appleby, R. Scott. The Ambivalence of the Sacred: Religion, Violence, and Reconciliation. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2000. -Bellinger, Charles K. “Religion and Violence: A Bibliography,” www.wabashcenter.wabash.edu/Internet/hedgehog_viol_bib.htm. -Bergen, Peter, et al., eds. The Desecularization of the World: Resurgent Religion and World Politics. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1999. -Fowler, James W. Stages of Faith: The Psychology of Human Development and the Quest for Meaning. New York: HarperCollins, 1981.

Source: www.civilization.ca/hist/verre/images/intr02a.jpg

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-Galtung, Johan. “Religions, Hard and Soft.” Cross Currents, Vol. 47 (Winter 1997-98): 437-450. -Herr, Judy Zimmerman and Robert Herr, eds. Transforming Violence: Linking Local and Global Peacemaking. Waterloo, ON: Herald Press, 1998. -Harpviken, Kristian Berg and Hanne Eggen Røislien. “Mapping the Terrain: The Role of Religion in Peacemaking.” Oslo, Norway: International Peace Research Institute, Oslo (PRIO), 2005. -Kay, Emma and David Last. “The Spiritual Dimension of Peacekeeping: A Dual Role for the Chaplaincy?” Peace Research: The Canadian Journal of Peace Studies, Vol. 31, No. 1 (February 1999): 66-75. -Nardin, Terry, ed. Ethics of War and Peace: Religious and Secular Perspectives. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1994. -Novak, Philip. The World’s Wisdom: Sacred Texts of the World’s Religions. New York: HarperCollins, 1994. -Rychler, Luc. “Religion and Conflict.” International Journal of Peace Studies, Vol. 2, No. 1 (1997): 19-38. -Sampson, Cynthia. “Religion and Peacebuilding.” In Peacemaking in International Conflict, ed. I. William Zartman and J. Lewis Rasmussen, pp. 273-316. Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace, 1997. -Sisk, Timothy D. Between Terror and Tolerance: Religious Leaders, Conflict, and Peacemaking. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press, 2011. -Smock, David. “Religion and World Affairs: Its Role in Conflict and Peace” (Special Report 201). Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace, February 2008. -Stackhouse, Max L. “Politics and Religion.” The Encyclopedia of Religion, ed. Mircea Eliade, et al. New York: Macmillan, 1986. -Thomas, Scott. The Global Resurgence of Religion and the Transformation of International Relations: The Struggle for the Soul of the Twenty-First Century. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005. -Thompson, Henry O. World Religions in War and Peace. McFarland & Co., 1988. -Ward, Keith. Is Religion Dangerous? Lion Publishing, 2006. -Wuye, James and Muhammad Ashafa. “The Pastor and the Imam: The Muslim-Christian Dialogue Forum in Nigeria.” In People Building Peace II: Successful Stories of Civil Society, ed. Paul van Tongeren, et al. (Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner, 2005), pp. 226-232.

* * * PART II: RELIGIOUS PERSPECTIVES ON CONFLICT AND PEACE

WEEK THREE (Jan. 16 and 18): JUDAISM What are some of the key positions on peace issues within the Jewish tradition? How have textual sources and historical experiences shaped these positions? Required reading:

Michael Henderson, No Enemy to Conquer. o pp. 19-33 of Chapter 1 (“Clash or Alliance?”).

*Reuven Firestone, “Judaism on Violence and Reconciliation: An Examination of Key Sources,” in Beyond Violence: Religious Sources of Social Transformation in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, ed. James L. Heft (New York: Fordham University Press, 2004), pp. 74-87.

Guest speaker: Bob Chodos, Interfaith Grand River Learning exercises:

What are some core Jewish values and scriptural resources that have a bearing on peace- and justice- related issues? How can Judaism inform peacebuilding practice?

What are some recent historical experiences that have an impact on contemporary Jewish approaches to peacemaking?

Who are some modern Jewish spokespersons on matters pertaining to peace? Further reading on Judaism and peace: -Eisen, Robert. The Peace and Violence of Judaism: From the Bible to Modern Zionism. New York: Oxford University Press, 2011. -Gopin, Marc. Between Eden and Armageddon: The Future of World Religions, Violence, and Peacemaking. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. -Gopin, Marc. “Judaism and Peacebuilding in the Context of Middle Eastern Conflict,” in Faith-Based Diplomacy: Trumping Realpolitik, ed. Douglas Johnston (New York: Oxford University Press, 2003), pp. 91-123. -Leon, Dan. “Martin Buber and Jewish-Arab Peace.” Cross Currents, Vol. 49, No. 1 (Spring 1999): 39-44.

Source: http://localtheology.com/?p=397

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-Milgrom, Jeremy. “Let Your Love for Me Vanquish Your Hatred for Him: Nonviolence and Modern Judaism.” Subverting Hatred: The Challenge of Nonviolence in Religious Tradition, ed. Daniel L. Smith-Christopher. Cambridge, MA: Boston Research Center for the 21st Century, 1998. 115-139. -Polner, Murray and Naomi Goodman, eds. The Challenge of Shalom: The Jewish Tradition of Peace and Justice. Philadelphia, PA: New Society Publishers, 1994. -Sacks, Jonathan. The Dignity of Difference: How to Avoid the Clash of Civilizations. London: Continuum, 2003. -Wald, M. Jewish Teachings on Peace. New York: Bloch, 1944. -Zlotowitz, Bernard M. “A Jewish Perspective on Global Issues.” Toward a Global Civilization? The Contribution of Religions, ed. Patricia M. Mische and Melissa Merkling. New York: Peter Lang Publishing, 2001. 216-229.

WEEK FOUR (Jan. 23 and 25): CHRISTIANITY What are some of the key positions on peace issues within the Christian tradition? How have textual sources and historical experiences shaped these positions? Required reading:

Michael Henderson, No Enemy to Conquer. o Chapter 2 (“Reaching out to the Other”) and pp. 79-91 of

Chapter 3.

*Henry O. Thompson, “II. Christianity,” in World Religions in War and Peace (London: McFarland & Co., 1988), pp. 18-36.

Learning exercises:

What are some core Christian values and scriptural resources that have a bearing on peace- and justice- related issues? How can Christianity inform peacebuilding practice?

What are some recent historical experiences that have an impact on contemporary Christian approaches to peacemaking?

Who are some modern Christian spokespersons on matters pertaining to peace?

Further reading on Christianity and peace: -Ambler, Rex. Global Theology: The Meaning of Faith in the Present World Crisis. Philadelphia: Trinity Press International, 1990. -Assefa, Hizkias. Peace and Reconciliation as a Paradigm. Nairobi, Kenya: Nairobi Peace Initiative, 1993. -Bartoli, Andrea. “Christianity and Peacebuilding.” Religion and Peacebuilding. Ed. Harold G. Coward and Gordon S. Smith. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 2004. -Cahill, Lisa Sowle. Love Your Enemies: Discipleship, Pacifism, and Just War Theory. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1994. -Klassen, William. Love of Enemies: The Way to Peace. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1984. -Merton, Thomas. Passion for Peace: The Social Essays. Ed. William H. Shannon. Crossroad Publishing Co., 1995. -Sampson, Cynthia and John Paul Lederach, eds. From the Ground Up: Mennonite Contributions to International Peacebuilding. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. -Shannon, William H. Seeds of Peace: Contemplation and Non-Violence. New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 1996. -Shriver, Donald. An Ethic for Enemies: Forgiveness in Politics. New York: Oxford University Press, 1995. -Smith, David Whitten and Elizabeth Geraldine Burr. “Christian Social Teachings.” In Understanding World Religions: A Road Map for Justice and Peace, pp. 227-252. Toronto: Rowman & Littlefield, 2007. -Smith-Christopher, Daniel L. “Political Atheism and Radical Faith: The Challenge of Christian Nonviolence in the Third Millennium.” Subverting Hatred: The Challenge of Nonviolence in Religious Tradition. Ed. Daniel L. Smith-Christopher, pp. 141-165. Cambridge, MA: Boston Research Center for the 21st Century, 1998. -Stassen, Glen, ed. Just Peacemaking: Ten Practices for Abolishing War. Cleveland, OH: The Pilgrim Press, 1998. -Swartley, Willard M. Covenant of Peace: The Missing Peace in New Testament Theology. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2006. -Yoder, John Howard. Christian Attitudes to War, Peace, and Revolution, ed. Theodore J. Koontz and Andy Alexis-Baker. Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos, 2009.

Source: www.gocek.org/christiansymbols/images/

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WEEK FIVE (Jan. 30 and Feb. 1): ISLAM What are some of the key positions on peace issues within the Islamic tradition? How have textual sources and historical experiences shaped these positions? Required reading:

Michael Henderson, No Enemy to Conquer. o pp. 92-108 of Chapter 3.

>S. Ayse Kadayifci-Orellana, “Religion, Violence, and the Islamic Tradition of Nonviolence,” Turkish Yearbook of International Relations, No.34, 2003 (available online in LEARN).

*Kurtz, Lester R., “Peace Profile: Abdul Ghaffar Khan's Nonviolent Jihad,” Peace Review, Vol. 23, No. 2 (2011), pp. 245-251.

Learning exercises:

What are some core Islamic values and scriptural resources that have a bearing on peace- and justice- related issues? How can Islam inform peacebuilding practice?

What are some recent historical experiences that have an impact on contemporary Muslim approaches to peacemaking?

Who are some modern Muslim spokespersons on matters pertaining to peace?

Describe similarities and differences between conceptions of peace in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. What similarities and differences between these understandings of peace do you find most intriguing or significant?

Further reading on Islam and peace: -Abu-Nimer, Mohammed. Nonviolence and Peacebuilding in Islam: Theory and Practice. Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida, 2003. -Denny, Frederick M. “Islam and Peacebuilding.” Religion and Peacebuilding. Ed. Harold G. Coward and Gordon S. Smith. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 2004. -Easwaran, Eknath. Nonviolent Soldier of Islam: Badshah Khan, a Man to Match His Mountains. Tomales, CA: Nilgiri Press, 1999. -Ersever, Oya G. “The Humanistic Philosophies of Mevlana Rumi and Carl Rogers.” Peace Research: The Canadian Journal of Peace Studies, Vol. 31, No. 3 (August 1999): 42-50. -Funk, Nathan C. and Abdul Aziz Said. Islam and Peacemaking in the Middle East. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2009. -Hashmi, Sohail. “Interpreting the Islamic Ethics of War and Peace.” The Ethics of War and Peace. Ed. Terry Nardin. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1996. -Huda, Qamar-ul, ed. Crescent and Dove: Peace and Conflict Resolution in Islam. Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace Press, 2010. -Koylu, Mustafa. “Peace Education: An Islamic Approach.” Journal of Peace Education, Vol. 1, No. 1 (March 2004): 59-76. -Osman, Mohamed Fathi. “God Is the All-Peace, the All-Merciful.” In Beyond Violence: Religious Sources of Social Transformation in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, ed. James L. Heft, pp. 57-73. New York: Fordham University Press, 2004. -Said, Abdul Aziz, Nathan C. Funk, and Ayse S. Kadayifci, eds. Peace and Conflict Resolution in Islam. Lanham, MD: The University Press of America, 2001. -Sikand, Yoginder. “Peace, Dialogue, and Da’wa: An Analysis of the Writings of Maulana Wahiduddin Khan.” Islam and Muslim-Christian Relations, Vol. 14, No. 1 (January 2003): 33-49.

Source: www.harappa.com/sounds/gif/ghaffar.jpg

Source: http://mpf21.wordpress.com/about-2/

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WEEK SIX (Feb. 6 and 8): HINDUISM AND BUDDHISM

What are some of the key positions on peace issues within Hindu and Buddhist traditions? How have textual sources and historical experiences shaped these positions? Required reading:

*Rajmohan Gandhi, “Hinduism and Peacebuilding,” in Religion and Peacebuilding, ed. Harold Coward and Gordon Smith (Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 2004), pp. 45-68.

*Christopher S. Queen, “The Peace Wheel: Nonviolent Activism in the Buddhist Tradition,” in Subverting Hatred: The Challenge of Nonviolence in Religious Traditions, ed. Daniel L. Smith-Christopher (Cambridge, MA: Boston Research Center for the 21st Century, 1998), pp. 25-47.

Learning exercises:

Identify relevant terms in the religious vocabularies of Hinduism and Buddhism for values such as peace, social justice, and reconciliation. What are some core values and scriptural resources that have a bearing on peace- and justice- related issues? How can these religions inform peacebuilding practice?

What are some recent historical experiences that have an impact on contemporary approaches to peacemaking within Hinduism and Buddhism?

Who are some modern Hindu and Buddhist spokespersons on matters pertaining to peace?

Describe similarities and differences between conceptions of peace offered by Abrahamic and South Asian world religions. Further reading on Hinduism and peace: -Bakker, J. I. Gandhi and the Gita. Toronto: Canadian Scholars’ Press, 1993. -Chapple, Christopher Key. Nonviolence to Animals, Earth, and Self in Asian Traditions. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 1993. -Merton, Thomas, ed. Gandhi on Non-Violence. New York: New Directions, 1965. -Sharma, Satish. “Peace and Nonviolence in the Indian Religious Tradition.” Peace Research: The Canadian Journal of Peace Studies, Vol. 31, No. 1 (February 1999): 58-65. -Shepard, Mark. Gandhi Today: The Story of Mahatma Gandhi’s Successors. Washington, DC: Seven Locks Press, 1987. -Shastri, Sunanda Y. and Yajneshwar S. Shastri. “Ahimsa and the Unity of All Things: A Hindu View of Nonviolence.” Subverting Hatred: The Challenge of Nonviolence in Religious Tradition. Ed. Daniel L. Smith-Christopher. Cambridge, MA: Boston Research Center for the 21st Century, 1998. 67-84. -Sundararajan, K. R. “Hinduism and Global Society.” Toward a Global Civilization? The Contribution of Religions. Ed. Patricia M. Mische and Melissa Merkling. New York: Peter Lang Publishing, 2001. 87-99. -Tahtinen, Unto. Ahimsa: Nonviolence in Indian Tradition. London: Ryder, 1976. -Weber, Thomas. “The Impact of Gandhi on the Development of Johan Gantung’s Peace Research.” Global Change, Peace, and Security, Vol. 16, No. 1 (February 2004): 31-43. Further reading on Buddhism and peace: -Chappell, David W., ed. Buddhist Peacework: Creating Cultures of Peace. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 1999. -Chapple, Christopher Key. Nonviolence to Animals, Earth, and Self in Asian Traditions. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 1993. -Dhammayietra Centre. “The Dhammayietra Peace Walk in Cambodia.” In People Building Peace II: Successful Stories of Civil Society, ed. Paul van Tongeren, et al., pp. 233-238. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner, 2005. -Eppsteiner, Fred, ed. The Path of Compassion: Writings on Socially Engaged Buddhism. Berkeley, CA: Parallax Press, 1988. -Hahn, Thich Nhat. Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life. New York: Bantam Books, 1991. -Kraft, Kenneth. Inner Peace, World Peace: Essays on Buddhism and Nonviolence. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 1992. -Piburn, Sidney, ed. The Dalai Lama: A Policy of Kindness. Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion Publications, 1990. -Rothberg, Donald. “Buddhist Responses to Violence and War.” Journal of Humanistic Psychology, Vol. 32, No. 4 (1992): 41-75. -Sivaraksa, Sulak. Conflict, Culture, and Change: Engaged Buddhism in a Globalizing World. Wisdom Publications, 2005. -Weber, Thomas. “Gandhi, Deep Ecology, Peace Research, and Buddhist Economics.” Journal of Peace Research, Vol. 36, No. 3 (1999): 349-362.

Source: http://members.iinet.net.au/~pictim/peace/flag.html

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WEEK SEVEN (Feb. 13 and 15): COMPARATIVE REFLECTIONS How can the role religion plays in conflict be transformed to support active peacemaking? How can/should government policymakers engage the role of religion in conflict and peacemaking? What roles can religion and spirituality play in peacebuilding, coexistence, and advocacy for a more just and equitable society? Required reading:

Michael Henderson, No Enemy to Conquer. o Chapter 4.

*John Siebert, “Religion and Violent Conflict: A Practitioner’s Functional Approach,” The Ploughshares Monitor, Vol. 28, No. 2 (Summer 2007), pp. 8-12.

Short Writing Assignment due Learning exercises:

Define key terms such as communal identity and conflict transformation.

Describe stages of conflict escalation and de-escalation, and identify ways in which religious actors can contribute to both of these processes. What can/should be done to manage conflict between people who adhere to different belief systems?

Offer explanations for the diversity of views that may be found within religious traditions on such issues as peacebuilding, social justice, coexistence, and human rights. Why do understandings often vary within a single religious tradition?

Reflect on ways in which experiences of conflict can shape a person’s understanding of their religion’s stance on peace and justice issues. What are some different ways in which religious individuals can respond to persecution and injustice?

List possible criteria for a “successful” religious peacebuilding initiative in a situation of profound conflict and distrust. How should we define “success”? On what basis should we evaluate peacebuilding efforts that are motivated by (or sensitive to) religious beliefs?

Further reading: -Bercovitch, Jacob and S. Ayse Kadayifci-Orellana. “Religion and Mediation: The Role of Faith-Based Actors in International Conflict Resolution.” International Negotiation, Vol. 14 (2009), pp. 175-204. -Johnston, Douglas and Jonathan Eastvold. “History Unrequited: Religion in the Bosnian Conflict.” Religion and Peacebuilding, ed. Harold Coward and Gordon Smith. Albany, NY: SUNY, 2004. -Fox, Johnathan. Ethnoreligious Conflict in the Late Twentieth Century: A General Theory. New York: Lexington Books, 2002. -Funk, Nathan C. and Abdul Aziz Said. “Islam and the West: Narratives of Conflict and Conflict Transformation.” International Journal of Peace Studies, Vol. 9, No. 1 (Spring/Summer 2004): 1-28. -Gopin, Marc. Holy War, Holy Peace: How Religion Can Bring Peace to the Middle East. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002. -Hinze, Bradford E. “Jewish, Christian, Muslim Trialogue.” Heirs of Abraham, dd. B. Hinze and Irfan Omar. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 2005. -Landau, Yehezkel. Healing the Holy Land: Interreligious Peacebuilding in Israel/Palestine. Washington, DC: USIP, 2003. Available online at www.usip.org/pubs/peaceworks/pwks51.html. -Smith, David Whitten, and Elizabeth Geraldine Burr. Understanding World Religions: A Road Map for Justice and Peace. Toronto: Rowman & Littlefield, 2007. -Smock, David, ed. Religious Perspectives on War: Christian, Muslim, and Jewish Attitudes toward Force after the Gulf War. Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace, 1992. -United States Institute of Peace. Religious Contributions to Peacemaking: When Religion Brings Peace, Not War. Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace, 2006. -United States Institute of Peace. Reports on Religion and Peacemaking. http://www.usip.org/pubs/reports.html.

Feb. 20 and 22: No Class (Reading Week)

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PART III: TASKS FOR RELIGIOUS PEACEBUILDING

WEEK EIGHT (Feb. 27 and 29): ENGAGING DIVERSITY, BUILDING COMMUNITY What are some of the different ways of understanding the significance of religious differences? What are some approaches to religious diversity that have been embraced by religious peacebuilders? Required reading:

*Brice H. Balmer, “Introduction,” Meeting Our Multifaith Neighbors (Waterloo, ON: Herald Press, 2006), pp. 9-23.

*Paulus S. Widjaja, “Recognizing the Other’s Insecurity: Experiences of Christian-Muslim Relations in Indonesia,” in At Peace and Unafraid, ed. Duane K. Friesen and Gerald W. Schlabach (Waterloo, ON: Herald Press, 2005), pp. 261-274.

Learning exercises:

Balmer notes the growing religious diversity of North American communities. Describe what you would consider to be appropriate ways of cultivating trust and relationship in contemporary North American contexts.

Describe your own reaction to the following frameworks for understanding responses to religious diversity: 1) exclusive/inclusive/pluralist, and 2) replacement/fulfillment/appreciation/mutuality.

Offer explanations for the diversity of views that may be found within religious traditions on religious pluralism. How/Why do understandings and norms often vary within a single religious tradition?

Identify principles that guide your own interactions with people whose belief systems and convictions (whether religious or secular) differ profoundly from your own. Have you ever felt challenged to move beyond your own “comfort zone”? Can engaging the experiences “the religious other” be spiritually beneficial?

Describe your own experiences with interfaith or secular-religious dialogue. What do you see as some of the more significant challenges and opportunities associated with such activities?

Identify strengths and limitations of “tolerance” as a principle for governing relationships between different cultural and religious communities.

Reflect on the role of interreligious dialogue in contemporary peacebuilding practice. How important is it?

Further reading: -Brauch, Manfred T. “Choosing Exclusion or Embrace: An Abrahamic Theological Perspective.” Religion and Security: The New Nexus in International Relations. Ed. Robert A. Seiple and Dennis R. Hoover, pp. 61-82. Toronto: Rowman & Littlefield, 2004. -Bryant, M. Darrol. Religion in a New Key, 2nd ed. Kitchener, ON: Pandora Press, 2001. -Cox, Harvey. “World Religions and Conflict Resolution.” In Religion, the Missing Dimension of Statecraft, ed. Douglas Johnston and Cynthia Sampson, pp. 266-282. New York: Oxford, 1994. -Dula, Peter and Alain Epp Weaver, eds., Border and Bridges: Mennonite Witness in a Religiously Diverse World (Telford, PA: Cascadia Publishing House, 2007). -Garfinkle, Renee. What Works? Evaluating Interfaith Dialogue Programs. Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace, 2004. http://www.usip.org/pubs/specialreports/sr123.html. -Knitter, Paul F. Introducing Theologies of Religions. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2002. -Stendahl, Krister. “Religious Pluralism and the Claim to Uniqueness.” Education as Transformation: Religious Pluralism, Spirituality, and a New Vision for Higher Education in America. Ed. Victor H. Kazanjian and Peter L. Laurance. New York: Peter Lang Publishing Group, 2000. -Volf, Miroslav. Exclusion and Embrace. Abingdon Press, 1996.

Source: http://www.southlondoninterfaith.org.uk/remembrance-sunday/

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WEEK NINE (Mar. 5 and 7): DEVELOPING SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES What are some ways in which religious peacebuilding can be organized, implemented, and sustained? What is the role of faith-based organizations in contemporary peacebuilding? Required reading:

*Douglas Johnston, “Faith-Based Organizations: The Religious Dimension of Peacebuilding,” in People Building Peace II: Successful Stories of Civil Society, ed. Paul van Tongeren, et al. (Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner, 2005), pp. 209-218.

*Kathleen Kern, “Christian Peacemaker Teams,” in Nonviolent Intervention Across Borders: A Recurrent Vision, ed. Yeshua Moser-Puangsuwan and Thomas Weber (Honolulu, Hawai’i: Spark M. Matsunaga Institute for Peace, University of Hawai’i, 2000), pp. 175-190.

Learning exercises:

Articulate your preliminary response to practices of religious peacebuilding such as nonviolent action/witness, interfaith dialogue, multifaith projects/coalitions, education/training, and mediation. Which practices of religious peacebuilding are most compelling to you? Are there any practices with which you would like to become engaged?

Identify a short list of “misconceptions” about religion and peacebuilding. Why have these misconceptions arisen, and what can or should be done about them?

Compare “religious” approaches to peacebuilding with their more “secular” counterparts. Do religious perspectives add anything to our understandings of peace and conflict? To what extent can/should religious and secular peace advocates work collaboratively?

Articulate your own understanding of religion’s role in social change. What are some historical social movements in which religion has played a major role? How essential is a religious vision to social change?

Describe some possible barriers to religious peace/justice advocacy. Why do some religious believers understand peace and justice as imperatives of their tradition, while other members of the same group prioritize different values? What might be done to overcome distrust or resistance within one’s own community?

Further reading: -Abu-Nimer, Mohammed. “Conflict Resolution, Culture, and Religion: Toward a Training Model of Interreligious Peacebuilding.” Journal of Peace Research, Vol. 38, No. 6 (2001): 685-704. -Gopin, Marc. “Religion, Violence, and Conflict Transformation.” Peace and Change, Vol. 22, No. 1 (January 1997): 1-31. -Johnston, Douglas, ed. Faith-Based Diplomacy: Trumping Realpolitik. Toronto: Oxford University Press, 2003. -Johnston, Douglas and Cynthia Sampson, eds. Religion, the Missing Dimension of Statecraft. Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1994. -Smith-Christopher, Daniel L., ed. Subverting Hatred: The Challenge of Nonviolence in Religious Traditions. Cambridge, MA: The Boston Research Center for the 21st Century, 1998.

Source: http://www.boerner.net/jboerner/?p=7181

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WEEK TEN (Mar. 12 and 14): PUTTING SPIRITUALITY INTO PRACTICE What are some ways in which spirituality can inform practical peacemaking efforts? How important are spiritually motivated role models, leaders, and exemplars in campaigns for social change? How does gender play a role in the practice of religious peacebuilding? Required reading:

*Monika K. Hellwig, “Peacefulness, a Personal Discipline,” in A Case for Peace in Reason and Faith (Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1992), pp. 77-89.

*Katherine Marshall and Susan Hayward, et al., “Peaceworks No. 71: Women in Religious Peacebuilding” (Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace, 2011).

*Mother Teresa, “Mother Teresa,” in What Does It Mean to Be Human? Reverence for Life Reaffirmed by Responses from Around the World, ed. Frederick Franck, Janis Roze, and Richard Connolly (New York: St. Martin’s Griffin, 2000), pp. 85-87.

Learning exercises:

Discuss the role of leadership in peacebuilding. If you were to advise religious leaders or members of a faith community about how they could contribute to peace, what would you suggest to them?

Describe key qualities and/or competencies of a “religious peacebuilder.” Where do these qualities or competencies come from? How are they cultivated? Can you think of any particularly strong exemplars of religious peacebuilding? What role does personal spirituality play in peacemaking?

Identify religious and spiritual values that are particularly important for the formation of religious peacebuilders, in the religious traditions with which you are most familiar. What are the values? What are some different ways in which they find expression?

Further reading: -Abdullah, Sharif. “The Internal Revolution – Feeding Your Internal Hunger,” 149-183. Creating a World That Works for All. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler, 1999. -Berndt, Hagen. Non-Violence in the World Religions: Vision and Reality. London: SCM Press, 2000. -Cobban, Helena. The Moral Architecture of World Peace. Charlottesville, VA: The University of Virginia Press, 2000. -Groff, Linda and Paul Smoker. “Spirituality, Religion, Culture, and Peace: Exploring the Foundations for Inner-Outer Peace in the Twenty-First Century.” International Journal of Peace Studies, Vol. 1, No. 1 (1996): 57-113. -Hunt, Scott A. The Future of Peace: On the Front Lines with the World’s Great Peacemakers. New York: HarperCollins, 2002. -Kazanjian, Victor H. and Peter L. Laurance, eds. Education as Transformation: Religious Pluralism, Spirituality, and a New Vision for Higher Education in America. New York: Peter Lang Publishing Group, 2000. -King, Mary. Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.: The Power of Nonviolent Action. UNESCO, 1999. -Merton, Thomas. Thomas Merton on Peace. New York: McCall Publishing Co., 1971.

Source: www.smallthings.ca

Source: http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2010/06/stand-with-aung-san-suu-kyi.html

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WEEK ELEVEN (Mar. 19 and 21): FOSTERING RECONCILIATION Can religious peacebuilding play a special role in promoting reconciliation, and in creating spaces for transformation? What are some examples of religiously inspired reconciliation efforts? Required reading:

*John Paul Lederach, “The Journey Toward the Face of God,” The Journey Toward Reconciliation (Waterloo, ON: Herald Press, 1999), pp. 17-26.

Michael Henderson, No Enemy to Conquer. o Chapter 5, Chapter 6, and Afterword.

Learning exercises:

Discuss the role of religion and spirituality in forgiveness/reconciliation processes. Do religious and spirituality provide any particularly compelling resources for fostering change at a deep level?

Reflect on the most important lessons you are drawing from the overall course experience. Which experiences, readings, or discussions were most significant for you? Which cases have you found most interesting? Why?

Drawing upon perspectives explored in this class, develop a proposal for addressing a contemporary conflict issue. Further reading: -Cobban, Helena. “Transforming Systems of Violence at the Intergroup Level: Desmond Tutu and Reconciliation in South Africa.” The Moral Architecture of World Peace, pp. 128-150. Charlottesville, VA: The University of Virginia Press, 2000. -Gort, Jerald D., et al., eds. Religion, Conflict, and Reconciliation: Multifaith Ideals and Realities. New York: Rodopi, 2002. -Henderson, Michael. The Forgiveness Factor: Stories of Hope in a World of Conflict. London: Grosvenor Books, 1996. -Lederach, John Paul. Building Peace: Sustainable Reconciliation in Divided Societies. Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace, 1997. -Luttwak, Edward. “Franco-German Reconciliation.” Religion, the Missing Dimension of Statecraft, ed. Douglas Johnston and Cynthia Sampson. New York: Oxford University Press, 1994. -Menocal, Maria Rosa. The Ornament of the World: How Muslims, Jews, and Christians Created a Culture of Tolerance in Medieval Spain. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 2002. -Montville, Joseph and Heidi Winder. “Creative Coexistence in Muslim Spain.” Posive Approaches to Peacebuilding, ed. Sampson, Abu-Nimer, Liebler & Whitney. Washington, DC: PACT Publications, 2003. -Vern Neufeld Redekop. From Violence to Blessing: How an Understanding of Deep-Rooted Conflict Can Open Paths to Reconciliation. Toronto: Novalis, 2002. -Schirch, Lisa. “Ritual Reconciliation: Transforming Identity/Reframing Conflict.” In Reconciliation, Justice, and Coexistence, ed. Mohammed Abu-Nimer, pp. 145-161. New York: Lexington Books, 2001. -Tutu, Desmond. No Future Without Forgiveness. Toronto: Random House, 1999.

Source: www.digital-culture.net/ Sulha/source/5.htm

Source: mypage.bluewin.ch/ vifs/Vifs8/Index8.htm

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WEEK TWELVE (Mar. 26 and 28): SEEKING POINTS OF UNITY What are the prospects for cooperative interreligious efforts to address challenging global issues such as poverty, ecological degradation, human rights abuses, and war? What guidelines should apply to initiatives that seek points of unity in a religiously and culturally diverse world? Required reading:

*Vaclav Havel, “The Divine Revolution,” Civilization, April/May 1998.

*Hans Kung, “Will a Global Ethic Prevail?” in Yes to a Global Ethic, ed. Hans Kung (New York: Continuum, 1996), pp. 1-5.

*Victor Kazanjian, “Beyond Tolerance: The Role of Religion and Spirituality in the Search for Community” (unpublished manuscript prepared for the Spring 1996 Peace Studies Association conference at Earlham College in Richmond, IN).

*Joseph Liechty, “Mitigation in Northern Ireland: A Strategy for Living in Peace When Truth Claims Clash,” in Interfaith Dialogue and Peacebuilding, ed. David Smock (Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace, 2002), pp. 89-101.

Learning exercises:

Evaluate the importance of identifying and defining values that are shared across religious, cultural, and/or ideological boundaries. How worthwhile is the search for common values, as manifested in efforts to identify a “global ethic,” to itemize elements of “peace culture,” or to generate cooperative support for human rights and ecological principles?

Describe ways in which peacebuilders can reinforce a sense of common humanity among people who have experienced profound conflict. If you were to offer suggestions to a group involved in such peacebuilding efforts, what type of advice would you give? Can you think of any essential principles to guide practice?

Further reading: -Arinze, Francis Cardinal. Religions for Peace: A Call for Solidarity to the Religions of the World. New York: Doubleday, 2002. -Aydin, Mehmet S. “The Religious Contribution to Developing Shared Values and Peace.” Journal of Ecumenical Studies, Vol. 39, No. 1/2 (Winter/Spring 2002): 32-38. -Braybrook, Marcus. Stepping Stones to a Global Ethic. London: SCM Press, 1992. -Dallmayr, Fred. Dialogue Among Civilizations: Some Exemplary Voices. New York: Pallgrave Macmillan, 2002. -Falk, Richard. Religion and Humane Global Governance. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2001. -Gordon, Haim and Leonard Grob, eds. Education for Peace: Testimonies from World Religions. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1987. -Kelsay, John and Sumner B. Twiss. Religion and Human Rights. New York: The Project on Religion and Human Rights, 1994. -Kinsley, David R. Ecology and Religion: Ecological Spirituality in Cross-Cultural Perspective. Prentice-Hall, 1994. -Kung, Hans, ed. Yes to a Global Ethic. New York: Continuum, 1996. -Mische, Patricia M. and Melissa Merkling, eds. Toward a Global Civilization? The Contribution of Religions. New York: Peter Lang Publishing, 2001. -Paeth, Scott, R. “Shared Values in Communal Life: Provisional Skepticism and the Prospect of a Global Ethic.” Journal of Ecumenical Studies, Vol. 42, No. 3 (Summer 2007), pp. 407-424. -Picco, Giandomenico, et al. Crossing the Divide: Dialogue among Civilizations. South Orange, NJ: Seton Hall University, 2001. -Sacks, Jonathan. The Dignity of Difference: How to Avoid the Clash of Civilizations. London: Continuum, 2003. -Swidler, Arlene, ed. Human Rights in Religious Traditions. New York: The Pilgrim Press, 1982. -Traer, Robert. Faith in Human Rights: Support in Religious Traditions for a Global Struggle. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press, 1991.

WEEK THIRTEEN (Apr. 2): WRAPPING UP

Source: www.onearthpeace.org/drupal/