Menu

United States Institute of Peace

Home ▶ Events

Religious Discrimination During Crises: A Global Perspective

Date: Monday, June 14, 2021 / Time: 12:00pm - 1:15pm 

Center: Applied Conflict Transformation Center

Share This
Print the Page

Political crises often provide motivation and cover for increased persecution of religious minority communities — a pattern underscored yet again by the COVID-19 pandemic. But why do certain communities become targets and not others? Why do governments sometimes support and even initiate this discrimination? Why does this scapegoating lead to widespread violence in some cases?

On June 14, USIP, the Ansari Institute for Global Engagement with Religion and the Keough School of Global Affairs took a closer look at the complex social, political, economic and religious factors that fuel discrimination towards religious minority communities during periods of political uncertainty. Panelists discussed cross-national trends identified through the USAID-USIP Closing the Gap project, as well as recent events in Myanmar and Iraq. They will also examined anti-Semitism in a global context. And finally, this conversation considered lessons from the U.S. context and explore policy interventions for reducing tensions and promoting peace. 

Continue the conversation on Twitter with #FoRBinCrisis.

Speakers

Mahan Mirza, opening remarks
Executive Director, Ansari Institute for Global Engagement with Religion, University of Notre Dame

Sabrina Dent
Senior Faith Advisor, Americans United for Separation of Church and State

Billy Ford
Program Officer, Burma, U.S. Institute of Peace

Knox Thames
Senior Fellow, Institute of Global Engagement 

Jason Klocek, moderator 
Senior Researcher, U.S. Institute of Peace 

Related Publications

The Latest @ USIP: Peacebuilding Lessons from Northern Ireland’s Religious Actors

The Latest @ USIP: Peacebuilding Lessons from Northern Ireland’s Religious Actors

Monday, June 26, 2023

By: Reverend Gary Mason

One of the keys to the Northern Ireland peace process was patience — and with it, a long-term commitment from religious actors to pursue nonviolent avenues of ending the conflict. Reverend Gary Mason, a senior research fellow at Maynooth University, discusses how longstanding relationships between religious actors and their communities can open doors for dialogue that might be unavailable to other peacebuilders and how his experience in Northern Ireland can inform his new work to promote peace in the Middle East.

Type: Blog

Peace Processes;  Religion

The Latest @ USIP: Religious Actors Work Together for Peace in the DRC

The Latest @ USIP: Religious Actors Work Together for Peace in the DRC

Wednesday, May 24, 2023

By: Reverend Eric Nsenga;  Monsignor Donatien Nshole

Religious leaders in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are banding together to help prevent conflict and violence ahead of elections planned for later this year. Monsignor Donatien Nshole and Reverend Eric Nsenga, who represent two of the largest church organizations in the country, discuss their efforts to support better governance in the DRC, what’s blocking political agreements from being implemented, and the importance of civic engagement at the local level to maintain peace.

Type: Blog

Democracy & Governance;  Peace Processes;  Religion

The U.S. Strategy for International Religious Engagement: 10 Years On

The U.S. Strategy for International Religious Engagement: 10 Years On

Tuesday, May 23, 2023

By: Peter Mandaville, Ph.D.;  Julia Schiwal

In 2013, the United States adopted its first ever “National Strategy on Integrating Religious Leader and Faith Community Engagement into U.S. Foreign Policy.” This White House strategy acknowledged the significant contributions of religious leaders and faith communities to human rights, global health and development, and conflict mitigation; and provided an interagency blueprint for integrating more robust engagement with religious actors across a broad range of foreign policy and national security issues. A decade later religious engagement remains a vital but underdeveloped capacity in U.S. foreign policy, and the strategy’s 10th anniversary offers a natural opportunity to revitalize strategic thinking and spur new action on this agenda.

Type: Analysis and Commentary

Religion

The Latest @ USIP: International Cooperation in Disaster Responses

The Latest @ USIP: International Cooperation in Disaster Responses

Wednesday, May 17, 2023

By: Joe Wang

Without quick, coordinated action in the wake of disaster, the disruption to daily life can make communities more susceptible to violence and conflict. This often involves providing people with immediate needs such as food, water and shelter. But humanitarian relief often encompasses much more — from education to medical care and cultural programs. The Taiwan Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation’s Joe Wang discusses how better cooperation can help humanitarian organizations prepare for the next disaster and why meeting a community’s medium- and long-term needs is crucial for their path back toward stability.

Type: Blog

Fragility & Resilience;  Religion

View All Publications