Since 2018, USIP, InclusivePeace and the International Center for Religion & Diplomacy have been conducting research that explores the roles that religious actors play in track 1 dialogues and official peace processes. While distinct cases demonstrate the impact — both real and potential — that religious actors and communities have on formal peace processes, little research or analysis exists to show whether, when, how, and to what extent religious actors should be engaged as part of these processes. By understanding more precisely how religious actors influence the course of official peace processes, both negatively and positively, USIP and partners can more effectively shape the support provided to ensure maximum impact.

Nobel Peace Prize 2011, Tawakkul Karman, Leymah Gbowee, and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
Leymah Gbowee's engagement of Christian and Muslim women in nonviolent action was pivotal to the success of Liberia's peace process. Gbowee pictured with Tawakkul Karman and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, 2011.

But religious actors can also support peace processes by acting as inside mediators, shuttle diplomats, observers and official facilitators — such as Bishop Carlos Belo, who raised global awareness to end Indonesia’s oppression of the East Timorese, and Leymeh Gbowee, who led Muslim and Christian women in nonviolent direct action to pressure parties in Liberia’s peace talks.

This project builds on the evolving dynamics in peace processes, particularly efforts to broaden participation among various constituencies to enhance legitimacy, develop buy-in and mitigate the impact of spoilers as a means to achieve sustainable peace; as well as to build on the increased recognition of insider mediators — a role that can include religious actors. This collaborative initiative seeks to:

Conduct in-depth research by developing a categorization of how religious actors have engaged and impacted peace processes. This includes case study analysis and interviews, as well as convenings between experts and practitioners, to inform more knowledgeable engagement of religious actors for future peace processes. 

Inform experts and policymakers on how to effectively engage religious actors in future peace processes based on an analytical report and case studies. This involves establishing a consortium of policymakers, practitioners and scholars who contribute to research methodology and process, resource design and development, and policy recommendations through a series of workshops and consultations designed to analyze and exchange practices. Key learning will inform engagement in current and future peace processes.

Support inclusive engagement in peace processes by developing a support mechanism which provides direct analysis, technical knowledge and insight, capacity building, and direct engagement of key religious actors and communities in current contexts. Key resources, such as training materials and workshop design, will help to build the knowledge and skills of policymakers, track 1 actors, religious actors and their communities as they engage in formal peace processes, agreements and implementation.

Latest Publications

Moscow Concert Hall Attack Will Have Far-Reaching Impact

Moscow Concert Hall Attack Will Have Far-Reaching Impact

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

By: Mary Glantz, Ph.D.;  Gavin Helf, Ph.D.;  Asfandyar Mir, Ph.D.;  Andrew Watkins

On Friday, terrorists attacked the Crocus City Hall outside Moscow leaving 140 people dead and 80 others critically wounded. Soon after, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack. The terrorist group, which is headquartered in Iraq and Syria, has several branches, including in South and Central Asia. Press reports suggest the U.S. government believes the Afghanistan-based affiliate of the Islamic State, ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K), was behind the attack. The Biden administration has publicly noted that it had warned the Russian government of the terrorism threat in early March in line with the procedure of “Duty to Warn.”

Type: Analysis

Global Policy

What Does the U.N. Cease-Fire Resolution Mean for the Israel-Gaza War?

What Does the U.N. Cease-Fire Resolution Mean for the Israel-Gaza War?

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

By: Robert Barron

On March 25, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) passed Resolution 2728, calling for an “immediate” cease-fire in Gaza. The motion’s passage came after weeks of back and forth and posturing among the UNSC’s permanent and rotating members. The exact phrasing of the resolution and its relevance to the situation on the ground, as well as bilateral and multilateral relations — particularly U.S.-Israel ties — have been the subject of heavy public and media attention since Monday, raising questions about the resolution’s subtext, intent and limitations. USIP’s Robert Barron looks at these questions.

Type: Question and Answer

Global PolicyPeace Processes

Angela Stent on the Terror Attack in Moscow

Angela Stent on the Terror Attack in Moscow

Monday, March 25, 2024

By: Angela Stent

While ISIS has claimed responsibility for the devastating terror attack in Moscow, Putin has baselessly tried to shift the blame to Ukraine, says USIP’s Angela Stent: “[Putin] wants to use this to increase repression at home … and also to pursue a more aggressive path in Ukraine.”

Type: Podcast

What’s Driving India-China Tensions?

What’s Driving India-China Tensions?

Monday, March 25, 2024

By: Dean Cheng;  Sameer P. Lalwani, Ph.D.;  Daniel Markey, Ph.D.;  Nilanthi Samaranayake

Since deadly clashes between India and China on their 2,100-mile disputed border — known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC) — nearly four years ago, the two countries have remained in a standoff and amassed an increasing number of troops on either side of the LAC. While India and China have held regular exchanges at the corps commander level since 2020, each side has also continued to militarize and invest in infrastructure in the high-altitude border regions, which may exacerbate risks of clashes or escalation. India-China competition has also deepened beyond the land border, particularly in the Indian Ocean region.

Type: Question and Answer

Global Policy

Three Conditions for Successful Engagement with North Korea

Three Conditions for Successful Engagement with North Korea

Monday, March 25, 2024

By: Mark Tokola

The September 13, 2023, meeting between Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un in Russia’s Amur Oblast marked a significant crippling of the decades-long U.S. pressure-based approach toward North Korea. The strategy of isolating and pressuring North Korea through United Nations Security Council resolutions to compel its nuclear disarmament in exchange for providing normalized relations, economic aid and sanctions relief may or may not ever have been a winning strategy, but now is no longer viable. The strategy required cooperation among the United States, South Korea, China and Russia, but this now seems a distant prospect.

Type: Analysis

Global Policy

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