Religious actors in conflict management : Where and how can they be most effective?

Abstract: Criticism of the role of religious actors in conflict management rests primarily on the premise that evidence produced is largely anecdotal due to the lack of a theoretical underpinning that permits thorough analysis. As such, the added value of religious actors as practitioners is difficult to recognise officially and quantify. This research aims to explore the possibility of developing a theoretical framework that would eventually bestow appreciation of their role, as well as allow comparison across similar interventions, and facilitate resource distribution to those projects likely to have a bigger positive impact. A preliminary theoretical framework is proposed by reviewing the existing literature and contrasting with feedback from semi-structured interviews undertaken with professional practitioners working on an on-going peace project in Ethiopia. Further research, experimentation and expert discussion, systematically testing each of the components, will be needed in order to hone the framework to a functional and effective tool.