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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

The Sound Of The Sun: Religious Understandings Of Peace And The Role Of Religious Leaders In Peacebuilding―A Qualitative Study In Bosnia And Herzegovina, Stipe Odak Nov 2021

The Sound Of The Sun: Religious Understandings Of Peace And The Role Of Religious Leaders In Peacebuilding―A Qualitative Study In Bosnia And Herzegovina, Stipe Odak

Peace and Conflict Studies

This article discusses the different roles of religious leaders in peacebuilding processes, and their specific understanding of peace. It is based on analysis of 75 in-depth interviews with Catholic, Orthodox, and Muslim religious leaders from Bosnia and Herzegovina, conducted in the period from 2015 to 2017. In the first part, peace is analyzed as a concept that contains elements of giftness, spirituality, and praxis. Arguing for the relevance of all three elements, the article warns against possible misunderstandings that can come when peace is assessed only through directly measurable indicators. In the second part, peacebuilding activities of religious leaders are …


Peacebuilding, Liberian Women, And The Invisible Hand Of Conflict In The Postwar Era, Selina Gallo-Cruz, Renée Remsberg Aug 2021

Peacebuilding, Liberian Women, And The Invisible Hand Of Conflict In The Postwar Era, Selina Gallo-Cruz, Renée Remsberg

The Journal of Social Encounters

Liberian women gained international acclaim for their courage and persistence in bringing warring factions into a peace agreement in 2003, after a 14-year-long civil war that devastated the country, with over 250,000 killed, millions displaced, and a population left traumatized and in political and economic ruin. This study explores the challenges that women have faced in the years following the civil war with a focus on whether the international community has supported women’s advancements in Liberia. We find that while some efforts to support gender mainstreaming have been helpful, there remain serious political, economic, and social inequalities that threaten both …


Gendered Conflict Resolution: The Role Of Women In Amani Mashinani’S Peacebuiding Processes In Uasin Gishu County, Kenya, Susan Kilonzo, Kennedy Onkware Aug 2021

Gendered Conflict Resolution: The Role Of Women In Amani Mashinani’S Peacebuiding Processes In Uasin Gishu County, Kenya, Susan Kilonzo, Kennedy Onkware

The Journal of Social Encounters

The role of women in peacebuilding is acknowledged by many stakeholders central in peace work. While this is so, there are still concerns about what we know about women’s involvement in peacebuilding structures established by non-state actors. Drawing from Amani Mashinani (Peace at Grassroots) peacebuilding model initiated by the Catholic Church in Kenya’s North Rift region, we examine the role of women in processes of conflict resolution in Uasin Gishu County. Suggestions to support women’s participation will be discussed.


Religious Women And Peacebuilding During The Northern Ireland ‘Troubles’, Dianne Kirby Aug 2021

Religious Women And Peacebuilding During The Northern Ireland ‘Troubles’, Dianne Kirby

The Journal of Social Encounters

The focus of this essay is on the critical and various roles, still largely unrecognised, played by religious women during the conflict in Northern Ireland. Working at the margins of society rather than in the corridors of power, they made important contributions to peace-building that ranged from grass-roots activism to secret talks. As well as contributing to the crucial work of community groups, educating the young and tending to the old, religious women established innovative and independent organisations offering succour and support to victims of the ‘Troubles’. Motivated by faith, they adhered to a value system that eschewed the violence, …


The Catholic Peacebuilding Network: Lessons Learned, Gerard F. Powers Aug 2021

The Catholic Peacebuilding Network: Lessons Learned, Gerard F. Powers

The Journal of Social Encounters

As one of the world’s largest transnational institutions, the Catholic Church is deeply engaged in a wide variety of peacebuilding activities at all levels through many different types of institutions and organizations. This essay examines one of these entities, the Catholic Peacebuilding Network (CPN), a network of university institutes, episcopal conferences, development agencies, and independent peace organizations. It considers CPN’s mission, activities, contributions to the Catholic community’s wider work for peace, and the challenges it faces as it seeks to accompany the Catholic community in areas of conflict. By looking at this one actor, this essay offers insights into Catholic …


Introduction To Volume 5, Issue 2, Joseph Okumu, Ron Pagnucco Aug 2021

Introduction To Volume 5, Issue 2, Joseph Okumu, Ron Pagnucco

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.