Peacebuilding in an Interfaith Context in the Great Lakes Region of Africa: The Challenges of Creating New Approaches

The African Great Lakes Region has experienced cyclical violence since countries began gaining independence in the 1960s. The repeated emergence of leaders formed in contexts of rebellion and violence has yielded continuing authoritarian rule rather than democratic societies aimed at the common good...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Emmanuel Ntakarutimana
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: The Journal of Moral Theology, Inc. 2023-07-01
Series:Journal of Moral Theology
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.55476/001c.84395
_version_ 1797654170075922432
author Emmanuel Ntakarutimana
author_facet Emmanuel Ntakarutimana
author_sort Emmanuel Ntakarutimana
collection DOAJ
description The African Great Lakes Region has experienced cyclical violence since countries began gaining independence in the 1960s. The repeated emergence of leaders formed in contexts of rebellion and violence has yielded continuing authoritarian rule rather than democratic societies aimed at the common good. Three key continuing problems today are a regional development deficit, a distrust of institutions and erosion of social capital, and the instrumentalization of religion by authoritarian political regimes. In taking into account this long history of multidimensional vulnerability and instability, a few leaders of national/international state institutions, as well as leaders of religious denominations, are looking for innovative perspectives that could generate new approaches for the strengthening of social capital and the resilience of populations. One such initiative mobilized the energies of religious leaders in the region during 2019 and 2020. It is an interfaith platform called Dignity and Peace in the Great Lakes (PIDP-GL) which brings together representatives of the Catholic Church, traditional Protestant churches, Revivalist churches, and the Islamic community from platforms already operational in the various countries.
first_indexed 2024-03-11T16:54:30Z
format Article
id doaj.art-95dfa420125f4c39b8d681c55d8a3636
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2166-2851
2166-2118
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-11T16:54:30Z
publishDate 2023-07-01
publisher The Journal of Moral Theology, Inc.
record_format Article
series Journal of Moral Theology
spelling doaj.art-95dfa420125f4c39b8d681c55d8a36362023-10-20T17:34:20ZengThe Journal of Moral Theology, Inc.Journal of Moral Theology2166-28512166-21182023-07-01122Peacebuilding in an Interfaith Context in the Great Lakes Region of Africa: The Challenges of Creating New ApproachesEmmanuel NtakarutimanaThe African Great Lakes Region has experienced cyclical violence since countries began gaining independence in the 1960s. The repeated emergence of leaders formed in contexts of rebellion and violence has yielded continuing authoritarian rule rather than democratic societies aimed at the common good. Three key continuing problems today are a regional development deficit, a distrust of institutions and erosion of social capital, and the instrumentalization of religion by authoritarian political regimes. In taking into account this long history of multidimensional vulnerability and instability, a few leaders of national/international state institutions, as well as leaders of religious denominations, are looking for innovative perspectives that could generate new approaches for the strengthening of social capital and the resilience of populations. One such initiative mobilized the energies of religious leaders in the region during 2019 and 2020. It is an interfaith platform called Dignity and Peace in the Great Lakes (PIDP-GL) which brings together representatives of the Catholic Church, traditional Protestant churches, Revivalist churches, and the Islamic community from platforms already operational in the various countries.https://doi.org/10.55476/001c.84395
spellingShingle Emmanuel Ntakarutimana
Peacebuilding in an Interfaith Context in the Great Lakes Region of Africa: The Challenges of Creating New Approaches
Journal of Moral Theology
title Peacebuilding in an Interfaith Context in the Great Lakes Region of Africa: The Challenges of Creating New Approaches
title_full Peacebuilding in an Interfaith Context in the Great Lakes Region of Africa: The Challenges of Creating New Approaches
title_fullStr Peacebuilding in an Interfaith Context in the Great Lakes Region of Africa: The Challenges of Creating New Approaches
title_full_unstemmed Peacebuilding in an Interfaith Context in the Great Lakes Region of Africa: The Challenges of Creating New Approaches
title_short Peacebuilding in an Interfaith Context in the Great Lakes Region of Africa: The Challenges of Creating New Approaches
title_sort peacebuilding in an interfaith context in the great lakes region of africa the challenges of creating new approaches
url https://doi.org/10.55476/001c.84395
work_keys_str_mv AT emmanuelntakarutimana peacebuildinginaninterfaithcontextinthegreatlakesregionofafricathechallengesofcreatingnewapproaches