Religion, Conflict, COVID: Exploring Emerging Pitfalls and Potentials
Tuesday, April 7, 2020
9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. EDT
Location:
Online Zoom Webinar
As the coronavirus has spread across the world, it has impacted nearly every religion in the world and elicited diverse religious responses, some of which have implications for stability, conflict, and peace, particularly in fragile states already strained by years of violent conflict. Several countries with a stricter state management of religion have issued directives limiting or reforming religious practice, an arguably necessary step in a public health crisis but one that could have longer term implications for religious freedom and related conflict issues. Meanwhile, the real and perceived spread of the virus through religious pilgrimage and practice has led to backlash against some communities, while the pandemic more broadly is already showing evidence both of exacerbating societal divisions between religious groups and spurring intercommunal responses that can heal long-standing cleavages.
This invitation-only virtual roundtable featured diverse religious actors from around the world, including Morocco, Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Ukraine, exploring the religious dimensions and responses to the intersection of the COVID-19 pandemic with conflict. Berkley Center senior fellow Katherine Marshall moderated opening presentations and the discussion that followed, which aimed to strategize collectively about the needs of religious actors to respond effectively to the pandemic in ways that serve the well-being of their communities and the cause of peace more broadly.
This event was co-sponsored by the United States Institute of Peace, Religions for Peace, the World Faiths Development Dialogue, and Georgetown University's Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and Worlds Affairs.
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Doctor demonstrates hand washing to community members at Masongbo village in Sierra Leone.
