Religion Is Part of the Solution

Author: Jocelyne Cesari

May 1, 2015

In "Religion Is Part of the Solution" Jocelyne Cesari argues that Samuel Huntington's "clash of civilizations" thesis is an inadequate attempt to grapple with the role of religion in a post Cold War world and contends that understanding how historical and cultural context informs the behaviors and interpretations of believers is crucial to any analysis of culture and global cultural conflict. She continues to outline the key role religious actors and groups have in conflict resolution, economic development, and democracy building. Governmental and international agencies with strong secular cultures therefore need to take context into account when identifying potential local or global religiously inspired partners. Cesari concludes with suggestions for networking and information gathering initiatives that could facilitate relationship building between secular and religious actors. "Religion Is Part of the Solution" is one of dozens of statements supporting the International Decade for the Rapprochement of Cultures (2013-2022) published in Agree to Differ, a UNESCO-Tudor Rose joint publication.

View Publication

Discover similar content through these related topics and regions.

Opens in a new window