Religion and Peace

Religion and Peace : "We are bombarded on a nearly daily basis with news stories that portray religion as a cause of seemingly intractable conflict the world over. Some, in fact, trace the view of religion as a source of conflict all the way back to the religious wars that ravaged seventeenth century Europe. What does not attract attention is the peacebuilding power of religion. This contribution is often overlooked, in part, because the secular media rarely pays attention to the role of religious peacemakers because their work is often not dramatic enough. However, all of the world's major religions have a significant strain emphasizing peace. Religious leaders and workers have proven to be key civil society actors in many efforts to resolve conflicts, serving as intermediaries or "Third Siders" or helping to facilitate reconciliation. This essay explores some of the ways in which religion has played a positive role in mitigating conflict and offers brief profiles of a few such organizations."