Assingment
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Week12pptInternationalConflict-2.ppt
Conflict and Communication
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What’s coming up…
- Last Journal – Week 10,11,&12
See the updated questions on Moodle
- Briefing Paper on an International Conflict and Intervention
Tuesday April 7
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Last class…
- Explore the Culture Studies view of cultural products.
Cultural products as meaning makers, means of control, and/or means of contesting the status quo?
- Examples of cultural products in these roles (TV, Music, Art)
- How art supports social movements and change
- Two websites on culture and conflict
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Today’s class…
International Conflict and Religion
Definition and Causes
Stages of Conflict
Role of Religion in Conflict
The religious experience
Why religion is so useful for adversaries
Do different religions approach conflict differently?
Just War Theory - Is there such a thing?
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Causes of international conflict…
- Def’n - when two or more parties perceive that their interests are incompatible, express hostile attitudes, or pursue their interests through actions that damage the other parties.
- Can be defined subjectively – often change/ evolve
- Causes and/or complicating matters
Resources
Power
Identity
Status
Values
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Def’n Conflict is present when two or more parties perceive that their interests are incompatible, express hostile attitudes, or take pursue their interests through actions that damage the other parties.
Think of the conflicts you wrote about… What were the causes of war in that situation?
Over resources - Territory, money, energy sources, food. (Political, Legal, Economic tools)
Over power - how control and participation in political decision-making is allocated. (Political, Legal, Economic tools)
Over identity - concerning the cultural, social and political communities to which people feel tied and whether their traditions and social position are respected (CMNS, socio psycho, sociocultural tools)
Over status - whether people believe they are treated with respect and dignity.(Cultural Studies/ Critical Studies)
Over values - particularly those embodied in systems of government, religion, education or ideology.
Crusades 1095-1127
Crusades is just a title for the multiple religious wars and fights that were fought between the Muslims and Christians due to the religious disputes and controls over land in the Jerusalem. The first war started in 1095 and lasted in 1096 where as the second war was started in 1097 and continued till 1127. Along with many other wars, it all stopped in 1303 when both war soldiers shed blood of more than half a million civilians in the fight and the control of that land was given to the Christians.
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First Sudanese War 1955-1972
This religious war is also referred to as the Anyana I because of the rebels who participated in the war. It was fought on the Sudan borders in between the military of Sudan and the Anyana guerrilla forces. It’s a rough estimate that about 10,000 soldiers participated from both sides in it that lasted more than 16 years, starting from 1955 and ending at 1972. It was only fought because ethnic and religious difference between the Muslims and Christians. The worst thing about First Sudanese Civil War is that by the time it was over, there were already more than half a million deaths of soldiers and civilians.
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Northern Ireland – 1960-1997
Split over the question of remaing part of GB or becoming part of Ireland
Nationalist, mostly Catholics, prefered a single, united Ireland; Protestants (Unionists) wanted to remain a part of the UK
Between 1960- 1997 3,600 died in this conflict; conflict began in 1609 when Scottish and English Settler wer given land confiscated fro the native Irish in the Plantation of Ulster
Not understood as fought over religious belief, but beliefs divided sides and reinforced religious views
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Troubles
“After the ceasefires, talks began between the main political parties in Northern Ireland to establish political agreement. These talks led to the Good Friday Agreement of 1998. This Agreement restored self-government to Northern Ireland on the basis of "power-sharing". In 1999, an executive was formed consisting of the four main parties, including Sinn Féin. “
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Role of religion in international conflict…
Do you believe that religion is the major cause of international conflict?
What conflicts that you looked at involved religion?
What was the stated religious conflict between the parties?
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What do you think is the proportion of wars caused by religion?
-Those killed in the name of religion have, in fact, been a tiny fraction in the bloody history of human conflict.
-"Encyclopedia of Wars," authors Charles Phillips and Alan Axelrod document the history of recorded warfare, and from their list of 1763 wars only 123 have been classified to involve a religious cause,
-this accounts for less than 7 percent of all wars and less than 2 percent of all people killed in warfare.
-Approximately one to three million people were tragically killed in the Crusades, and perhaps 3,000 in the Inquisition, nearly 35 million soldiers and civilians died in the senseless, and secular, slaughter of World War 1 alone.
History simply does not support the hypothesis that religion is the major cause of conflict. The wars of the ancient world were rarely, if ever, based on religion. These wars were for territorial conquest, to control borders, secure trade routes, or respond to an internal challenge to political authority.
We’re going to look at it anyway, because this source of conflict is significant in our time, and it is intimately connected with the idea that our interpretation of the world, the way we make sense of the world around us, is socially constructed and maintained. And many would argue that it is maintained to privilege certain groups over others.
Religion can be used to resolve conflict but…
Group - answer questions
Conflict Tree
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Description: The conflict tree is a visualizing and sorting tool. The tree visualises the interaction between structural, manifest and dynamic factors.
The roots symbolise structural “static” factors. The trunk represents the manifest issues, linking structural factors with the dynamic factors.
The leaves moving in the wind represent the dynamic factors.
Dynamic Factors: Dynamic factors include the form of communication, escalation level, relationship aspects etc. Working with dynamic factors involves
a short time horizon; reactions to interventions are quick and at times unpredictable.
Examples are diplomatic interventions, or multi track conflict transformation dealing directly with the form of interaction between the conflict parties.
Quick money is often more important than big money when addressing dynamics factors.
Manifest issues: Issues are what the confl ict paparties want to talk about, the “topic” of the conflict.
Structural Factors: Root causes are the basic “reason” of the conflict. They are difficult to influence on a short time basis, if they are avoided, however,
the conflict may pop up again later. This is the typical area for development cooperation, longer-term involvement and the prevention of structural violence
Role of religion in international conflict…
Behaviour - communal acts; rituals; rules of interaction as part of membership to community; organized practice by a sustained organization and leadership
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Think of religion as having three different components.
Belief and behaviour work to define membership; whose in and whose out. Socially Constructed
-negative in the sense that the other is defined as bad, weaker, less worthy (socially destructive biases and prejudices)
-normal part of how we define ourselves in relation to others; as much about defining who we are as it is about who we aren’t
-a response to specific circumstances in which group leaders feel that the loyalty of their members may be in doubt.
-religious conflict may sometimes say as much about tensions within each group as about the issues that divide them from one another.
Dissent and religion – religion has been found to influence the expression of dissent
-expressing disagreement or contradictory beliefs/ opinions over organizational policies and/or practices
-dissent may be seen as a moral obligation and a political right
-Amercan Christians observed as low in religion – higher in dissent
-Hindus and Muslims high in relition – low in dissent (self expression more taboo – collectivist vs. individualist culture (Croucher et al. 2012)
Role of religion in international conflict…
Belief - convictions that guide religious behaviour but not necessarily dependent on each other; authorized, recorded, adapter and shared over time
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How do you see these parts working together in a conflict?
-Behaviour may reinforce belief and faith
-Belief would have to be very strong to influence behaviour
-Belief and behaviour work to define membership; whose in and whose out. Socially Constructed
-negative in the sense that the other is defined as bad, weaker, less worthy (socially descructive biases and prejudices)
-normal part of how we define ourselves in relation to others; as much about defining who we are as it is about who we aren’t
-a response to specific circumstances in which group leaders feel that the loyalty of their members may be in doubt.
-religious conflict may sometimes say as much about tensions within each group as about the issues that divide them from one another.
Role of religion in international conflict…
Faith - emotional response; personal experience and interpretation; internal process of connecting to and reflecting the attributes of the divine
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Think of religion as having three different components. How do you see these parts working together in a conflict?
-Behaviour may reinforce belief and faith
-Faith can be independent from belief or behaviour; indendent from organization; personal interpretation
-Belief would have to be very strong to influence behaviour
-Religion more often promotes peace
Belief and behaviour work to define membership; whose in and whose out. Socially Constructed?
-negative in the sense that the other is defined as bad, weaker, less worthy (socially destructive biases and prejudices)
-normal part of how we define ourselves in relation to others; as much about defining who we are as it is about who we aren’t
-a response to specific circumstances in which group leaders feel that the loyalty of their members may be in doubt.
-religious conflict may sometimes say as much about tensions within each group as about the issues that divide them from one another.
- “Within all the great world religions are traditions that can be co-opted to legitimize violence and war, but also deep resources for promoting non-violent conflict resolution and peace (Appleby, 2000)
Apppleby, R. (2000) The Ambivilance of the Sacred: Religion, Violence and Reconsiliation. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
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What does religion offer adversaries in conflict?
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- Strengthen their case for the use of escalating measures
- Increases number of followers
- Legitimizes and gives credibility in the eyes of followers - appeals to a higher authority
- Flexible interpretation of doctrine to meet a need yet doesn’t accommodate compromise (extremist positions)
- Can be adapted to accommodate cultural and nationalistic rationale (Isreal and Palestine)
- Can be used in concert with constitutional means to gain power (Muslim government; Christian right “slates”)
- Trojan horse - colonialism and evangelism (offering services while defining behaviour and cultural values)
- High ego involvement - defines individual and group identity
Do different religions approach conflict differently?
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- Often make the assumption that religions differ in their approach
- Many studies looking at religious doctrine and if particular approaches are embedded in their teachings
- Stephen Croucher (2013) did a overview of the research done looking at how Christian, Islamic, and Hinduism conceptualize conflict based on historical teachings and text
and he found that while each has messages about defending one’s faith, all promote peace as the ideal through forgiveness, patience, logic over emotions, compromise and collaboration
Christian Fundamentalists – either/or outcome (reproductive and LGBTQ rights)
Christian Non-fundamentalist - compromising; collaborating
Muslims - Quaran encourages forgiveness, patience, and similar principles - compromise or avoid conflict altogether
Hinduism - four Vedas teach ways to live life - action over inaction; logic over emotions; conflict is inevitable - common good and compromise.
Fundamentalism - “indicating unwavering attachment to a set of irreducible beliefs.” (Wikipedia)
Any kind of fundamentalism, be it Biblical, atheistic or Islamic, is dangerous. Religious leaders see "the new fundamentalism of our age ... leads to the language of expulsion and exclusivity, of extremism and polarisation, and the claim that, because God is on our side, he is not on yours."[22]
Role of religion in international conflict…
“Religion is a useful cover and powerful motivation for the evil hearted.”
“Terrorism occurs when you combine a sense of military and economic inferiority with a sense of moral superiority. Religion is very good at conferring a sense of moral superiority on its followers”
"Come on! The Crusades, The Inquisition, Northern Ireland, the Middle East, 9/11. Need I name more?” George Carlin
Is the source of most conflict in the Middle East religious or political? Youtube
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Moodle item “Doesn't religion cause most of the conflict in the world?” Discussion from a book “For God’s Sake” by Jane Caro, Antony Loewenstein, Simon Smart, Rachel Woodlock
Mehran Kamrava
We will look at the idea that religion is used to justify war and political ends (power, resources) with the example in a second.
Just War Theory
1. Just cause/right intention: A just war must be fought only for purposes of self-defense against armed attack or to right a serious wrong.
2. Proper authority: A war is just only if waged by a legitimate authority.
3. Last resort: A just war must be the last resort; all peaceful options must be exhausted before the use of force can be justified.
4. Probability of success: There must be a reasonable chance of success; deaths and injury that result from a hopeless cause cannot be morally justified.
5. Beneficial outcome: The outcome of the war must be better than the situation that would exist had the war not taken place.
6. Proportionality: The violence and destruction must be proportional to the injury suffered.
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Chose a side in the conflict you looked at. Do you see your position and the circumstances around it as a “just war?’
What criteria or principles for a just war does this conflict meet?
Is there such a thing?
Approaches to religion & conflict – 1st Generation
- Political power – access to resources
Diplomatic Strategies (Middle East)
Third party intervention
Approaches to religion & conflict – 2nd Generation
- Conflict Resolution – peace keeping
Focus on empathy, solidarity, community
- Sociological Approaches
Chicago School
Understanding cooperative and competitive behaviour, industrial and organizational relations, social work
Approaches to religion & conflict – 3rd Generation
- Inter-state – diplomatic win-win strategies
Alternatives -non-proliferation treaties
- Domestic strategies
-family conciliation, labour, community mediation, alternative dispute resolution
- Intractible conflict – addressing deep roots
Good governance
Approaches to religion & conflict – 4th Generation
- Contingency – the nature of the challenge
- Complementarity – the appropriate interconnection of responses
- Acknowledge level of conflict, sectors (psych, social, economic, political) and approaches (prevention, peacemaking, peacekeeping, peace building)
- History, culture, stage of escalation
