Faith-based conflict prevention and early warning scoping project
Lead Research Organisation:
Coventry University
Department Name: Business Environment and Society
Abstract
During a series of international gatherings on global development in 2011 Anglicans from around the world realised that there was more that churches could do to help prevent outbreaks of violence. Most Anglicans live in poor countries and many of these face conflict and violence which the church might be able to help put an end to. Church leaders called for a university partner to help them consider how churches can work more effectively in preventing violent conflict and to what steps need to be taken to achieve this. Coventry University has been working with parts of the Anglican Church for many years, locally in Coventry and also overseas, and is well-placed to provide this partnership.
The aim of the project is to answer three questions about the role of churches and other faith groups in helping to spot early signs of violence and stop it from happening. The first question we will ask is what is distinctive about faith-based approaches and what makes them different from the activities that are carried out by people who are not working from a faith point of view. The second question is what are the dilemmas that emerge when faith groups get involved in trying the prevent violence and what possible tensions can we foresee with people who do not share their beliefs. This includes people who want to support churches that are trying to prevent conflict but have a different perspective and way of working, like governments or charities. The third question is what scope is there for improving the work that churches and faith groups do to help prevent violence and what changes do we need to make for this to happen.
To find the answers to these questions we will visit Anglican churches in Nigeria and Solomon Islands to study the work that they are doing on preventing conflict. These countries have both experienced war in their recent past and churches have played an important role in efforts to respond to this. A team of researchers will produce a summary of the work that these churches are doing and use it to generate a detailed case study. The researchers will then present the case studies to church leaders from all over the world gathered for a workshop in the UK, and over the course of several days the participants will come up with their own contributions to answering the three research questions. In the final stage, the researchers will present the findings of the project in detailed report which will be used to inform the future planning of partners in the church, governments and charities.
The research will be useful for churches and faith groups in conflict zones that want to improve the work they do to prevent violence. It will also be helpful for governments, who see that faith groups do a lot of work on improving relationships between people in communities and want to partner with them more - especially to prevent conflict before it happens because this can save lives. And it will be helpful for universities too, because academics need more information on this topic for their research.
We expect that the research will have a big impact. Knowing more about the kind of work taking place will help churches and all of their partners to plan effectively. It will especially help the churches in Nigeria and Solomon Islands because they will have specific data, including facts and figures, to rely on in seeking support for their work. It will also help the UK government, who have said that they need to know more about how to work with faith groups in a practical sense. We are planning a series of activities to ensure that the research makes a difference. These include a high-level meeting of senior people from the church, government and charities hosted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, sessions with Bishops who sit in the House of Lords and producing a set of resources that local church-goers in conflict areas can use to learn more about preventing violent conflict.
The aim of the project is to answer three questions about the role of churches and other faith groups in helping to spot early signs of violence and stop it from happening. The first question we will ask is what is distinctive about faith-based approaches and what makes them different from the activities that are carried out by people who are not working from a faith point of view. The second question is what are the dilemmas that emerge when faith groups get involved in trying the prevent violence and what possible tensions can we foresee with people who do not share their beliefs. This includes people who want to support churches that are trying to prevent conflict but have a different perspective and way of working, like governments or charities. The third question is what scope is there for improving the work that churches and faith groups do to help prevent violence and what changes do we need to make for this to happen.
To find the answers to these questions we will visit Anglican churches in Nigeria and Solomon Islands to study the work that they are doing on preventing conflict. These countries have both experienced war in their recent past and churches have played an important role in efforts to respond to this. A team of researchers will produce a summary of the work that these churches are doing and use it to generate a detailed case study. The researchers will then present the case studies to church leaders from all over the world gathered for a workshop in the UK, and over the course of several days the participants will come up with their own contributions to answering the three research questions. In the final stage, the researchers will present the findings of the project in detailed report which will be used to inform the future planning of partners in the church, governments and charities.
The research will be useful for churches and faith groups in conflict zones that want to improve the work they do to prevent violence. It will also be helpful for governments, who see that faith groups do a lot of work on improving relationships between people in communities and want to partner with them more - especially to prevent conflict before it happens because this can save lives. And it will be helpful for universities too, because academics need more information on this topic for their research.
We expect that the research will have a big impact. Knowing more about the kind of work taking place will help churches and all of their partners to plan effectively. It will especially help the churches in Nigeria and Solomon Islands because they will have specific data, including facts and figures, to rely on in seeking support for their work. It will also help the UK government, who have said that they need to know more about how to work with faith groups in a practical sense. We are planning a series of activities to ensure that the research makes a difference. These include a high-level meeting of senior people from the church, government and charities hosted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, sessions with Bishops who sit in the House of Lords and producing a set of resources that local church-goers in conflict areas can use to learn more about preventing violent conflict.
Planned Impact
This research project has the potential to make a significant demonstrable impact and provide tangible benefits for our user-beneficiaries.
Who will benefit from this research?
Our primary users are key offices within the Anglican network of churches which provide leadership and support to churches in conflict-affected areas. Around 80 million Anglican live in 165 countries worldwide, with the vast majority in developing countries in the global south and many in countries which are conflict-affected. Another user groups we target are policymakers engaged in agenda setting on conflict transformation, particularly those in UK government agencies working overseas who have expressed their interest in this area of work, notably the Department for International Development, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Ministry of Defence. A final user group are practitioner and academics working and researching in the conflict prevention field.
Our wider circle of beneficiaries includes Anglican churches in conflict-affected communities and broader populations in places where they do or may engage in conflict prevention activity. Particular beneficiaries include faith groups and populations in Nigeria and Solomon Islands, where extensive evidence-based analysis will be conducted. Where churches at grassroots level change their activity as a direct result of the capacity building materials to be provided by the Anglican Alliance, we also consider them as an additional user group.
How will they benefit from this research?
Ultimately, we expect that this research will contribute towards building the body of knowledge and tools which provide pathways to resolving conflict situations before they become violent. Where successful conflict prevention and early response mechanisms are able to deescalate conflict situations, the serious social harms that violence brings can be avoided. Damage to economies, infrastructure and social relations can be successfully avoided. Rather than being diverted towards war and conflict, resources can be used for provided public services and improving quality of life. This is the overall purpose of conflict prevention activity, and our expectation is that by researching the scope for new community actors like faith groups to mainstream conflict prevention in their work we can expand the range of contributors to conflict prevention enterprises.
Our particular user and beneficiary communities will benefit in specific ways. The Anglican network of churches will benefit from evidence-based insights regarding the distinctiveness, dilemmas and scope of faith-based conflict prevention activities. This responds directly to a call made by the church to build its conflict prevention capacity during a series of global consultations in 2011. The UK government will also benefit from our insights, as this research project works at the intersection of two key priorities highlighted by UK government agencies working overseas: to ramp up conflict prevention activity and to engage more with faith groups in delivering development goals. Finally, the academic community will benefit from our research in an area where there is currently a clear knowledge gap.
The immediate impacts of this research project will be generated through our impact generation activities, a programme of activities designed to engage with senior leaders and influence their decision making (see pathways to impact for a full plan). However, we also expect other benefits to accrue over the longer term as changes in policy and programming begin to yield results.
Who will benefit from this research?
Our primary users are key offices within the Anglican network of churches which provide leadership and support to churches in conflict-affected areas. Around 80 million Anglican live in 165 countries worldwide, with the vast majority in developing countries in the global south and many in countries which are conflict-affected. Another user groups we target are policymakers engaged in agenda setting on conflict transformation, particularly those in UK government agencies working overseas who have expressed their interest in this area of work, notably the Department for International Development, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Ministry of Defence. A final user group are practitioner and academics working and researching in the conflict prevention field.
Our wider circle of beneficiaries includes Anglican churches in conflict-affected communities and broader populations in places where they do or may engage in conflict prevention activity. Particular beneficiaries include faith groups and populations in Nigeria and Solomon Islands, where extensive evidence-based analysis will be conducted. Where churches at grassroots level change their activity as a direct result of the capacity building materials to be provided by the Anglican Alliance, we also consider them as an additional user group.
How will they benefit from this research?
Ultimately, we expect that this research will contribute towards building the body of knowledge and tools which provide pathways to resolving conflict situations before they become violent. Where successful conflict prevention and early response mechanisms are able to deescalate conflict situations, the serious social harms that violence brings can be avoided. Damage to economies, infrastructure and social relations can be successfully avoided. Rather than being diverted towards war and conflict, resources can be used for provided public services and improving quality of life. This is the overall purpose of conflict prevention activity, and our expectation is that by researching the scope for new community actors like faith groups to mainstream conflict prevention in their work we can expand the range of contributors to conflict prevention enterprises.
Our particular user and beneficiary communities will benefit in specific ways. The Anglican network of churches will benefit from evidence-based insights regarding the distinctiveness, dilemmas and scope of faith-based conflict prevention activities. This responds directly to a call made by the church to build its conflict prevention capacity during a series of global consultations in 2011. The UK government will also benefit from our insights, as this research project works at the intersection of two key priorities highlighted by UK government agencies working overseas: to ramp up conflict prevention activity and to engage more with faith groups in delivering development goals. Finally, the academic community will benefit from our research in an area where there is currently a clear knowledge gap.
The immediate impacts of this research project will be generated through our impact generation activities, a programme of activities designed to engage with senior leaders and influence their decision making (see pathways to impact for a full plan). However, we also expect other benefits to accrue over the longer term as changes in policy and programming begin to yield results.
Organisations
- Coventry University (Lead Research Organisation)
- Anglican Alliance (Collaboration, Project Partner)
- Justice, Development and Peace/Caritas Committee of the Catholic Church in Nigeria (JDPC) (Collaboration)
- Joint Learning Initiative on Faith and Local Communities (Collaboration)
- Anglican Church of Melanesia (Collaboration)
- CHRISTIAN AID (Collaboration)
- World Vision (Collaboration)
- Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury at Lambeth Palace (Collaboration)
- Coventry Cathedral (Project Partner)
Publications
Hunter A
(2014)
New Perspectives on Conflict Prevention
in Peacebuilding
Payne L
(2020)
What Can Faith-Based Forms of Violent Conflict Prevention Teach Us About Liberal Peace?
in Religions
Shannahan C
(2016)
Faith-Based Interventions in Peace, Conflict and Violence: A Scoping Study
| Description | The project addressed questions around the distinctiveness, dilemmas and opportunities of faith-based conflict prevention, and the scope for developing the Anglican network of churches' work. KEY FINDINGS: 1/ Many faith groups are delivering relevant and impactful conflict prevention projects, but may not necessarily frame this in terms of 'prevention'. Different terminology may mean that faith-based projects do not get access to opportunities (e.g. for funding or consultation). Faith-based forms of conflict prevention often get overlooked within the field, with lost opportunity costs in research, policy and practice. 2/ 'Conflict prevention' includes work that is preventative in effect even if not by design. Researchers, policymakers and practitioners often only include activities that are specifically designed as prevention projects within their understanding of 'conflict prevention'. In reality these represent a fraction of the activities that are effectively preventative. Again this constrains our understanding of prevention and has lost opportunity costs. 3/The starting point for preventing violent conflict should be to consult with local people about what the risks of violence are - what keeps them awake at night? A lot of time, energy and resource are expended countering political violence and instability. Early warning and response platforms monitoring indicators of violence are a step forward from reactive approaches to addressing conflict and can show real results. But they are the tip of the iceberg in tackling violence that affects people's day-to-day lives. Programmes countering violent extremism can also have value, but they are rarely rooted in addressing the long-term drivers of conflict and are often more about the security needs of foreign countries. We believe the starting point for conflict prevention should be to understand what forms of violence are most pervasive and problematic in the community. This might be violence associated with crime, cultural violence or violence in the home. 3/ Faith groups are architects of their own approaches, not just implementers. Faith groups have their own approaches to conflict prevention based on local culture and local lived religious experience, and drawing on their faith-based values. These are often locally appropriate, effective and efficient. However in many partnerships faith groups are seen as sub-contractors, translators of secular tools and/or gatekeepers. We found that faith-based initiatives were at their best when they built on their own firm foundations, and when they were enabled to play to their faith-based strengths. They sometimes struggled when they attempted to fit into a mould designed by secular donors. 4/ Technology is an important amplifier in conflict prevention, but it can't replace motivation, relationship or trust. The excitement around technology's potential in peacebuilding stems from increasingly affordability and the transformative impact that it has had elsewhere. However we stress the importance of focusing on the appropriate use of technology based on whatever the current prevailing norm is. At best technology is an amplifier of messages - and a non-selective amplifier at that. It cannot replace the importance of relationship in building trust and peace, and motivation remains key in addressing root causes of conflict. Other achievements: 1/ Full engagement of faith-based and secular partners in research design and discussion of findings, forming a network of contributors in the research process. This is underpinning significant impact-focused activity in 2015. 2/ Successful linking of grassroots agencies in conflict-affected countries with institutions concerned with conflict prevention. We invited representatives of faith groups from Kenya, Nigeria, Solomon Islands, Pakistan, South Africa, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo and USA to a three-day workshop and consultation held in Coventry and in Lambeth Palace, London, at the invitation of the Archbishop of Canterbury, from 5 to 7 November 2014. They met with more than 50 senior leaders and representatives, including government MPs, interfaith leaders, development agencies and peacebuilding/conflict prevention specialists. |
| Exploitation Route | Our main partners were Anglican churches in conflict-affected areas. Church leaders noted that they wish to introduce training on conflict prevention at different levels in their local church communities, and further develop their links with local, national and international partners in conflict prevention. Since the Archbishop of Canterbury has highlighted reconciliation as a key priority, such issues are likely to be mainstreamed. Our workshop hosted UK agencies including Tearfund, Christian Aid, Islamic Relief, Concordis International, Conciliation Resources, and the Tony Blair Faith Foundation, as well as MP's working on peace and development issues. We evidenced a growing awareness that faith groups and faith-based organisations are legitimate partners in conflict prevention work, despite a traditional reluctance to provide funding to non-secular organisations. We believe further mutual understanding between faith-based agencies and secular institutions is vital, and we are actively exploring opportunities to pursue this within the context of DfID's Faith Partnership Principles. Thirdly, churches and other faith groups in countries with a long history of violent conflict have much experience and expertise in conflict prevention. We believe their skills and insights should be shared with UK religious and secular institutions, in the current climate of religious tensions and conflicts. |
| Sectors | Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Communities and Social Services/Policy,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Government, Democracy and Justice,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections,Security and Diplomacy |
| Description | The project has been designed with 12 months of participatory social action research (2013 - 2014) and a further 12 months of generating impact and creating change (2014-2015). In this context it has started to produce impact and we expect to build significantly in coming years. The project has begun to transform the way that national churches in 10 conflict-affected countries understand broader issues of conflict prevention. They have begun to recognise their existing activities as having preventative value, and to consider the ways in which they can link in with the wider conflict prevention agenda. Faith groups in Nigeria and Solomon Islands, with whom we have jointly conducted research visits and workshops, have benefited significantly from the evidence-base that has been created. In the Solomon Islands the renewed the confidence of Anglican Church of Melanesia to engage with peacebuilding and wider governance issues has revived efforts to establish the region's first Melanesian Peacebuilding Centre. This comes at a critical moment in the country's post-war history, as the Regional Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) scales down in anticipation of withdrawal, and involvement in the research has helped to secure offers of external support. Likewise, the project has highlighted to secular and governmental agencies in the UK and elsewhere the crucial role faith groups play in building peace and the urgent need to partner with them when opportune moments arise. We better understand the apprehensions of donors as well as their general desire for secular/religious collaboration, and we believe there will be significant openings to explore and pilot new forms of partnership as we continue our impact generation. Finally the project has played a significant role in building a network of churches, non-church agencies and academic researchers, which have committed to continue and expand this work far beyond the initial one year of the funded project. So far we have engaged the following potential beneficiaries: 1/ Nigeria: 249 respondents from 30 organisations (faith-based organisations, non-government organisations, security forces and government agencies). 2/ Solomon Islands: extended sessions and overnight visits with 20+ senior leaders from the faith, government and diplomatic community. 3/ Pakistan, South Sudan, DRC, Kenya, South Africa and USA: a total of 10 senior faith leaders who attended the international consultation in Coventry and London, UK. 4/ UK: 30+ organisational representatives from the government and policy communities, third sector and academia who attended the afternoon conference concluding the international consultation. 5/UK: DfID conflict advisers from around the world - organised a half day session on faith-based conflict prevention as part of a DfiD-organised training programme on engaging faith communities. 6/ US (Washington and New York) 30+ organisational representatives from the government and policy communities, with private briefings and round table sessions. 7/ Global - advocacy from Most Rev'd Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury. This includes convening a debate in the UK's House of Lords on 'Soft Power and Non-Military Options in Preventing Violent Conflict' and giving a keynote lecture on 'How do we Build Communities of Trust and Peace?' (both online). |
| First Year Of Impact | 2014 |
| Sector | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Government, Democracy and Justice,Security and Diplomacy |
| Impact Types | Cultural,Societal |
| Description | JLI agenda setting |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | In 2016 a working paper emerging from this project was published by the Joint Learning Initiative on Faith and Local Communities. It was co-authored by project co-investigater Laura Payne and called 'Faith-Based Interventions in Peace, Conflict and Violence: A Scoping Study'. The working paper gave recommendations for the future direction of the Joint Learning Initiative, a major network of faith-based and secular actors addressing peace and conflict issues from policy, practice and academia. These recommendations were put to the group through an anonymous survey and were adopted with pursuing faith-based conflict prevention emerging as a particular priority. |
| URL | https://peace-and-conflict.jliflc.com |
| Description | Addressing the Imbalance - Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding in Fragile Contexts |
| Amount | £209,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Islamic Relief Worldwide |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 06/2018 |
| End | 05/2021 |
| Description | British Council Researcher Links travel grant |
| Amount | £3,610 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | 127419479 |
| Organisation | British Council |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 02/2015 |
| End | 05/2015 |
| Description | Commonwealth Professional Fellowships |
| Amount | £7,800 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | IECP-2014-68/NGCP-2014-70/NGCP-2014-72 |
| Organisation | Government of the UK |
| Department | Commonwealth Scholarship Commission |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 11/2014 |
| End | 01/2015 |
| Description | Evidence gathering to better understand the contribution of 'Celebrating Families' to family wellbeing: Case studies of Afghanistan and Myanmar |
| Amount | £24,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | World Vision |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United States |
| Start | 04/2018 |
| End | 10/2018 |
| Description | Grant from JLI for Scoping Paper |
| Amount | £5,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Joint Learning Initiative on Faith and Local Communities |
| Sector | Learned Society |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2016 |
| End | 06/2016 |
| Description | Making All Voices Count - Research and Evidence grant |
| Amount | £75,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | HO CIM 1008745 |
| Organisation | Making All Voices Count |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | South Africa |
| Start | 03/2014 |
| End | 08/2015 |
| Description | Collaboration with global Anglican and other faith-based development partners |
| Organisation | Anglican Alliance |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | The research team has provided coordination and research support to implement the 'Faith-Based Conflict Prevention Scoping Project', in collaboration with our global Anglican and other faith-based development partners. We have set up joint research visits for academic and faith-based researchers to Nigeria and the Solomon Islands, and we have co-hosted an international consultation on the global Anglican contribution to conflict prevention, taking place in Coventry and London, UK. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our partners have provided their expertise and their good offices, identifying and arranging interview opportunities and setting up workshops as part of the research process. They have also made a very significant contribution in terms providing conference facilities and hospitality. The Anglican Alliance and Lambeth Palace have provided extensive staff time at director and programme officer level, participating in all aspects of the research design, implementation and generation of findings. Christian Aid in Nigeria seconded a programme officer for approx. one month to participate in the research visit and attend the UK consultation. The Anglican Church of Melanesia played a coordinating role during the visit in the Solomon Islands, arranging field trips and meetings with senior leaders from the Solomon Islands government, civil society and diplomatic communities. Justice, Development, Peace/Caritas enabled us to participate in a day-long workshop on conflict analysis in Southern Plateau State. |
| Impact | - completion of research visits in Nigeria and Solomon Islands - completion of international consultation on faith-based contributions to conflict prevention |
| Start Year | 2013 |
| Description | Collaboration with global Anglican and other faith-based development partners |
| Organisation | Anglican Church of Melanesia |
| Country | Solomon Islands |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | The research team has provided coordination and research support to implement the 'Faith-Based Conflict Prevention Scoping Project', in collaboration with our global Anglican and other faith-based development partners. We have set up joint research visits for academic and faith-based researchers to Nigeria and the Solomon Islands, and we have co-hosted an international consultation on the global Anglican contribution to conflict prevention, taking place in Coventry and London, UK. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our partners have provided their expertise and their good offices, identifying and arranging interview opportunities and setting up workshops as part of the research process. They have also made a very significant contribution in terms providing conference facilities and hospitality. The Anglican Alliance and Lambeth Palace have provided extensive staff time at director and programme officer level, participating in all aspects of the research design, implementation and generation of findings. Christian Aid in Nigeria seconded a programme officer for approx. one month to participate in the research visit and attend the UK consultation. The Anglican Church of Melanesia played a coordinating role during the visit in the Solomon Islands, arranging field trips and meetings with senior leaders from the Solomon Islands government, civil society and diplomatic communities. Justice, Development, Peace/Caritas enabled us to participate in a day-long workshop on conflict analysis in Southern Plateau State. |
| Impact | - completion of research visits in Nigeria and Solomon Islands - completion of international consultation on faith-based contributions to conflict prevention |
| Start Year | 2013 |
| Description | Collaboration with global Anglican and other faith-based development partners |
| Organisation | Christian Aid |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | The research team has provided coordination and research support to implement the 'Faith-Based Conflict Prevention Scoping Project', in collaboration with our global Anglican and other faith-based development partners. We have set up joint research visits for academic and faith-based researchers to Nigeria and the Solomon Islands, and we have co-hosted an international consultation on the global Anglican contribution to conflict prevention, taking place in Coventry and London, UK. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our partners have provided their expertise and their good offices, identifying and arranging interview opportunities and setting up workshops as part of the research process. They have also made a very significant contribution in terms providing conference facilities and hospitality. The Anglican Alliance and Lambeth Palace have provided extensive staff time at director and programme officer level, participating in all aspects of the research design, implementation and generation of findings. Christian Aid in Nigeria seconded a programme officer for approx. one month to participate in the research visit and attend the UK consultation. The Anglican Church of Melanesia played a coordinating role during the visit in the Solomon Islands, arranging field trips and meetings with senior leaders from the Solomon Islands government, civil society and diplomatic communities. Justice, Development, Peace/Caritas enabled us to participate in a day-long workshop on conflict analysis in Southern Plateau State. |
| Impact | - completion of research visits in Nigeria and Solomon Islands - completion of international consultation on faith-based contributions to conflict prevention |
| Start Year | 2013 |
| Description | Collaboration with global Anglican and other faith-based development partners |
| Organisation | Justice, Development and Peace/Caritas Committee of the Catholic Church in Nigeria (JDPC) |
| Country | Nigeria |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | The research team has provided coordination and research support to implement the 'Faith-Based Conflict Prevention Scoping Project', in collaboration with our global Anglican and other faith-based development partners. We have set up joint research visits for academic and faith-based researchers to Nigeria and the Solomon Islands, and we have co-hosted an international consultation on the global Anglican contribution to conflict prevention, taking place in Coventry and London, UK. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our partners have provided their expertise and their good offices, identifying and arranging interview opportunities and setting up workshops as part of the research process. They have also made a very significant contribution in terms providing conference facilities and hospitality. The Anglican Alliance and Lambeth Palace have provided extensive staff time at director and programme officer level, participating in all aspects of the research design, implementation and generation of findings. Christian Aid in Nigeria seconded a programme officer for approx. one month to participate in the research visit and attend the UK consultation. The Anglican Church of Melanesia played a coordinating role during the visit in the Solomon Islands, arranging field trips and meetings with senior leaders from the Solomon Islands government, civil society and diplomatic communities. Justice, Development, Peace/Caritas enabled us to participate in a day-long workshop on conflict analysis in Southern Plateau State. |
| Impact | - completion of research visits in Nigeria and Solomon Islands - completion of international consultation on faith-based contributions to conflict prevention |
| Start Year | 2013 |
| Description | Collaboration with global Anglican and other faith-based development partners |
| Organisation | Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury at Lambeth Palace |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | The research team has provided coordination and research support to implement the 'Faith-Based Conflict Prevention Scoping Project', in collaboration with our global Anglican and other faith-based development partners. We have set up joint research visits for academic and faith-based researchers to Nigeria and the Solomon Islands, and we have co-hosted an international consultation on the global Anglican contribution to conflict prevention, taking place in Coventry and London, UK. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our partners have provided their expertise and their good offices, identifying and arranging interview opportunities and setting up workshops as part of the research process. They have also made a very significant contribution in terms providing conference facilities and hospitality. The Anglican Alliance and Lambeth Palace have provided extensive staff time at director and programme officer level, participating in all aspects of the research design, implementation and generation of findings. Christian Aid in Nigeria seconded a programme officer for approx. one month to participate in the research visit and attend the UK consultation. The Anglican Church of Melanesia played a coordinating role during the visit in the Solomon Islands, arranging field trips and meetings with senior leaders from the Solomon Islands government, civil society and diplomatic communities. Justice, Development, Peace/Caritas enabled us to participate in a day-long workshop on conflict analysis in Southern Plateau State. |
| Impact | - completion of research visits in Nigeria and Solomon Islands - completion of international consultation on faith-based contributions to conflict prevention |
| Start Year | 2013 |
| Description | Joint Learning Initiative on faith and Local Communities |
| Organisation | Joint Learning Initiative on Faith and Local Communities |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Learned Society |
| PI Contribution | The joint Learning Initiative on Faith and Local Communities (JLI F&LC) is international collaboration on evidence for faith groups' activities and contribution to community health and wellbeing. The JLI F&LC was formed in 2012, and initially funded, by a broad collaboration of international development organizations, UN agencies, academic institutions and religious bodies. In 2015 the JLI set up a new thematic hub on global peace and conflict, bring together faith-based and secular agencies, donors and academics working in this area. Prof Alp Ozerdem (PI) was appointed as the academic chair of the hub, with practitioner co-chairs from Islamic Relief and World Vision. laura Payne (co-I) has been commissioned to co-author a scoping paper looking at the state of the art in faith-based peacebuilding to inform the future direction of the hub. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our partners have joined the JLI as members of the peace hub and regularly contribute to meetings. They have been active in shaping the scoping paper and shaping future priorities for joint research. |
| Impact | 15,000 word scoping paper on Faith-based Approaches to Peace and Conflict (forthcoming May 2015 - this will be launched at the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul). |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | World Vision book launch |
| Organisation | World Vision |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | The Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations hosted and chaired an event for World Vision's launch of 'Making Sense of Turbulent Contexts' - a guide to participatory conflict analysis. This was organised at Coventry University's London Campus and engaged with approx ~50 senior practitioners in conflict and development. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our partners participated in the event and distributed the open-access e-book to their staff and partners in the field. |
| Impact | N/A |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | AMAR workshop with Iraqi civic and religious leaders |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Project co-investigator Laura Payne led a half day expert-level workshop for a mixed group of Iraqi civil and religious leaders addressing issues of religious tolerance and persecution of minorities and wider issues of working with the legacies of violent conflict. Held at Cumberland Lodge in Windsor Great Park, the workshop was commissioned by Baroness Emma Nicholson through the AMAR Foundation and funded by the EU. The group included university leaders, a government minister, religious and minority group leaders and a doctor. Each had demonstrable commitment to peaceful coexistence and proven skills in starting new initiatives. The workshop laid the basis for future peacebuilding activity among the group and their networks at a critical time for Iraq. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Afternoon conference for politicians, policy-makers and practitioners on faith-based conflict prevention |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | The conference enabled research participants to communicate emerging findings directly with decision-makers. It also enabled decision-makers to respond, identifying opportunities for further work and for possible change in current approaches. - Researcher Laura Payne has been invited to participate in a new hub of the Joint Learning Initiative on conflict - Researcher Laura Payne has been invited to present project findings at OxPeace conference in May 2015 - Project team representatives invited to meet with Mike Battcock of DfID and Alan Waites of OECD to discuss findings and possibilities |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://www.anglicannews.org/news/2014/11/faith-groups-come-together-for-conflict-prevention-consulta... |
| Description | Conflict prevention workshop for religious leaders at The Forum on Localizing Humanitarian Response:Tthe Role of Religious and Faith-Based Organisations |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Within the context of the localization of aid agenda, the Forum aimed to provide a platform for diverse religious and faith-based organizations to come together with secular partners to showcase and critically reflect on their respective contributions to humanitarian preparedness, response and recovery, in order to strengthen partnerships with local religious and FBO networks, improve delivery, and scale up interventions. The conflict and peacemaking workshop, hosted by Co-PI Laura Payne, did the following: 1) Assembled an excellent data base of evidence on the contributions of local faith-based actors to conflict preparedness, response and recovery for ongoing use by policy makers and practitioners; 2) stimulated new cross sector partnerships with local religious and FBO networks; 3) catalysed advances in international policy and practice with regard to engagement of local faith networks in humanitarian response. The workshop findings fed in to the Forum's report and call to action. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | https://lrf2017.org/forum-2017/ |
| Description | Faith and Peaceful Relations Forum |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This meeting of the Faith and Peaceful Relations Forum, 'Swords into Ploughshares?' explored tensions between religion and violence and reflected on some of the ways in which faith groups contribute to conflict prevention and peacebuilding. Lucy Salek from Islamic Relief and Laura Payne from the Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations shared their experiences and reflections leading in to an interactive session asking how faith groups help to build peace here in Coventry. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | International consultation on the global Anglican contribution to conflict prevention (conference) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Participants in your research and patient groups |
| Results and Impact | Three day consultation organised by the research team and partners which: - brought 20+ senior church leaders from 10 countries together to share insights on faith-based conflict prevention - raised awareness of the need to link in with international agendas around conflict prevention - disseminated emerging insights from the research visits - sourced suggestions for practical implementation of findings, impact generation and ways to continue current work beyond the project. - Anglican Alliance anticipates including a budget line for peacebuilding/conflict prevention work within the forthcoming annual budget - Anglican Church of Melanesia is pursuing plans to set up the first Melanesian Peacebuilding Centre |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://www.anglicanalliance.org/news/19840/coventry-led-research-brings-faith-groups-together-on-con... |
| Description | Keynote: 'Religion, Peacebuilding and Prevention' |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The conference on 'Religion, Failed States and Violence' brought together some 40 academics, experts, faith and civil society leaders, diplomats and journalists in Beirut from a wide range of countries in Africa, Middle East and Europe. The consultation's aim was to reflect on how and why religious organisations often become the most powerful actors in failed and weak states and to draw policy relevant lessons from the cases of Boko Haram in Nigeria, ISIS in Syria and Iraq, and Al Shabab in Somaliaand the wider Horn of Africa. The conference was hosted by The Centre for Religion and Global Affairs, 1--12 February 2016. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | http://www.centreonreligionandglobalaffairs.org/our-news |
| Description | Lecture: In the Name of Religion |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Keynote talk given by Laura Payne and Prof. Alp Ozerdem at Oxford University's 2015 OxPeace Conference. The 2015 theme was 'Disciplines of Peace'. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | https://podcasts.ox.ac.uk/oxpeace-2015-name-religion-untold-story-faith-based-conflict-prevention |
| Description | Open Democracy: Can Religious Groups Help to Prevent Violent Conflict? |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Since it was founded in May 2001, open democracy.net has published over 20,000 articles, analyses, podcasts, videos and exchanges by 5,000 authors. Read weekly in almost every country of the world (we are blocked in China and Iran) Publishes an average of over 60 articles a week Monthly readership of over 750,000 unique visitors Top countries by readership: United Kingdom, USA, Canada, Australia, India, Germany and France. Strongest growth in readership: Middle East, Africa and India. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | https://www.opendemocracy.net/transformation/laura-payne/can-religious-groups-help-to-prevent-violen... |
| Description | Paper presentation at the Conflict Research Society annual conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Co-PI Laura Payne presented a paper related to this research entitled 'Faith-Based Forms of Violent Conflict Prevention: Turning Conventional Wisdom on its Head?'. The presentation argues that faith-based approaches are largely unsystematised and ad-hoc, yet are consistent and distinctive in their emphasis on building resilient relationships (those capable of withstanding external stresses and strains). In this sense, they model forms of violent conflict prevention that priorities human agency and relatedness over attempts to change context. They therefore offer insights valuable to the wider field, which is under growing scrutiny for its liberal underpinnings, short-termism, warning-response gaps, power asymmetries, and technical and technological solutionism. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | http://conflictresearchsociety.org |
| Description | Sessions provided as part of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation's executive training programme for religious leaders at the forefront of preventing conflict |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Researchers Prof. Alpaslan Ozerdem and Laura Payne provided intensive workshop sessions over three days, which: - generated interested from faith-based practitioners in linking with our research and capacity building activities - participants were able to encounter leaders of another faith outside of their own highly-charged local contexts - Workshop participant Mrs Comfort Fearon applied and was successful in securing a Commonwealth Professional Fellowship at Coventry University. - Researcher Laura Payne has been commissioned by the Tony Blair Faith Foundation to train a group of 25 Nigerian student leaders in order to counter Boko Haram ideology on university campuses in Northern Nigeria (January 2015). - Workshop participant Imam Dauda Bello directly quoted from Researcher Laura Payne's presentation in his blog for The Huffington Post. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://www.huffingtonpost.com/margee-ensign/creed-greed-and-need_b_5271507.html |
| Description | Talk given to Rotary Clubs in West Midlands |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Two talks were given to the West Midlands Rotary community by Researcher Laura Payne: one at a regional day conference on 'Peace Though Service' and one at the local Stratford Upon Avon club. The events engaged the wider public on issues of religion, conflict and peacebuilding and the opportunities they have to make a difference. Rotary Club wrote to thank the researcher for thought-provoking talks which had influenced the direction of their future civic engagement and charitable giving, including support for the Coventry International Peace Prize. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |