Rethinking Peace building in Zaarland: Advocating for a Greater Role of Religious Leaders.
✍🏾 Madalla Kadiri, Zaar Activist
Introduction:
In his new op-ed, Mohamed Elsanousi argues for integrating religious and traditional leaders into global peace efforts. He highlights their influence on community engagement, especially in conflict-prone regions where Western methods have faltered.
Should God be allowed a bigger role in peacemaking?
‘The mechanisms of the past – top-down methods of peacebuilding – are obviously not working: We can see a number of peace agreements are failing.’
We’re living in a time of fragility, especially Africa, and trust in the West is not that good. There’s always the perception of having a hidden agenda. That’s why focusing on local approaches and supporting local approaches is quite critical.
The former UN chief Ban Ki-moon recommended an enhanced role for civil society in peacebuilding in a 2012 report. The report recognised the “major” role traditional and religious actors play in peacemaking, but noted that they were underused and not supported by multilateral institutions or Western donor governments.
Twelve years on, the lack of will to embrace religion as a tool for progress is very much still in evidence. So as conflicts worsen globally, and calls for localisation build to a clamour, is it time for policymakers to give God – or tradition – more of a chance?
Religious or traditional Leaders.
Religious leaders are spiritual leaders who are leading communities. You have different names for those – imams, bishops, rabbis – which are different in different contexts, but we mean those who are directly connecting to the masses. They are meeting in communities in one shape or another, whether it is a house of worship or community centre.
Traditional leaders are leaders in their own communities, clans, or tribes. They are people who have influence, a specific social structure recognised traditionally in their own local custom or context. In the Middle belt Nigeria, clan leaders are known as elders and Northern Nigeria, emirs and sultans. In some cases, they inherited this kind of leadership from their ancestors.
Advantages of Religious, Traditional Leaders in peace building
They have influence, credibility, and the trust of their own communities – provided they are not imposed by the government to lead communities. They are influential, trusted, credible and they can get the job done. If leaders are recognised and credible, their voices on matters can contribute tremendously to advance peace and security and carry out the sustainable development goals.
Disadvantages of Religious, Traditional Leaders in peace building
In Western culture and way of thinking, they lack democracy, and for traditional leaders, sometimes basic human rights – people who support them may see them as their ‘masters’. In some contexts, the followers of traditional leaders don’t question their legitimacy and authority – this system is contradictory to our Western values of democracy.
The practical examples of where this approach has been used
In Somalia, the [strongly religious] constitution, guaranteed for 10 years or more, is now one of peaceful transition of power. There’s election processes happening. That particular constitution was agreed upon by the elders, traditional leaders, 12-15 years ago. They’re not co-chairing the process, they’re not co-chairing the constitution, that came from them directly – they cooked it.
Advocating for a Greater Role of Religious Leaders in peace building in Zaarland
Zaarland within itself has experienced many conflicts: some are short-term, while others prolonged; some are externally imposed, but most are internal. Most internal conflicts are promoted by political entrepreneurs.
This prolonged conflicts have resulted in the loss of human lives and millions of naira in property, and the disruption of economic activities and social order. Other significant effects include distrust among Zaar and disordered social interactions.
More than 98 percent of Zaar are believers; they obey and follow their respective religions and religious leaders. And there are more than 5 Christian registered religious institutions branch in Zaarland.
Religious leaders have a greater role to play in peace building in our land that will bring lasting peace.
The roles of religious leader in peace building are as follows;
1. Religious leaders play a significant role in conflict resolution. They reprimand conflict-inciting parties, politicians, and elites, inviting them to come to their senses and resolve their differences through peaceful discussion. They advise communities to avoid conflict and promote coexistence and peace. Religious organizations also help by healing the trauma of victims of conflict and providing humanitarian support through their development units.
2. During conflict, religious organizations calm the public by calling for continuous prayers, day and night. Whenever a disaster occurs, the first thing religious leaders do is initiate days of continuous prayer, and they don’t pray alone; they call on the public to pray continually at home. Religious institutions also communicate group condolences to those who have been affected by conflict to remind them the Almighty is still with them and to lift them in the aftermath. In addition, religious leaders call for believers and followers to engage in practices that promote self-protection, unity, and synergy.
3. Religious leaders are also engaged in reconciliation efforts between conflicting parties. At the grassroots community level, they teach why reconciliation is beneficial and important and how to reconcile through dialogue. Again, they teach the importance of tolerance and harmony between people.
Peacebuilding efforts have resulted in helping people be more rational than emotional.
Advocating for a Greater Role of Religious Leaders in peace building in Zaarland at the moment is the only option, because other options have been tried, but faltered.
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