Education and Training Center/International

Certificate Course in Interfaith Conflict Resolution

Religion is frequently cited as a cause of violent conflict, yet dialogue between faith communities often reveals that religion is not a primary source of tension. Moreover, faith-based approaches to peacemaking can be invaluable in promoting understanding and reconciliation.

This course is designed to enhance the peacemaking capacities of individuals and faith-based organizations by focusing on objectives, methods, and best practices of interfaith dialogue, a form of religious peacemaking increasingly recognized for its relevance to 21st Century conflict. The course also examines the roles that faith leaders can play as third parties in peacemaking efforts. The course applies general principles of faith-based peacemaking to two case studies, highlighting interfaith peacemaking efforts between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria, as well as the role that various faith communities played in helping to bring and end to the 36-year internal armed conflict in Guatemala.

Certificate of Completion : Yes
Cost: No charge

The course also includes images and graphics. For an equivalent, fully-accessible version of the course that uses only text, please download the text version. Downloading the text version of the course requires Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader, which you can get free from Adobe.

Course Objectives

In completing this course, you will gain proficiency in the following skills:

• Identifying key challenges and opportunities associated with religion and peacemaking
• Identifying typical phases of interfaith dialogue, along with common objectives, proven methodologies and best practices
• Analyzing case studies in interfaith dialogue with reference to objectives, methods and best practices
• Developing effective goals and objectives for programs involving interfaith dialogue
• Applying proven methods and best practices in programs involving interfaith dialogue
• Responding to challenges and obstacles associated with establishing effective dialogue between faith communities
• Identifying ways that faith leaders can be effective in third-party engagement
• Analyzing case studies and applying lessons learned in faith-based third-party efforts

Perspectives

This course includes numerous perspectives on the subject of interfaith conflict resolution, as well as on conflict in Nigeria and Guatemala. These perspectives come in the form of media clips culled from over twenty hours of interviews that we have conducted with Institute specialists and other noted specialists. Use of the media clips requires the Adobe Flash Player. If you do not have it, text alternatives are available—or you can get Flash free from Adobe.