Enhancing Interfaith Dialogue and Cooperation towards Peace in the 21st Century

Katherine's statement was a response to the first panel speakers at this conference:

          The three papers, presented by Dr. Syamsuddin, Sarah Titchen, and Pauline Muchina, approached the conference subject from quite different angles, but also were woven through with significant common themes. 

All sought to comment on the challenges of what they saw as the essential “dialogue”, working against a “clash” of civilizations.  They describe interfaith dialogue as a necessity, not a luxury, as a central not a peripheral activity in today’s plural world, where understanding of diversity is a living element in everyday life.  Globalization has accentuated the mingling of cultures and thus heightens the need for understanding and dialogue.

From different vantage points the speakers explored the complex questions about how peace, religion, security (in its various dimensions), social justice, and poverty are interlinked and intertwined. It was heartening to see the strong focus on women, which vibrated through the remarks of Dr. Muchina, in particular.  This is a topic too often bundled together with others, and it deserves much more focus, from moral and practical perspectives.

Each speaker addressed the question of how to balance the harmful roles that religion is too often seen to play and may indeed play with its enormous potential for good.  The speakers highlighted the major progress made towards an appreciation of common ground, a common global ethic.  This is a strong foundation on which to build.  But they also highlighted the importance of pluralism and difference.  This is where dialogue especially comes in, as successful pluralism must be grounded in understanding and respect for difference.  The three speakers were perturbed by the tendency to fine words and speeches, and called for concerted efforts to work towards action.

            These issues all have great importance and offer the conference a rich menu.  I would hope also to see this Conference explore in greater depth both how interfaith dialogue and action can advance progress towards the Millennium Development Goals, and how the concept of interfaith dialogue can be extended to dialogue among a wider group of essential partners and allies in this global quest for peace and justice.

            Briefly, we should all see the world’s faith communities as vital partners in the effort to achieve the MDGs; we can only achieve them by working more effectively across what have been high boundaries separating sectors and institutions.  Creative efforts are needed to translate this goal into practice as it goes against the grain of habit and institutional structures and ways of thinking and relating. The challenge to new creative cross-cutting partnerships has relevance for each and every MDG: whether for hunger, ensuring that girls go to school, combating HIV/AIDS and other diseases, focusing more effectively on children, bringing about true gender equity, protecting the environment, bringing about decent work, and so on.  Faith communities are deeply engaged in each area and their voices, their hearts and their hands are needed. 

            Besides the essential need for interfaith dialogue (the central topic of the conference), dialogue involving all members here is needed – dialogue with governments and development agencies (not to speak of business, other parts of civil society, the arts, etc).  Perhaps there is more common ground than many imagine.  Many development institutions have been described in words which hark to the less positive aspects of religions: as dogmatic, believing in unseen and unknowable forces (invisible hand of the market), preaching, unwilling to change.  But there is also powerful common ground: a passionate and fundamental commitment to fighting poverty, increasingly sophisticated understandings of how institutions function (including church and states), and appreciation of the need to build trust and hear the voices of poor communities.

            Thus an “interfaith” dialogue is needed also among governments, development agencies, and communities of religion and faith.  This is vital, but it is far from easy.  In the World Bank, we have sobering experience of the kinds of questions that can arise, the doubts that exist as to the feasibility of working in partnership with faith communities.  Briefly, many see religions as divisive (divided among themselves, accentuators of conflicts), as dangerous, in the sense of opposing aspects of modernization and progress for the poor (gender relations and reproductive health issues are cited), and defunct (an extreme word that describes the questions some pose as to whether in modern societies religious establishments can continue to play a positive and meaningful social role).  Each of these arguments has strong counter-reasons: religions work more for peace than any others, they are strong forces for progress in education, health, caring for the excluded, and they are huge and vital forces in the full gamut of societies, today more than ever before.  But we do well to reflect on these deeply held concerns as we embark on the vitally needed action dialogue that we all seek here.

            Let me suggest a few ideas on directions for the future, where there is powerful coincidence of concern, and complementary qualities and skills among the various partners.

• Consciousness: religious communities can play a powerful role in helping to bring far greater awareness of poverty and injustice.  People should never be allowed to ignore or forget the MDGs.
• Conscience: religious communities can help with the vital task of ensuring that people see the questions of poverty as their problem, one for which they share responsibility.
• Communication: making the issues and solutions come alive through story, narrative, parables, inspiration
• Continuity: religious communities can help with what may be the most difficult challenge of all – sustaining hope, engagement, and action.  The tendency to fads and to “seasonal” programs is dangerous as we are in a long marathon where sustained effort is vitally needed.
• Celebration: is needed of what is being done and what works.  Hope is critical so we need the appreciation that efforts can succeed.
• Commitment: the global challenges before us require a strong bond of commitment, a personal engagement for each one among us to act to fulfill our promises.  This echoes the notion of covenant, an agreement that binds to true action, which is well understood in the theologies of many faiths.
• Concrete.  We need to make the MDG challenges concrete and real, translate them into doable actions so that people can act when they are engaged and inspired.
• Curiosity.  Permanent curiosity is essential in this dynamic world.  Religious communities can help to work towards creative and open minds and approaches, wonder at what others do, and thus a continuing process of learning and progress.

In closing, some further action ideas.  First, we need far better mapping of what is happening, with particular reference to the work of faith communities, which is poorly and partially known.  This applies notably in the area of peace and security but also in other fields.  Second, we need to work to mutual education among partners.  Development partners need to know much more about religions and their development work, and their counterparts can understand much better the work of development agencies,  Finally, dialogue is something that we should not discuss or consider lightly, as it has profound and action-focused implications.   It is not about explaining, or debate.  It implies a real commitment to mutual understanding and openness to learning and transformation.