Engaging with Religion in Post-Conflict Settings: A Field Perspective
Policymakers have increasingly acknowledged the importance of religion in conflict-prone states. What should be taken into consideration when addressing religious actors? How can the international community approach both the positive and negative impacts of religion in fragile or war-torn states, including how to work with religious groups in attempting to resolve conflict and how to engage with extremist religious elements that are contributing to the escalation of conflict? CSIS's Post-Conflict Reconstruction Project hosted Dr. David Steele to provide his perspectives on questions.
Dr. Steele has more than a decade of experience working with religion and conflict management. Most recently, he worked with those involved in final status talks in Kosovo, and developed a report on religious aspects of conflict for use at the June 2006 Oslo Forum. With the Conflict Management Group (CMG) and Mercy Corps, Dr. Steele has led projects engaging government officials and NGOs in the Balkans, South Asia, and the Middle East. Before working at CMG, Dr. Steele was a fellow in the Program on Preventive Diplomacy at CSIS.
