Abstract
This article presents and analyzes the foreign policy-related activities of Religions for Peace (RfP), a global interfaith organization and a major international interreligious actor. The positions of RfP on global issues, topics of foreign policy dealt with by RfP assemblies, the potential for RfP as an emerging foreign policy actor, and examples for RfP’s cooperation with international organizations and national foreign ministries are covered. After a brief historical overview on the foreign policy-related outcomes and actions of the 10 RfP World Assemblies 1970-2019, the article’s research focus is on RfP’s international and European actions since 2015, particularly the policy recommendations of the RfP European Assembly 2015 in Castel Gandolfo, the strategic follow-up to the World Assembly 2019 in Lindau, and RfP’s spiritual and practical reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic. While partnerships between RfP institutions and foreign ministries and other foreign policy actors are just developing, the article concludes that Religions for Peace has a great potential as an emerging foreign policy partner and actor. If interfaith leaders and foreign policy makers strive together for “global interfaith politics”, diplomacy and religions can collaborate for positive peace.
“Guided by the principles of my own religious tradition, and respectful of religious differences, I commit myself to principled multi-religious cooperation for Peace. I will work as a partner with sincere believers of other religions and men and women of good will on matters of deeply held and widely shared moral concerns”. (Statement of Commitment to Multi-Religious Cooperation, Religions for Peace (RfP) 10th World Assembly, Lindau, August 2019)
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Notes
- 1.
Source Quote: Foundation for a Global Ethic. https://www.global-ethic.org/the-global-ethic-project/. Accessed: 19 Jul. 2020.
- 2.
An overview of religion-related international conflicts is provided in Röhrich (2004).
- 3.
Overview of seven states and eight international organizations, as well as twelve partner countries.
- 4.
- 5.
On the European Union and interfaith dialogue, see Bender (2013).
- 6.
For more details about the history, organization and conflict resolution activities of RfP, see Gebhardt (2014).
- 7.
For more details about the origins, history and activities of ECRL, see Affolderbach (2020, pp. 71–87).
- 8.
For a full report on the RfP European Assembly at Castel Gandolfo, see Religions for Peace Europe (2016). The document names as most vulnerable groups religious and ethnic minorities, marginalized people and communities, migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, among others.
- 9.
- 10.
Concise presentations and motivating statements focused on concrete actions and examples by leaders, activists and experts.
- 11.
RfP Germany dedicated its 101/2019 newsletter to the Lindau World Assembly, see detailed reports in RfP Deutschland (2019).
- 12.
An interfaith document elaborated by experts and interfaith leaders from Birmingham (United Kingdom) and later presented to and endorsed by highest religious and political leaders; see Boehle (2019).
- 13.
Lindau Pledge, read and solemnly spoken by the assembly’s participants in plenary session, see text at the beginning of this article.
- 14.
Source: RfP Press Release Religions for Peace to the G20: Debt Relief Cannot Wait, 22 July 2020, RfP Website https://rfp.org/rfp-to-g20-debt-relief-cannot-wait/. Accessed: 24 Jul. 2020.
- 15.
Two entire issues of Germany’s leading foreign policy magazine Internationale Politik IP had COVID-19 as their cover topic, also featuring several articles inside: “Kampf gegen Corona” 3 May/June 2020 and “Gute Besserung” 4 July/August 2020.
- 16.
COVID-19 related restrictions for religions in different countries are presented in Consorti (2020).
- 17.
For more details on RfP’s and others’ interfaith actions against COVID-19, see Bender (2020a).
- 18.
Religions for Peace (RfP). https://rfp.org/standing-together-in-spirit-and-with-actions-religions-for-peace-statement-about-the-coronavirus-covid-19/, further details at https://rfp.org/statement-by-religions-for-peace-on-coronavirus-crisis/ All accessed: 25 Jul. 2020.
- 19.
Religions for Peace (RfP). https://rfp.org/multi-religious-covid-19-hub/. Accessed: 25 Jul. 2020.
- 20.
European Council of Religious Leaders (ECRL). https://ecrl.eu/now-more-than-ever-we-stand-together/ Accessed: 27 Jul. 2020.
- 21.
Other important interfaith and ecumenical statements on COVID-19 include World Council of Churches (2020) Coping with Covid19 https://www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/documents/covid-19; KAICIID (2020) IPDC calls for multireligious cooperation in the Arab World to overcome COVID-19 Crisis, https://www.kaiciid.org/news-events/news/ipdc-calls-multireligious-cooperation-arab-world-overcome-covid-19-crisis; Network of religious and traditional peacemakers (2020) ‘Six ways RTA can take action to prevent the spread’ https://www.peacemakersnetwork.org/six-ways-for-religious-and-traditional-actors-to-take-action-to-prevent-spread-of-covid-19-in-their-cfbclidommunities/?=IwAR3gDdBBiGdqlUy0EQ2PEtbrUDalAbC_IgmbQWN6DR8X7CjKfKSQW1nYK5g and World Economic Forum (2020) ‘Love your neighbour: Islam, Judaism and Christianity come together over COVID-19’, 9 April 2020, https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/religions-covid-19-coronavirus-collaboration/. All accessed: 8 Dec. 2020.
- 22.
See article on KAICIID website with reference to a study undertaken by researchers in Barcelona https://www.kaiciid.org/de/news-events/features/religi%C3%B6se-gemeinschaften-nutzen-w%C3%A4hrend-der-covid-19-pandemie-das-internet-um. Accessed: 23 Jul. 2020.
- 23.
Discussed by De Weck (2020).
- 24.
Frequently used at the moment in international political discussions, Green New Deal or Green Deal are terms for concepts and actions to make the world economy more equitable, just, ecological and sustainable, referring to US president Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s so-called New Deal policy in the 1930s to end the Great Depression. or alluding to the Green Deal program of the European Commission announced in 2019 to modernize and preserve the European Union’s social and economic model and to make it more eco-friendly, socially inclusive and to prevent climate change.
- 25.
COVID-19’s impact on foreign policy and international relations is reflected in Gardini (2020).
- 26.
For the example of the European Union, see Rudolph (2020).
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Websites
Comunità di Sant’Egidio: https://www.santegidio.org
European Council of Religious Leaders (ECRL): https://ecrl.eu/
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Global Interfaith Youth Network: https://rfp.org/movement/global-interfaith-youth-network/
Global Women of Faith Network: https://rfp.org/movement/global-women-of-faith-network/
G20 Interfaith Forum: https://www.g20interfaith.org/
King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID): https://www.kaiciid.org/
Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers: https://www.peacemakersnetwork.org/
Parliament of World’s Religions (CPWR): https://parliamentofreligions.org/
Religions for Peace (RfP) International: https://rfp.org/
Religions for Peace (RfP) Deutschland: http://www.religionsforpeace.de/
Religions for Peace (RfP) Germany: https://religionsforpeace-deutschland.de/
United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC): https://www.unaoc.org/
United Religions Initiative (URI): https://uri.org/
World Faiths Development Dialogue (WFDD): https://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/wfdd
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Bender, P. (2021). Religions for Peace (RfP) and Global and European Interfaith Politics: Different Faiths, Common Actions – in Foreign Policy?. In: Toropova, M. (eds) Rethinking the Religious Factor in Foreign Policy. Politik und Religion. Springer VS, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-33776-6_7
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