The International Center for Ethno-Religious Mediation is hosting its 1st Annual International Conference on Ethnic and Religious Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding on October 1 in New York. The theme is “The Advantages of Ethnic & Religious Identity in Conflict Mediation and Peacebuilding.” Dean Elayne Greenberg of St. John’s University School of Law is co-chair:
The 21st century continues to experience waves of ethnic and religious violence making it one of the most devastating threats to peace, political stabilization, economic growth and security in our world. These conflicts have killed and maimed tens of thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands, planting the seed for even greater violence in the future.
For our First Annual International Conference, we have chosen the theme: The Advantages of Ethnic & Religious Identity in Conflict Mediation and Peacebuilding. Too often, differences in ethnicity and faith traditions are seen as a drawback to the peace process. It is time to turn these assumptions around and rediscover the benefits that these differences offer. It is our contention that societies made up of an amalgamation of ethnicities and faith traditions offer largely unexplored assets to the policy makers, donor & humanitarian agencies, and mediation practitioners working to assist them.
Details and registration can be found here.