The Role of Religion and Church in Mediating Peace in Burundi and Sierra Leone

• In Event: International Perspectives and Research in Peace Education

Abstract

This qualitative study examined the contributions of religion and church to the quest for social change and sustainable peace in Burundi and Sierra Leone. Through interviews, observations, participant observation, and document analysis, the study revealed that (1) religion is often used as a source of comfort, strength, and healing as the people negotiate the devastating emotional and material consequences of the civil war in both Burundi and Sierra Leone; and (2) some of the educational strategies the Church utilizes to foster inter-group peaceful coexistence include: adapting doctrine to enhance individual and collective consciousness; encouraging dialogue through collaboration; active participation in national educational discourses; and positioning itself as a leader in the national peace discourses.

Author

• Elavie Ndura, George Mason University