During the meeting, around forty key figures from the fields of diplomacy, religious leadership and politics as well as experts in peace building will analyze the current trends and trajectories of religious-framed conflicts. They will focus on understanding the roles of religious and traditional actors in peace processes. Local representatives from and supporters of peace initiatives in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, North and South America will be involved in the case studies.
“The aim of the Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers is to bring together key actors, and plan together how we will jointly support the efforts of local actors. We are also committed to helping the UN to work better with religious and traditional actors,” Mr. Antti Pentikäinen, the Convener of the Network.
The Advisory Group meeting is a forum and an opportunity for members to review the Network’s activities since the previous meeting held in April 2014, and identify gaps in supporting and engaging peacemakers to help the Network’s planning.
As a main structure of the Network, the Advisory Group consists of key member organizations of the Network. The group meets annually and is engaged in the steering of the Network. It formulates guidelines for strengthening the strategic collaborations of the Network in order to further support and engage religious actors in peacebuilding efforts.
Further information: Antti Pentikäinen, Convener of the Network, p. +35840 5313514.
The KAICIID Dialogue Centre is an intergovernmental organization founded in Vienna in 2012 by the Republic of Austria, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom of Spain, with the Holy See as Founding Observer. The mandate of KAICIID is to promote the use of dialogue globally to prevent and resolve conflicts.
The Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers receives funding from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, Finn Church Aid and The KAICIID Dialogue Centre.