Religion and International Affairs: Faith, Conflict and Governance

On Wednesday, September 30,  2105, The McCain Institute and The Woolf Institute hosted “Religion and International Affairs: Faith, Conflict and Governance”.

The role of religion in international affairs was examined, particularly how it impacts societies who are experiencing conflict. We covered the danger of conflating the Middle East crisis with religion, often forgetting that it is also about society and government. We examined the conflict potential in specific countries outside the Middle East such as Bosnia and Pakistan, and also commented on the situation in countries where large minorities are being persecuted such as Nigeria and China. The growth of non-religious groups was also considered. When examining these countries the panelists looked at the opportunity for not wasting a crisis i.e. How do you create stability in highly religious societies? How do you create prosperity and good governance in these countries?

Featuring Dr. Hassan Abbas, Professor of International Security Studies, National Defense University; Shaun Casey, U.S. Special Representative for Religion and Global Affairs, State Department; Dr. Edward Kessler, Founder Director, Woolf Institute; Farah Pandith, Adjunct Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations; and Ambassador Kurt Volker, Executive Director, The McCain Institute.