The importance of the religious factor today from the lives of millions of individuals up to global dynamics does not need to be pointed out any longer. Neither does it need to be argued that our world is affected by many kinds of violence from the domestic to the global level. The link between religion and violence, conflict, extremism and terrorism gets a lot of attention, is extensively reported, researched and increasingly taken into account in policymaking and international relations. However, the other side of the coin, namely the link between religion and peace, gets far less attention. Given the obvious presence of religion on the world scene today and its role in stimulating, supporting or legitimizing conflicts and violence, it is rather surprising that within the international community and the academic world attention is rising so lately and sporadically to the role of religion in peacebuilding.

And yet, religious peacebuilding has always existed on the ground. Moreover, in recent years it is gaining international momentum as a movement from the local level to the global level. Religious peacebuilding initiatives are becoming more visible, more urgent, more numerous and more recognized.  Diplomats, governmental and non-governmental bodies, international and global organizations, journalists and funding organizations are paying more and more attention to the possibilities of religious peacebuilding and of positive cooperation with religious leaders to address specific problems, including war, conflict and violence. Also religious actors themselves, ranging from laypersons and individual religious leaders over denominational structures to interdenominational and multireligious bodies, seem more open and encouraged to take up a role as peacebuilders, exploring their own faith traditions and developing their resources and practices for peace. While religious peacebuilding largely remained the unnoticed process behind the scenes till now, it has recently been taken up by scholars, practitioners, politicians and religious actors as a distinct phenomenon to be studied and explored.

However, it is especially in the United States that religious peacebuilding is being developed as a new academic field of study and becomes structurally embedded within institutes of policy-making and non-governmental organisations. Interesting examples in this regard are the United States Institute of Peace and the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy (ICRD)[1]. It seems that in Europe, however, the structural attention for the positive contribution of religion to peacemaking and peacebuilding, both in the academic and the political world, is lagging behind.

I am convinced that it is high time for the political world to involve religious leaders and communities, including the more challenging fundamentalist and extremist groups, in a more systematic sustained manner in the construction of a peaceful world. The neglect or ignorance of the religious factor in policy design and decisionmaking relating to international politics or peacebuilding processes has often led to negative consequences and missed opportunities. People like Douglas Johnston and Madeleine Albright make a strong case for including religion in national and foreign policy: “As Minister of Foreign Affairs, I could rely on a whole cabinet of economists who could advice me, experts in the field of non-proliferation and arms control […], but I could not rely on similar experts to integrate religious principles in our diplomatic steps. Given the state of the world today, such knowledge is essential.”[2] The inclusion of religion requires, however, in-depth knowledge and insight into the religion itself and the social-political context. I think it is high time to develop such a consistent, pro-active and insightful EU-policy to engage religions’ potential for peacebuilding through a combined effort of academicians, politicians, religious leaders and communities and peacebuilding practitioners.