The next article has been published in the special issue of the open-access journal Religions on ‘Religious Conflict and Peacebuilding: Advances in the Field’, co-edited by Joram Tarusarira and me.
‘Religious Environmental Sensemaking in Climate-Induced Conflicts’, by Tarusarira, explores the case of the Pokot community in northern Kenya to argue that focusing only on technical approaches in dealing with conflicts induced by climate change neglects the deeper religio-spiritual mechanisms that motivate actors in such conflicts and give the latter their texture.
There will be an opportunity to hear Tarusarira and me ‘in conversation’ about ‘Religion, Conflict and Peace Building: Future Research Agendas’, on Monday 7 March, 1-2 pm, at Queen’s University (register here).
This is the fourth article in the special issue, with more due to be published after peer review.
Abstract
This article used the case of the Pokot community in northern Kenya to argue that focusing only on technical approaches in dealing with conflicts induced by climate change neglects the deeper religio-spiritual mechanisms that motivate actors in such conflicts and give the latter their texture. For example, the sacred connection with cattle, forests, and land, or the spiritual blessings of cattle raiders in times of competition over dwindling resources raise questions concerning whether and how indigenous religions’ sacred beliefs and practices contribute to finding peaceful solutions to such conflicts and advancing the discourse of religious peacebuilding. This article deployed the concept of religious environmental sense-making to argue that framing climate-induced conflicts in sacred terms influences how actors position themselves within them, as well as their level of intensity and intractability. Answering this question is crucial to advancing the field of peacebuilding, understanding what propels actors in climate-induced conflicts, and comprehending how policy-makers and mediators in conflicts can develop locally grounded strategies to address such climate issues.