Echoes of Faith: Religious Voices in the Peacebuilding Landscapes of Ireland and Colombia
14th May: 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm BST
The Las Casas Institute at Blackfriars Hall is pleased to host an online academic conversation exploring the complex role of communities of faith in peacebuilding processes. As scholars and practitioners alike have long recognised, religion carries both constructive and destructive potential in its cultural consequences —the “ambiguity of the sacred”—. Strengthening constructive elements requires not only a clear-eyed awareness of the challenges these communities face, but also a careful appreciation of their distinctive contributions, and a willingness to learn from good practices across contexts.
This event seeks to serve as a trans-Atlantic bridge, bringing different perspectives into fruitful conversation: a space where experiences emerging from two markedly different yet resonant contexts —post-Troubles Ireland and post-Accord Colombia— can be meaningfully contrasted and mutually enriched. By placing these case studies in dialogue and allowing them to find echoes in each other, the discussion will invite participants to consider how communities of faith navigate political transition, contribute to reconciliation, and reimagine their public role in societies marked by histories of conflict. In doing so, it aims to foster deeper reflection on the possibilities and limits of faith-based peacebuilding in the contemporary world.
This webinar will take place on Zoom Thursday the 14th of May, at 3pm. Free and open to all and Registration is required.
Speakers
Dr Maria Power is a Fellow of Blackfriars Hall where she a Senior Research Fellow at the Las Casas Institute for Social Justice. With a strong focus on the case of Ireland, her academic research explores the role that religions can play in ameliorating violence and ethnic conflict.
Dr Eduardo Gutiérrez is an Associate Professor at the Centre for Theological Formation at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana’s Faculty of Theology. He is also a JRF at Blackfriars Hall and a Research Fellow at the Berkley Center (Georgetown University). His teaching and research focus on religious imaginaries and their contribution to peacebuilding, esp. in Colombia.
Contact:
Las Casas Institute
lascasas@bfriars.ox.ac.uk