Religion and peacemaking in Sierra Leone.

This thesis concerns religion as a peacemaking tool in Sierra Leone. The vast majority of people in Sierra Leone consider themselves to be Christians, Muslims and / or adherents of African Traditional Religion (ATR). This thesis examines the role of religious leaders and religious communities in the peacemaking process during and after the Sierra Leone Civil War from 1991 - 2002. In previous studies about violence and religion, the role of religion in the peacemaking process has often been neglected, particularly in studies about the African continent. This study aims to fill this gap. The research is based on theoretical approaches in the field of religion and violence and religion and peace, as well as a qualitative and an empirical study in Sierra Leone comprising participant observation, interviews and data collected from archives. The thesis develops the praxis of peace based on the Sierra Leone context. It argues that since independence from Britain in 1961, subsequent governments have woefully marginalised religion. The thesis demonstrates that Christian leaders, churches, and ecumenical organisations were resources that contributed to peacemaking in Sierra Leone. Christians and their leaders influenced by ATR also led and supported the works of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Sierra Leone (TRCSL) and the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL). Christians provided leadership for truth-telling and reconciliation, relief, advocacy for peace, and confidence-building as peacemakers in action. By combining a theoretical discussion of Girard, Juergensmeyer, Schmidt, Huntington, Bowie, Johnston and others with the qualitative and empirical case study of Sierra Leone, the research adds new dimensions to the general academic debate on religion and violence, as well as religion and peacemaking, with respect to the clash of civilisations, faith-based diplomacy and other theories on religion and violence, and religion and peacemaking, in Sierra Leone