The Mission of ICRD

To prevent and resolve identity-based conflicts that exceed the reach of traditional diplomacy by incorporating religion as part of the solution.

Many ethnic, tribal and religious conflicts do not lend themselves to government-to-government intervention. To complement those efforts, ICRD employs its unique capabilities in the areas where it can have a value-added impact by:

1) decreasing religion’s role as a driver of conflict;
2) increasing the role of religious clergy and laity in peacemaking;
3) increasing the capacity of religious peacemakers;
4) increasing policy-makers’ awareness of and receptivity to the potential contributions of religious peacemakers.

Regardless of one’s spiritual persuasion, there are two compelling reasons why the Center’s work is important. First, the need for more effective preventive measures to minimize the occasions in which we are forced to send our sons and daughters in harm’s way. Second, the need for a stable global environment to support the kind of economic growth that can benefit an expanding percentage of the world’s population. By linking religious reconciliation with official or unofficial diplomacy, ICRD has created a new synergy for peacemaking that serves both of these needs.

New Developments

Policy Forum: Iran – April 12, 2012

Key issues discussed at the policy forum include Iran’s nuclear program, human rights, and regional dynamics and Iranian influence. Options discussed for US action include military action, sanctions, government diplomacy, and citizen diplomacy.  See all policy forum reports.

Empowering Moderate Islam – April 5, 2012

On April 5, Dr. Johnston addressed a group at the Wheatley Institution at Brigham Young University about the role that the West can play in empowering Moderate Islam. Empowering the mainstream interpretation of Islam that is followed by the majority of Muslims throughout the world is one of the most effective counters to intolerance and the proliferation of extremism. Read the full speech.

Monthly Update – March 15, 2012

We hope you enjoy our new and improved website. As the spirit moves, please consider sharing the link with two or three friends or colleagues who you think could become interested in (and possibly supportive of) our work. Also in this update are some interesting insights from our latest Policy Forum on Pakistan. Read the full update.

Policy Forum: Pakistan at the Crossroads – February 23, 2012

Pakistan is the foremost U.S. national security challenge in the world today in terms of the potential linkage of religious extremism to nuclear weapons. The second most populous Muslim country in the world, Pakistan has a challenging history and a political and social system that is heavily influenced by patronage and family networks. See all policy forum reports.

Policy Forum: Religious Minorities in Middle East Countries – January 19, 2012

Religious minorities in the Muslim world have typically been at greatest risk in times of political or social upheaval. With the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq, the regime change in Egypt, and the uprisings in Syria, religious minorities such as Christians, Shias, Alawites, Druze, and Bahai’s have often felt increasingly endangered, in some cases losing their lives or being forced to flee the country. See all policy forum reports.