Religiöst fredsbyggande i Maluku: : En fallstudieanalys av lokala religiösa aktörers metoder och initiativ för konfliktlösning

Sammanfattning: This thesis aims to contribute to the knowledge gap on religious peacebuilding. Previous research on the role of religion has, to a large extent, focused on its destructive potential as a cause of conflict and religious strife. At the same time, there are examples of when religious actors have drawn from religious values to promote peace and reconciliation between conflicting parties. Thus, the purpose of this thesis is to explore in what ways religious peacebuilding promotes conflict transformation between different religious groups during intra-state conflict. By further examining the methods and initiatives used by local religious actors at the grassroots in the Moluccas in Indonesia, the thesis aims to analyze the effects on the peace process. The research method for the study is an instrumental case study analysis, and the thesis applies a combination of two theoretical frameworks focusing on conflict transformation and success factors linked to religious peacebuilding to analyze the empirical material. The results suggest that religious actors used a wide range of methods and initiatives for peacebuilding in the Moluccas, and they made significant contributions to the de-escalation of conflict and opportunities for building sustainable peace. Through the lens of the theoretical framework, it is possible to acknowledge that the methods and initiatives clearly relate to explanations linked to conflict transformation, as well as success factors in religious peacebuilding. The thesis concludes that religious peacebuilding was essential for the peace process in the Moluccas, and that local religious actors showed great capacity in constructively using religion to build peace.