Faith-based Mediation? : Sant' Egidio's peace efforts in Mozambique and Algeria

Abstract

The objective of the study is threefold: first, to describe in what ways, if any, the Catholic community of Sant’ Egidio contributed to the conflict resolution of the Mozambican civil war and the negotiation for the Algerian crisis in 1994-95. Second, analyze to what extent Sant’ Egidio’s contributions in Mozambique and Algeria were expressions of faith-based mediation. Finally, to analyze why this form of mediation worked in Mozambique and failed in Algeria. The insights from theories and research on religious actors’ potential and efforts in peacemaking indicate that these actors’ views on how to reach an agreement differs from some of the traditional interest-based theories on negotiations derived from rational actor models. The faith-based approach emphasises the psychological factors of a conflict to a stronger degree than more traditional approaches, whose emphasis lies on the incompatible goals and issues of the conflict. On the basis of the research question the thesis discusses two hypotheses: first, that the hallmarks of faith-based mediation were salient in the resolution of the Mozambican conflict and in the negotiations for Algeria. Second, that religion played a key role in the negotiation and that it played out positively for the mediators in Catholic Mozambique and negatively in Muslim Algeria. The findings indicate that Sant’ Egidio’s contribution was limited, but important, in both cases. Further, certain of the hallmarks of faith-based mediation were present in both cases, thus the evidence supports the idea that faith-based mediation was salient for the negotiations. However, religion did not play a key role in either of the two cases. The outcome of both cases must therefore be attributed to causes beyond religious factors. Religion played a more indirect, albeit positive, role in both cases through the mediators and their approach, most explicitly seen in the initial phases of the negotiations.