Policy Workshop – The Role of Religion in Contemporary Security Challenges

The Partnership hosted a Policy Workshop in London on Monday 21 September 2015 on the Role of Religion in Contemporary Security Challenges.

The relationship between religion and conflict is historic and complex, and today, new challenges have emerged which require a coordinated response from all sectors.

To help address these challenges, we can draw upon evidence from a growing research base that can inform and illuminate our understanding of the role of religion in both threatening and promoting security.

The Policy Workshop was led by four distinguished professors: Professor Robert Gleave of the University of Exeter; Professor Kim Knott of Lancaster University; Professor Peter Morey of the University of East London; and Professor John Wolffe of Open University.

These Fellows have been appointed to provide leadership to the Partnership and conduct high quality research and knowledge exchange projects across the themes of religion and security.

Collectively, their projects explore how beliefs influence decision-making and actions; derive lessons from history to help inform our response to contemporary security challenges; and track current and future trajectories of Islamic thought on governance and violence.

The Policy Workshop brought together more than 50 academics, policymakers, parliamentarians and members of media and not-for-profit organisations to discuss key messages emerging from the Fellows research and how they can be used to develop collaborative solutions both now and in the future.

At the workshop, participants took part in roundtable discussions which helped to ground the research in the everyday experience of people working with and thinking about security challenges.

Insights from the workshop are now being collated and will be shared in a Policy Briefing to be launched publicly in 2016.