American Jewish Committee, German Protestant Academy co-sponsor international conference on religion and conflict

American Jewish Committee
Thursday, 11 November 1999

The role of religion in conflict situations will be explored at an international conference jointly sponsored by the American Jewish Committee's Robert and Harriet Heilbrunn Institute for International Interreligious Understanding and the Protestant Academy of Loccum, Germany.

The three-day conference, "Politics and Religion: Instruments of Conflict and Instruments of Mediation," will take place at the Evangelishe Akademie Loccum in Rehburg-Loccum, Germany, from November 17 to 19.

"In many situations, religions are deliberately misused by political leaders, but it also is true that certain elements in religious communities have themselves directly contributed to crises and conflicts," said Rabbi A. James Rudin, director of AJC's Heilbrunn Institute.

Rabbi Rudin will address the conference on "Politics and Religion – A Fundamental Question?" Eugene DuBow, director of AJC's Berlin Office, and Jonathan Levine, director of AJC's Chicago Chapter, also will speak at the gathering.

In addition to looking at the broad issue of religion and conflict, the conference will focus on specific areas, including Israel and the Palestinians, the former Yugoslavia, Tunisia, and Morocco.

In the case of Israel and the Palestinians, the conference will examine the increasingly important roles played by leaders of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity in the peace process as the two sides struggle to arrive at a peaceful solution.

Speakers addressing these issues include Professor Shlomo Avineri of Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and Professor Abdelwahab Hechiche of the University of South Florida.

For more information, or to contact American Jewish Committee, see their website at: www.ajc.org