by Tanya De Mello ‘08, Zvi Smith ‘09 and Miriam Schive ’06

What role does religion play in international relations? What role should religion play, if any? How can we better understand religious motivations and their intersection with politics? And why, suddenly, has the intersection of religion and politics become such a widely discussed issue? These are the questions that students in the Program on Religion, Diplomacy, and International Relations (PORDIR) at the Wilson School’s Liechtenstein Institute on Self-Determination (LISD) spent the past academic year attempting to answer. In July, PORDIR concluded its inaugural year with an international three-day conference in Vienna, Austria.

PORDIR was created and is led by Professor Wolfgang Danspeckgruber, Director of LISD, and Reverend Paul Raushenbush, Associate Dean of Religious Life at Princeton.  The program is meant to provide a forum where students can engage in discussions about the role of religion in international relations. Twelve undergraduate and graduate students were selected as program fellows.  Fellows participated in a seminar where one fellow per week presented research on a specific area in which religion and politics intersect, then led the group and invited guests in a roundtable discussion. During these weekly meetings, the fellows discussed topics as diverse as the role of religious non-governmental organizations, the universality of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the power of religion in shaping identity politics in India, the inherent pragmatism of traditional Jewish law, and the role of religion in counterinsurgency operations. PORDIR also hosted several guest speakers throughout the year, among them Katherine Marshall from the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs; David Smock from the Center for Mediation and Conflict Resolution; Princeton Professor K. Anthony Appiah; and Alison Boden, Princeton’s Dean of Religious Life and the University Chapel.

PORDIR fellows concluded their year with the program by participating in a three-day conference on religion and international affairs co-hosted by LISD and the Liechtenstein Institute in Vienna (LIVA). The conference convened in Vienna, Austria on July 11-13, 2008.  It was organized by Miriam Schive ’06, the resident director of LIVA.

The conference brought together more than 70 scholars, diplomats, religious leaders, politicians, and students from around the world to discuss the relationship between religion, world politics, and diplomacy in an open, off-the-record forum. Attendees included Prince Turki al-Faisal of Saudi Arabia; Lodi Gyari, Special Envoy of the Dalai Lama; Hans-Adam II, the Reigning Prince of Liechtenstein; and WWS professors Daniel Kurtzer and Richard Falk (emeritus).

Particular emphasis throughout the conference was placed on including the students in the discussions, many of whom will make up the next generation of diplomats, academic experts and religious leaders. In addition to the PORDIR fellows, 15 other American and European students were selected through a nomination process to participate. The students were given an unparalleled opportunity to learn from the knowledge and experience of participants and to discuss theories of international relations and religion with widely respected experts.

Instead of focusing on questions of religious extremism and terrorism and their consequences on security and defense, the conference emphasized the positive role that religion can play on a global scale. Ideas were raised about the power of religion to unite and motivate masses towards a common goal in a way that no political factor could achieve. Rather than a clash of civilizations, it was argued that religious groups are united across the world in order to work together to combat international issues, such as global warming and poverty. It was also pointed out that many religious groups are often motivated by a sense of duty and obligation that requires them to see their fellow global citizens as brothers and sisters.

In the end, after several days of intense discussion and debate, the students departed Vienna with more new questions than answers, but with a renewed sense of the importance of continued examination of these crucial topics.  Above all, the conference highlighted the importance of including religion as part of a framework that they could use in their future work as policy creators and international leaders.  As PORDIR fellow Christopher MacPherson MPA ’08 noted, “Not enough has been done to understand the positive force religion can play in world affairs, especially in conflict areas that demand the international community’s attention.  The success of last year’s PORDIR program highlights the importance foreign policy experts place in religion and diplomacy,” adding,“ I hope the program . . . becomes a cornerstone of study at Princeton.”