Beyond Borders: How History, Culture, and Religion Shape Peace and Conflict

Introduction: History, culture and religions are deeply rooted in shaping conflicts and building peace that we see today. The past helps us understand the conflicts and understand how religion and culture influenced peace and conflicts.

How History Shapes Conflicts and Peace
History is filled with lessons about both mistakes and successes. Sometimes, people have fought because of cultural or religious misunderstandings. For example, in the past, wars like the Crusades happened because different groups didn’t respect each other’s beliefs.

in the 20, 21 century , conflicts like the Rwandan Genocide of 1994 show how cultural divides can escalate into violence. However, Rwanda has since become a powerful example of reconciliation, with communities rebuilding trust through unity programs and justice efforts.

Another good example is the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, which ended decades of conflict between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland. It showed how dialogue, compromise, and respect for different perspectives could lead to peace.

What Justice and Fairness Mean Across Cultures
What does “fairness” mean to you? From my perspective justice is a vast topic that includes the law to know what is right or wrong and it can be biased at some points. Around the world, people have different ideas about it. In some cultures, fairness means working together and sharing everything equally. In others, it might mean making sure everyone gets what they deserve.

Religions also teach us a lot about fairness and peace. For example:
Christianity talks about forgiveness and being kind to others.
Islam teaches fairness and helping those in need.
Hinduism and Buddhism remind us to practice kindness and avoid hurting anyone.
In 2021, Pope Francis traveled to Iraq to meet religious leaders, bridging gaps between Christians and Muslims and showing how fairness and words can foster peace How to Build Trust and Reduce Misunderstandings

When people don’t trust each other, it can lead to conflicts. But trust isn’t hard to build trust Here are some ways to create peace:
Talk and Listen: When we talk to others and really listen, we can understand their feelings better.
Celebrate Together: Learning about each other’s festivals and traditions can be fun and helps us appreciate differences. For example my school Genius IB World Schools has been celebrating mostly Hindu religions festivals, however my school has also been celebrating other religions festivals like Christmas etc. Making fair decisions working in groups: Like if we are working fairly in groups it might have to build trust and reduce misunderstanding . What have I learned? I have learned many cultures’ perspectives on justice and fairness, cultures and religions beliefs, geometrical symbols used in different religions shapes, why conflicts happen etc.

Conclusion
Our cultural and religious histories have shaped the way we deal with conflicts and create peace. By learning from the past, respecting each other’s ideas of fairness, and working together, we can make the world a happier place.
Reference BBC News , History.com ,seedsofpeace.org,

By: Shivam Das