German Institute for Global and Area Studies | Leibniz-Institut für Globale und Regionale Studien

Religion, Conflict, and Peace

Religion is a key facet of society and affects politics and socio-economic development in a multitude of ways. In the name of religions, terrorist attacks are committed, armed conflicts are fought, and xenophobia is justified. At the same time, religion can also be a vital contributor to peace. Our research explores the interplay between religion and security.

Contact

Current Research

Countries and Regions

Dr. André Bank

Senior Research Fellow

T. +49 (40) 42825-584 [email protected]

Regional Explanations for Authoritarianism
Statethood and Political Domination in the Middle East (with a focus on Jordan and Syria)
The War in Syria
Regional Politics and the Relationship between Arabism and Islamism

Jordan
Syria
Palestine/Israel
Turkey (Near East Politics)

Prof. Dr. Matthias Basedau

Director of the GIGA Institute for African Affairs / Editor GIGA Focus Africa

T. +49 (40) 42825-517 [email protected]

Resources conflicts
Religion and violent conflict
Civil–military relations
Political institutions

Sub-Saharan Africa
Mali
Niger
Chad
Botswana

Theodora Benesch

Research Fellow

[email protected]

Dr. Jens Heibach

Research Fellow

T. +49 (40) 42825-545 [email protected]

Saudi Foreign Policy towards Sub-Saharan Africa
Political Opposition in Authoritarian Regimes
Political Islam
International Relations of the Persian Gulf

Yemen
Saudi Arabia
Sub-Saharan Africa

Dr. Lisa Hoffmann

Associate

[email protected]

Social cohesion
Conflict
Religion
Experimental economics

Ghana
Liberia
Sierra Leone
Togo

Julia Köbrich

Doctoral Researcher

T. +49 (40) 42825 620 [email protected]

Religion
Social Identities and Social Psychology
Moral Foundations Theory
Reconciliation
Post-Conflict Societies

Africa

Dr. Hakki Tas

Research Fellow

T. +49 (40) 42825-537 [email protected]

Democratization
Civil-Military Relations
Political Islam
Identity Politics in the Middle East
Power and Resistance

Turkey
Egypt

Research | 24/03/2025

Interreligious Relations and Peace Engagement in Togo: GIGA Researchers Evaluate the Effect of Trainings

GIGA researchers Theodora Benesch and Julia Köbrich supervised a training programme for younger people in Togo that promotes interreligious dialogue. An accompanying research project investigates the effect of the programme on social cohesion. More on that in this news item.

Spotlight on... | 25/04/2022

"Spotlight on..." Julia Köbrich and Lisa Hoffmann on Field Work

In the framework for her dissertation project on religion and peace Julia Köbrich recently went to Togo and Sierra Leone to conduct field research together with Lisa Hoffmann, Research Fellow at the GIGA Institute for African Affairs and DP Alumna. Read more about their field research experiences.

Award | 29/02/2016

GIGA Researchers Win Journal of Peace Research Prize

GIGA scholars Dr. André Bank and Dr. Alexander de Juan have been awarded the Nils Petter Gleditsch JPR Article of the Year Award for their findings on the Syria conflict.

Research | 24/03/2025

Interreligious Relations and Peace Engagement in Togo: GIGA Researchers Evaluate the Effect of Trainings

Research Project | 01/04/2023 - 31/03/2029

Merian Center for Advanced Studies in the Maghreb (MECAM): Imagining Futures - Dealing with Disparity, Phase II

The Merian Centre for Advanced Studies in the Maghreb (MECAM) based in Tunis is the first and only Institute for Advanced Studies in North Africa. MECAM’s ambition is to become an intellectual hub that contributes to the emergence of cutting-edge, internationally relevant and visible research in the humanities and social sciences on, from and in the Maghreb and in particular with scholars from the Maghreb. The GIGA coordinates MECAM's publications as well as outreach and transfer activities.
BMBF, 2023-2029

Dr. André Bank

Senior Research Fellow

Prof. Dr. Thomas Richter

Lead Research Fellow / Head of Research Programme "Accountability and Participation"

Research Project | 01/11/2020 - 31/07/2024

Religion for Peace: Identifying Conditions and Mechanisms of Interfaith Peace

Religion has become an increasingly contentious phenomenon, with religious violence and discrimination on the rise worldwide. However, there are also many societies that are examples of peaceful interreligious coexistence. We contribute to the rigorous empirical study of the link between religion and interfaith peace, especially regarding elements of positive peace like interreligious cooperation.
DFG, 2020-2024

Prof. Dr. Matthias Basedau

Dr. Lisa Hoffmann

Julia Köbrich

Research Project | 01/04/2020 - 31/03/2023

Merian Center for Advanced Studies in the Maghreb (MECAM): Imagining Futures - Dealing with Disparity, Phase I

The "Merian Centre for Advanced Studies in the Maghreb" (MECAM), founded in 2020, is a platform for regional and international scientific exchange in Tunisia based on the central theme "Imagining Futures - Dealing with Disparity". The centre is located at the renowned Université de Tunis in the Tunisian capital. Its research work focuses on the effects of multidimensional disparity on models, visions and ideas about political, social, economic, and cultural futures.
BMBF, 2020-2023

Dr. André Bank

Prof. Dr. Thomas Richter

Dr. Alyssa Miller

Infographic | 09/2025

Demographic (Dis)Continuities in Peace Concepts Within and Across Six Countries

Explore how answers differ within and across countries. Heatmaps display the distribution of top ranked concepts by region, sex, age, and socioeconomic status. The tool supports side by side comparison, helping identify consistent divides and bridges across groups.

Prof. Dr. Sabine Kurtenbach

President (ad interim)

Eduardo Valencia

Outreach Administrator

Infographic | 09/2025

For You, Peace Is…? Open Responses from Six Countries

Explore how people across Cameroon, Colombia, the Philippines, South Sudan, Tunisia, and Venezuela describe peace in their own words. The interactive cloud shows terms by frequency and reveals full quotations on hover, making local meanings and shared themes visible at a glance.

Prof. Dr. Sabine Kurtenbach

President (ad interim)

Eduardo Valencia

Outreach Administrator

Infographic | 09/2025

Ranked Concepts of Peace Across Six Countries

See how respondents ranked fourteen concepts related to peace, from safety to rights and change. Interactive bar charts and rank distributions highlight national profiles and common ground, inviting comparison across the six countries.

Prof. Dr. Sabine Kurtenbach

President (ad interim)

Eduardo Valencia

Outreach Administrator

Katapult: Magazin für Eis, Kartografik und Sozialwissenschaften | 07/2025

Was wird jetzt aus Syrien? Sechs Monate nach Assad

Der Sturz der Diktatur in Syrien Ende 2024 kam für viele überraschend. Ein halbes Jahr später ist die Ernüchterung groß: Auch die neue Führung setzt auf autoritäre Strukturen, analysiert André Bank. Aus seiner Sicht gibt die syrische Zivilgesellschaft jedoch Anlass zur Hoffnung.

Dr. André Bank

Senior Research Fellow

Chapter in Edited Volume | 03/2025

Antisemitische und muslimfeindliche Haltungen in Deutschland: Entwicklungen seit dem Jahresbeginn 2023

In diesem Beitrag zum MOTRA Monitor 2023/24 werden aktuelle Daten zu antisemitischen und muslimfeindlichen Einstellungen innerhalb der in Deutschland lebenden Bevölkerung zwischen Januar 2023 und September 2024 vorgestellte und analysiert.

Janosch Kleinschnittger

Prof. Dr. Thomas Richter

Dr. Katrin Brettfeld

Prof. Dr. Peter Wetzels

GIGA Forum | 19/01/2022

With the Help of God(s)? Religious Actors and Sustainable Development in Africa

Religious actors can both promote and undermine sustainable development. Many stakeholders and scholars recognise the relevant role of religious actors and place great hope in their potential. Alongside GIGA scholars, members of the “Africa Multiple” Cluster of Excellence from Universität Bayreuth discussed this topic in depth. Video of event now online!

GIGA Talk | 17/05/2021

Can Freedom of Religion and Belief Promote Sustainable Development? Inclusive Education Systems in Focus

Education, sustainable development, and freedom of religion or belief are closely interrelated, yet this has been little studied to date. At this GIGA Talk, organised in cooperation with the BMZ, we exchange ideas between politics and science on the global status of freedom of religion.

GIGA NDR Series "Crossing Borders" | 29/05/2019

In God's Name: Religion and Violence in Africa

Religion – Christianity, Islam, or mixed forms with a range of traditional beliefs – is a central element of cultural life in many African countries. The extent to which religion is the trigger for violent conflicts in African countries and what other factors play a role will be discussed by moderator Julia-Niharika Sen, Prof. Dr. Matthias Basedau, Caroline Hoffmann, and Jens Borchers.

GIGA Forum | 29/03/2023

Iraq 20 Years after the US Invasion: Domestic Politics and the Role of Civil Society

This GIGA Forum sheds light on the often-overlooked domestic transitions occurring since the invasion in 2003, and the role of Iraqi civil society in shaping them. Video now online!

GIGA Forum | 19/01/2022

With the Help of God(s)? Religious Actors and Sustainable Development in Africa

GIGA Talk | 17/05/2021

Can Freedom of Religion and Belief Promote Sustainable Development? Inclusive Education Systems in Focus

GIGA NDR Series "Crossing Borders" | 29/05/2019

In God's Name: Religion and Violence in Africa

GIGA Forum | 19/01/2022

With the Help of God(s)? Religious Actors and Sustainable Development in Africa

GIGA Talk | 17/05/2021

Can Freedom of Religion and Belief Promote Sustainable Development? Inclusive Education Systems in Focus

GIGA NDR Series "Crossing Borders" | 29/05/2019

In God's Name: Religion and Violence in Africa

ARD Weltspiegel | Interview | 14/09/2025

Politische Perspektiven für Syrien

Die für Mitte September 2025 anberaumten Parlamentswahlen in Syrien wurden verschoben. Dr. André Bank sieht in der fortwährenden Gewalt, im nur marginal erfolgten wirtschaftlichen Wiederaufbau sowie in einer Transition "von oben" die zentralen Herausforderungen für eine inklusive, nachhaltige Entwicklung.

Dr. André Bank

Senior Research Fellow

NDR | Interview | 05/09/2025

Journalistin Dr. Susanne Glass auf dem Roten Sofa

TV-Journalistin Susanne Glass war zu Gast auf dem Roten Sofa der ARD-Sendung"DAS! rote Sofa". Prof. Dr. Eckart Woertz liefert im Interview Hintergründe zum Nahost-Konflikt.

Prof. Dr. Eckart Woertz

Director of the GIGA Institute for Middle East Studies / Editor GIGA Focus Middle East

Deutsche Welle | Interview | 03/09/2025

Trumps Angriff auf venezolanisches Schmuggelboot

Ein US-Kriegsschiff greift in der Karibik ein mutmaßliches Drogenboot des venezolanischen Kartells „Tren de Aragua“ an, dabei sterben elf Menschen. Trump nennt den Einsatz eine Warnung an alle Schmuggler. Über den eskalierenden Konflikt zwischen den USA und Venezuela sprach Prof. Dr. Sabine Kurtenbach mit DW.

Prof. Dr. Sabine Kurtenbach

President (ad interim)

Goethe University Frankfurt | 29/04/2025

Der Nahe Osten seit 1990 - Versuch einer Gesamtschau

Organiser: Goethe University Frankfurt Prof. Dr. Eckart Woertz (Speaker)

Vortrag im Rahmen der Ringvorlesung Der Nahe Osten im Wandel: Zeitgeschichtliche
Perspektiven

Prof. Dr. Eckart Woertz

Director of the GIGA Institute for Middle East Studies / Editor GIGA Focus Middle East

Conference | 04/09/2024 - 06/09/2024

Interreligious relations in Togo and Sierra Leone: Construals of the relationship status

Conflict Research Society Annual Conference, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Organisers: Conflict Research Society Julia Köbrich (Speaker)

Declining interreligious peace and rising religiously motivated violence make it important to find ways to foster interreligious peace. Theoretical discussions suggest that construals of intergroup relations, that are people’s understanding of the status of intergroup relations, can sustain both violence and peace. Hence, research on peacebuilding should study construals of intergroup relations.

Julia Köbrich

Doctoral Researcher

Workshop | 22/02/2024 - 23/02/2024

Building Interreligious Peace: Determinants of Preferences for Interreligious Contact

IBEI-GIGA Workshop Security, Conflict and Peace, IBEI, Barcelona Julia Köbrich (Speaker)

Presentation of collaborative work with Tobias Stark, Borja Martinović, and Seyram Adiakpo engaging with the question what shapes individual preferences for intergroup contact focusing on changeable factors that can be targeted by interventions.