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The Father of Faith-Based Diplomacy | Christi<strong>an</strong>ity <strong>Today</strong> | A Magaz<strong>in</strong>e of Ev<strong>an</strong>gelical C...http://www.christi<strong>an</strong>ity<strong>to</strong>day.com/ct/<strong>article</strong>_pr<strong>in</strong>t.html?id=59768Page 3 of 45/10/2009Johns<strong>to</strong>n, who watched all this from the sidel<strong>in</strong>es, realized both the power of faith <strong>to</strong> resolve <strong>in</strong>ternationalconflicts <strong>an</strong>d the <strong>in</strong>ability of the U.S. government <strong>to</strong> deal with religious clashes, so he beg<strong>an</strong> work<strong>in</strong>g onReligion. "Over the course of the seven years of that book's production," Johns<strong>to</strong>n says, "the Berl<strong>in</strong> Wallcame down <strong>an</strong>d ethnic conflict started blossom<strong>in</strong>g. All of a sudden you have all these identity-based conflictspermeat<strong>in</strong>g the geopolitical l<strong>an</strong>dscape <strong>an</strong>d exceed<strong>in</strong>g the grasp of traditional diplomacy."Follow<strong>in</strong>g its launch <strong>in</strong> 1994, the book made waves among foreign policy experts <strong>an</strong>d government officialsbecause it foresaw the ethnic <strong>an</strong>d religious conflicts that were al<strong>read</strong>y start<strong>in</strong>g <strong>to</strong> erupt follow<strong>in</strong>g the collapseof Communism. "Dur<strong>in</strong>g the cold war, there was no place for religion, culture, or ethnic identity," says Seiple,"because we could expla<strong>in</strong> the system so clearly between two great powers who were compet<strong>in</strong>g worldwide."As the book earned acclaim, Johns<strong>to</strong>n says, he created a preventive diplomacy program at CSIS. But theenvironment of the th<strong>in</strong>k t<strong>an</strong>k constra<strong>in</strong>ed Johns<strong>to</strong>n's ability <strong>to</strong> "actively <strong>in</strong>tervene overseas. So I left theth<strong>in</strong>k t<strong>an</strong>k, as it were, <strong>to</strong> form a do t<strong>an</strong>k."In 2000, Johns<strong>to</strong>n formed ICRD. "We go overseas, <strong>an</strong>d we <strong>in</strong>tervene. Of course our trademark call<strong>in</strong>g is <strong>to</strong>make religion part of the solution."Shari'ah's Second ClassWalter Russell Mead, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, says focus<strong>in</strong>g on one particular aspect ofdiplomacy, such as religion, will take you only so far. Mead says ev<strong>an</strong>gelicals <strong>an</strong>d other religious groups tend<strong>to</strong> get focused on specific issues, rather th<strong>an</strong> more general policy debates. "Religious freedom is good, alongwith [address<strong>in</strong>g] HIV <strong>an</strong>d disaster relief," Mead says. "But what the country really needs is <strong>to</strong> haveev<strong>an</strong>gelicals engag<strong>in</strong>g what Americ<strong>an</strong> power is for, contribut<strong>in</strong>g <strong>to</strong> national discussion on big picture issues."It is easy <strong>to</strong> be marg<strong>in</strong>alized when you are only <strong>in</strong>terested <strong>in</strong> one piece of the pie. "The big decisions will bedone <strong>in</strong> a room where you're not a part of the conversation."Still, Johns<strong>to</strong>n's approach has had more th<strong>an</strong> modest success. His first project was <strong>to</strong> assist <strong>in</strong> broker<strong>in</strong>g apeace deal between the Christi<strong>an</strong> South <strong>in</strong> Sud<strong>an</strong> <strong>an</strong>d the Muslim government <strong>in</strong> the capital of Khar<strong>to</strong>um. Atthe time, "Under the Cl<strong>in</strong><strong>to</strong>n adm<strong>in</strong>istration the policy <strong>to</strong>ward Sud<strong>an</strong> was one of isolation <strong>an</strong>ddemonization," Johns<strong>to</strong>n says. "The problem is, when you isolate <strong>an</strong>d demonize, you lose all your leverage.You've got no ability <strong>to</strong> <strong>in</strong>fluence the situation <strong>in</strong> a positive way."Experts call <strong>in</strong>ternational <strong>in</strong>volvement like Johns<strong>to</strong>n's "track two" diplomacy. "You c<strong>an</strong> <strong>in</strong>teract <strong>an</strong>d<strong>in</strong>tervene <strong>in</strong> situations where governments c<strong>an</strong>not," Johns<strong>to</strong>n says. Brother Andrew, known for smuggl<strong>in</strong>gBibles <strong>in</strong><strong>to</strong> Russia dur<strong>in</strong>g the cold war, now operates track two efforts <strong>in</strong> Palest<strong>in</strong>e among Muslim milit<strong>an</strong>ts.In Sud<strong>an</strong>, Johns<strong>to</strong>n <strong>in</strong>tervened vigorously. "We set out <strong>to</strong> establish relationships of trust with the Islamicregime, <strong>an</strong>d from that v<strong>an</strong>tage po<strong>in</strong>t <strong>in</strong>spired them <strong>to</strong> take some steps <strong>to</strong>ward peace they otherwise wouldn't[have taken]."After 18 visits <strong>to</strong> the country, Johns<strong>to</strong>n's work <strong>in</strong> Sud<strong>an</strong> culm<strong>in</strong>ated <strong>in</strong> a conference between Christi<strong>an</strong>s <strong>an</strong>dMuslims. A previous peace agreement <strong>in</strong> 1972 broke down because, Johns<strong>to</strong>n says, "noth<strong>in</strong>g had been done<strong>to</strong> cement new underst<strong>an</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gs at the grassroots level." And when war broke out aga<strong>in</strong>, it was for the samereasons. "Rather th<strong>an</strong> focus<strong>in</strong>g on gett<strong>in</strong>g the peace agreement, I felt that we would be do<strong>in</strong>g greater serviceby putt<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> place <strong>an</strong> <strong>in</strong>terreligious council. Under the auspices of that council, [there would be] a committee<strong>to</strong> protect religious freedom."We weren't there <strong>to</strong> abolish Shari'ah," Johns<strong>to</strong>n says. "We were there <strong>to</strong> <strong>an</strong>swer that very simple question of,'What steps c<strong>an</strong> <strong>an</strong> Islamic government take <strong>to</strong> alleviate the second-class status of non-Muslims <strong>in</strong> a Shari'ahcontext?' "ICRD first conv<strong>in</strong>ced the government <strong>to</strong> allow the creation of this <strong>in</strong>dependent council, which would have theauthority <strong>to</strong> criticize the government. By the end of the conference, Christi<strong>an</strong>s <strong>an</strong>d Muslims alike said it wasthe first time they had spoken heart <strong>to</strong> heart.
The Father of Faith-Based Diplomacy | Christi<strong>an</strong>ity <strong>Today</strong> | A Magaz<strong>in</strong>e of Ev<strong>an</strong>gelical C...http://www.christi<strong>an</strong>ity<strong>to</strong>day.com/ct/<strong>article</strong>_pr<strong>in</strong>t.html?id=59768Page 4 of 45/10/2009The agreement, now five years old, <strong>in</strong>cluded the creation of <strong>an</strong> <strong>in</strong>dependent body charged with hold<strong>in</strong>g thegovernment accountable for its religious policy. The government allowed leadership on the council thatJohns<strong>to</strong>n w<strong>an</strong>ted but Khar<strong>to</strong>um <strong>in</strong>itially opposed. And it agreed <strong>to</strong> listen <strong>to</strong> the recommendations of thecouncil. "Darfur notwithst<strong>an</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g, as that is a Muslim-on-Muslim conflict, they've honored thatcommitment," Johns<strong>to</strong>n says, "<strong>to</strong> the tune of more th<strong>an</strong> half a million dollars <strong>in</strong> l<strong>an</strong>d <strong>an</strong>d fund<strong>in</strong>g <strong>to</strong> permitthe build<strong>in</strong>g of new churches <strong>an</strong>d <strong>to</strong> provide restitution for past seizure of church properties."S<strong>in</strong>ce that first peacemak<strong>in</strong>g attempt, ICRD has begun projects <strong>in</strong> Kashmir, Afgh<strong>an</strong>ist<strong>an</strong>, <strong>an</strong>d Syria.Despite the rise <strong>in</strong> religious conflict over the last 20 years, efforts <strong>to</strong> br<strong>in</strong>g religion <strong>in</strong><strong>to</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternational relationsare still not much appreciated, much less followed, <strong>in</strong> the foreign policy establishment."Faith-based diplomacy underst<strong>an</strong>ds that religion is at the heart of identity," Seiple says. "If you don't knowhow <strong>to</strong> work with<strong>in</strong> that context, then you're never go<strong>in</strong>g <strong>to</strong> be able <strong>to</strong> do <strong>an</strong>yth<strong>in</strong>g." Johns<strong>to</strong>n'sgroundbreak<strong>in</strong>g academic work as well as his on-the-ground success, Seiple says, have made room for otherorg<strong>an</strong>izations <strong>to</strong> work <strong>in</strong> faith-based diplomacy, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g IGE. "Doug is John the Baptist out there <strong>in</strong> thewilderness, say<strong>in</strong>g 'wake up' <strong>to</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternational relations people."Johns<strong>to</strong>n has become <strong>an</strong> elder statesm<strong>an</strong> <strong>an</strong>d a model for ev<strong>an</strong>gelical overseas engagement. Bob Andr<strong>in</strong>ga,ex-president of the Council for Christi<strong>an</strong> Colleges <strong>an</strong>d Universities <strong>an</strong>d a former congressm<strong>an</strong>, has knownJohns<strong>to</strong>n s<strong>in</strong>ce the '70s. "I was struck by how Doug modeled <strong>in</strong>tellectual openness <strong>an</strong>d underst<strong>an</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g of theworld <strong>an</strong>d how diplomacy worked, <strong>an</strong>d had <strong>an</strong> ev<strong>an</strong>gelical faith." Johns<strong>to</strong>n reached out <strong>to</strong> engage Muslimsbefore 9/11—well before the ev<strong>an</strong>gelical community as a whole beg<strong>an</strong> th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g <strong>about</strong> it, says Andr<strong>in</strong>ga. "Dougis a unique person, gifted by experience <strong>an</strong>d education as very, very few are <strong>in</strong> the ev<strong>an</strong>gelical community."Johns<strong>to</strong>n says his focus was <strong>in</strong>spired by Matthew 5:9, <strong>in</strong> which Jesus says, "Blessed are the peacemakers, forthey will be called sons of God." While rema<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g committed <strong>to</strong> Jesus, Johns<strong>to</strong>n says he sees the image ofGod <strong>in</strong> all people. With that common ground, Johns<strong>to</strong>n has shown that it is possible <strong>to</strong> make friends out ofenemies.Rob Moll is a CT edi<strong>to</strong>r at large.Copyright © 2008 Christi<strong>an</strong>ity <strong>Today</strong>. Click for repr<strong>in</strong>t <strong>in</strong>formation.Related Elsewhere:Douglas Johns<strong>to</strong>n heads the International Center for Religion <strong>an</strong>d Diplomacy <strong>an</strong>d is author of Faith-BasedDiplomacy: Trump<strong>in</strong>g Realpolitik.Johns<strong>to</strong>n spoke with Americ<strong>an</strong> Public Media earlier this year <strong>about</strong> the greatest threat <strong>in</strong> the post-Cold Warworld.© 2009 Christi<strong>an</strong>ity <strong>Today</strong> International