Working on Religion, Peace and Conflict in Theravada Buddhist Countries: Reflections by Practitioners

Rising inter-community and inter-religious tensions are a threat to peaceful coexistence in Sri Lanka, Myanmarand Thailand, as well as the wider region. Diverse efforts are under way to address these tensions, particularly inthe areas of education, countering of hate speech, advocacy, engaging women, interfaith dialogue and activities, intrafaith dialogue, and early warning and early response.These efforts could be strengthened by: 1. Deepening understanding of current and evolving dynamics; 2. Improving collaboration and co-operation between peacebuilding efforts; 3. Adopting a more strategic, action-oriented approach to dialogue; 4. Investing in prevention; 5. Employing inclusive, multi-level and multi-sector approaches; 6. Strengthening work on education; 7. Avoiding compartmentalization.