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Published on: September 28, 2018
Trusted authorities can change minds and shift norms during conflict
Graeme Blair1, Rebecca Littman2, Elizabeth R Nugent3
1Department of Political Science, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095; rlittman@uic.edu graeme.blair@ucla.edu.
Religious leaders
Area of Science:
- Social Science
- Conflict Resolution
- Psychology
Background:
- Reintegrating former violent extremists is a policy challenge.
- Changing public attitudes and community norms is crucial for peaceful reintegration.
- Trusted authorities can influence attitudes and social norms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test if religious leaders' messages can shift attitudes and norms regarding reintegration of former violent extremists.
- To assess the impact of religious leaders' messages on public support for reintegration.
Main Methods:
- Randomized controlled trial in Maiduguri, Nigeria.
- Participants listened to a placebo or a religious leader's message on forgiveness.
- Assessed attitudes, intended behaviors, and perceived social norms regarding ex-Boko Haram fighters.
Main Results:
- Religious leader messages significantly increased support for reintegration (8-10 percentage points).
- Messages enhanced willingness for social, political, and economic interaction with ex-fighters.
- Beliefs about community support for reintegration increased (6-10 percentage points).
Conclusions:
- Religious leaders are effective messengers for promoting peace and reintegration.
- Leveraging trusted authorities can facilitate mass-scale attitude and norm shifts.
- Findings support using religious leaders in conflict resolution and peacebuilding efforts.
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