For Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice

Coalition of Faith-Based Organizations for Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Special Report Coalition of Faith-Based Organizations 2020 Webinar Series Coalition of Faith-Based Organizations for Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Co-Chairs Michael Platzer & Thomas Walsh Steering Committee Members Jay Albanese Mohammad Ismail Elmar Kuhn Michael O’Connell Afsar Rathor Darcy Roake Irvin Waller Editorial Committee Executive Editors Michael Platzer & Thomas Walsh Senior Editors Jay Albanese, Michael O’Connell, Irvin Waller Managing Editors Christian Eichert, Eugenia Kagawa, William Selig Editors Renee Corley, Kathryn Platzer, Yashodhana Raj, Louise Strait, Aidan Walsh Layout Editor Sun-Ae Patterson Contents Introduction 1 Faith-Based Organizations, Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice: Addressing the Urgent Challenges of Our Time 6 May 11, 2020 Dr. Thomas Walsh and Dr. Michael Platzer, Co-Chairs, Coalition of Faith-Based Organizations Faith For Earth: Climate Change and Environmental Justice 22 June 4, 2020 Dr. Thomas Walsh and Dr. Michael Platzer, Co-Chairs, Coalition of Faith-Based Organizations Faith-Based Organizations, Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice: Violence Against Women in the Time of Covid-19 45 June 29, 2020 Dr. Michael Platzer, Co-Chair, Coalition of Faith-Based Organizations In Search of Social Justice: Criminal Justice Reform and the Restoration of Solidarity and Trust in Our Communities 70 July 28, 2020 Dr. Thomas Walsh, Co-Chair, Coalition of Faith-Based Organizations Humane Treatment of Presently Incarcerated People 87 August 13, 2020 Dr. Michael Platzer, Co-Chair, Coalition of Faith-Based Organizations Violence Prevention: How Can Faith Leaders Save Lives 112 August 28, 2020 Dr. Thomas Walsh, Co-Chair, Coalition of Faith-Based Organizations The Role of Ethics, Education and Good Governance for Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice: Perspectives from Faith-Based Organizations 126 September 15, 2020 Dr. Thomas Walsh, Co-Chair, Coalition of Faith-Based Organizations ii COALITION OF FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS Restorative Justice, Victim Assistance and Faith-Based Organizations 138 October 5, 2020 Dr. Robert Peacock, Professor, University of Free State, South Africa; President, World Society of Victimology Social Harm of Organized Crime on Communities 157 October 15, 2020 Dr. Michael Platzer, Co-Chair, Coalition of Faith-Based Organizations Faith-Based Organizations: Combatting Organized Crime and Corruption 180 October 19, 2020 H.E. Aftab Khokher, Ambassador of Pakistan to Austria Dr. Michael Platzer Dr. Thomas G. Walsh Co-Chairs, Coalition of Faith-Based Organizations Introduction The Coalition of Faith based Organizations for Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice was established at the 28th session of the Commission on Crime Pre- vention and Criminal Justice. At a side event, UNODC welcomed FBOs as valuable stakeholders to prevent crime and improve the criminal justice system. In October 2019, an entire day was dedicated to “Spirituality and Justice” at the Vienna International Centre and St. Stephan’s Cathedral, sponsored by Per- manent Mission of Spain and the Bishop of Vienna. In November of the same year, the Coalition organized an inter-religious public event at the historic Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, at which a “Spirituality and Justice Declara- tion” was affirmed by those attending and subsequently endorsed by hundreds more religious leaders, criminologists, practitioners and activists. Noting that all religious teachings promote honesty, fairness, care for others and justice, it was agreed that a constructive partnership be established between FBOs and UNODC. On the one hand, FBOs could spread greater knowledge about the documents of the UN programs on crime prevention, anti-corruption, treatment of prisoners, restorative justice, victim assistance and the sustainable goals. In return, UNODC should engage FBOs in the promotion of criminal justice reforms, alternatives to incarceration, protection of women and children from violence and in combating organized crime. The response to this initiative to promote partnership between FBOs and UNODC has been overwhelmingly positive. FBOs are eager to listen, learn 2 COALITION OF FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS and support the work of the United Nations. Moreover, there is a growing awareness of the importance of FBOs and of the capacities they bring to the table as allies, colleagues and partners, ready to work with counterparts at UNODC. In recent decades, it has become increasingly clear that not only does religion have a capacity to endure, prevail, and even flourish under many, if not most circumstances—but that it has capacities at its disposal that bring value to governments and international organizations, including the United Nations (UN), in their efforts to mitigate or solve social problems and secure peace, security, and sustainable development. This social fact stands out independently of one’s personal views about religion: believer, non-believer, atheist, disinter- ested observer, or advocate. This is not to suggest that religion is incorruptible. On the contrary, like all individuals, groups, and human institutions, it can and has at times brought harm. There is no doubt about this point, evidenced in extremist ideologies and practices, crimes committed in the name of religion, conflicts that arise in the name of religion, etc. At the same time, it is well documented that similar kinds of wrongdoing are committed in equal if not sometimes greater share by governments, ideologically driven social movements, organized criminal enti- ties, and well-intentioned but wrongheaded political movements; wrongdoings accomplished without the assistance or alibi of religion. One does not need to be religious to be a fanatic, to do harm, or to refuse to allow feedback to temper your commitments. Religion has been a major factor in the unfolding of human history for millen- nia. While secularization might have been anticipated as the logical outcome of the rationalization process associated with the rise of modernity, science, tech- nology, democracy, and human development in general, this has not proven to be the case. Religion, on the contrary, enjoys twenty-first century resurgence. Like it or not, it seems here to stay. Moreover, religion does not simply exist politely in the background or history, standing only in some quaint decorative role. On the contrary, religion has im- pact on other sectors of society—political, economic, cultural—as an out- growth of the ways in which religion shapes human beings in their character, their moral perspectives, their priorities, their core values, and their actions. Moreover, the quietism associated with some religions is increasingly over- stepped in most traditions by a call for believers to be socially and politically engaged for spiritual, moral, and humanitarian reasons. It is therefore no wonder that religious NGOs, FBOs, and interfaith activists are increasingly engaged with many UN bodies, including the Economic and INTRODUCTION 3 Social Council, the General Assembly, the Alliance of Civilizations, and more recently the Inter-Agency Task Force on Religion and Development. While religion had to some extent been marginalized during the latter half of the twentieth century, corresponding more or less with the Cold War era during which time other priorities seemed to be dominant, its energies, values, and of course its failings, have emerged more prominently in recent decades. More- over, modernity’s allergies vis à vis religion seems now to be fading as well. On the one hand, the general affirmation of pluralism among educated classes, coupled with an increasing refinement of religious believers, through such practices as interreligious dialogue, results in there being less fear of religion as a social reality that is either too irrational or too dangerous and conflict-prone to engage with. These prejudices or taboos—in some cases phobias—are erod- ing and, with that, there is growing appreciation that religious or faith-based stakeholders are assets to be appreciated. Numerous high-profile interfaith organizations are scattered on the landscape of international organizations, earning wide respect and appreciation; to name a few: Religions for Peace, Parliament of the World’s Religions, United Reli- gions Initiative, the King Abdullah International Center for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue, the Universal Peace Federation, and others. This development is recognized widely at the United Nations, and contributed to the formation of the Alliance of Civilizations, perhaps to counter a potential “clash of civilizations” as predicted by Samuel Huntington in his often cited work article from 1993, The Clash of Civilizations During a program at the United Nations called “The Plan of Action for Reli- gious Leaders and Actors to Prevent Incitement to Violence that Could Lead to Atrocity Crimes”, convened on 14 July 2017, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated, “I firmly believe in the power of faith leaders to shape our world for good.” He added that: “All religions teach respect for life, and rec- ognize human beings as fundamentally equal. These principles summon us to show respect for all human beings, even those with whom we might pro- foundly disagree or whose cultures might seem alien. I urge the widest possible dissemination and implementation of this Plan of Action. It can help to save lives, reduce suffering, and realize our shared vision of peaceful, inclusive and just societies

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