THE ROLE OF RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES AND INTERFAITH HARMONY IN PROMOTING SOCIAL PEACE: A CASE STUDY OF ALBANIA

Abstract

This thesis aims to contribute to the study of religion, religious communities, religious leadership, and interfaith harmony in Albania, as key factors in building a moderate and inclusive society by fostering and promoting religious, humanitarian, and social peace values as the main foundation for societal development. It assesses Albanian society's perception of the role and correlation between religion, dialogue, interfaith harmony, and the process of building social peace in the Albanian reality. Additionally, the study objectively evaluates the extent to which religious communities in Albania have contributed to the preservation and construction to peace. Within the framework of achieving the main objectives of this work, several research questions and a primary hypothesis have been developed. This hypothesis and research questions enable readers to better understand how religion, religious communities, and interfaith harmony in Albania influence the promotion and development of social peace and peace-building. The thesis employs a mixed methodology, including qualitative and quantitative methods. This mixed approach provides a broader perspective on the subject, combining qualitative data from interviews, observations, and surveys with quantitative data from reviewed literature. It also utilizes the Likert scale correlation coefficient, statistical distribution of percentages, and survey research design. Additionally, the ANOVA statistical data analysis platform is used to determine the significance of the interaction between variables. In the process of realizing this thesis, a comprehensive review and evaluation of a wide range of literature have been conducted, assessing various aspects such as religion, politics, interfaith dialogue, etc., and their correlation, analyzing the works of pioneer authors such as Galtung, Lederach, Abu Nimer, Elbasani, etc. The findings of this thesis suggest that while religion may significantly influence internal and international events, it is essential to approach religious knowledge with an understanding of the context in which it exists. Understanding the role of religion in a globalized world can provide insight into how it impacts local policies and interinstitutional relationships within the country. Among other things, this thesis demonstrates that raising awareness of interfaith dialogue among people should be approached in various ways, with the help of all relevant actors, not just educational institutions. This study suggests that educational leaders, policymakers, religious communities, and society as a whole should continuously invest in interfaith harmony and dialogue as they are key elements in societal development and the promotion of social peace.