Dialogue to Uphold the Ethos of Human Rights in a Democratic Society

Abstract

precis: Nigeria is a religiously pluralistic state that has experienced bouts of religious conflicts. Recurrent incidences of interreligious conflict in Nigeria have impeded national development, as no sector of society is spared in the quagmire. Loss of lives and properties, relocation of businesses and families to safer places, and voting along religious lines are commonplace in Nigeria. In a country where religion permeates all facets of life and controls human actions in social, political, and economic spaces, the role of interreligious dialogue cannot be overemphasized. Indisputably, a comprehensive knowledge of other religions, with a balanced understanding of one's own religion, would pave the way for religious harmony amid existing religious traditions. Interreligious dialogue aims at fostering understanding to diminish existing widespread prejudice and discrimination that encourage phobia, distrust, and conflict among adherents of the various religions practiced in the country. To manage these conflicts, this essay amplifies the role interreligious dialogue can play in ensuring the protection of human rights, which is paramount in a democratic society. It employs empirical theories of interreligious dialogue to advocate for a change in the method of interreligious dialogue practiced in Nigeria, a change that differentiates missiology from interreligious dialogue. Rather than resuscitating past grievances, religious adherents actively involved in interreligious dialogue can enable peaceful coexistence and collaboration in advocating for good governance. In turn, good governance can expedite sustainable and dependable social institutions that guarantee the dividends of democracy.