Religion, Social Cohesion, and Development in Africa

Abstract

Today's world is looking at religion as a source of conflict and strife based on experiences from countries like Sudan (North and South), Afghanistan, and Egypt. Social cohesion is declining in many parts of the world despite the public campaigns by politicians, religious leaders, and members of human rights bodies, among others. The said persons and/or bodies' campaigns aim to promote religious values like unity, love, and justice in societies. Issues on lack of solidarity and containing ethnic diversity that sometimes lead to ethnic animosity are very common in public debates in Africa. Trust and participation among members are slowly dwindling in African communities, giving way to ethnic animosity in the form of feuds, clashes, and deaths. This paper looks at religion's role in bringing about social cohesion and development in societies. It majorly relies on content analysis to come up with findings on how religious values work for social cohesion and development in Africa. Research already carried out shows that at the root of social cohesion lies religion, which helps build participation and trust levels among community members. Active participation, trust, and integration among members of any given society are built through religious values that can facilitate development. Furthermore, religion and culture come with shared norms, values, and understandings that result in cooperation