Embracing a Common and Inclusive Approach: Building Sustainable Peace in a Violent Society from a Theological Ethics Perspective

Every violent conflict and war have negatively affected the structure of the common good in affected societies,

leaving parties in a continuous state of sociopolitical and economic hardship. Such confrontational situations

always create a need for peace to restore and secure the common good's destroyed structures and institutions.

However, establishing peace in a society torn by violence and conflict is a complex task. Research shows that

many approaches and mechanisms have not provided the desired sustainable peace and reconciliation. This

has led researchers, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, religious groups, and other

stakeholders to explore ways to build sustainable peace that restores the structures of the common good.

Since 2000, the United Nations, along with different bodies, has advocated for an inclusive and collaborative

approach, emphasizing the importance of involving everyone at the negotiation table through fair

representation of women, youth, and Indigenous peoples. This has become necessary, mainly when conflicts

occur between two communities within the same state or country, or between the government and non-state

actors. While this is the primary focus, this paper attributes the emergence of conflicts to poor governance and

the silence of the church or religious organizations in the face of corruption by political actors and elites. In

light of this, it highlights the government's failure, as well as the recklessness and irresponsibility of political

actors and elites. Therefore, the article calls on the church to courageously and boldly make its presence felt,

challenging the government and political elites to be agents of justice, recognition, and respect for human

dignity, human rights, and equality. Against this backdrop, this article employs the Church’s theological ethics

discourse as a method, which requires the Church to assess and evaluate itself, to question the status quo, and

promote sustainable peace and development.