Faith must reclaim its place in diplomacy

by Speaker of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan - Head of the Secretariat of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions Maulen Ashimbayev.

The world today is split between rival power blocs in a way that is dangerously destabilising. From the wars in Gaza and Ukraine to countless crises that never make the headlines, great power rivalry has paralysed efforts to resolve conflicts and prevent new ones. Even at the height of the Cold War, when the hands of the Doomsday Clock hovered near midnight, the international system was – paradoxically – more predictable. The world was split by an iron curtain, but at least it was cohesive and rules of engagement were clear.

Now geopolitics is more polarising, more fragmented, and more volatile. Formal diplomacy – whether at the United Nations, international summits, or through regional blocs – often ends in deadlock. At the same time, the international public has become desensitised to human suffering. Images of war and displacement are reduced to viral clips on social media, where cruelty becomes spectacle and hatred spreads faster than compassion. 

In this bleak climate, the international community must bypass political paralysis and find unexpected channels for peace. One such channel is religion. Some dismiss this idea as archaic or outdated, assuming religion belongs to a bygone era. Yet such thinking ignores a profound reality: over 80 percent of the world’s population identifies with a religious group.

In many societies, religion remains interwoven with daily life, family, law, and moral reasoning. Despite rapid modernisation, religion remains the most widely shared moral reference system in human history. To ignore it is to ignore one of humanity’s deepest sources of meaning and values.

Religion can be a force not only for individual belief but also for collective reconciliation. Conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine will one day end – hopefully sooner rather than later. But long after the guns fall silent, resentment and hatred can fester between peoples for generations. This is where religion can help heal divisions.

The recent passing of Pope Francis is a reminder of how much spiritual leaders can shape the modern world. He was more than the head of the Catholic Church; he became a global moral voice. He condemned wars in Ukraine, Gaza, and Africa with equal urgency, insisting that peace is a moral imperative. When faith leaders speak out, they do not speak only to their congregations; their words can resonate across religious divides.

In 2019, Pope Francis and Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, signed the Document on Human Fraternity in Abu Dhabi. It was both a spiritual and political milestone, demonstrating that Islam and Christianity – too often portrayed as civilisational rivals – can instead be partners for peace. Against a backdrop of conflicts inflamed by religious rhetoric, their embrace sent a global message: faith can be a source of reconciliation rather than division.

Imagine the signal sent to billions worldwide when leaders of different religions sit together and call for dialogue, compassion, and coexistence. That is the essence of spiritual diplomacy – the deliberate effort to draw on faith and culture to identify shared values and confront humanity’s challenges. 

There are already spaces where such dialogue is happening. More than twenty years ago, Kazakhstan launched the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions to provide one such platform. The inaugural Congress took place in 2003, in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks and the Iraq War. At that time, fear and distrust of the “other” were spreading globally. Yet that very crisis became the catalyst for dialogue: Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, Shinto and other leaders came together in Astana to affirm that religion should be a bridge, not a weapon.

Nearly two decades later, in 2022, the Seventh Congress brought more than 100 delegations from 50 countries, including Pope Francis, Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, and Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem. The world was emerging from a pandemic, tensions were rising in Europe and the Middle East, yet representatives of diverse religions gathered around one table. Their presence was itself a message: even in times of fear and fracture, dialogue is possible.

The very act of meeting matters. It demonstrates that barriers, however entrenched, are not absolute. And it reminds us that faith leaders, often more trusted than politicians, can build bridges across divides that states cannot. When the wars in Ukraine and Gaza finally end, the work of reconciliation will require not only political agreements but also moral and spiritual healing. Religious leaders will be central to that process.

This is not only about war and peace. Humanity faces climate breakdown, disruptive technologies, and deepening social fractures. No government, no bloc, and no single culture can resolve these challenges alone. But religious leaders can help societies confront them from a place of moral responsibility and shared values. At a time when public trust in political institutions is eroding, the moral authority of faith may prove indispensable.

Later this month, Kazakhstan will again host the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions. Religious and political leaders will gather to search for common ground and reaffirm the possibility of dialogue. No one claims that such a gathering will resolve all of humanity’s crises. But it offers a vital reminder: the solutions to global problems will not come from weapons or dominance, but from the willingness to sit at the same table and listen to one another.

That is the lesson that should echo worldwide – into the halls of governments, and into the lives of ordinary people who long for peace. The world has relied too long on the language of power. It is time to give greater space to the language of faith.

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