• Introduction to the Conference Papers
• Effiong J. Udo and David M. Krueger

The nexus between religion and democracy has hardly been adequately explored. Religious traditions for the most part do not speak for or against any political system. However, elements such as justice, equity, equality, freedom, and inclusiveness, which are some of the ideals of democracy, are broadly promoted in many religious traditions. Yet, many analysts have noted the complex and tensile relationship that has historically shaped religious and political domains, evidence pointing to the observation that democracy retreats wherever there is an uncritical relationship between politics and religion. In Africa, democracy was embraced in the late twentieth century due to its promises of freedom that Africans lost to "forces of conquest and colonialism." In twenty-first-century Africa, what progress has been made, and what is the present state of democracy in the various African states? What roles are civil society organizations, particularly religious organizations, playing to deepen or weaken democracy in Africa? What do we know about religious institutions that are fighting or embodying authoritarianism, corruption, and abuse of human rights on the continent?

The essays in this issue of J.E.S. are a product of the African Pluralism and Dialogue Virtual Conference held on December 8, 2022. This conference was one of the high points of Dr. Effiong Udo's sabbatical research initiative with the Dialogue Institute (D.I.), which he served between December, 2021, and December, 2022. Udo, a dialogue associate and consultant of the Dialogue Institute for Africa, served as a senior research fellow with the D.I., but much of his work was done in Africa and virtually as the nature of the project he initiated demanded, as well as dealing with immigration setbacks. Since 2016, Udo's association and work with the D.I. through its President, Prof. Leonard Swidler, has been productive. Along with William Cullinan, Olabisi [End Page 299] Animashaun, and their colleagues in Nigeria, Udo was instrumental to the D.I.'s collaboration with the University of Uyo in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. This collaboration led to the establishment of the Centre for Deep Dialogue and Critical Thinking at that university.

The Pluralism, Dialogue, and Democracy in Africa Project was administratively directed by the Executive Director of the D.I., Dr. David Krueger. The project was supported by Dr. Mutombo Nkulu N'Sengha of California State University, Northridge, while D.I. board member William Cullinan and friend of the program Olabisi Animashaun provided initial funding for the project. With this support, Udo embarked on a research visit to several cities to expand African support. The project, which focused on the African Union 2063 Agenda track on Peace and Democracy, warranted the research tour—seeking to understand the presence, nature, and effects of religious bodies and dialogue and of peacebuilding organizations' engagements with African states and people to promote interreligious peace, human rights, and democratic ideals on the continent. It was also hoped that the effort would help in widening the D.I.'s contributions to deepening democratic ideals of freedom through its scholarship in dialogue and training in religious pluralism and democracy around the world. The D.I. was meant to be equally enriched by the exchange of experiences and perspectives of Africa's traditional, academic, political, and religious leaders; youth, women, and professional groups; and institutions across the African continent whose dialogue and peacebuilding engagements are directed toward the African Renaissance.

It is remarkable that the project also gave birth to the Pan-African Dialogue Institute. In the course of Udo's travels, he was able to bring together academic colleagues, civic leaders, and professionals in various disciplines, as well as youth and women's groups from a number of African countries. Together they created the Pan-African Dialogue Institute (www.africadialogue.org). So far, membership in the new institute includes people from eighteen African countries, and this number is still growing. Some individuals who had been among the D.I.'s African contacts, including alumni of the Study of the U.S. Institute on Religious Pluralism, have also joined the new Institute. Part of the rationale for creating the Institute was to serve the D.I. Board...

• 会议论文简介
• 艾芬·J·乌多 (Effiong J. Udo) 和大卫·M·克鲁格 (David M. Krueger)

宗教与民主之间的联系几乎没有得到充分探讨。宗教传统在很大程度上并不支持或反对任何政治制度。然而，正义、公平、平等、自由和包容等民主理念的元素在许多宗教传统中得到了广泛提倡。然而，许多分析人士指出，历史上塑造宗教和政治领域的复杂而紧张的关系，有证据表明，只要政治和宗教之间存在不加批判的关系，民主就会倒退。在非洲，民主在二十世纪末受到人们的欢迎，因为它对自由的承诺使非洲人失去了“征服和殖民主义的力量”。二十一世纪的非洲取得了哪些进步，非洲各国的民主现状如何？民间社会组织，特别是宗教组织，在深化或削弱非洲民主方面发挥着哪些作用？对于非洲大陆上那些反对或体现独裁主义、腐败和侵犯人权的宗教机构，我们了解多少？

本期JES的文章。是 2022 年 12 月 8 日举行的非洲多元主义与对话虚拟会议的产物。这次会议是 Effiong Udo 博士与对话研究所 (DI) 的休假研究计划的高潮之一，他于 2021 年 12 月、 2022 年 12 月。Udo 是非洲对话​​研究所的对话助理兼顾问，曾担任 DI 的高级研究员，但他的大部分工作是在非洲完成的，实际上正如他发起的项目的性质所要求的那样，以及应对移民挫折。自 2016 年以来，Udo 通过 DI 主席 Leonard Swidler 教授与 DI 的联系和合作一直富有成效。与 William Cullinan、Olabisi 一起[第 299 页完]Animashaun 和他们在尼日利亚的同事 Udo 对 DI 与尼日利亚阿夸伊博姆州 Uyo 大学的合作发挥了重要作用。这种合作导致该大学成立了深度对话和批判性思维中心。

非洲多元化、对话和民主项目由 DI 执行主任 David Krueger 博士负责行政管理。该项目得到了加州州立大学北岭分校 Mutombo Nkulu N'Sengha 博士的支持，而 DI 董事会成员 William Cullinan 和该项目的朋友 Olabisi Animashaun 为该项目提供了初始资金。有了这些支持，乌多开始对几个城市进行研究访问，以扩大对非洲的支持。该项目的重点是非洲联盟 2063 年议程的和平与民主轨道，需要进行研究之旅，旨在了解宗教团体和对话的存在、性质和影响，以及建设和平组织与非洲国家和人民的接触，以促进非洲大陆的宗教间和平、人权和民主理想。人们还希望这一努力将有助于扩大DI通过其在世界各地宗教多元化和民主的对话和培训方面的学术研究，加深对自由的民主理想的贡献。非洲传统、学术、政治和宗教领袖的经验和观点交流同样丰富了DI的内容；青年、妇女和专业团体；以及整个非洲大陆的机构，其对话和建设和平活动都以非洲复兴为目标。旨在通过非洲传统、学术、政治和宗教领袖的经验和观点交流来同样丰富；青年、妇女和专业团体；以及整个非洲大陆的机构，其对话和建设和平活动都以非洲复兴为目标。旨在通过非洲传统、学术、政治和宗教领袖的经验和观点交流来同样丰富；青年、妇女和专业团体；以及整个非洲大陆的机构，其对话和建设和平活动都以非洲复兴为目标。

值得注意的是，该项目还催生了泛非对话研究所。在乌多的旅行过程中，他能够将学术同事、公民领袖和各个学科的专业人士以及来自许多非洲国家的青年和妇女团体聚集在一起。他们共同创建了泛非对话研究所（www.africadialogue.org）。到目前为止，新研究所的成员包括来自十八个非洲国家的成员，而且这个数字仍在增长。一些曾经是DI的非洲联系人的人士，包括美国宗教多元主义研究所的校友，也加入了这个新研究所。创建该研究所的部分原因是为 DI 董事会服务......