Alexander Wilde presents a book he edited Religious Responses to Violence: Human Rights in Latin America Past and Present. Alexander is a Senior Scholar and Board Member of the Latin American Program and a Woodrow Wilson Center Research Scholar in Residence at American University.
As Latin America has evolved from a region of political instability and frequent dictatorships into one of elected governments, high levels of violence have remained a persistent problem. Religious Responses to Violence: Human Rights in Latin America Past and Present, edited by Alexander Wilde, offers fresh insights into how religious actors have perceived and addressed violence, from the political and state violence of the 1970s and 1980s to the drug traffickers and youth gangs of today. Focusing on human rights, the moral dimensions of violence, and the consequences of human agency, the various contributors explore how Catholics and evangelicals have drawn on their faith to respond to violence through pastoral accompaniment in a variety of different contexts.
Alexander Wilde directed a two-year research project at American University’s Center for Latin American and Latino Studies that produced Religious Responses to Violence (University of Notre Dame Press, 2015). He is a senior scholar and board member of the Latin American Program at the Wilson Center and board member of Skylight Engagement, a human rights media organization. His research addresses religion, human rights, democracy, and historical memory in Latin America.
This event is organized by the Kellogg Institute for International Studies.