Inter-Religious Dialogue and Government Policies as Catalysts for Peace-building: Examining Their Role in Fostering Social Cohesion in the Multicultural Society in the Northern Region of Ghana

Abstract

This study investigates the complex interplay between inter-religious dialogue and government policies as catalysts for peacebuilding in the multicultural and conflict-prone Northern Region of Ghana. Despite Ghana's reputation for religious harmony, the Northern Region experiences persistent tensions exacerbated by historical grievances, socio-economic inequalities, and political manipulation. The research addresses a critical gap in the literature by moving beyond the analysis of these mechanisms in isolation to empirically examine their synergistic or antagonistic interactions. Grounded in a pragmatic philosophy, the study employed a convergent mixed-methods design, collecting quantitative data through surveys from 248 participants (government officials, religious leaders, community leaders, and CSO representatives) and qualitative data via 35 semi-structured interviews and 8 focus group discussions in Tamale and Bawku. The findings reveal a fundamental disconnect: government policies provide essential legal scaffolding and scalability but are severely hampered by implementation deficits, urban-rural disparities, and tokenistic consultations, which constrain grassroots dialogue. Conversely, grassroots initiatives demonstrate superior contextual intelligence and foster deep relational trust but lack the resources and political leverage for institutionalization and scale. The study identifies that the most significant barriers to sustainable peace are structural (weak institutionalization), cultural (historical grievances and non-inclusive traditional systems), and political (elite capture and the instrumentalization of religious identities). The study concludes that sustainable peace is unattainable through isolated top-down or bottom-up approaches. It proposes a novel model of "structured hybridity," which advocates for the systematic integration of state and grassroots efforts. This involves co-designing policies, channeling state resources directly to community-managed initiatives, and creating robust accountability mechanisms. The research contributes a nuanced, evidence-based framework for policymakers and practitioners in Northern Ghana and analogous multicultural settings, advocating for a shift from fragmented interventions to a collaboratively architected peace infrastructure.