There are no ethical or legal problems of the research to be observed.
This project may rather have a significant ethical and legal impact. Finding out more about the role of religions in nurturing violence or supporting reconciliation would mark an important contribution to peacebuilding, conflict management and conflict resolution. This is of high interest for the European Union, regarding the increased importance of issues like peace, security and development on the European Agenda.
Social scientists conducting case studies will be bound by the highest standards of ethical practice for interacting with their research subjects. Appropriate measures will be taken to ensure the safety and confidentiality of research participants, especially those living in conflicted or post-conflict settings who may still have some reason to fear for their safety. It is expected that those conducting this research will have their projects approved either by ethics committees at their home universities, or their projects will be seen to conform to ethical standards elaborated by national disciplinary associations such as the British Sociological Association.
