LogFrame Intervention Design

The University of San Diego
Kroc School of Peace Studies
Designing a truly interfaith Mauritius through dialogue
An intervention design paper submitted to

Dr Phil Gamaghelyan in
pursuance of a Degree of
MS in Conflict Management and Resolution
Deepti Thakoor
17 May 2022
Deepti Thakoor
Table of contents
Abstract and Introduction 3
I Problem Statement 5
II Conflict Analysis 5
III Theory of Change 28
IV Project Outline 42
V Feasibility and resource generation plan 59
VI Ethical Considerations 60
VII Monitoring and Evaluation Plan 68
Final Thoughts 73
VIII Bibliography (cited and uncited sources) 74
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Abstract
This paper proposes an intervention design project for Mauritius, which has a very
diverse population consisting mainly of the peoples of Indian, European and African
origins, as a result of French and British colonization. Although the country enjoys
negative peace, it has witnessed pockets of violence since independence from British
rule in 1968. Structural violence has not been addressed and this project aims to create
unity in the island through small group dialogue processes among people of different
faiths and ethnicities. In the process, it is expected that the small groups would gather
momentum to form a Think Tank which can address the systemic inequalities in the
country through structural changes. The project will be implemented in three phases
and there will be strict monitoring and evaluation plans at each phase. The paper also
considers the ethical considerations, risks and assumptions made in developing this
project.
Introduction
I was born and brought up in Mauritius. At the age of seven, I witnessed major riots
between the Creole (African-descent communities) and the Indian community
predominantly. These riots marked me as a child in ways I cannot fully explain. All I
know is that I do not want my country or my children to witness such riots again.
Although Mauritius is a diverse country, I did not have much exposure to interfaith until I
went to Cardiff, United Kingdom, for my undergraduate studies. Upon my return to the
country, I wanted to be involved in an interfaith dialogue group and continue the work I
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started at Cardiff. My search led me to the Council of Religions (which I will refer again
in this paper) but there was never a successful development of an interfaith dialogue
series with a view to improve and strengthen the relationships among the different
communities in Mauritius and find ways to address the systemic issues in the country.
This intervention design is a community building project by using dialogue to foster
better relationships among the different faith groups in Mauritius in an attempt to gather
momentum for a Think Tank. This paper will cover the Problem statement (I),
summarizing what the problem is in Mauritius. In the Conflict Analysis (II) section, I
explain how colonial history has led to the present conflict and the interplay of the
different actors. I then move to analyze the premise for bringing change and how
religion and faith can bring people together in Theory of Change (III). The Project
Outline is highlighted in Part IV with an extensive description of the indicators for the
project objectives and outcomes. The Feasibility and Resource generation plan (V)
explains resources required and the plan for implementing this project in Mauritius.
Next, there is an analysis of the Ethical Considerations (VI) arising out of this project
and how I intend to minimize those risks. The Monitoring and Evaluation Plan (VII)
provides a detailed outline of how the project will be monitored at each phase and how it
will be evaluated to decide on its continuity, after a year of piloting. The paper ends with
a list of cited and uncited sources in Part VII. A Log Frame diagram is also annexed to
this paper.
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I. Problem statement
Why are you selecting the problem and the target population for whom to solve this
problem?
The problem I want to focus on is aptly summarized in the findings of the Truth and
Justice Commission at page 288:
There appears to be social cohesion in Mauritius, but this is at the surface-level

only. At a deeper- level, Mauritius is an openly racist and bigoted country. 1
II. Conflict analysis
What is the conflict you are addressing?
The conflict in Mauritius has economic, structural and colonial layers. I will explain the
conflict from these different lenses but my intervention is focused on using dialogue to
foster better relations among people of different faiths/ethnicities. I am using a bottom-
up approach to the problem as opposed to addressing the structural issues through a
top-down approach.
Historical context
In order to understand the problem in Mauritius, it must be situated within its historical
context. Three periods of colonialism can be traced back in Mauritius. In the 16 th and
17th centuries (1598 to 1710), Mauritius was colonized by the Dutch who used the island
mainly as a port of call, due to its strategic location on the way to Asia. 2 The Dutch
introduced sugarcane in the island and slavery but left the island for good in 1710 to
1
Truth and Justice Commission, Report of the Truth and Justice Commission, Volume 1 (Mauritius:
Government Printing, November 2011) 288
2
Truth and Justice Commission report, 59
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focus on the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa. 3 Mauritius is, in fact, named after the
Dutch prince Maurice Van Nassau.4
In 1715, the French took possession of the island. They developed the island
significantly and brought a number of slaves during that period but also contractual
workers (“engagés”) from Madagascar, Mozambique, India, and even South East Asia. 5
Sugar plantation was the main activity on the island. 6 Slaves were considered as
property under the Code Noir.7 A rigid class system and racial hierarchy was
established and land ownership was in the hands of the French settlers. The Code Noir
was particularly oppressive and excluded non-whites from economic, social and political
life.8
The British took over the island in 1810. Slavery was abolished in 1835. 9 Prior to the
abolition of slavery, indentured laborers were brought on the island, from mid-1830s
onwards as a replacement for the free labor of slaves. 10 The decision to import
indentured laborers drove the emancipated slaves away from the plantation economy.
Although indentured laborers were paid very low wages and could own land, their
conditions were not better than slaves.11 They were exploited and oppressed and
3
Truth and Justice Commission report, 59-60
4
“Explore Mauritius: History”, Republic of Mauritius
http://www.govmu.org/English/ExploreMauritius/Pages/History.aspx Accessed on March 26, 2022
5
Vijayalakshmi Teelock and Abdul Sheriff, “Slavery and the slave trade in the Indian ocean” in Transition
from slavery in Zanzibar and Mauritius eds by Abdul Sheriff, Vijayalakshmi Teelock, Saada Omar Wahad
and Satyendra Peerthum (Senegal: CODESRIA, 2016) 30-32
6
7
8
9
10
11
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suffered trauma like the slaves at that time. They were brought in large numbers and
soon became a majority on the island.12 In the 1870s, land was divided in parcels
(“morcellement”) as a means to restructure the sugar industry. 13 This brought the
emergence of a class of small Indian planters who became landowners. By then end of
the 19th century, social stratification among the Indian immigrants was prominent. 14
Indians became a growing population in the island and have made up more than 50% of
the population since 1870s.15 Mauritius gained independence in 1968 with Sir
Seewoosagar Ramgoolam, Hindu, of Indian origin, elected as the first Prime Minister of
the country. Since, the country has elected predominantly 16 Hindu Prime Ministers,
except for two years when Paul Berenger, a Franco-Mauritian, was the Prime Minister. 17
Communities in Mauritius and social context

The two hundred years of colonial history in Mauritius sowed the seeds for multi-
racialism and multi-culturalism. Unfortunately, this colonial history also entrenched
social stratification based on racial categorization. 18
Indian immigrants came from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, in India, and were predominantly
Hindu but there were also Muslims and a smaller number of Christians. 19 Other Muslims
12
Thomas Hylland Eriksen, “Indians in New Worlds: Mauritius and Trinidad” Social and Economic
Studies, issue 41 volume 1 (1992), 164
13
14
Eriksen, “Indians in New Worlds”, 167
15
16
17
Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2004 - Mauritius, 18 December 2003, UNHCR, Last modified
on March 25, 2002 https://www.refworld.org/docid/473c54a9c.html Accessed 26 March 2022
18
19
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were brought from Bengal and were sailors. 20 Indian contractual workers, who came
during the French period, were mostly Christians. 21
Chinese immigrants, also, came as indentured laborers but they were not satisfied with
their work conditions22. Some returned. In the early 19th century, Chinese immigrants
came to the island with the intention of doing commerce. By the 20 th century, they were
well spread over the island23 and each village had a Chinese shop, a sort of grocery
store selling almost everything. Most Chinese were Christianized but some retained
their ancestral culture. 24
Inevitably, inter-ethnic mixing was significant on the island. 25 Indian male slaves were
often marrying women slaves of Malagasy or Mozambican origins. 26 The descendants
of slaves are known as Creoles in Mauritius.
The arrival of Indian slaves is not often talked about in Mauritius. In fact, I never learned
about it at school. Female Indian slaves during the French colonization period often
became concubines27 to their masters and gave birth to a privileged class of people
known as the Eurasians, “White creoles” or “gens de couleur”.28 They were privileged
because they were fair-skinned and had European blood in them. They were neither
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
Truth and Justice Commission report,134
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Black nor White and could not interact with Black creoles as they felt they were socially
higher in class29, even if they might have had Black origins.
Whiteness is privileged and aspired to30 in Mauritius. The descendants of the colonizers
are seen at the higher end of the hierarchy. Much of the economic power still lies in their
hands and they own significant plantations in Mauritius.
Ethnicity and religion are often used interchangeably in Mauritius. Creoles are
associated with Christianity, in particular Catholicism, because slaves were forced to
convert to Christianity by the slave owners. 31 The Indian immigrants were predominantly
Hindu or Muslim. The term “Indian” in Mauritius tends to refer to Hindus and normally
north Indian Hindus. The South Indian Hindus are known as “Tamils” and they came to
Mauritius during the French colonization period as contractual workers. The sub-groups
in the Indian diaspora prefer to be known by the distinctive regions rather than being
referred to as “Indians”. Consequently, the Indians of Muslim faith wanted to have a
separate recognition and not be lumped in the “Indian” group which would imply Hindus.
This specific context led to the recognition of four categories of people by the Mauritian
Constitution. It is not clear if the categories are ethnic or religious, as will be seen below.
Recognition of the four classes of people

The Mauritian Constitution provides that:
(…) the population of Mauritius shall be regarded as including a Hindu

community, a Muslim community and a Sino-Mauritian community; and every
29
30
31
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person who does not appear from his way of life, to belong to one or other of
those 3 communities shall be regarded as belonging to the General Population,
which shall itself be a fourth community.” (Constitution of Mauritius 1968,
Schedule 1, Article 3(4))
A candidate for an election is required to disclose their community, as per the
categories above, at the time of their nomination. This data is used to allocate an
additional 8 seats, after election of 62 members of parliament, on the basis of the
definition of community with a view to have a “fair and adequate representation of each
community.” (Constitution of Mauritius 1968, Schedule 1, Article 5(1)) This system is
colloquially known as the “Best Loser System.”32
Based on the population census of 196833 (I do not have an updated census because
there has not been any demographics census after 1968), the demographics were as
follows:
Chinese (3%)
Muslim (17%)
Hindu (52%)
General popu-
lation (28%)
32
Raj Mathur, “Parliamentary Representation of Minority Communities: The Mauritian Experience”, Africa
Today 44 no.1, International Relations and Human Rights (Jan – Mar 1997): 63
33
Central Statistical Office, Bi-Annual Digest of Statistics (Mauritius, June 1968) 1
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Who is affected by the conflict and how?
There are strong stereotypes associated to the different communities in Mauritius.
The Creole population is seen as being lazy and of no value in society. 34 They have
reported having experienced racism and suffer from negative stereotyping to the Truth
and Justice Commission.35 Race is also strongly linked to class. Following the abolition
of slavery, many ex-slaves became fishermen in an attempt to make a living and be
free. 36 They found it hard to ensure proper schooling of their children and even today,
Creoles are under-represented in the public sector. 37 Consequently, poverty is
associated to the Creole community although this is not accurate. Poverty affects a part
of every community.38
Racism is subtle in Mauritius but very real. Subtle racist practices against the Creole
community include39:
a. Touting of equality policies which are never enforced
b. Denial of earned recognition
c. Covert maintenance of housing segregation
The Indian population have been portrayed as frugal and hardworking. 40 Their hard
work explains their social ascension from indentured labor to a working middle class
group, with some Indo-Mauritians forming part of the elite. 41 However, the Creole
34
Truth and Justice Commission report 220
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
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community perceives that the Indian community as having benefitted from significant
42
opportunities when the ruling party is/was predominantly Indian.
The White descent population is seen as the socio-economic elite of the country. They
are considered better at investing and safeguarding their assets. 43 They benefit from
positive stereotyping as well as negative stereotyping as not all Whites are wealthy.
However, being White, they are considered as rich.
Everyone in Mauritius is affected by the current state of affairs and the children of
tomorrow are at risk of growing in an increasingly fragmented and polarized world.
Mauritius cannot be said to have “progressed” in a true sense if perpetual inequalities,
racism, stereotyping and “cultural amnesia” is the norm.44
Who is influencing the conflict and how?
Attitudes and perceptions
The engrained attitudes and perceptions of Mauritians against each other maintain the
conflict. The fact that the relationships among the communities are shallow, there is a
lack of deep unity in the population. There is no guarantee that only one community will
be affected in difficult or troubling times and that only that community ought to help their
peers.
42
43
44
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Dr Silvestri and Professor Mayall, highlight how attitudes, intertwined with perceptions
can trigger religious and ethnic violence. They say that:
Perceptions are key to the construction and perpetuation of identities and

narratives, both of individuals and of communities. Thus, it is not surprising that
perceptions of prejudice, victimhood, and discrimination are central in the
dynamics of structural, physical and cultural violence, whether religion or
ethnicity are involved or not.45 (emphasis is mine)
The above extract explains the situation in Mauritius where the perceptions and
attitudes of the people lend a different color to an issue and turns the issue into a
communal one when the central issue may not be related to religion or ethnicity at all.
Socio-cultural groups
In an article published on L’Express.mu, Nad Sivaramen, the editor-in-chief, comments
on how socio-cultural groups have become sectarian lobbyists (“lobbies sectaires”) bent
on promoting and defending the interest of their group to the detriment of the general
interest. 46
Politicians and socio-cultural groups
L’Express further highlighted47 how socio-cultural groups are closely linked to politics
and politicians. In 1998, a minister of education threatened to resign if the Bank of
Mauritius did not review the order of which cultural language is to be printed first on
45
Dr Sara Silvestri and Professor James Mayall, The Role of Religion in Conflict and Peace-building
(London: The British Academy, 2015) 9
46
Nad Sivaramen, “Exit <socioculturels> Enter <lobbies sectaires>!” L’Express.mu, February 17, 2018
https://www.lexpress.mu/idee/326610/exit-socioculturels-enter-lobbies-sectaires Accessed on 23 March
2022
47
La Redaction “Pour le Mauricianisme: ces lobbies sectaires qui veulent diriger Maurice” L’Express.mu,
February 17, 2018 https://www.lexpress.mu/article/326650/pour-mauricianisme-lobbies-sectaires-qui-
veulent-diriger-maurice Accessed on 23 March 2022
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bank notes. Politicians are often invited at religious celebrations and there is a mixing of
politics and religions. Politicians use these socio-cultural groups to ensure that they can
win the next round of elections and in turn, these groups push for their sectarian
interests. Some socio-cultural groups have even, openly, asked that voters vote for a
particular party, who normally would have a Hindu as the head. There was a Center for
Mauritian Culture established but the center has since 2005 been dormant because the
government has not appointed the board.
Mauritius is today slipping into a deficient democracy, according to recent research by
the Democracy Matrix48 and is among the top ten autocracies in the world, according to
V-Dem.49 The population has been unable to successfully oppose the government’s
wrongdoing because the society is fragmented and each community prefers to secure
their personal interests instead of looking at the general interests. The riots of 22 April
2022 might start to change this perspective but it may be too soon to speculate in that
direction.
The diagram below summarizes the position. The “attitudes and perceptions” are at the
core of the issue in Mauritius and drive the socio-cultural groups who in turn influence
and are influenced by the politicians.
48
Democracy matrix, Rankings < https://www.democracymatrix.com/ranking> Accessed on 26 March
2022
49
V-Dem Institute at the University of Gothenburg, Autocratization Turns Viral: Democracy Report
2021(Sweden: GU Interntryckeri, March 2021) 19
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politicians
socio-cultural groups
attitudes and
perceptions
What are the structures in play?

Colonial history
According to the Truth and Justice Commission, the colonial occupation in Mauritius,
alongside slavery and indentured labor, planted the seeds for corruption and racism. 50
These negative legacies continue to impede social justice. The colonial powers had
already created a hierarchy of races (explained above) based on skin color and social
class and this hierarchy was carried forward post-independence. 51 The Truth and
Justice Commission uses the word “pigmentocracy” to define the hierarchy in
Mauritius.52
50
51
52
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The colonial history of Mauritius has served to maintain and deepen the structures in
play (covered above under historical context). It has also meant that Mauritius is a
relatively new nation. Prior to independence, Mauritians were colonial subjects, and not
citizens with a distinct collective identity. Waters argues that questions about the
Mauritian identity and a sense of collective belonging to the island were largely moot
prior to independence.53 As a result, the different ethnic groups live alongside each
other, almost in bubbles, “each maintaining its own internally cohesive, religious,
linguistic and cultural practices.”54
Mauritius also experienced significant inter-ethnic conflicts prior to independence 55,
thereby showing that conflicts among the communities have existed for a very long time
but have not always manifested in external violence. Periods of violence prior to
independence were also fueled by the divide-and-rule strategies of the economic Elite
and British and their fear that the working classes would unite force for independence. 56
The British encouraged the creation of religious and communal parties and led to the
division between the Hindu and Muslims, who are both of Indian origins. 57 Although
Kreol language is the vernacular language of all Mauritians, it was only introduced as a
medium of teaching in schools in 2012.58 The medium of teaching has always been
English or French. The Mauritian Kreol was seen as an inferior language.
Constitutional categories
53
Julia Waters, The Mauritian Novel: Fictions of Belonging (Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 2018)
https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvt1sk5f, 5
54
Julia Waters, The Mauritian Novel, 203
55
56
Truth and justice commission report, 10
57
58
Waters, The Mauritian Novel, 7
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The four categories of people (Hindu, Muslim, Sino-Mauritian and General population)
provided by the Constitution of Mauritius, for the purpose of a fair allocation of seats in
parliament, has institutionalized communal divide in the country. Categorization of
people into blocks is seen as normal given that declaration of one’s communal
appurtenance is required by law at the time of petitioning to be a candidate for the
general elections. De facto, voters also refer to candidates by their communal
appurtenance because identifying to one category creates a sense of belonging.
Preferential treatment
As a result, certain groups are privileged in society to the detriment of others. Some
groups benefit from jobs, opportunities and networks, denied to others. 59 It is not
possible to identify which groups in particular benefit from this situation because
different in-groups benefit differently from their networks. Sometimes, the groups are
clearly of one ethnicity or race while sometimes it is a small elite group within a larger
group which benefits from the in-group network.60
There is a discourse of “comfort zone” and fair discrimination in the country. For
example, white employers would employ white descent people to the detriment of
equally qualified Creoles so that there is a level of comfort in the institution. This
institutional cohesion allowed communalism and racism to flourish under the guise of
fair practices.61
59
60
61
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Deepti Thakoor
Lack of social justice

While Mauritius has anti-discrimination laws and an Equal Opportunities Commission,
social justice is still lacking for many.62 The Truth and Justice Commission commented
that the failed attempts at social justice in Mauritius is due to a lack of change in the
people leading the institutions.63 In other words, the people perpetrate structural
injustice.
Lack of pluralism
According to Eboo Patel, diversity is a demographic fact. It is neither positive nor
negative. Much rests on how the diversity is used. 64 Pluralism is “the energetic
engagement of diversity toward a positive end.”65 He makes the argument for how the
diversity of religions and the divergent and incompatible views which different religions
have to be channeled towards building “agreement, consensus and, general
participation in the oneness of the community.”66
Dr Silvestri and Professor Mayall, referring to Galtung’s concept of structural violence 67,
explain that violence is not only direct violence but is hidden in societal structures and
culture. The conflict can only be addressed by addressing the behaviors, structures and
culture simultaneously.68
62
63
64
Eboo Patel, Interfaith Leadership: A Primer (Boston, USA: Beacon Press, 2016), 91
65
Eboo Patel, Interfaith Leadership, 92
66
67
Dr Silvestri and Professor Mayall, The Role of Religion in Conflict and Peace-building, 9
68
Dr Sara Silvestri and Professor James Mayall, The Role of Religion in Conflict and Peace-building, 9
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There is a lack of pluralism in the country because the use of the slogan “unity in
diversity” has been dangerously used to vocalize and perpetuate differences rather than
affirm solidarity.69
The diagram below shows the interplay of the structures in place. The colonial history is
at the bottom holding the other structures in place culminating in a lack of pluralism.
la
ck
of
pl
ur
ali
lacks of
social
m
justice
preferential treatment
constitutional categories
colonial history
Current situation
As matters currently stand, Mauritians have a fragile sense of identity. Any issue, which
is remotely connected to ethnicity or religion, can become a communal issue and the
69
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whole community is attacked. In order to fully put the conflict in context, I will highlight
some examples of how ethnic, cultural or economic tensions have manifested over the
past twenty years.
Lessons from Kaya
In 1999, there were major riots in the country following the death of Kaya, a Seggae
(Mauritian version of Reggae) singer, of Creole origin, in prison. His death sparked
major riots as the people of African descent rebelled against the Indian communities
(the police force being primarily composed of people of Indian origins). 70 These are the
riots I mention in my introduction. Waters argues that these riots brought to the forefront
the “widespread and long simmering ethnic and class divisions behind the island’s
image as a harmonious and prosperous ‘rainbow nation’”71 (emphasis added by me).
Some authors, like Emmanuel B. Jean-Francois and Srilata Ravi quoted in The
Mauritian Novel, see the 1999 riots as ethnic tension between the Hindu and Creole
communities.72However, other authors, like Julie Peghini and Suzanne Chazan-Gilig
argue that the riots were sparked by the economic inequalities in the country, made
worse by the uneven distribution in wealth following modernization of Mauritius at that
time.73
70
“Rioting in Mauritius set off by jail death of singer”, The Guardian, February 21, 1999 <
https://www.theguardian.com/world/1999/feb/25/7> Accessed on 26 Feb 2022
71
72
73
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The Council of Religions, which is the main organization I seek to partner with, was
established after the 1999 riots as a way to promote better understanding among
people of all faiths and build a peaceful, equal and inclusive society. 74
The Kaya riots taught Mauritians (and their leaders) that structural violence is real and
although, mostly unseen, in the sense of being subtle, is felt very strongly by the people
suffering from that structural violence. As the frustration, complaints and injustice
simmer, things can explode when it is least expected and over matters which appear
unrelated to alleged issue over which the riots occurred. The Kaya riots also brought to
the forefront the gaps in the justice system and how police abuse their power, especially
over those seen at the lower end of the hierarchy, like the poor and the Creole
community.
During the night of 22 April 2022 to 23 April 2022, Mauritius experienced its first major
manifestation violence following the Kaya riots. Across the island, small groups of
people burned tires on the road to express their disagreement. Some safe-city cameras
were destroyed. Police vehicles were damaged. Some police officers also got injured
and Molotov cocktails were thrown towards police stations. 75 Some 200 people were
gathered in front of the police headquarters in Port Louis asking that an activist, who
had been arrested, be released. 76 The activist was manifesting against the rising cost
of living in Mauritius. While these riots appear to be in response to the potentially unfair
74
“About CoR”, Council of Religions, https://councilofreligions.org/about/ Accessed on March 23, 2022
75
Lovina Sophie and Vilorsha Armoogum, “Manifestation: le bilan en chiffre”, L’Express, April 24, 2022
https://www.lexpress.mu/article/407880/manif-contre-vie-chere-larrestation-au-chaos-aux-casernes-
centrales Accessed on May 05, 2022
76
Stewelderson Casimir and Doreck Clair, “Manif contre la vie chere: de l’arrestation au chaos aux
casernes centrales”, L’Express, April 23,2022 https://www.lexpress.mu/article/407880/manif-contre-vie-
chere-larrestation-au-chaos-aux-casernes-centrales Accessed on May 05, 2022
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Deepti Thakoor
arrest of an activist and the drastic loss of purchasing power of citizens, the issue is not
as simple as it appears.
These riots did not come as a surprise. Had sufficient attention been given to the
ongoing frustration in the country, the riots of 22 April could have been predicted. About
10 days before, a live talk by a private radio station became an avenue for people to
express their discontent against politicians, leading to one person calling the mayor of a
town “Gopia”.77 In Kreol and Bhojpuri dialects, “gopia” would mean stupid or someone
from the villages who lacks refinement or good manners. I do not know how offensive
“gopia” is as a term which could justify the arrest of one person who allegedly uttered
that word.78 By taking such repressive measures, as a way to prevent freedom of
expression, the government did not calm the situation and fueled the frustration.
The riots of the night of 22 April 2022 are similar to the Kaya riots to the extent that they
were mainly triggered following the arrest of an activist and the police were seen as
abusing their powers. The current riots brought back memories of Kaya riots and there
were some minor communal allusions. However, comparing the Kaya riots to the
present one is dangerous because this time, the riots are not motivated by communal
hatred. The frustration is against abusive structures. Indirectly, these riots saw some
communities, across communal divides come together to express their disagreements
over the rising cost of living. Somehow, these riots highlighted that Mauritians can rise
77
Narain Jasodanand, “Vacoas: pagaille en direct”, L’Express, April 12, 2022,
https://www.lexpress.mu/article/407434/vacoas-pagaille-en-direct Accessed May 05, 2022
78
Lovina Sophie, Rishi Etwaroo and Vikash Jeewoolall, “Vacoas: pagaille en direct/ “Kouma Koze
Kaso…”, deplore Shahil Budhooa”, L’Express, April 14, 2022
https://www.lexpress.mu/video/407491/video-pagaille-en-direct-kouma-koze-kaso-deplore-shahil-
budhooa Accessed May 05, 2022
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above communal division and they saw that their religions or ethnicities would no longer
provide them the protection they used to enjoy. The Kaya riots serve as a reminder that
Mauritius has not healed from its previous wounds and is prone to conflicts.
Strengthening the ties among the different communities is key to making the country
resilient against repressive political power and injustice.
Although the night of 22 April 2022 showed the first external manifestation of violence in
the country, Mauritius has experienced pockets of communal tension, time and again. I
will provide three examples below.
Discrimination in admission policy

In 2002, Mr Tengur, of Indian origin and Hindu, claimed that the Ministry of Education
had permitted a discriminatory practice by allowing the Roman Catholic Diocese of Port
Louis to have 50% of seats in its secondary schools reserved for Catholic students. The
case never alleged that the Roman Catholic Diocese was acting in a discriminatory way.
There were a number of judgments and interim judgments delivered. In one of the
interim judgments, delivered while waiting for the outcome of the appeal procedure, the
Court highlighted the “immense” problem they faced and the fact the “judges of this
country did not live in an ivory tower.” They were concerned the “immediate chaos” in
the country if students could not be admitted to secondary schools and possibility of
“immediate social unrest” especially:
(…) having regard to the turmoil prevailing in the country following the impugned
judgment, a fact to which, as judges of flesh and blood living in this country, and
feeling its pulse, we cannot close our eyes to. (Bishop of Roman Catholic
Diocese of Port Louis & ors v S Tengur & ors 2002 SCJ 330B)
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The core issue of this case was a legal one – was the admission policy discriminatory
against non-Catholic students? However, things took another turn and Catholics felt
aggrieved by Hindus (this case was also instituted 3 years after the 1999 riots and the
country was still healing from its wounds), so much, that judges feared social unrest in
the country.
Uniform at work
In April 2018, an employer, a five-star hotel, was sued for preventing its employee from
wearing a cultural ornament (tikka – red dot in the middle of the forehead) that displayed
marital status. The Employment Relations Tribunal laid emphasis on the distinctive
Mauritian landscape where Mauritians are attached to their traditions, which have
become part of their identity. The Tribunal also highlighted:
In Mauritius, we all come from somewhere with a tradition and culture that we
cherish. To ban any of it, be it at work leads to a sensitive area that needs to be
addressed with care. At no time in this Award have we suggested that
Management intentionally meant to cause harm to any of its employees.79
Practices, preventing a community from expressing their cultural traditions in a public
setting, can have serious repercussions in the Mauritian context so much that the
President of the Equal Opportunities Tribunal had to remind the management of the
hotel of this point. The case of Mrs Dalwhoor took a communal turn in Mauritius, with
media attention, and she was actively supported by socio-cultural groups. 80
Funding of NGO
79
Soolekha Dalwhoor vs Belle Mare Beach Development Co. Ltd Employment Relations Tribunal
ERT/RN 77/18, Government Notice No.260 of 2019, page 43
80
Priya Luckoo, “Discrimination of travail: Soolekha, jamais dans son tika” L’Express, April 15, 2018
https://www.lexpress.mu/article/329780/discrimination-au-travail-soolekha-jamais-sans-son-tika Accessed
on 23 March 2022
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In April 2021, one non-governmental organization (NGO), M-Kids, headed by a Muslim
priest, felt aggrieved that it did not receive any funding from the National Social
Inclusion Foundation when other NGOs, like Caritas, owned by the Catholic Church in
Mauritius, had received 25 million rupees for its activities. 81 There was a perception of
bias in favor of a Christian/Catholic NGO and this situation has caused significant
uproar on social media platforms (seen also in the comments section of the referenced
article) and an investigation has been initiated. [Given the sensitive nature of this
information, the source has preferred to remain anonymous, the more so that a court
case has been instituted recently]
Summary of conflict analysis

In a nutshell, the situation in Mauritius is largely a result of its colonial history which also
brought racial categorization and social stratification. Over time, the constitutional
categories of the people were institutionalized and a lack of social justice and
predominance of preferential treatment became apparent. All these structures have
converged towards a lack of pluralism in the country.
The conflict in Mauritius is driven by the attitudes and perceptions people hold, socio-
cultural groups and politicians. Needless to say that everyone is affected by the
situation and every now and then, the country witnesses pockets of violence, which
have been simmering from long standing and unaddressed issues.
81
“Decaissement du NSIF: L’ONG M-Kids se dit <lésée>” Le Mauricien, April 16. 2021,
https://www.lemauricien.com/actualites/societe/decaissement-du-nsif-long-m-kids-se-dit-lesee/416725/
Accessed on March 26, 2022
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The situation in Mauritius is very complex and I will only be touching one strand of the
intricate web of conflict dynamics. I propose to improve and strengthen the relationships
among the different communities with a view to establish a Think Tank which can
address the structural issues.
In terms of the drivers of conflict, I will be addressing the attitudes and perceptions in
the Mauritian society. As regards the structural issues, my intervention would aim to
create pluralism in the country.
In the next part, I will explain how I intend to bring change in the country by focusing on
grassroot efforts.
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III. Theory of change
In this part, I will explain how the multiplicity of religions can be used to achieve peace
through interfaith dialogues. I will first articulate my theory of change before explaining
why I have chosen religion as a way to unite people. There is a binding force in religion.
Then, I will look at what dialogues can achieve and why they are the most appropriate
vehicle for creating human connectedness. I will consider the different approaches to
interfaith dialogues and explain how it will be put in practice. I will highlight some
successful interfaith dialogue processes before ending with the limits of interfaith
dialogue and the assumptions I am making in this project.
Articulating the theory of change
If participants identify the commonality across all religions through sharing of human
experience, they will be less likely to see a person of another religion as “the other” and
therefore more likely to develop authentic relationships. These authentic relationships
can become the foundation and momentum for a group to advocate for structural
changes in the country.
Transformative power of religion
Dr Silvestri and Professor Mayall define religion as being “a system of beliefs and
values associated with particular organisational forms (…) and with a supra-natural
deity.” It is a framework for ordering lives and communities. 82 They also warn against
the temptation to understand religion through a religious institution. 83 Referring to
82
83
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Galtung, they reject the notion of religious conflict as being too simplistic. Conflicts are
“multi-dimensional and complex” and it is misleading to refer to one causal factor
alone.84
Scholars seem to disagree that religion is to be taken as the main driver of violence and
conflict but agree that religion has a place in international relations and impacts both
interstate relations and domestic politics. 85 There, also, appears to be consensus that
“religion is a useful – if not necessary – instrument for achieving peace.”86
Eboo Patel argues that there is a bonding nature in religion. It is this bonding nature that
must be proactively engaged to create pluralism. Microenvironments with people from
different backgrounds can cooperate towards a common goal and bust prejudices. 87
These microenvironments can create “networks of engagement” who help bridge the
social capital and strengthen social cohesion. 88
Religions can be a cause of, an inspiration for or an aggravating factor of violence in
conflicts. However, religion also holds the seeds for peace 89 and I have chosen religion
to be the way to bring Mauritians together as the line between ethnicity (or country of
origin) and religion is often blurred in Mauritius.
What dialogue can achieve?

84
Dr Silvestri and Professor Mayall, The Role of Religion in Conflict and Peace-building, 19-20
85
86
87
Patel, Interfaith Leadership, 63
88
89
Reina C. Neufeldt, “Interfaith Dialogue: Assessing Theories of Change,” Peace & Change 36, No.3
(July 2011) 346
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I propose to use dialogue in conversations around religions to create change. Samuel
Peleg argues that an all-inclusive and multi-dimensional concept of dialogue can
generate meaning and hope for better human connectedness. 90 Dialogue can come out
of difference, and, then, it cultivates and sustains the difference. 91 Dialogue does not
seek to resolve differences but allows participants to have a greater understanding of
each other. According to Peleg, genuine dialogue, based on honest reciprocity and
consideration of difference, has the potential to modify the conscience, or the nature of
society, as well as liberating the soul. 92 Dialogue creates the space for “an assortment
of stories and narratives shunned in most of other venues of conversation” and the
human brain needs these mental stimuli.93
The beauty of dialogue is that it happens in “real time”.94 It is unique between each pair
or group of participants and cannot be reproduced with the same content.
My intervention focuses on peacebuilding, not merely peace-keeping. As Peleg argues,
peace-building involves confronting the deeper issues driving the conflict, such as those
issues embedded in “identity, group cohesion and sense of purpose and belonging.”95
He believes that dialogue is the ultimate pattern of communication to achieve peace-
building which is founded on trust and collaboration. 96 This is why I chose dialogue to be
90
Samuel Peleg, Intercultural and Interfaith Dialogues for Global Peacebuilding and Stability (USA: IGI
Global, 2019) xvii
91
Peleg, Intercultural and Interfaith Dialogues, xix
92
Peleg, Intercultural and Interfaith Dialogues, xx
93
Peleg, Intercultural and Interfaith Dialogues, xxi
94
Peleg, Intercultural and Interfaith Dialogues, xxi
95
Peleg, Intercultural and Interfaith Dialogues, xxviii
96
Peleg, Intercultural and Interfaith Dialogues, xxviii
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the way to create better relations among people of different faiths in Mauritius and in the
process create the trust and collaboration needed to create peace-building.
Importance of interfaith dialogue and why?
Having explained why I chose religion to unite people and why dialogue creates human
connections, let me now consider how interfaith dialogues work. Neufeldt argues that
there are three main approaches to interfaith dialogue in the way it can lead to change.
Not all types of dialogue will produce the desired change. 97 She looks at the theories of
change from the following lenses:
a. Theological perspective
Interfaith dialogue is among religious people, such as clergy and theologians and
the dialogue can take the form of exchange papers, panels, discussions and
sharing of religious practices.98 The aim of such dialogues is to contribute to
individual and relational changes within and between religious communities. 99
b. Political perspective
Interfaith dialogues are normally state-sponsored and political representatives
meet religious leaders with a view to discuss faith or political issues. The aim
may be to educate “the other” about the conflict or to increase or expand the
legitimacy of a political process and actors. 100 The idea is that the religious
leaders would help de-escalate the conflict.101
97
Neufeldt, “Interfaith Dialogue: Assessing Theories of Change,” 345
98
99
100
101
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c. Conflict transformation and peacebuilding perspective
This approach builds on the theological and political perspectives and aims to
achieve individual, relational and socio-political changes. 102 Neufeldt defined four
aims of interfaith dialogues from a peacebuilding perspective:
i. Change attitudes and perceptions of the other;
ii. Tap into people’s deep spiritual beliefs and motivations;
iii. Broaden the participation of people building peace;
iv. Develop a joint platform of actions to address the root causes of the
conflict and its consequences.
The peacebuilding approach to interfaith dialogue is effective because it allows
participants to look into their deep beliefs and values and creates safe spaces to allow
them to develop an understanding of the other, while developing mutual respect and
care.103 This is the approach I intend to use in my project.
How will interfaith dialogue look in practice?
A safe space is created by training the participants to truly listen to each other, sharing
perspectives and experiences and by a balance of power among participants. Neufeldt
suggests that clear ground rules should be established and that there should be
discussions about both positive and negative stereotypes through the use of different
102
103
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forms of communication, like religious symbols and stories. 104 Such dialogues are also
on-going as opposed to being one-off.
Eboo Patel is careful to remind his readers that community building does not magically
happen in a diverse community.105 There should be a conscious effort to facilitate
interfaith dialogue. He says that interfaith dialogue is the “interfaith cooperation
sandwich” which allows interfaith activities to take place.106
In the following extract, Eboo Patel explains how interfaith dialogue is a way to bring
diverse points of view together:
For interfaith leaders, both shared valued and diverse approaches are important.
Religious and ethical traditions hold values like compassion, peace, and
hospitality in common. But they approach these values in highly diverse ways,
through different rituals, narratives, heroes, and philosophies. This is a hugely
important opportunity for interfaith leaders because it gives us a way to identify
commonality without the pretense of sameness. If Muslims, Hindus, and
humanists all related the same story when you asked them to speak about
hospitality, it would be like pointing to the same stone. The fact that they are
likely to cite different texts and rituals when speaking about hospitality means
that they are bringing diverse stones to the gathering. 107 (emphasis is mine)
The rationale behind the interfaith dialogue process is not to engage in a theological
debate about religious differences with a view to establishing that one religious tradition
is superior to the other. It is about recognizing the differences, but then going beyond
the differences, and appreciating and learning about the religious traditions and
practices of others. Even if participants disagree deeply on religious issues or have
104
105
Patel, Interfaith Leadership,149
106
107
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negative stereotypes on each other, it does not mean that they cannot come together to
achieve something good, which is the harmonious relationships among different faiths.
Eboo Patel also highlights the importance of using story-telling to create a new public
narrative for the world. Instead of using divisive rhetoric, interfaith leaders can use a
dynamic narrative which shows how bridges of cooperation are built. These stories
108
emphasize that there is a need to act now and they show hope. Patel describes
“good interfaith activities” as those which bring together people of different religious
backgrounds and creates “the space for powerful sharing, storytelling and relationship
building.”109
I intend to use the personal experiences of the participants to shape this narrative of
hope which Patel talks about. I want to create the platform for participants to define their
own stories of hope based on their engagement with each other.
From inter-personal change to social change

In order to contribute to peace, interfaith dialogues should go beyond social cohesion
and address the structural and systemic roots of conflict. 110 Having a clear theory of
change and a commitment to project monitoring and evaluation would assess if the
peacebuilding efforts are achieving the desired change. 111
According to Neufeldt, there are two main theories as to why and how the inter-personal
change in participants through dialogues will transform into socio-political change. The
108
Patel, Interfaith Leadership, 139 – 142
109
110
111
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first one resides in the choice of the participants to the dialogue processes. This is what
Lederach calls the “critical yeast”.112 Identifying participants who are critical to the
conflict is key. This can include young gang members, village elders or women groups.
Second, the interfaith dialogues would include aspects of conflict resolution and
peacebuilding skills to help participants directly engage in conflicts in their respective
communities.113 Media and external supporters, like charitable institutions, would
support such initiative and put pressure on the religious bodies to successfully pilot such
projects.114 In addition, a group of people act as vigils and “fire-fighters” and would
intervene when the conflict degenerates to ensure there is a line of communication open
among the communities115. This group prevents all previous peacebuilding dialogue
efforts from being futile.
Engagement at multi-levels ensures that there is sufficient momentum for the project. 116
Individual change theory and Healthy relationships and connections theory 117
If the participants are asked to openly share their shared experiences, they will
understand the perspectives of the other better. In understanding others, they would
develop a better understanding of themselves and their limitations and this brings about
112
Jean Paul Lederach, The Moral Imagination: The Art and Soul of Building Peace (Oxford Scholarship
Online, April 2005), 92 – 93
https://oxford.universitypressscholarship.com/view/10.1093/0195174542.001.0001/acprof-
9780195174540
113
114
115
116
117
Cheyanne Church and Mark M. Rogers, Designing For Results: Integrating Monitoring and Evaluation
in Conflict Transformation Programs (Washington: Search for Common Ground, 2006) 14
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a change in them. The change in an individual is the first step towards creating more
authentic relationships with other people.
Creating a space for dialogue will also help participants work on their listening skills.
Better listening skills lead to deeper and more enriching dialogue. Having meaningful
relationships helps foster healthy relationships and connections among people. This
healthy relationship builds trust and also meets the goal of creating authentic
relationships among the different participants.
Now, when the participants will interact with others in society, they will do so with an
awareness of the other, instead of with preconceptions and judgment. The change
which will be brought in the workshops will reflected in the fact that one person
approaches the other with less bias and prejudice and more openness to learn about
the other. Slowly, such an attitude will help create more meaningful relationships.
Theory of self-change
Successfully implementing a project is not easy. Even with the most elaborate theories
of change, there is no guarantee of success if the implementer does not have the
required skills to lead the project. I call this the theory of self-change.
According to Eboo Patel and Cassie Meyer, the interfaith leader needs to have the
ability to118:
118
Eboo Patel and Cassie Meyer, “Youth and Interfaith Conflict Transformation” in The Oxford Handbook
of religion, conflict and peacebuilding edited by Omar, Atalia, R. Scott Appleby, and David Little (New
York: Oxford University Press, 2015), 478
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a. Be a visionary for religious pluralism and articulate that vision;
b. Gather people around common projects;
c. Gather people for dialogue (facilitation skills).
An interfaith leader also has grit to persevere in the face of adversity, when things get
messy and there are conflicts. They can lead with pluralism and integrate aspects of
their own faith with the practices of another faith without losing their own identity. Eboo
Patel, then, suggests using interfaith leadership as craft, as a passion and as a skill
which is worked on to achieve excellence and as work. Honing these skills is part of my
personal change journey which I would need prior to implementing the peace-building
project.
Example of successful interfaith dialogue processes
Interfaith Youth Core
Eboo Patel is the founder of Interfaith Youth Core which is an organization that focuses
on modeling sustainable interfaith cooperation for American colleges and universities
and college students act as key actors in building this cooperation. 119 He explains that
he started this initiative after attending the United Religions Initiative Global Summit at
Stanford University in 1998 and focused on having interfaith service-learning projects. 120
The organization only grew after the initiatives had gathered momentum in Chicago.
Interfaith dialogue for trauma healing
119
Patel and Meyer, “Youth and Interfaith Conflict Transformation”, 471
120
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Anjana Dayal Prewitt used her experience in communities torn by religious conflicts to
relate how dialogue processes, such as sharing questions on faith and the role of
religion in violence through small prayer groups, can help to alleviate trauma from
conflicts121. Her research suggests that women tend to come closer to faith during
conflicts and that informal groups, where participants can share their stories through
songs, can be therapeutic. Personal stories encourage forgiveness and healing. 122
What do I hope to achieve and why?
Interfaith dialogues are needed in the country because the solidarity of Mauritians would
create the resilience required to help the country, as a whole, come out of hardships.
Better relationships among the communities would generate better cooperation in
businesses and, possibly, generate more ideas for growth with the fusion of brains.
Achieving a fairer distribution of wealth is also important to maintain peace. 123
Additionally, having this solidarity and true understanding among all Mauritians would
protect the population against the divide-and-rule strategies of unscrupulous politicians
and avoid another set of sporadic riots which happened on 22 April 2022. These are
some of the arguments I could use to convince people to participate in these
workshops.
What I want to achieve through the interfaith dialogues is aptly summarized in the
following words:
121
Anjana Dayal Prewitt, “Women, Religion and Trauma Healing: A case in India” in Women, Religion and
Peacebuilding: Illuminating the Unseen, eds by Susan Hayward and Katherine Marshall (Washington DC,
United Stated Institute of Peace
122
Anjana Dayal Prewitt, “Women, Religion and Trauma Healing: A case in India” 278 - 279
123
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The best questions, in my view, help people deepen their relationships with their
own traditions and their relationships with others at the same time – the very
definition of interfaith work. The hope is to evoke the sharing of particular stories
(meaning stories unique to specific faith and philosophical traditions) that
approach widely held and deeply shared values. This is in sharp contrast to
standard discussions about religion, which typically elicit oppositional arguments
on divisive issues.124 (emphasis is mine)
There is a longing for belonging in Mauritian which can be seen through the review of
fictional Mauritian writings by Julia Waters.125 All the stories depict the need to belong
despite the divisions in the Mauritian society. While the creation of the Mauritian identity
is a work in progress, Mauritians, at least the Mauritian authors, have a social will to
create “Mauritianism”.
Limits of interfaith dialogue
Despite the theories which propose a way to achieve change through interfaith
dialogue, the success of interfaith dialogues depends on the participants themselves
and structural factors which are beyond the control of the facilitators. As highlighted by
Eboo Patel and Neufeldt, the recruitment of key participants is central to the success of
the dialogue process both in the immediate present and the long-term sustainability of
the project.
In addition, measuring change in the participants is a challenge and there is no control
in the direction the change can take. There is a hope that the change will be towards
creating a more peaceful society. But what if the dialogue processes entrench certain
prejudices against certain communities?
124
125
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Bringing inner change, channeling a group of persons away from entrenched biases
and perceptions, and gathering momentum for a sustainable model of peace-building is
very difficult to do in the particular context of Mauritius where there appears to be strong
political currents against a truly unified nation.
Assumptions
The assumptions in this theory of change are that:
1. Violent conflicts are due to misunderstandings and lack of constructive
approaches126;
2. Participants will identify the commonality of all religions;
3. Participants have a level of intellectual curiosity that they are open to learning
about other faiths;
4. Identifying the common threads in religion leads to better understanding among
people of different faiths;
5. Creating a safe space for honest conversations will encourage participants to
work on themselves, in particular on their biases and prejudice.
In the next sections, particularly in the ethical consideration (VI) and monitoring and
evaluation (VII) sections, I will address some of the concerns raised here. Implementing
this project is a risk, as any activity is. However, the potential benefits of a successful
implementation of this project outweigh the risks.
126
Reina C. Neufeldt, “Interfaith Dialogue: Assessing Theories of Change,” 358
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IV. Project Outline (Log Frame plan attached as a separate document)
A. Choice of approach (Developmental vs LogFrame) and its justification
Log Frame approach
I want to create dialogue processes among the different communities in
Mauritius and this method has been used in other settings with success
(Eboo Patel methodologies). I need to work out how to get to the desired
goal while having a structure. I also want to learn the basics of project
design, which is the Log Frame approach. I intend to incorporate parts of
the Developmental approach for the future considerations of this project.
B. Goal Statement
Create a Think Tank with momentum through building authentic relations
among the different faith groups in Mauritius
C. Expected objectives
O.1. Increased trust among participants of different faiths/communities
O.2. Agreed goal and strategy of the Think Tank and structure with a
clear leadership, decision making and conflict resolution
mechanism for the Think Tank
O.3. Community Building among participants of different
faiths/ethnicities (including participants who are expatriates but are
interested in such workshops)
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O.4. Reduced bias and prejudice in the participants against people of
other communities (not limited to other participants)
O.5. Shared Mauritian identity/Belonging among all participants with a
clearer idea of Mauritianism and better understanding of the
Mauritian identity, culture and roots
O.6. Formal registration of the Think Tank
D. Indicators for Expected Objectives

Baseline: do a series of self-evaluation with the participants prior to the start of the
dialogues and use this data to compare with another set of evaluation after the
participants have participated in some sessions
No. Objectives Indicators Means of Risks and
verification assumptions
O.1. Increased trust 70% attendance at Attendance sheets or The more regularly
among every dialogue sign up mechanism people attend and
participants of session based on upon arrival to commit to the
different faiths/ people who monitor attendance session, the higher
communities registered for the the level of trust
program among the people
60% of the
participants are
participants who
attended 80% of all
the sessions in a
particular year
Use team work Success in The ability to
games where team completing the games complete a
members need to – achieving the challenge as a
fully trust the other in desired task from the team where there
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order to complete game needs to be

the challenge. complete trust of
one team member
is a sign of trust in
the group
Level of sharing and Establish baseline by The more people
reflections = deeper checking how much are open to sharing
and more engaging participants are about their stories,
conversations willing to share about the more they trust
themselves in the first each other
session. In the last
session, do the same
exercise and
compare results
Brief anonymous
feedback mechanism
at the end of each
session to measure
whether participants
felt that the
conversations were
engaging, deep and
made them think and
whether they felt safe
to share their stories
O.2. Agreed goal Reaching consensus Have a voting All members of the
and strategy of through focus group mechanism where focus group will be
the Think Tank discussions 80% agreement willing to reach
and structure means consensus. If consensus and
with a clear there is 50% or more engage in a similar
leadership, agreement, then the manner
decision making areas of discord must
and conflict be worked until there
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resolution is at least 80%

mechanism for consensus. Less than
the Think Tank 50% agreement
means that
something went
wrong somewhere
and the process is to
be started anew.
Division of tasks
regarding constitutive
documents for the
Think Tank and each
member completes
assigned task within
deadline
Each team member Moderator ensues
is engaged and that each team
participates equally member is given an
in discussion and opportunity to speak
work (Approx. 5 minutes
each based on time
available and number
of participants)
Have a de-briefing
meeting after a few
sessions to discuss
the progress made
Gather feedback (in

person or
anonymously) about
whether everyone
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feels involved and

part of the team
O.3. Community Measuring if Establish baseline at Making people do
Building among participants are the start of the event activities together
participants of grouped to check how lead to a sense of
different homogenously (mix participants are belonging and
faiths/ethnicities of different grouping themselves community building
(including communities) or they and re-do the same
participants who tend to keep to their activity after a series
are expatriates own communities of sessions
but are
interested in Use group games to Do a group game
such see if participants where participants
workshops) are willing to reach are asked to group
win-win situations or themselves randomly
they will win at the in different sizes of
cost of the other groups
Have a third party

observe group
dynamics to see how
the participants
interact throughout
the group – to
observe for signs of
collaboration or
defensiveness
50 % of the Follow up with the
participants are participants 3 months
willing to continue after the end of the
the relationship after sessions to check if
the sessions have the friendships have
ended by meeting endured
regularly whether to
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do social work or
have a meal together Have participants
self-reflect and
30% of participants document on their
have reached out to growth and
people outside the development in
training program to relation to
initiate friendships communicating with
and community others both before
building informally and after the session
(at workplace,
neighbors etc)
20% of participants
have taken the
initiative to develop
community building
among their
communities, after
completion of
program through a
project (normally
through religious
institutions or social
work groups)
O.4. Reduced bias Ability to ask difficult Do an anonymous Dialogue sessions

and prejudice questions without quiz on the bias each will give a new
against other being offensive community has perspective to
communities against another participants and
before and after the help them identify
series of sessions their blind
spots/bias/prejudice
Self-reflection booklet
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for each participant to

track their progress
from the start of the
program to the end
Self-evaluation by
participants at the
end of the series of
dialogue
Reduction by 50% in Have a third-party
defensive/aggressive observer the amount
behavior by of shouting (speaking
participants towards over each other),
people of other cutting someone’s
faiths, especially the speech, language
minorities which targets a
particular community,
racist jokes, making
patronizing
statements against
certain communities
at the start and end of
the series of
dialogues
Self-evaluation by
participants on how
they feel towards
people of other faiths
and whether their
behavior has
improved
Reduction by 10% in Track how many What is reported in
divisive rhetoric and societal /economic social media is
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the tendency to turn /political issues assumed to be

every societal issue dressed as communal reflective of the
into a communal issues have been Mauritian society as
problem reported in 2021-22 a whole
(Baseline)
Long term plan –

observe over at least
a year how many
societal issues have
been turned into
communal ones – use
the media to track
issues which are
reported 2023 – 2024
Then, observe over at
least 2-3 years
O.5. Shared 70% of participants Anonymous quiz to Activities around
Mauritian can answer measure knowledge the Mauritian
identity/ questions regarding about the matters culture would lead
Belonging the Mauritian shared on Mauritian to an increased
among all identity, culture and culture before and understanding of
participants with roots after the sessions the Mauritian
a clearer idea of culture
Mauritianism 30% of participants Fun games to test
and better write about level of involvement
understanding Mauritianism and/or with the notion of
of the Mauritian talk about it in their Mauritianism
identity, culture respective small
and roots communities Have a slot reserved
in the newspaper and
verify if anyone is
using that space to
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publish their work

50% of participants Survey with the
describe themselves participants before
as “Mauritians” as and after the series of
opposed to dialogues
identification with
one community
O.6. Formal Application Acceptance of the
registration of deposited at the application and the
the Think Tank Registrar of certificate of
Association registration
E. Activities and Outputs
Outputs
O.1.1. True and honest listening of each other
O.1.2. Space for deep reflections on chosen topics to map similarities across
cultures and faiths (also for O.2)
O.3.1. Development of traditional craft-making skills
O.3.2. Space for shared human experience (also for O.4 and O.5)
O.6.1 Finalized paperwork for the Think Tank
Activities
 Series of small group dialogues among participants (Phase I)
 Focus group to work on the Think Tank
 Organize cooking, pottery making, flower decoration and traditional crafts workshops
[this is a separate project in itself and likely to be implemented in Phase II or III]
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o These bring the different communities together as there is so much to learn
from each other
o Mauritian food is a melting pot of different types of food – all four groups
have their cuisine but some dishes have become national dishes – Food has
a uniting force beyond religious or communal perceptions
o The knowledge is soon disappearing and very few people still make
traditional pottery
o The Tamils make a type of flower decoration for prayers and including them
specifically in the project will make them feel valued
o There are other traditional crafts like basket making, macramé (weaving of
threads), application of henna
o These activities allow for dialogue to happen informally and creates team-
building
 Have participants invite each other into their cultural activities and allow participants
to see how a festival is celebrated traditionally by a member of that community (Part
of Phase I)
 Storytelling activities by older generation to younger generation (Part of Phase I)
 Visits to landmark Mauritian places accompanied by an explanation of the historical
context of those places (Phase II)
 Initiation to the Mauritian fusion music and arts through Mauritian artists who are
actively working towards portraying Mauritius in a unified way (Phase II)
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 Preparation of the paperwork for registration of the Think Tank, drafting the
constitution of the Think Tank and ensuring legal compliance for the creation of a
Think Tank (Phase III)
F. Indicators for outputs

Baseline: do a series of self-evaluation with the participants prior to the start of the
series of dialogues and use this data to compare with the results after the participants
have participated in some sessions
Outputs Indicators Means of Verification Risks and

assumptions
O.1.1. True and honest 50% reduction in the Establish baseline by People will be
listening of each number of interruptions observing how many honest in their
other when someone is interruptions there are in feedback
intervening the first session. Collect
data every week to see if There might not
interruptions vary by be a way of
topic/ gender/ sexual knowing what
orientation/ ethnic the actual
belonging. Compare motivation for
results with the final the interruption
session is
Self-appraisal based on
a self-reflection form
around listening
Is the level of engagement Ask questions following
in the discussions deep the discussions to see if
and profound or are the participants are truly
discussions shallow? listening (For eg, what is
one thing that really
Are participants willing to touched you from
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open up with their personal someone’s

stories and share matters intervention? /what is
which truly matter or are your take away for
they only scratching the today?)
surface?
Do a group check-in after

the session to check if
participants felt they
have been heard or how
they felt being listened
to?
Are there non-verbal cues Have someone in the

which show listening or team observe and
disengagement? analyze non-verbal cues
from participants
O.1.2. Space for deep Did the participants feel Self-reflection by the The group has
reflections on that they have learned participants on their gathered enough
chosen topics to about themselves as much experience of sharing momentum and
map similarities as they have learned about and telling their narrative trust for the
across cultures another in the process of to the group participants to
and faiths (also sharing their stories and share deeply on
for O.2) experience? certain issues.
Do the participants take

the initiative to come with
topics of discussion? Are
there initiatives to do such
dialogue processes within
smaller communities of the
participants?
O.3.1. Development of Ability to produce a Assessed by the Participants
traditional craft- traditional arts and crafts facilitator who carried the would be honest
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making skills product workshop in their feedback
High level of enjoyment Self-reflection by the Arts and crafts

during the activities seen in participants on how abilities can
an engaging group much they have learned, unite people
dynamic - The aim is to benefitted and enjoyed beyond barriers
create a space for dialogue the activity of religion and
through the arts and crafts ethnicity
making workshops Have a 3rd party observe
(anonymously) group
dynamics and compare
the findings with the self-
reflection by participants
on how they felt the
workshop went
O.3.2. Space for High level of engagement Gather feedback from Participants
shared human in the story-telling and the participants after would be honest
experience (also music and arts sessions each activity on whether in their feedback
for O.4 and O.5) seen through careful they felt that the activities
listening and asking were worthwhile and
questions helped them develop a
deeper understanding of
the Mauritian culture
Gather feedback from

facilitators as to whether
the participants were
engaged in the activities
and how they can
improve the workshops
How many participants Do an anonymous
were willing to invite each survey as part of the
other to experience a workshops to count how
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cultural/religious festival at many participants have

their place? A 60% invited their teammates
participation rate would to their place
indicate success
Sharing of stories/ Self-reflection by the The activities

anecdotes/ life experience participants on whether become a space
during the visits to the they felt they had a for people to
landmark Mauritian places, space for sharing their share their
indicating that participants stories experience and
are bonding, are able to stories
connect beyond their
apparent differences and
see unity through a shared
Mauritian history
Are participants willing to

open up with their personal
stories and share matters
which truly matter or are
they only scratching the
surface?
O.6.1 Finalized Preparation of the Regular production of the

documents of constitutive documents drafts of the documents
the Think Tank such as the Constitution of
the Think Tank, the goal, Have a timeline for the
strategy, conflict resolution finalization of the
mechanism, leadership, documents
power dynamics and
community building
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G. Preliminary Action plan including resource requirements, stakeholders,
potential challenges and timeline
Resource requirements
 Venue and hospitality
 Facilitators – to facilitate the conversation at each small table
 Moderator – to moderate the whole group
 Logistics – computers, projectors, conference tools
 Transport facilities (based on venue (some places are not accessible by public
transport) and also the lack of public transportation after a certain time)
Stakeholders
 Council of religions
 Religious leaders
 Psychologist/counsellor to help understand human behavior and assist
participants facing difficulties
 Meditation teacher to lead opening or closing meditations
Potential challengers
 Getting approval of the board of Council of religions
 Recruiting facilitators with a view to have a core team
 Funding to run activities
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 Political interference because it is not in the interests of politicians that the
population is unified. However, there is also a possibility that politicians will not
directly oppose the idea of unity as they need to “look good” in the eyes of the
population and international community
 Hostility of religious groups
 Hostility of participants
 Lack of interest of participants
Timeline for Phase I (interfaith dialogues with small groups)

January 2023 Return to Mauritius
Mid-January 2023 Have meeting with CoR with a view to implement the project
Launch invitation, decide on date, time and venue
Create dialogue process flowchart for at least 5 sessions
Mid-February 2023 (on a Aim to have first session of dialogues with a very small group as a
Saturday) pilot basis
March 2023 Review, evaluate and decide how to progress

Establish a team of facilitators from interested candidates
April 2023 – June 2023 Continue once a month dialogue session with participants as a pilot
basis (one group and once a month so that there is enough time to
evaluate and plan the sessions well)
July 2023 Panel discussion for evaluation
Based on success or failure, launch a bigger version of dialogues
with more targeted populations, facilitators
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August/September 2023 Ideally, launch the bigger version of the dialogue series or an
improved version
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V. Feasibility and resource generation plan (this should include a

budget and a fundraising plan, if the intervention requires funding)
I intend to implement this project with the support and assistance of the Council of
Religions (CoR). I have a good working relationship with the President of the CoR and
he has assured me of his support. The CoR is partly funded by the government, as
most religious organizations are, and by private donors. They have a budget and the
logistical resources for hosting such conversations/workshops.
I also intend to propose this project to the US Embassy in Mauritius which funds
leadership-based projects. As a Fulbright Alumni, I am in a position to justify why I
require the funding for this project and explain how this project is the concretization of
my Fulbright award. I had already proposed a peace-building project as part of my
Fulbright application.
I can also tap into connections I made at USD and the PEO chapter which funded part
of my studies.
In case, there is no funding, there is a possibility of having the dialogues over an online
platform like Zoom. However, having the participants interact in person would have
more impact as there is a possibility of hiding emotions over Zoom.
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VI. Ethical Considerations
Warfield defines ethics as “a set of guiding moral principles that define the rightness or
wrongs of a course of action.”127
Ethical obligations of peace-builders
Cheyanne and Rogers argue that practitioners have the following ethical obligations: 128
a. Practitioners should involve parties to a conflict in determining the changes
which will suit their needs. In that respect, I want to obtain the participants’
feedback after each dialogue session and have their voices at the time of
review, after a few sessions have run. They will play a key role in deciding
whether the project is bearing its fruits or whether the project should be re-
designed to better meet their interests.
b. Practitioners should also actively consider any negative impact of the project
and the means to address those. Among the possible negative ramifications of
the project, I find that:
i. Some communities could see the dialogues as a way to show that their
religion is superior to the other. In that respect, I aim is to set clear
boundaries from the start and remind participants of the importance of
mutual respect at the start of each session. There should also be a
person, from the organization team, actively monitoring for such behavior
127
Wallace Warfield, “Is this the Right Thing to do? A Practical Framework for Ethical Decisions” in A
Handbook of International Peacebuilding: Into the Eye of the Storm edited by John Paul Lederach and
Janice Moomaw Jenner (San Francisco, Jossey-Bass, 2002), 214
128
Cheyanne Church and Mark M. Rogers, Designing For Results, 190
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so that it can be addressed before it degenerates. Housekeeping matters
might be needed even before implementation of the project, at the time I
am proposing the project to the Council of Religions.
ii. Problems may occur within a participant’s family as a result of thought-
provoking discussions. There is a risk that one participant is alienated from
their own family because they participate in interfaith dialogues. One
solution is to have conflict resolution/communication-based sessions to
minimize the impact of a participant having to address familial conflict. As
part of the project, there are prospects for the participants’ families to be
included in the dialogue process by having the participants invite each
other to their homes. Another solution would be to have a counsellor and/or
psychologist available to provide support to the participant and their family,
should a participant face animosity.
c. Practitioners also have an obligation to develop projects which maximize the
opportunities for change.
d. Indicators should be developed in an ethical way, not with the intention of
presenting the project in a more positive light than it actually is.
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Some ethical dilemmas
In implementing this project, there would be various courses of action which would
present themselves at different stages and a decision would have to be taken given the
circumstances then. While I do not profess to provide an exhaustive list of ethical
considerations prior to implementing this project, I consider it worthwhile to explore
some of the potential ethical issues and plan ahead how to best address those in due
course.
I must highlight that I am a Hindu, of Indian Origin belonging to the majority caste
(Vaish) in Mauritius. In other words, I am part of the ethnic majority proposing a project
for bringing together the different communities; such a proposal might not be to the
benefit of the majority in the country, as I highlighted above. Yet, doing so, gives me
legitimacy because it is only someone from the majority who can attempt to influence
the attitudes and perceptions in the country. Had this project been initiated by someone
of the Creole community, for example, it would have been seen as mere revendication
of minority rights. My project is a community-building one and does not focus
exclusively on minority rights. My only concern is that I am a woman and I might not be
viewed as seriously as I would have wanted to be. This is why I am seeking the support
of the Council of Religions to incubate this project.
I am concerned about the number of participants for each dialogue session. This raises
a question of capacity but also how to decide who to consider and who to reject, without
offending anyone. The group should be religiously and communally diverse to be
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effective. Based on the specific Mauritian context, rejecting a participant could give the
impression that they have been discriminated based on their communal appurtenance
and this, in itself, can lead to a societal conflict. Having a questionnaire, with details of
the applicant’s religious tradition and interest in the dialogue process could help the
organization team make an informed choice about who to recruit, in case more
candidates than we expect express an interest.
The following list raises some ethical questions I do not (yet) have a solution for.
 How to address any leakage or sharing of confidential matter shared during a
dialogue session?
Making participants sign a confidentiality form and emphasizing the
importance of trust among participants for the success of the workshops do
not guarantee that they will not speak about the issues they hear in the
dialogue sessions. While participants should talk about what they learn
through the workshops, it is a difficult balance to strike between sharing
knowledge and revealing someone’s experience disclosed within the intimacy
and trust of the group.
 How to avoid political interference as political parties have an interest in
maintaining the divisions among communities?
Political interference in socio-cultural groups is very important in Mauritius.
The success of the dialogue sessions will attract political attention I do not
want. Including politicians in the dialogue sessions would defeat the purpose
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of having these dialogue sessions which are meant to be free of political
interference. Sometimes, politicians can send their agents to these dialogue
sessions and I would have no control over this.
 How to handle extremist/fundamentalist behavior?
Process for addressing ethical dilemmas
There are no straightforward answers to ethical issues 129 and an ethical dilemma can
become an intrapersonal conflict130, especially when the project is not producing the
intended results or external situations threaten to compromise the implementer’s
personal or group values. Wallace proposes a model 131 for responding to ethical
dilemmas which consists of:
a. Pause
When something does not feel right, pause and take time to reflect on the
situation.
b. Reflect
Wallace advises to take time to reflect on one’s personal and professional values
and whether any change has occurred.
c. Share
129
Cheyanne Church and Mark M. Rogers, Designing For Results: Integrating Monitoring and Evaluation
in Conflict Transformation Programs (Washington: Search for Common Ground, 2006) 189
130
Wallace Warfield, “Is this the Right Thing to do?”, 215
131
Wallace Warfield, “Is this the Right Thing to do?”, 219-222
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Wallace explains sharing as a process of externalizing and assessing the
situation with another pair of eyes. The situation should be shared with a superior
or the members on the team.
d. Determine options and select
Choice is determined by the values one hold, the divergence from the values of
the profession and knowledge of what others have done in similar
circumstances.132
Regarding the three ethical questions asked above, I realize that there might not be
any definitive answer as to how to handle them, should they arise. However, on the
basis of Wallace’s framework, I propose the following:
How to address any leakage or sharing of confidential matters shared during a
dialogue session?
Pause: what is the extent of the leakage? What has been shared? Who has
shared it?
Reflect: Should participants have been trusted? If there is no trust, there is no
basis for the dialogue sessions. What was the reason for sharing confidential
information? Was it done to tarnish or to help?
Share: Discuss with the team and discuss the matter with the group in the
dialogue session, making them aware of the situation without blaming anyone
132
Wallace Warfield, “Is this the Right Thing to do?” 221
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Determine options and select: possibly do further sessions on trust building
and decide with the person whose information has been shared what to do
How to avoid political interference as political parties have an interest in
maintaining the divisions among communities?
Pause: which political parties are trying to interfere in the dialogue sessions?
Reflect: What is the agenda of the political parties? Is there a way their
interference could be turned into a positive? How could the narrative be framed
in a way that the political parties do not feel threatened? How can the rhetoric of
social cohesion be used to convince them?
Share: Discuss with the about the extent of the interference
Determine options and select: plan a way to use social cohesion as a rhetoric
How to handle extremist/fundamentalist behavior?
Pause: which behavior shows extremist/fundamentalist traits?
Reflect: did we fail to identify such behavior at recruitment? Can these
participants still form part of the workshops?
Share: Discuss with the team and discuss the matter with the group in the
dialogue session, making them aware of the situation without blaming anyone
Determine options and select: possibly do one-to-one sessions with people
expressing extremist/fundamentalist behavior or terminate their participations
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Ethical questions are not easy to grapple with. However, by intentional about identifying
ethical dilemmas and adopting an inclusive approach to problem-solving, I intend to find
the less-harm causing and most solution in the situation.
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VII. Monitoring and Evaluation Plan
A. Monitoring
 Prior to the start of the dialogue sessions, the facilitators would provide self-
evaluation forms to the participants to measure learning after they have
completed the series of dialogue. This data would help the organization team
decide on whether the activities are achieving the outcomes and whether the
program needs to be better tailored to the needs of the participants.
 Feedback session (by me) with facilitators after each dialogue process – a
30-minute debrief by me on what worked and did not work and what can we
learn for the next workshop
 After 4 sessions, have a feedback process with the participants, encouraging
them to voice their concerns and what is working or not working and what
improvements they would like to see – encourage them to share what they
have learned – the external evaluator could be present at this stage as an
observer
o Have the 5th session as a feedback loop session after the participants
have worked on their self-reflection exercise
 Have monthly reviews with the organization team to decide what is working,
what is not working and refine the process related to:
o What assumptions have been made about the context?
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o Are there demands for new activities?
o Can the conversations be deepened or should more ground work be
done?
o Can there be innovation in the approach? What will make the program
interesting?
o What is the level of change which has occurred in the participants
since the start of the dialogue sessions?
 Create an open space where participants can anonymously share feedback
 Provide a self-reflection booklet as part of the program so that participants
can reflect on their learning through the dialogue sessions
 Have self-reflection exercises built in as part of the activities - Asking
participants to reflect on their own personal change after a few sessions – it
will depend on how the participants respond and how long it takes to build
trust
 Encourage critical thinking so that participants are open to sharing their views
without fear
 Implement change after each feedback session and create plans for
implementing changes which are more long term
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B. Evaluation133
Evaluation Goal Decide on the continuity or future of the peace-building
dialogues and activities
Primary audience Organization team and Council of Religions
Evaluation  Have the dialogue processes brought change in the
objectives attitudes and perceptions of the participants?
 Has there been a reduction in the bias and prejudice
among communities?
 Is there a need or demand to continue the programs?
 Is the project still on track to achieve the goal? If not,
what is lacking?
 How can the project be expanded? What would
expansion entail?
 Are the indicators still up to date? How can the
indicators be made more accurate?
 How was the budget managed? Should there be more
funding?
Type of evaluation Formative (after the sessions are run on a pilot basis)
Summative after some years (number of years will depend on
the outcome of the Formative evaluations)
Evaluator’s role Learning facilitator (Evaluator is not the same person as the
Model based on Cheyanne Church and Mark M. Rogers, Designing For Results: Integrating Monitoring
133
and Evaluation in Conflict Transformation Programs (Washington: Search for Common Ground, 2006),
96-135
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one doing the monitoring. They would be an independent third
party with experience in project management/design)
The evaluator will carry out the evaluation and also help
develop practical recommendations while assisting the
organization team to scale up the project.
Approach Action evaluation
This approach will help keep the goal of the project up-to-date
and accurate while constantly refining the goal or making sure
that the actions being taken are leading to the goal.
Utilization-focused evaluation
I want to combine the action evaluation approach with the
utilization focused evaluation so that the evaluation is actually
useful and help to better the project. This type of evaluation will
require time for the evaluator to build the required relationship
with the team and decide on the best course of action.
Scope Formative – limited to the sessions run and participants who
attended (Mauritius being so small, it is difficult to refer to a
geographical location but I expect the dialogue sessions to be
housed in Port Louis as it is the capital and most accessible)
Summative – broader scope with impact on a sample of the
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population
Evaluation team  Someone from the participants (critical yeast)
 Main evaluator would be someone outside the CoR who
understands project management and has experience
in project management and who would be willing to do
the evaluation on a minimal fee basis
Evaluator would be local because they would
understand the context and preferably someone in
higher education with experience of project
design/management
Timing Formative - after the running of the first series of dialogues
(about 6-8 months after the project is launched –
November/December time may be appropriate as most offices
start wrapping up for the Christmas and New Year celebrations
and the evaluator may have more time to dedicate to this
evaluation)
Summative – to be determined
Budget Not decided but at least Rs10,000 (approximately US $ 250)
would be a minimum to meet the cost of the evaluator
Final Thoughts
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This intervention design project is the concretization of thoughts and ideas floating in my
head for the past six years. My Fulbright application was written, two years ago, with the
intention of being able to design a peace-building model for Mauritius. At that time, I did
not know what shape or form it would take. Professor Gamaghelyan has been an
incredible support and motivator in bringing this project outline to life.
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VIII. Bibliography (cited and uncited sources)
Books
1. Omar, Atalia, R. Scott Appleby, and David Little (ed). The Oxford
Handbook of religion, conflict and peacebuilding. New York: Oxford
University Press, 2015
a. Eboo Patel and Cassie Meyer, “Youth and Interfaith Conflict
Transformation”
b. Peter Ochs, “The Possibilities and Limits of Inter-Religious
Dialogue”
2. Patel, Eboo. Interfaith Leadership: A Primer. Boston, USA: Beacon Press,
2016
3. Peleg, Samuel. Intercultural and Interfaith Dialogues for Global
Peacebuilding and Stability. USA: IGI Global, 2019
4. Prewitt, Anjana Dayal. “Women, Religion and Trauma Healing: A case in
India” in Women, Religion and Peacebuilding: Illuminating the Unseen,
eds by Susan Hayward and Katherine Marshall. Washington DC, United
Stated Institute of Peace, 2015
5. Teelock, Vijayalakshmi and Abdul Sheriff. “Slavery and the slave trade in
the Indian ocean” in Transition from slavery in Zanzibar and Mauritius eds
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by Abdul Sheriff, Vijayalakshmi Teelock, Saada Omar Wahad and
Satyendra Peerthum. Senegal: CODESRIA, 2016.
6. Waters, Julia. The Mauritian Novel: Fictions of Belonging. Liverpool, UK:
University Press, 2018. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvt1sk5f
7. Warfield, Wallace. “Is this the Right Thing to do? A Practical Framework
for Ethical Decisions” in A Handbook of International Peacebuilding: Into
the Eye of the Storm edited by John Paul Lederach and Janice Moomaw
Jenner. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2002.
Journal Articles
8. Eriksen, Tomas Hylland. “Indians in New Worlds: Mauritius and Trinidad.”
Social and Economic Studies, issue 41 volume 1 (1992).
9. Leuprecht, Christian. “Migration as the Demographic Wild Card in Civil
Conflict: Mauritius and Fiji.” Environmental Change and Security Program
Report, issue 13 (2008 – 2009).
10. Mathur, Raj. “Parliamentary Representation of Minority Communities: The
Mauritian Experience.” Africa Today 44 no.1, International Relations and
Human Rights (Jan – Mar 1997): 61-82.
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11. Neufeldt, Reina C. “Interfaith Dialogue: Assessing Theories of Change.”
Peace & Change 36, No.3 (July 2011).
Manuals and guides
12. Biess, Cora and Dagmar Nolden. Peace Education meets Religion:
Manual for Multipliers. Berlin, Germany: Berghof Foundation Operations
gGmbH, 2021
13. Church, Cheyanne and Mark M. Rogers. Designing For Results:
Integrating Monitoring and Evaluation in Conflict Transformation
Programs. Washington: Search for Common Ground, 2006.
14. Frazer, Owen and Mark Owen. Religion in Conflict and Peacebuilding:
Analysis Guide. Washington: United States Institute of Peace Press, 2018
15. Interfaith Youth Core. Interfaith America: That All May Feast: Five-Year
Plan 2021 through 2025.
16. Silvestri, Sara (Dr) and Professor James Mayall. The Role of Religion in
Conflict and Peace-building. London: The British Academy, 2015
17. V-Dem Institute at the University of Gothenburg. Autocratization Turns
Viral: Democracy Report 2021. Sweden: GU Interntryckeri, March 2021.
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Newspaper articles
18. Chen-Carrel, Allegra. “Researchers study how Mauritius achieves and
sustains peace.” Columbia Climate School, January 30, 2020.
https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2020/01/30/sustaining-peace-project-
mauritius/ Accessed on February 26, 2022
19. “Decaissement du NSIF: L’ONG M-Kids se dit <lésée>”. Le Mauricien,
April 16, 2021.
https://www.lemauricien.com/actualites/societe/decaissement-du-nsif-
long-m-kids-se-dit-lesee/416725/ Accessed on March 26, 2022
20. Jasodanand, Narain. “Vacoas: pagaille en direct”. L’Express, April 12,
2022 <https://www.lexpress.mu/article/407434/vacoas-pagaille-en-direct>
Accessed May 05, 2022
21. La Redaction. “Pour le Mauricianisme: ces lobbies sectaires qui veulent
diriger Maurice” L’Express.mu, February 17, 2018.
https://www.lexpress.mu/article/326650/pour-mauricianisme-lobbies-
sectaires-qui-veulent-diriger-maurice Accessed on 23 March 2022
22. Luckoo, Priya. “Discrimination of travail: Soolekha, jamais dans son tika”
L’Express, April 15, 2018
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23. Sivaramen, Nad. “Exit <socioculturels> Enter <lobbies sectaires>!”
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24. Sophie, Lovina, Rishi Etwaroo and Vikash Jeewoolall. “Vacoas: pagaille
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Page 77 of 77

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The University of San Diego

Kroc School of Peace Studies

Designing a truly interfaith Mauritius through dialogue

An intervention design paper submitted to

Abstract and Introduction 3

III Theory of Change 28

V Feasibility and resource generation plan 59

VII Monitoring and Evaluation Plan 68

VIII Bibliography (cited and uncited sources) 74

between the Creole (African-descent communities) and the Indian community

This intervention design is a community building project by using dialogue to foster

Justice Commission at page 288:

There appears to be social cohesion in Mauritius, but this is at the surface-level

II. Conflict analysis

What is the conflict you are addressing?

foster better relations among people of different faiths/ethnicities. I am using a bottom-

up approach to the problem as opposed to addressing the structural issues through a

Dutch prince Maurice Van Nassau.4

(“morcellement”) as a means to restructure the sugar industry. 13 This brought the

Communities in Mauritius and social context

racialism and multi-culturalism. Unfortunately, this colonial history also entrenched

social stratification based on racial categorization. 18

during the French period, were mostly Christians. 21

their ancestral culture. 24

often marrying women slaves of Malagasy or Mozambican origins. 26 The descendants

of slaves are known as Creoles in Mauritius.

higher in class29, even if they might have had Black origins.

hands and they own significant plantations in Mauritius.

associated with Christianity, in particular Catholicism, because slaves were forced to

referred to as “Indians”. Consequently, the Indians of Muslim faith wanted to have a

Recognition of the four classes of people

(…) the population of Mauritius shall be regarded as including a Hindu

A candidate for an election is required to disclose their community, as per the

additional 8 seats, after election of 62 members of parliament, on the basis of the

community.” (Constitution of Mauritius 1968, Schedule 1, Article 5(1)) This system is

colloquially known as the “Best Loser System.”32

Who is affected by the conflict and how?

There are strong stereotypes associated to the different communities in Mauritius.

of slavery, many ex-slaves became fishermen in an attempt to make a living and be

Creoles are under-represented in the public sector. 37 Consequently, poverty is

a. Touting of equality policies which are never enforced

b. Denial of earned recognition

c. Covert maintenance of housing segregation

However, being White, they are considered as rich.

tomorrow are at risk of growing in an increasingly fragmented and polarized world.

Mauritius cannot be said to have “progressed” in a true sense if perpetual inequalities,

racism, stereotyping and “cultural amnesia” is the norm.44

Who is influencing the conflict and how?

Attitudes and perceptions

can trigger religious and ethnic violence. They say that:

Perceptions are key to the construction and perpetuation of identities and

In an article published on L’Express.mu, Nad Sivaramen, the editor-in-chief, comments

Politicians and socio-cultural groups

and politicians. In 1998, a minister of education threatened to resign if the Bank of

government has not appointed the board.

Mauritius is today slipping into a deficient democracy, according to recent research by

and are influenced by the politicians.

What are the structures in play?

Justice Commission uses the word “pigmentocracy” to define the hierarchy in

linguistic and cultural practices.”54