EPDF Policy Brief Nr. 3 - Cities Fostering Belonging: Bolstering the Participation of Young Refugees and Migrants

EPDF Policy Brief Nr. 3 - Cities Fostering Belonging: Bolstering the Participation of Young Refugees and Migrants

5th EPDF Policy Brief 3

This policy brief highlights how cities are in a unique position to foster a safe and supportive environment for young refugees and migrants by enacting tailored policies that emphasise social inclusion over immigration status. As integration is a two-way process that involves both newcomers and host communities, using dialogical approaches is crucial for fostering positive attitudes towards migrants and making them feel like valued members of the community. The mutual learning and exploration of differences that emerge through dialogue methods are critical in providing the necessary emotional infrastructure that fosters social cohesion at community level. This process helps both the host community and migrants develop a sense of belonging. Building strong partnerships between religious and secular actors in urban areas is crucial for leveraging the transformative power of interreligious dialogue. This approach aims to welcome and embrace the ethnic, cultural, and religious diversity of young refugees and migrants. Drawing on experiences from across European cities, this policy brief introduces the concept of a ‘Europe of Sanctuary Cities’, where policies and emotional attitudes work together to transform local communities into hubs of social cohesion, shared prosperity and common values.

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EPDF
Europe

EPDF Policy Brief Nr. 2 - Words that Heal: The Role of Young People in Addressing Hate Speech

EPDF Policy Brief Nr. 2 - Words that Heal: The Role of Young People in Addressing Hate Speech

5th EPDF Policy Brief 2

In the ‘post-truth era’, polarised opinions and knowledge fragmentation make it particularly challenging for young people to orient themselves and make sense of the world. Biased narratives and expressions of hate, exacerbated by echo chambers and artificial intelligence, significantly increase the risk that young social media users create or spread discriminatory content or become victims of hate speech. This can lead to long-lasting psychological and physical harm. Derogatory language often targets religious or ethnic communities, further inflamed by structural discrimination and boosted by the vicious spirals of algorithms.

Based on experiences across Europe, this policy brief reflects on how to prevent young people from becoming involved in hate speech, both as victims and perpetrators, thanks to renewed alliances between secular and religious actors. Policymakers and faith leaders are encouraged to resort to interreligious and intercultural dialogue as a powerful tool that promotes mutual understanding and appreciation over mistrust and harmful stereotypes.

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Webinar Climate Change and Indigenous Knowledge Monday 27 May, UTC 6pm

Indigenous/Native communities have for centuries created and applied approaches to climate change and developed their own climate sciences, which are often overlooked or treated as inferior to modern mainstream science. This lack of attention given to the critical contribution of Indigenous climate knowledge and spiritualities continues to promote a one-sided narrative.  

This webinar will continue a dialogue held in a webinar on 12 October 2023.  In that 2023 discussion, new perspectives were opened by examining climate change in the Pacific and giving examples of interfaith dialogue with Indigenous spiritualities promoting environmental justice. It highlighted how Indigenous and Native knowledge and spiritualities could assist in critically informing national and global climate strategies and climate policies, and looked into approaches Indigenous communities could offer to the COP28 meeting taking place soon after the webinar in November 2023.

This discussion will explore in more depth how Indigenous knowledge can be preserved and drawn upon in the face of climate change and other development pressures.  It takes place at the same time as the 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States with their rich and diverse Indigenous cultures and islands that are uniquely and unfortunately positioned at the forefront of multiple global crises, notably climate change. The webinar will also prepare for the discussion of climate change at the G20 Interfaith Forum (IF20) 2024 Brazil in Brasilia, 19-22 August 2024.

The webinar is a cooperation between IF20 Environmental Working Group and the International Dialogue Centre – KAICIID.

 

KAICIID to Host Landmark Global Dialogue Forum in Lisbon

The International Dialogue Centre (KAICIID) is poised to host a landmark Global Dialogue Forum in the city of Lisbon, Portugal, on May 15-16, 2024. This event, held under the motto “Transformative Dialogue: Building Alliances for Peace in a Rapidly Changing World,” marks a new chapter in KAICIID's over-a-decade-long history of promoting interreligious and intercultural dialogue as a catalyst for global change and peacebuilding.

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Turning the Tide on Women's Inequality
Within the framework of KAICIID’s Women Voices Series and with a lens on multi-faith collaborations, the aim of this webinar is to provoke thought, discussion and dialogue amongst participants and panellists to increase efforts towards gender equality.

The topic of the webinar stems from the 2024 theme of the United Nation’s International Women’s Day “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress”, and the priority theme of the 68th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women "Accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective”. In embracing these themes, the webinar will highlight grassroots actions needed to redress dynamics that hinder progress on women’s empowerment. Taking KAICIID's collaborative interreligious and intercultural (IRD and ICD) projects and the wisdom of KAICIID Fellows and members of the Network4Dialogue as case studies, the webinar will explore innovative examples and success stories that demonstrate how to transform, through IRD and ICD collaborative action, challenges in key areas impacting women into opportunities. 

The audience will be invited to participate in the webinar's plenary discussion and one of four thematic breakout groups. The participants will be asked to reflect and identify challenges, best practices and sustainable recommendations to redress dynamics that hinder the progress of women's empowerment, thereby transforming challenges and opportunities into sustainable economic solutions for all.  The findings and results gathered in the webinar will serve as starting points in a high-level online meeting to explore how to transform the promise of women's economic empowerment into global action.  

Guiding themes: 

1. Solutions to loss and damage caused by climate-related events 

2.  Successful initiatives empowering women and girls by addressing the intersection of faith, climate, financing and hunger  

3. Adaption of diverse financing strategies towards sustainable support for gender equality 

4. Integration of the efforts faith communities in addressing food insecurity and hunger into the broader gender equality agenda  

Format & Methodology:: 

This webinar has a workshop format, which features full audience participation through interaction with panellists and in thematic breakout groups. The format allows for online collaboration in identifying issues, challenges and recommendations on how to turn the tide against women’s inequality through sustainable economic empowerment. The webinar contributions will facilitate points of conversation, in a follow-up high-level online meeting with representatives of international faith organizations spearheading advocacy and influencing policy for gender equality.

Union Africaine Forum de Dialogue Interconfessionnel Rapport d’Étude (FR)

Union Africaine Forum de Dialogue Interconfessionnel Rapport d’Étude (FR)

AU IFDF

Le Forum de dialogue interreligieux de l'Union africaine (AU-IFDF) a été développé en tant que programme de l'Union africaine par la Direction des citoyens et de la diaspora (CIDO). Le premier Forum de dialogue interconfessionnel a été lancé à Abuja, au Nigéria, en 2010, sur le thème "Faire progresser la justice, la paix, la sécurité et le développement en Afrique : exploiter le pouvoir des communautés religieuses en Afrique". L'objectif de l'UA-IFDF est de créer un organe inclusif et représentatif des organisations confessionnelles à l'échelle du continent et d'exploiter leurs efforts pour soutenir les programmes et les activités de l'UA.

Plus précisément, l'AU-IFDF contribue au rôle de l'UA dans la prévention des conflits et la consolidation de la paix. Par le biais du plaidoyer et de la promotion d'une compréhension commune du dialogue interreligieux, en informant ses membres du programme de développement et de la protection de l'environnement, et en s'engageant dans l'action humanitaire, l'UA-IFDF contribue à la promotion des droits de l'homme et à la défense des causes des jeunes, des femmes et des enfants.

Ce document est le rapport d'un examen indépendant de l'UA-IFDF, qui met l'accent sur les activités de son comité directeur visant à faciliter la représentation et l'impact des organisations confessionnelles dans les décisions et les structures de l'UA.

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Africa

The African Union Interfaith Dialogue Forum Review Report (AU-IFDF) (EN)

The African Union Interfaith Dialogue Forum Review Report (AU-IFDF) (EN)

AU-IFDF Review Report FBOs Steering Committee

The African Union Interfaith Dialogue Forum (AU-IFDF) was developed as an African Union Programme by the Citizens & Diaspora Directorate (CIDO). The 1st Interfaith Dialogue Forum was launched in Abuja, Nigeria in 2010 under the theme “Advancing Justice, Peace, Security and Development in Africa: Harnessing the Power of Religious Communities in Africa.” The aim of the AU-IFDF is to create a continent-wide inclusive and representative body of faith-based organizations (FBOs) and to harness their efforts to support AU programmes and activities. 

Specifically, the AU-IFDF contributes the AU's role in conflict prevention and peacebuilding. Through the advocacy and promotion of a common understanding of interfaith dialogue, informing its members of the development agenda and environmental protection, and engaging in humanitarian action, AU-IFDF contributes to the promotion of human rights, and championing the causes of youth, women and children. 

This document is a Report of an independent review the AU-IFDF, with an emphasis on the activities of its Steering Committee in facilitating the representation and impact of the FBOs in AU decisions and structures.

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Africa