• KAICIID marks 10 years of global peacebuilding, uniting over 130 leaders in Lisbon to reflect on a decade of impact by 555 Fellows worldwide.
• Dialogue delivers results on the ground, with Fellows leading locally rooted solutions to prevent conflict and strengthen social cohesion.
• As KAICIID embarks on a new decade with renewed ambition, new partnerships are strengthened and scales impact from local communities to global policy.

At a time when the global landscape is marked by deepening divides, the International Dialogue Centre – KAICIID brought together over 130 peacebuilders, religious leaders, educators, regional partners, former KAICIID leadership, distinguished guests and friends from  61 countries for a milestone that was as much a reflection on the past as it was a call to action for the future: ten years of equipping local peacebuilders with the tools to transform dialogue into action.

From 9-10 December, high-level participants gathered in Lisbon for the 10-Year Anniversary of KAICIID’s flagship International Fellows Programme, a global initiative that has trained more than 555 Fellows across 100 countries and 17 religions since its inception in 2015. The event not only celebrated the latest cohort of 13 new Fellows but also reflected on a decade of impact, growth, and community-building.

 “The next decade of dialogue will not be written by institutions alone,” declared KAICIID Acting Secretary General Ambassador António de Almeida Ribeiro during the opening. “It will be written by all the actors gathered here today, working together, learning together, and supporting one another.”

Transforming Dialogue into Local Action

Throughout the two-day international gathering, past and present Fellows shared stories of grassroots impact, from trauma healing and interfaith education to youth empowerment and conflict resolution. These stories offered compelling proof of KAICIID’s enduring belief: that sustainable peace is built locally, by those who understand their communities best.

“If the past 10 years have taught us anything,” said Ambassador António de Almeida Ribeiro, “it’s that durable peace is cultivated locally, by leaders who can spot early warning signs and offer dialogue-based solutions before violence escalates.”

Among the many testimonies, a couple of Fellows stood out as symbols of courage and resilience:

1. Rev. Stephen Ojapah (Nigeria); a Catholic priest and a 2017 KAICIID Fellow. He shared his experience of surviving a 33-day kidnapping by armed bandits in Nigeria. Now based in the United Kingdom, he continues to advocate for interfaith dialogue and has authored a book on faith-based resilience.
2. Dr. Amjad Abu Al-Ezz; a Palestinian scholar of EU foreign policy and conflict resolution, and co-founder of the Academic Alliance for Interfaith Dialogue in Ramallah, Palestine. A former international journalist and BBC-trained analyst, his work bridges political research and interfaith peacebuilding, with a focus on Muslim–Christian relations and civil peace in Palestine.

3. Rev. Sr. Agatha Ogochukwu Chikelue, DMMM; a Nigerian Catholic nun from the Congregation of Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy (DMMM). She serves as Secretary of the Interreligious Dialogue Office of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja and Co-Chair of the Women of Faith Peacebuilding Network (WOFPN). She holds degrees in Public Administration and International Affairs and Diplomacy, and has extensive experience in peacebuilding and interreligious dialogue, particularly in addressing ethno-religious violence and promoting women’s participation in peace processes in Nigeria.

   

4. Ms. Ruth Ouazana Barer; is the founder of Limoud France and an experienced educator and trainer in interreligious and intercultural dialogue. She previously served for 14 years in international leadership roles within the Jewish Scouts movement, including as General Secretary of the International Forum of Jewish Scouts. Based in Lyon, France, she co-founded The Roots of Tomorrow, an organization promoting interreligious understanding and coexistence, reaching tens of thousands of students since 2017. She currently leads the Dialogos France Training Centre, teaches Judaism at the Catholic University of Lyon, and serves as Vice-President of the Christian–Jewish Friendship Association of Lyon and its region.
5. Dr. Basmah Ahmed Jastaniah; a Saudi Associate Professor in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, specializing in faith, religions, and creeds. She is actively engaged in academic research, teaching, and public lectures, with a focus on social values, youth engagement, and voluntary work. She previously served as Dean of Studies at Taibah University from 2009 to 2012 and has supervised and contributed to numerous academic discussions and research initiatives.
6. Elder (Chief) Justina Mike Ngwobia; a Nigerian peacebuilding practitioner and Executive Director of the Justice, Peace and Reconciliation Movement (JPRM). She is Co-Chair of WOPEN Initiatives for Youth and Women Empowerment and the Women Peace Mentors and Mediators Forum, an initiative of UN Women, and coordinates PROCMURA’s Freedom of Religion or Belief programme for women in Northern Nigeria. A KAICIID Fellow, she holds advanced qualifications in peace and conflict studies and is a PhD researcher focusing on gender, violence, and social norms. In 2024, she received the chieftaincy title Ada Eji Eje Mba Ndi Igbo in recognition of her service. She is also an ordained Ruling Elder in the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria.
7. His Grace Tapana Mishra Das; serves as a Governing Body Commissioner of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). Associated with ISKCON since 1997, he currently serves as Vice-Chairman of its worldwide governing council, Minister of Education, and Co-Director at its global headquarters. Prior to his spiritual leadership roles, he held senior management and board positions in government and corporate sectors. He holds an undergraduate degree from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi and an MBA from the Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi, and has extensive international experience across more than 50 countries.

Building a Global Community for Peace

The event brought together representatives from KAICIID’s past and current leadership, board, and alumni network, including founding Secretary General H.E. Faisal Bin Muaammar, and KAICIID Founding Board of Directors, Dr. Mohammad Al-Sammak, and Chief Rabbi David Rosen, whose vision helped launch the Fellows Programme a decade ago, and Rev. Laurent Basanese, current member of KAICIID Board of Directors.

Fellows alumni include religious leaders, educators, peace and dialogue advocates, youth leaders, civil society innovators, and policy influencers. Many continue to collaborate across regional hubs programmes and shared initiatives, leveraging KAICIID’s global convening platforms and online resources.

Signing of a Strategic MoU with URI

On the sidelines of the anniversary celebration, KAICIID and the United Religions Initiative (URI) signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen collaboration on global interreligious dialogue. The MoU was signed by H.E. Ambassador António de Almeida Ribeiro, and URI Global Council Chair Mr. Eric Roux, in the presence of Ambassador Mussie Hailu, URI’s Director of Global Partnerships and a long-standing ally in Africa.

The agreement outlines key priorities for future cooperation:

• Joint capacity-building programmes on dialogue and countering hate speech.
• Empowerment of youth and women as multipliers of peace.
• Co-hosted events and webinars using each organisation’s global networks.
• Mutual participation in flagship activities to enhance reach and impact.

“Today marks a joyful milestone for all of us.  As Chair of the United Religions Initiative, I am honored and deeply enthusiastic to enter into this Memorandum of Understanding with KAICIID. This partnership brings together two tremendous strengths: URI’s vast, vibrant grassroots network spanning every continent, and KAICIID’s powerful commitment to fostering dialogue and understanding at the highest levels of leadership.

At URI, we have always believed that real and lasting peace begins with people, with communities, with everyday encounters, with the courageous choice to listen and to cooperate. By joining our efforts with KAICIID, we are creating a bridge between the wisdom of grassroots and the influence of global decision makers. This is not only strategic; it is profoundly hopeful. Together, URI and KAICIID will continue to nurture interfaith and intercultural harmony, human dignity, hope, strengthen dialogue, and build the foundations of a more peaceful and united world” remarked URI Global Council Chair Mr. Eric Roux.

A Platform for the Future

This 10th Anniversary event underscored KAICIID’s evolving role as a bridge-builder between global policy and local realities. It reaffirmed the Centre’s strategic belief that dialogue must be both deeply personal and structurally transformative. For the Fellows, this gathering was more than a graduation. It was a reunion of shared purpose, a reaffirmation of values, and a launchpad for the next decade of collaboration across faiths, cultures, and continents.

Senior Programme Manager Prof. Andrew Boyd called upon participants and all Fellows to contribute to the shaping of the next decade of the Fellows Programme: “While the first decade was largely marked by the growth of the Fellows Programme,  the next decade will necessarily be one of deepening and expanding our engagement with existing Fellows (alumni), updating our curriculum and training initiatives, a new strategic push on institutional and organizational partnerships, and of closer integration between or global and our regional efforts. I am excited to shape this vision for our future, and I invite you all to join me.”

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