6th European Policy Dialogue Forum
Social Cohesion in Changing Climates: Fostering Inclusive Paths to Equity in Europe
11–13 November 2025, Geneva, Switzerland
In today’s multi-religious and multicultural Europe, interreligious and intercultural dialogue is crucial for policymakers, local authorities and businesses to recognise the influence of religious and faith communities in tackling overlapping social and environmental challenges, including the growing exclusion of minorities such as migrants and refugees, exacerbated by rapid environmental degradation that disproportionately impacts marginalised communities.
Interreligious dialogue is not abstract theological discussion; rooted in solidarity, equity and care for the Earth, it creates common ground by breaking down barriers between “us” and “them”. It opens spaces for connection, shared responsibility and belonging, all vital for joint action. Dialogue helps (re)balance power dynamics, uphold dignity, and reinforce respect for human rights and the environment. It fosters the joint commitment to shared values of religious leaders, faith-based actors and secular stakeholders, reducing polarisation, strengthening human connections, and inspiring collective efforts toward a more equitable and sustainable future.
The 6th EPDF aims to provide a space to reimagine how interreligious and intercultural dialogue can help foster common engagement and provide a much-needed shift in addressing these challenges.
Objectives
The objectives of the 6th EPDF are to:
- Deepen understanding of how interreligious and intercultural dialogue can help address the persistent social divisions and environmental challenges facing Europe today;
- Foster a platform for the exchange of experiences, grounded on shared principles of care, human dignity, equity, fraternity and environmental protection, encouraging collaborative and dialogue-driven networks;
- Support broad-based, inclusive coalitions, particularly among secular actors, religious leaders, belief communities, and faith-based actors, to advance collective efforts toward more cohesive and sustainable societies.
Core Themes
Hosted at the Geneva-based headquarters of the International Federation of Red Cross/Red Crescent Societies, the 6th EPDF will explore:
- Why interreligious and intercultural dialogue matters for tackling social and environmental crises;
- How inequalities limit access to quality jobs, education, health and other fundamental rights, fuelling discrimination, precarity and environmental harm;
- The role of businesses in shaping living conditions, employment, resource use, and the promise of new financing models;
- Why cities are key spaces for transformation and participatory solutions;
- How policymakers and organizations can use dialogue to strengthen cohesive and sustainable communities amid common challenges.
What is the European Policy Dialogue Forum (EPDF)?
As KAICIID’s European dialogue platform, the EPDF is rooted in the ancient Greek concept of the agora – the public square. The agora, situated in the polis – a city-state more akin to a living social and political community, where participation in public life was both a duty and a path to personal fulfilment – was the heart of civic debate and collective problem-solving, in harmony with a sacred, universal order.
Thanks to KAICIID’s unique governance structure – bringing together states and religious leaders, the EPDF is convened in the spirit of a modern agora: a forum where policy is not only technical but deeply human, grounded in mutual responsibility as well as shared sacred and secular values.
The EPDF is a space where people of different faiths, political convictions, cultural backgrounds and sectors come together to address widespread challenges for the common good.
Since its launch in Athens in 2019, the EPDF’s ‘policy–action loop’ channels grassroots and faith-based perspectives into local and regional policy. After each biennial Forum, KAICIID supports initiatives that turn its outcomes into concrete actions, addressing community needs and aspirations for harmonious coexistence. These efforts advance social cohesion, belonging and reconciliation, tackling issues related to human rights, refugee and migrant inclusion, equity, anti-discrimination, anti-racism, climate justice and freedom of religion or belief.
To do so, the EPDF leverages interreligious and intercultural dialogue to foster mutual understanding, compassion and deeper relationships. The aim is to build trust and promote cross-sectoral collaboration by working together with a wide range of stakeholders, including the European Council of Religious Leaders/Religion for Peace Europe (ECRL/RfP Europe), the Network for Dialogue (N4D), the Office for Democratic institutions and Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE-ODIHR), the Council of Europe (CoE), and the European Union (EU).
Contact: Get in touch with the organisers at [email protected]