Lidasan: Dialogue, an effective way to help build communities

KAICIID. Launch of the KAICIID Fellows Institutional Network (KFIN) last 16-19 March 2023 at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
KAICIID. Launch of the KAICIID Fellows Institutional Network (KFIN) last 16-19 March 2023 at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

I AM glad to be back! Back to my passion for working as an interreligious dialogue (IRD) practitioner and a KAICIID Fellow.

KAICIID is a Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue that is based in Lisbon, Portugal.

It has an International Fellows Programme that aims to bring together religious and community leaders from different religions and cultures from around the world.

For almost a decade after its launch a few years back, it works in bringing together leaders and educators from Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, and other religious backgrounds from around the world for training in dialogue facilitation, intercultural communication, and promoting social cohesion. It equips Fellows with the skills to educate their students and communities about interreligious dialogue so they can become facilitators and leaders in the dialogue and active peace advocates in their communities.

When we started Al Qalam Institute in 2011, we learned that teaching interreligious dialogue can be a powerful tool to address many societal problems. It involves bringing individuals from different religious backgrounds together to engage in open and respectful discussions about their beliefs, practices, and commonalities. This process can help to break down stereotypes, cultivate empathy, and encourage cooperation between diverse groups of people. When I was invited to be part of KAICIID, my work in Al Qalam became more meaningful and productive.

Al Qalam Institute is an institute in a Catholic, Jesuit, and Filipino university of Ateneo de Davao. It puts dialogue in action through the ways of FIRE (formation, research, instruction, and research).

Moreover, Al Qalam Institute is inspired by interreligious documents like “A Common Word between Us and You" (this is an open letter from Muslim religious leaders to Christian leaders, written last October 13, 2007), and “the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together”(also known as the Abu Dhabi declaration or Abu Dhabi agreement, is a joint statement signed by Pope Francis of the Catholic Church and Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, on 4 February 2019 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates). These documents are concrete examples of how dialogue can work.

Together with Rev. Fr. Joel E. Tabora SJ( university president of Ateneo), believes the passion for teaching interreligious dialogue stems from the recognition that many of today's most pressing issues arise from conflicts between groups with different religious beliefs. These conflicts can range from minor misunderstandings to full-blown violent conflict, and they often have deep cultural, historical, and political roots. One way to address these issues is to encourage conversations between groups, where individuals can learn from each other and work towards mutual understanding.

Through dialogue, individuals can learn that despite differences in worldview, people share universal aspirations for peace, love, and social justice. Such practices could promote coexistence in a diverse society, help to reduce prejudice and hate and tackle the root causes of crime, terrorism, and violent extremism.

Working for more than twenty years on IRD, I also learned that teaching interreligious dialogue as a means of addressing societal problems requires a passion for promoting social cohesion, tolerance, and understanding. It is a powerful tool that can empower individuals, cultivate empathy, and improve intergroup relationships. With this passion and dedication in mind, we can work towards a more peaceful and harmonious world, where diversity is embraced and celebrated.

Moving forward in the realities of our world today, let us reflect on how we can empower our grassroots communities to demand good governance, institutionalize inclusive government programs, and provide sustainable economic programs from our leaders. My quick answer will always be through dialogue. Let us provide a platform where leaders and our people can talk. This is how democracy should work. And as part of academia, we should provide the platform. If there can be interreligious dialogue, I believe there can also be a proper way for political dialogue among us.

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