The year opens with a cold wind. The news is heavy, the world feels fractured, and hope seems a fragile thing to hold. In times like these, even a list of good intentions feels hollow. But even though we may not see a clear way forward, hope isn’t something we can wait to find; it’s something we can create proactively through small, brave steps. Even in the dark, each step we take towards kindness, dialogue, or reconciliation becomes a quiet act of resistance, shaping the path as we walk. 

 

This is how the work begins. The first goal is simple, yet it demands everything: to be respected. But respect is a silent pact and only exists when we offer it first. To see the other is to see ourselves. If we fail at this, we fail everything.

 

So we enter the year without grand maps or promises of certainty. We look for the person beside us and start there. We offer what we have (be it attention, respect, a moment of care, sometimes an unexpected embrace) trusting that, step by step, the right path appears and we manage to keep walking.

 

In this spirit, we will soon launch our new Call for Proposals, to be issued in early February, inviting partners and communities to contribute to this shared journey. Titled Creating Change from Inside Out, the call reflects our conviction that lasting transformation begins within and grows through the collective courage to take the next step together.
 

 

 

We believe that meaningful transformation does not begin with policies alone, but with people. That is why our upcoming Call for Proposals seeks to mobilise committed individuals, religious and faith leaders, grassroots actors, local authorities and young people, as well as community groups who are ready to experiment, learn by doing, and bring fresh approaches to their local contexts. We are particularly keen to engage those who may not yet have extensive project experience, but who are motivated to test new ideas, build practical skills, and strengthen their ability to inspire and mobilise their communities.

 

Interreligious dialogue lies at the heart of this process. As our core methodology, it fosters understanding and cooperation across diverse faith and belief traditions, ensuring that locally driven initiatives contribute to more inclusive, cohesive and sustainable societies. The EPDF Call to Action will serve as our compass. We invite you to take a moment to read it as you prepare to submit your ideas. Please click on “Resources” here.

 

Selected participants will benefit from tailored capacity development in interreligious and intercultural dialogue, along with mentoring, technical guidance and financial support to help turn ideas into meaningful, community-led processes.

 

 

 

Reflections from the EPDF

The EPDF is a platform for conversations – not about others, but with others. Because this dialogue shouldn’t remain only with those who attended the European Policy Dialogue Forum, we also want to share reflections by Forum participants in this channel. Our hope is that this space echoes the polyphony we strive to nurture within the KAICIID Europe Region Programme.
 

 

 

In many Afghan homes, there is a story that never ends. Two brothers on opposite sides of a battlefield. Buried in the same soil. A mother left to carry a war she never asked for.
 

This is my reason. My why. In peacebuilding, timing is everything. If we act only after the dust settles, we comfort the wounded and bury the dead. Dialogue has to move before harm. It has to leave the meeting room and land in kitchens, classrooms, and the streets where life actually happens.
 

That is why the European Policy Dialogue Forum mattered. In Geneva I met leaders and young people from Judaism, Christianity, and Islam and many other faiths who were not just talking about faith, but practising it. A rabbi with two mischievous cats trading notes with an imam whose adhan quietens a room. Muslims and Jews sketching a youth project together. A young Christian organiser showing how her church kitchen became a climate hub. Same values. Different words. Shared work.
 

My work with Afghan Youth Ambassadors for Peace and Muska rests on a simple, restless conviction: Build. Bridge. Belong.
 

Build
Peace is not a photo op. It is a toolkit. A girl cannot reach a therapy circle if she cannot afford the bus fare. If hunger blocks learning, add food support. Small, fast fixes change outcomes.
 

Bridge
Interfaith is strongest when it ships. Put a synagogue kitchen and a mosque committee behind one meal programme. Bring engineers, elders, and youth to the same table. In every meeting I ask: whose life gets easier next month if we do this?
 

Belong
Belonging is a strategy. Violence thrives where people feel invisible. Design systems where refugees are neighbours and youth are founders. Trust grows. And trust is the quickest route from idea to impact.
 

To ministers, funders, and partners: stop demanding the perfect victim. Hire for lived experience. Ring-fence budgets for youth-led delivery with rapid approvals. Track two metrics only: time to access support and youth decision power.
 

The future is not a gift we inherit. It is a structure we build, brick by brick, together. Let us design a world where dignity is not earned. It is assumed.

 

Watch the video message from the 6th EPDF by Ms. Antonella Sberna, Vice President of the European Parliament, responsible for the implementation of Article 17 TFEU-Dialogue with churches, and religious and philosophical organisations.

 

 

Read the reflections of Dr. Houda Lahkim Bennani, a KAICIID Fellow from Egypt, after her participation in the Europe Region’s high-level roundtable on “Religion and Diplomacy” at the Augustinianum Institute in Rome, on 18 December 2025.

 

Why Religion Matters in Diplomacy Today
 

The roundtable on “Religion and Diplomacy” offered a valuable opportunity to reflect anew on the place of religion in a world marked by polycrises, complex conflicts, and a noticeable erosion of trust between peoples and institutions. The significance of this gathering was further enhanced by the high-level and diverse profile of participants, bringing together religious leaders from different traditions, diplomats, representatives of international organisations, scholars, and civil society actors. This diversity was not merely symbolic; it lent real depth to the discussion and enabled a meaningful exchange of ethical, political, and practical perspectives.

 

One of the key takeaways from the roundtable was the recognition that diplomacy today can no longer be confined to state institutions alone. Rather, it has become an open space for a wider range of actors. This was clearly reflected in the recurring emphasis on the concept of a “Diplomacy of Hope,” understood as an approach that goes beyond crisis management to address the value-based roots of conflict and to rebuild trust between societies.

 

From the specific perspective of the Arab world, the relationship between religion and diplomacy carries particular significance, given the central role religion plays in shaping values and collective identity. In the Arab context, religion is not a marginal cultural element, but a social and ethical force that, when safeguarded from narrow political instrumentalization, can contribute to de-escalating tensions, promoting a discourse of peace, and building bridges of trust both within societies and with the wider world. Effective diplomacy in the region cannot succeed without integrating this ethical dimension, not as rhetoric, but as a lived practice that upholds human dignity and prioritizes prevention over the mere management of crises.

 

In this regard, the role played by KAICIID stands out as especially important. The Centre provides a unique platform that brings together policymakers and religious leaders on the basis of partnership and mutual respect. KAICIID does not merely create spaces for dialogue; it actively works to translate interreligious dialogue into practical tools for peacebuilding, justice, and social cohesion, with particular attention to the meaningful inclusion of women and young people as essential actors rather than symbolic participants.

 

This discussion closely resonates with my own research trajectory, which is grounded in the conviction that religious values – such as justice, compassion, and recognition of the other – can offer much-needed ethical depth to diplomatic practice in the Arab world. It also connects directly with my forthcoming book on religious diplomacy and its role in the resolution of regional conflicts, with a particular focus on the cases of Egypt and Morocco. I left this encounter with a renewed sense that the relationship between religion and diplomacy is not one of contradiction, but of necessary and constructive complementarity, provided it is rooted in ethical independence, responsibility, and serious institutional engagement.

 

 

 

 

 

Learn More About Ethical Finance
 

 

 

 

 

- The Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) is hosting high-level peacebuilding conference tomorrow, Friday 23 January, “Peacebuilding in Europe: what role for catholic social thought and universal values?” The conference will be live streamed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- Call for Papers: The upcoming Special Section of the journal “Current Issues in Migration Research” invites contributions that critically engage with scholarly debates on integration in the context of migration and diversity. The journal features shorter formats accessible for scholars, practitioners and a broader audience more generally.
 

 

 

 

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