Lesson series

2026 - Using Interreligious Dialogue to Strengthen, Peace, Reconciliation and Social Cohesion

Interreligious dialogue (IRD) benefits both as a scientific field and as a practical tool for everyday life across contexts. Its necessity, once questioned, is now evident and urgent. IRD is rapidly shaping a 21st-century education toolbox for building social cohesion, peace, and reconciliation.

KAICIID has developed an e-learning course, “Using Interreligious Dialogue (IRD) to Strengthen Peace, Reconciliation and Social Cohesion”. The course targets religious leaders, policymakers, KAICIID Fellows, faith-based and international organizations, civil society, and government officials, and results from collaborations with the University of Montreal, the Complutense University of Madrid, and the Institute for the Sciences of Religions in Barcelona.

Description

While interreligious dialogue benefits from being a scientific field of study, it also enjoys great applied capacity for everyday human life, within all contexts and for all situations. If the importance of interreligious dialogue may have been questioned twenty years ago, nowadays its necessity has become obvious, and many would argue even urgent. The practice of using interreligious dialogue (IRD) for building social cohesion, peace and reconciliation is rapidly emerging as a necessary tool for the twenty-first-century education toolbox.


In this context, and with regard to the need to fill the existing lack of accredited academic e-learning courses on interreligious dialogue, KAICIID has developed an e-learning course entitled “Using Interreligious Dialogue (IRD) to Strengthen Peace, Reconciliation and Social Cohesion”. The course has been customized to address the evolving needs of religious leaders, policy- and decision makers, KAICIID Fellows, faith-based organizations, international organizations, civil society organizations, and government officials. 


It is the result of a collaboration with renowned universities such as the University of Montreal, the Complutense University of Madrid and the Institute for the Sciences of Religions in Barcelona.

Learning Objectives

Goal: This e-learning course aims to strengthen the capacities of religious leaders, policy- and decision-makers, KAICIID Fellows, faith-based organizations, international organizations, civil society organizations, and government officials within the field of interreligious dialogue. It includes the basic concepts, methodologies, models, and tools needed to use interreligious dialogue for peace and reconciliation.  


Specific Objectives:

  • To provide basic knowledge and skills in interreligious dialogue
  • To outline the historical background of interreligious dialogue from the five major religions of the world (Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism) and clarify the geopolitical aspects of these religions
  • To present the various elements of interreligious conflicts through real examples and case studies
  • To explain how to use key theories, models and methods in interreligious dialogue as scientific tools in a given conflict situation, and illustrate the diversity and the complexity of the factors that play a part in interreligious dialogue
  • To explain and critically analyze factors which affect or escalate interreligious conflict situations
Learning Objectives: 

At the end of the course, participants will be able to: 

  • Demonstrate developing skills and knowledge of interreligious dialogue concepts, tools and methodologies

  • Identify initiatives and best practices for addressing Islamophobia Christianophobia and Anti-Semitism at the national and local levels

  • Understand the conceptual landscape of dialogue, as well as the concepts and models of using interreligious dialogue for peace

  • Experience an innovative approach to education on interreligious dialogue as a new scientific field

Content and Structure

Week 1, Module 1: Theories and Methods in Interreligious Dialogue: A Brief Overview

Week 2, Module 2: A Brief History of the Modern Interreligious Dialogue Movement

Week 3, Module 3 : Dialogue Theories & Ethics

Week 4, Module 4: Prejudices and Stereotypes

Week 5, Module 5: Interfaith Dialogue on the Internet: The Religious Phenomenon in Virtual Communities and Social Networks

Week 6, Module 6: Interfaith Peace and Dialogue Models: From Harmony to Liberation

Week 7, Module 7: Interfaith Dialogue: A Venue for Peacebuilding

Week 8, Module 8: Outcomes of Dialogue Processes: Obstacles and Hopes


Course Design and Methodology

Write your awesome label here.

To maximize outreach, the course will be delivered on an interactive online platform that lets users learn at their own pace. Objectives will be met through diverse methods and technologies that suit various learning styles, including non-linear, just-in-time learning for adults. To maximize scheduling flexibility, learning will be asynchronous.

The KAICIID E-Learning Programme uses a state-of-the-art architecture that combines self-learning with tests, assessments, and online discussions. The pedagogy, designed for full-time professionals, trains participants through experiences: absorb (read); do (activity); interact (socialize); reflect (relate to one’s own reality).