Innovative Approaches to
Inter-Religious and Intra-Religious Dialogue for Peace

Inclusivity | June 2025

On Tuesday, June 10, the Peacemakers Network hosted its second Inclusivity-based Community of Practice meeting of 2025, “Innovative Approaches to
Inter-Religious and Intra-Religious Dialogue for Peace.”

Held in conjunction with the International Day of Dialogue among Civilizations, 75 participants and distinguished speakers explored the benefits and challenges to fostering meaningful communication within and across faith communities through inter-religious and intra-religious dialogue.

Binalakshmi Nepram speaks about the role of Indigenous Peoples in inter-religious dialogue.

Binalakshmi Nepram, Founder and Director of the Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network,  highlighted the role of Indigenous Peoples in inter-religious dialogue. She noted there are 476 million Indigenous Peoples across 90 countries and territories, representing 5,000 different cultures, faiths, and ways of life. Further, Nepram emphasized that Indigenous religions are the oldest spiritual traditions on earth and should not be understood as relics of the past, but as essential and living pathways toward peace and dialogue among civilizations. She called for efforts to document Indigenous religious traditions, strengthen Indigenous religious freedom, and protect sacred sites.

“The Great Spirit is in all things. He is in the air we breathe. The Great Spirit is our Father, but the Earth is our Mother. She nourishes us…That which we put into the ground she returns to us.” –Big Thunder Wabanaki, Algonquin

Dr. Angeliki Ziaka speaks about the need for inter-religious dialogue to combat fear and uncertainty of others from different faiths.

The discussion transitioned to Dr. Angeliki Ziaka, Program Executive for Interreligious Dialogue and Cooperation for the World Council of Churches (WCC). The WCC promotes inter-religious dialogue through their member churches  around the world, including  those churches from non-Christian traditions. Ziaka further explained how interfaith action and interreligious dialogue are key mechanisms to shift from abstract theological thought to  tangible action. These engagements must be intergenerational in order to be effective.

“Inter-religious dialogue as an ongoing commitment is a vital project, not just as a theological exercise, but a way to build collaboration.” –Dr. Angeliki Ziaka

The final panelists, Katherine Mahon, Co-Founder and CEO of Acquaint and Alex Szebenyi, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Acquaint, shared how the Acquaint platform offers a volunteer opportunity for people to engage in impactful conversations, including inter-religious dialogue. The platform also offers a library of interactive communication learning modules to equip individuals with skills to build bridges and navigate different types of interactions effectively. Acquaint was founded in 2021 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to help address the effects of isolation.  The platform currently holds over 20,000 hours of one-on-one dialogue across over 110 countries. Acquaint is currently accepting volunteers. Interested individuals can learn more here.

The meeting then progressed into breakout groups, where participants could engage in inter-religious dialogue on the topics of countering hate speech or Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB). The dialogues were facilitated by members of the Steering Committee of the Inclusivity-based Community of Practice. In case you missed the meeting, you can watch the recording here.

Group Photo Celebrating the International Day of Dialogue among Civilizations.

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