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ABOUT
At the International Center for Religion & Diplomacy (ICRD), we believe in the transformative power of faith to build lasting peace.
Purpose
ICRD exists to harness the power within religion, identity, and values to transform conflict and division into lasting peace.
Mission
To serve at the intersection of religion and diplomacy to prevent and resolve violent conflict and build moral and social foundations for durable peace.
Vision
A world where violent conflict is rare and peace is lasting because of religious and diplomatic collaboration.
ICRD's Values:
Faith
The belief that religion can make a beneficial contribution to peace.
Compassion and Empathy
The ability to put ourselves in the other person's place and care about their needs.
Trust, Respect and Credibility
We cultivate relationships grounded in respect, consistency, and earning trust from conflicting parties as the foundations of peacebuilding.
Integrity
Rigorously maintaining congruence between our words and actions in living up to our highest moral standards.
Partnership and Collaboration
We work with local stakeholders, planning and acting together as equal partners, building genuine, long-term relationships with communities, faith leaders, and others to achieve shared goals.
With nearly 85% of the global population guided by religious or spiritual beliefs, ICRD recognizes the pivotal role these convictions play in shaping conflicts, influencing social behavior, and ultimately fostering reconciliation.
Traditional diplomacy often overlooks the deep-rooted beliefs and values that underpin conflict, failing to address the full complexity of human experience. At ICRD, we take a more holistic approach, engaging directly with these core aspects of identity to promote sustainable peace. Religious convictions, which shape personal and collective identities, can either deepen societal divisions or serve as powerful catalysts for peace and unity.
While not a religious organization, ICRD is dedicated to empowering women and men peacebuilders from all faith backgrounds to achieve peace and combat conflict. By leveraging the moral authority and cultural influence of these beliefs, we helps communities not only rebuild trust but also heal from the trauma of conflict.
Founded in 1998 to Transform Drivers of Conflict into Bridges of Peace
We bridge the gap between traditional diplomacy and religious values.
We believe that diplomacy must go beyond political negotiations to include the deep-rooted religious and cultural identities that often fuel conflict. By engaging with religious leaders, faith communities, and policymakers, ICRD facilitates dialogue that bridges divides and creates sustainable pathways towards peace. Our diplomatic efforts create safe spaces for difficult conversations, helping to transform adversarial relationships into collaborative partnerships for peace.
In 2007, ICRD played a crucial role in negotiating the release of 21 Korean missionaries held hostage by the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Starting in 2005, ICRD established a back-channel communication channel to promote improved relations with Iran. This channel remained active for over a decade, from 2005-2016, fostering dialogue and understanding between two nations.
Between 2000 and 2006, ICRD worked to diffuse tensions in Kashmir, a major global flashpoint. Our efforts facilitated the return of displaced Hindus (Pandits) to the Kashmir Valley, promoting reconciliation and collaboration across religious divides.
We equip religious leaders and community influencers with the skills they need to lead peace efforts.
With over two decades of hands-on experience, we are a trusted partner for government bodies, civil society groups, and grassroots organizations. Our specialized training programs cover topics like conflict transformation, reconciliation, early warning response mechanisms, preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE), and dialogue facilitation. These trainings not only build capacity but also empower individuals to be agents of change in their communities, fostering resilience against future conflict.
Between 2011-2022, ICRD supported the Saudi Education Ministry in their efforts to remove intolerant content and calls to violence from public school materials through comprehensive textbook assessments.
In 2019, ICRD trained NGOs in the Philippines to engage religious and civil actors in extremism prevention through capacity building and social cohesion mechanisms.
In 2022, ICRD led a training and learning session on critical thinking and student leadership at Islamic Call University.
We design and implement strategic, community-driven programs that address the unique challenges of identity-based conflicts.
Our programs are designed for lasting impact. We work with local stakeholders to create context-specific solutions that integrate religious considerations into broader peacebuilding efforts. Whether through reforming educational curricula, promoting interfaith dialogue, or supporting post-conflict reconciliation efforts, our programs are designed to create lasting, measurable impact that spans generations.
Since 2021, ICRD has worked in partnership with Amideast and the Stevens Initiative to facilitate the virtual podcast exchange program between Yemeni and American higher education students. Each semester, cohorts of ten students, connect virtually to develop a podcast episode to discuss shared values and concerns.
In 2021, ICRD conducted a successful on-the-ground needs assessment in Lebanon to assess what sort of episode content could be most useful for equipping Lebanese children with pro-social values and trauma-coping skills. The findings of this assessment were used to inform the production of new episodes of 1001 Nights.
Since 2022, ICRD worked with WILDAF to build the capacity of Malian women to lead sustainable P/CVE initiatives, focusing on psychosocial support, religious literacy, and indigenous peacebuilding methods, and implement women-led, community-specific P/CVE programs, leveraging traditional tools to strengthen communal resilience for sustainable P/CVE efforts.
