Building Bridges, Not Battlefields: Celebrating Non-Violence with ICRD

As we honor the International Day of Non-Violence on the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, we find ourselves standing at a crossroads where the world faces escalating global geopolitical tensions, violent conflicts, and divisions. Amid this uncertainty, the practice of non-violence shines as a transformative force. At the International Center for Religion & Diplomacy (ICRD), our commitment to non-violence is not just a belief, it’s a mission in action. Non-violence is woven into the very fabric of our work to empower individuals, communities, and nations to embrace dialogue as a pathway to lasting peace.

The Power of Dialogue in Action

One of the most powerful examples of ICRD’s commitment to non-violence occurred in 2007, when the Taliban took twenty-one South Korean missionaries hostage in Afghanistan. ICRD quietly negotiated behind the scenes, working tirelessly with partners and with strategic on-the-ground contacts to help secure their release. 

Strategic dialogue is more essential today than ever before for addressing the ongoing repression of girls and women in Afghanistan, as it fosters inclusive conversations that challenge oppressive policies. Building on past successes like the 2007 negotiation, ICRD and our partners are committed to ensuring transformative dialogue and non-violent solutions that promote girls’ and women’s rights leading to immediate and longer-term peace in Afghanistan.

Our commitment to dialogue powered a decade-long project. From 2005 to 2016, ICRD facilitated back-channel communication between the United States and Iran. This diplomatic effort kept conversations flowing between two nations locked in a political standoff. These dialogues, though quiet, were a testament to the enduring power of communication in conflict resolution and geopolitics. These diplomatic channels remain vital to resolving today’s geopolitical conflict across the Middle East region, as they provide avenues for open dialogue and sustainable peace.

Notably, since 2019, ICRD has been responding to direct requests from Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Libya, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and India, by working closely with religious actors to design comprehensive interfaith committees with the capacity to advance social cohesion through dialogue exchange. As a result, these committees have: 

• Established early warning and response mechanisms tailored to local challenges. 
• Focused on mitigating the spread of rumors that could escalate into violence, especially against minority faith and ethnic communities.
• Increased collaboration among diverse religious and ethnic groups.
• Enhanced multi-generational community resilience.

Enhancing Education as a Catalyst for Peace

Education is one of the most powerful tools for cultivating a culture of peace. For over a decade, from 2011 to 2022, ICRD worked alongside the Ministry of Education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to review and refine public school textbooks. This collaboration aimed to promote messages of mutual respect and understanding while removing content that fostered intolerance and violence, demonstrating how peace-centered curriculums can help raise a generation that values community and harmony, while actively breaking cycles of violence. 

In Tunisia, Kenya, and the Philippines, where extremism continues to threaten peace, ICRD’s engagement in 2019 brought together local NGOs, religious leaders, academics, and civil actors to promote non-violence and peaceful exchange. By building capacities for extremism prevention and strengthening social cohesion, our work remains committed to equipping communities with the tools to resist violence and foster peace from the ground up. 

Women of Faith as Peace Leaders

In Mali, where instability has fueled extremist violence, women are emerging as key players in peacebuilding. Since 2022, ICRD has collaborated with Women in Law and Development in Africa (WILDAF) to train Malian women in sustainable methods of preventing violent extremism (P/CVE). By drawing on indigenous peacebuilding practices, religious literacy, and psychosocial support, these women are leading the charge in implementing community-specific programs designed to build resilience and foster lasting peace. 

ICRD’s support in Mali underscores a powerful truth: women are essential agents of non-violence and reconciliation. Their voices and leadership are vital, as they play a pivotal role in shaping the future of their societies. We are actively working to ensure that women are engaged at the center of all peacebuilding efforts, as their contributions are vital to lasting change.

To deepen this commitment, ICRD has been actively supporting women of faith in negotiating local settlements and fostering fragile peace globally since 2018:

• In Afghanistan, women negotiators are working tirelessly to stabilize communities while promoting initiatives centered on non-violence. 
• In Myanmar, women of faith are directly mitigating violence in conflict areas through grassroots non-violence efforts. 
• Similarly, in Yemen, women are leading peace initiatives that bridge community and country-level dialogues, effectively addressing grievances and fostering a culture of reconciliation. 

By continuing to amplify the role of women of faith at both the community and country levels and highlighting their demonstrated impact, we ensure that their voices remain centered amid evolving trends and trajectories of conflict. 

Celebrating Champions of Non-Violence and Peacemaking

As we reflect on the global importance of non-violence, we are reminded of the powerful work being done by pro-peace movements such as Women of the Sun and Women Wage Peace, recipients of the 2024 Hillary Rodham Clinton Award. Both organizations were also awarded $25,000 by Elevate Prize’s GET LOUD initiative and have been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Women of the Sun, a Palestinian women’s organization based in Bethlehem, was founded in July 2021, with its name alluding to the 1962 novel Men in the Sun by Ghassan Kanafani. The organization is devoted to a peaceful resolution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, promoting dialogue and understanding. Their Israeli counterpart, Women Wage Peace, emerged shortly after the Gaza War in 2014. This grassroots movement is dedicated to preventing future wars and advocating for a mutually respectful and non-violent solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 

Together, these two organizations have worked on multiple initiatives, including the formation of a joint platform in late 2021 and early 2022. Most recently, on October 4, 2023, the two groups organized a peace march in Jerusalem. The march, which spanned from the Tolerance Monument to the Armon Hanatziv neighborhood, stood as a powerful testament to their shared commitment to working across divided communities, with religious actors, to advocate for non-violence.

Embrace Non-Violence in Your Own Life

As we reflect on these stories of non-violent action, we must recognize that peace is not simply the absence of war—it is a conscious choice, made every day by individuals and communities to choose dialogue, education, and equitable empowerment. Non-violence requires each of us to commit to empathy, understanding, and cooperation to forge a better, more peaceful world.

On this International Day of Non-Violence, we invite you to take action. Explore ICRD’s free resources here, and learn how you can employ non-violent methods in your own life, whether at home, at work, or in your community. Let us build bridges, not battlefields, and make non-violence our guiding principle—today and always.