OUR WORK
At the International Center for Religion & Diplomacy we are committed to building a world where peace is possible—and lasting.
For over 25 years, ICRD has been transforming conflict and fostering peace across faiths, cultures, and nations. With more than 90 programs, projects, and initiatives in over 40 countries, our impact is far-reaching—from advancing reconciliation in Yemen to promoting tolerance in religious education in Pakistan, to empowering women of faith as peacebuilders in Colombia, and beyond.
We believe lasting peace begins with inclusive, community-driven efforts. That’s why we bridge divides and equip communities to lead tailored peacebuilding initiatives. Our work spans promoting tolerance in education, reintegrating former combatants, fostering interfaith collaboration on local conflicts, and advancing reconciliation between former adversaries—while advocating for grassroots voices to shape systemic change.
From local communities to global diplomacy, ICRD’s mission is unwavering: to build partnerships that inspire hope, resolve conflicts, and create a foundation for sustainable peace. We are proud to hold official consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
Women Peacebuilders
Resilient Networks
Public Policy
Conflict Resolution
Where We Work
- Making a Global Impact: We’ve worked in over 40 countries, from the Middle East to Africa to North America, building bridges in places where conflict often divides.
- Faith as a Tool for Peace: At ICRD, we believe faith has the power to heal. Our programs bring faith leaders together to prevent conflict, reduce extremism, and foster understanding.
- Empowering Women of Faith: We’re proud to empower women of faith to lead in negotiations and mediation, driving peace in areas most affected by violence.
- Training for Change: From youth to educators to religious leaders, we provide practical training on critical thinking, civic values, and conflict resolution—tools for lasting change.
- Partners in Peace: Whether through the UN, the African Union, or local communities, we’re building sustainable peace with organizations and individuals who share our vision for a better world.
🇦🇫 Afghanistan
- (2007-2008) Conducted conferences and workshops bringing together key religious actors and policymakers to address development and reconstruction challenges in post-war Afghanistan.
- (2018-present) Case studies and capacity-building initiatives focusing on women-led negotiations and mediations in areas threatened by extremist and communal violence.
🇧🇩 Bangladesh
- (2008-2010) Best Practices in Islamic Education: Organized workshops for Pakistani madrasa teachers and Bangladeshi religious educators to integrate tolerance, critical thinking, and conflict resolution into curricula.
- (2019-2021) Country-specific and regional initiatives to enhance social cohesion across religious identities and inform multilateral policymakers.
🇮🇳 India
- (2019-2021) Country-specific and regional peacebuilding programs to strengthen social cohesion and inform multilateral policymaking.
🇮🇩 Indonesia
- (2008-2010) Best Practices in Islamic Education: Facilitated workshops for Pakistani madrasa teachers and Indonesian educators to incorporate tolerance, critical thinking, and conflict resolution into curricula.
- (2018-2020) Multi-year studies on conservative religious actors’ roles in preventing radicalization and ideological violence, resulting in actionable recommendations.
- (2019-2021) Regional programs to strengthen social cohesion across religious identities and support multilateral policymaking.
- (2017) Conducted a study on the impact of religious and traditional actors on formal (“Track 1”) peace processes.
🇮🇳 Kashmir
- (2004-2005) Hosted faith-based reconciliation workshops and developed a compact for social cohesion.
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
- (2017) Partnered with the U.S. State Department for strategic consultations with the government of Kazakhstan to address regional violent extremism prevention.
🇲🇻 Maldives
- (2021-2023) Supported the establishment of a National Reintegration Center for rehabilitating and reintegrating returned foreign terrorist fighter families using a trauma-informed, whole-of-society approach.
🇲🇲 Myanmar
- (2017) Studied the role and impact of religious and traditional actors on formal peace processes.
- (2018-present) Partnered with ASEAN and the UN Mediation Support Unit to develop mechanisms for religious inclusion in ongoing peace processes.
- (2018-present) Focused on women-led negotiations and mediations in violence-prone areas to build specialized capacity.
- (2019-2021) Regional programs aimed at strengthening social cohesion across religious identities.
🇴🇲 Oman
- (2013) Hosted interfaith dialogues with U.S. and South Asian Christian and Islamic leaders to dispel misconceptions and plan collaborative actions.
🇵🇰 Pakistan
- (2004-2014) Broadened madrasa curricula to include critical thinking and religious tolerance, benefiting over 6,000 schools.
- (2008-2012) Best Practices in Islamic Education: Conducted workshops for madrasa educators to incorporate tolerance and conflict resolution.
- (2008-2011) Facilitated interfaith dialogues to reduce sectarian tensions and promote shared values.
- (2009-2012) Produced the Back from the Brink documentary to address radicalization and violence through religion-focused interventions.
- (2011-2014) Established teacher training centers to provide pedagogical support for madrasa educators.
- (2015-2018) Trained women faith leaders to prevent violent extremism through community-based initiatives.
- (2015-2017) Convened faith leaders to develop and distribute a conflict-resolution guidebook across Pakistan.
🇵🇭 Philippines
- (2017) Studied the impact of religious and traditional actors on official peace processes with ASEAN and the UN Mediation Support Unit.
- (2018-2024) Implemented case studies and capacity-building for women-led mediation in conflict zones.
- (2019-2020) Conducted assessments and trainings for NGOs to engage religious and civil society actors in preventing violent extremism.
- (2019-2021) Strengthened social cohesion through regional and country-specific programs.
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
- (2017) Researched religious actors’ roles in formal peace processes.
- (2018-2024) Focused on women-led mediations and specialized capacity building in violence-prone areas.
🇹🇭 Thailand
- (2019-2021) Developed regional programs to strengthen social cohesion across religious identities and guide policymakers.
🇹🇷 Turkey
- (2008-2010) Best Practices in Islamic Education: Facilitated workshops for Pakistani madrasa teachers and Turkish educators to incorporate tolerance, critical thinking, and conflict resolution into curricula.
🇪🇬 Egypt
- (2008-2010) Led workshops between Pakistani madrasa teachers and Egyptian religious educators to integrate tolerance, critical thinking, and conflict resolution into Islamic education curricula, drawing on diverse Muslim-majority contexts.
🇮🇷 Iran
- (2003) Convened US and Iranian interfaith delegations with policymakers to improve mutual understanding and relations through cross-cultural dialogue.
🇯🇴 Jordan
- (2021-present) Implementing the culturally and religiously relevant 1001 Nights program with Big Bad Boo to promote civic values and life skills, including conflict resolution, civic participation, preventing gender-based violence, and rule of law for vulnerable youth.
- (2016-2019) Conducted training workshops with an international delegation of Yemeni religious and community leaders on conflict resolution and extremism prevention program design and implementation.
🇱🇧 Lebanon
- (2021-present) Implementing the 1001 Nights program with Big Bad Boo to promote civic values and life skills for vulnerable youth.
- (2019) Participated in a global delegation of religious peacebuilding practitioners, engaging multi-faith leaders and NGOs to support social cohesion and stability strategies, including work in Syrian refugee camps in Akkar Valley.
- (2016-2019) Conducted training workshops with Yemeni religious and community leaders on conflict resolution and extremism prevention.
- (2010) Facilitated interfaith and intercultural peacebuilding workshops.
- (2009-2012) Produced the Back from the Brink documentary and educational materials addressing radicalization and identity-based violence, focusing on the role of religion in prevention, intervention, and recovery.
🇱🇾 Libya
- (2018-present) Developing mechanisms for religious inclusion in peace processes in partnership with the African Union, UN Mediation Support Unit, and others.
- (2018-present) Conducted case studies and capacity-building on women-led negotiations and mediations in extremist-affected areas.
- (2017) Studied the impact of religious and traditional actors on official government peace processes (Track 1).
🇲🇦 Morocco
- (2016-2018) Designed a training manual on extremism prevention and implemented it using a training-of-trainers methodology for NGOs, religious influencers, and government institutions.
- (2015-2017) Conducted studies with government and community partners on conservative religious actors’ roles in preventing radicalization, resulting in actionable recommendations.
🇵🇸 Palestinian Territories
- (2006) Facilitated faith-based reconciliation workshops.
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
- (2019-2022) Developed and implemented training programs for public school educators, focusing on globalization, critical thinking, human rights, religious literacy, and tolerance.
- (2011-2022) Supported reforms to remove intolerant content from Saudi public school textbooks through comprehensive assessments.
- (2014) Facilitated a workshop with US and Saudi educators on integrating tolerance into pedagogy and curriculum, fostering ongoing education reform partnerships.
🇸🇾 Syria
- (2012-2013) Co-designed a Pact for Coexistence with ethnic and religious groups in al-Hasakah through faith-based reconciliation seminars.
- (2010) Facilitated interfaith and intercultural peacebuilding workshops.
- (2018-present) Developing mechanisms for religious inclusion in peace processes in partnership with the UN Mediation Support Unit and others.
- (2018-present) Conducting case studies and capacity-building on women-led negotiations in extremist-affected areas.
🇹🇳 Tunisia
- (2019-2020) Conducted assessments and trainings for NGOs to engage religious and civil society actors in preventing extremism using ICRD’s contextualized training manual.
- (2015-2017) Conducted studies on conservative religious actors’ roles in preventing radicalization, resulting in actionable recommendations.
🇾🇪 Yemen
- (2021-present) Created a network of US and Yemeni university students to enhance empathy and global citizenship through virtual exchanges and podcast production.
- (2014-2021) Supported Yemeni religious and community leaders in designing and implementing conflict resolution and extremism prevention programs.
- (2017-2020) Supported community dialogues to bridge the national peace process with local needs.
- (2015-2017) Conducted studies on conservative religious actors’ roles in preventing radicalization, resulting in context-specific recommendations.
- (2015) Produced a field study on perceptions of the peace process in southern Yemen.
- (2018-present) Developing mechanisms for religious inclusion in peace processes in partnership with the UN Mediation Support Unit and others.
- (2018-present) Conducting women-led negotiation case studies in extremist-affected areas to inform capacity-building efforts.
🇨🇲 Cameroon
- (2020-2023) Partnered with the Salam Institute for Peace and Justice under a USAID West Africa-supported program to test the impact of civic values, critical thinking, and constructive pedagogy on extremist attitudes among informal educators and students in the Lake Chad Region.
🇹🇩 Chad
- (2020-2023) Supported Salam Institute in training students in informal religious education spaces on civic values such as tolerance, critical thinking, and conflict resolution, measuring the impact on their vulnerability to religious prejudice and violent extremism.
🇪🇹 Ethiopia
- (2018-2020) Conducted a series of multi-year studies with key government, religious, and community-based partners on the constructive role of conservative religious actors and institutions in preventing radicalization and ideological violence, resulting in context-specific recommendations for action.
- (2018-present) Developing and implementing mechanisms for religious inclusion in ongoing peace processes in partnership with the African Union, UN Mediation Support Unit, and others.
🇨🇮 Ivory Coast
- (2010) Conducted interfaith and conflict prevention trainings with madrasa religious-school leaders.
🇰🇪 Kenya
- (2018-2020) Conducted assessments and trainings for local non-governmental organizations to effectively engage religious and civil society actors in preventing violent extremism, using ICRD’s contextualized training-of-trainers manual.
- (2018-present) Developed case studies and provided specialized capacity building based on negotiations and mediations led by women of faith from areas threatened by extremist and communal violence.
🇲🇱 Mali
- (2022-present) Built the capacity of Malian women from 15 different regions to undertake effective community-level actions for preventing extremism.
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- (2014) Supported the locally based Interfaith Mediation Centre in implementing Muslim-Christian dialogues for violence prevention.
- (2018-present) Developed case studies and provided specialized capacity building based on negotiations and mediations led by women of faith from areas threatened by extremist and communal violence.
🇸🇸 South Sudan
- (2017) Conducted a study on the role and impact of religious and traditional actors on official (“Track 1”) peace processes.
🇸🇩 Sudan
- (1999-2002) Developed the Sudan Interreligious Council to advance dialogues in support of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement.
- (2018-present) Developing and implementing mechanisms for religious inclusion in ongoing peace processes in partnership with the African Union, UN Mediation Support Unit, and others.
🇺🇬 Uganda
- (2020-2023) Collaborated with key Islamic education stakeholders to conduct a first-of-its-kind study of national Madrasa education and implemented follow-on programs to enhance pedagogy and curriculum, with a focus on social cohesion and tolerance, critical thinking, and student leadership.
🇨🇴 Colombia
- (2013-2017) Led women of faith reconciliation trainings and community workshops to support the sustainable reintegration of former combatants across eight conflict-impacted regions.
- (2016-2017) Conducted military academy and university trainings on the constructive engagement of faith communities in conflict prevention and reconciliation.
- (2017) Conducted a study on the role and impact of religious and traditional actors on official (“Track 1”) peace processes.
- (2018-2024) Developed case studies and provided specialized capacity building based on negotiations and mediations led by women of faith from areas threatened by extremist and communal violence.
🇵🇾 Paraguay
- (2014) Delivered training and consultations with the military on constructive engagement with religious communities to prevent extremist violence.
🇺🇸 United States
- (2007-2013) Organized forums on Capitol Hill with diaspora and Muslim-American leaders to deepen policymakers’ understanding of concerns in Muslim-majority countries.
- (2009-2012) Produced the Back from the Brink documentary film and educational materials addressing radicalization and identity-based violence, exploring the role of religion in prevention in Pakistani madrasa religious schools, youth gang violence in the U.S., and post-conflict recovery in Lebanon.
- (2010-2011) Authored the Connecting the Dots report for the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom regarding religious intolerance reform in Pakistani madrasa education.
- (2015-2016) Collaborated with universities and Christian and Muslim faith leaders to promote interfaith understanding and reduce Islamophobia.
- (2021-2023) Enhanced empathy and global citizenship values through virtual exchanges and podcast production by American and Yemeni university students.
- (2021-2024) Conducted assessments and workshops with faith leaders in divided communities to develop ministerial tools to address toxic polarization, rehumanize perceived adversaries, and dialogue across differences.
- (2022-2024) Networked faith communities to develop skills in understanding and countering mis- and disinformation currently fomenting potential identity violence.
🌍 Balkans
- (2018-2024) Developed case studies and provided specialized capacity building based on negotiations and mediations led by women of faith from areas threatened by extremist and communal violence.
🍀 Northern Ireland
- (2018) Conducted a workshop with a global network of faith-based peacebuilders on best practices and intentional inclusion.
- (2018-present) Developed case studies and provided specialized capacity building based on negotiations and mediations led by women of faith from areas threatened by extremist and communal violence.
🇪🇸 Spain
- (2018-2020) Led a “research-to-action” community-based study advising policymakers on engaging conservative faith actors in preventing extremism.
🌍 Western Balkans
- (2019-2020) Developed and socialized a manual on trauma-informed care in government-civil society partnerships for violent extremism prevention.