Where religions work together for a peaceful world.
Our Priorities
Multi Faith Prayer Service
Religions for Peace has invited its friends, partners, and believers to come together for a multi-faith prayer service on 3 February, 2022 to reflect on the past and pray for the future.
Translation services will be provided in Arabic, French, and Spanish.
Register
Happy Lunar New Year!
Religions for Peace would like to wish a Happy Lunar New Year to all those who celebrate. We wish all luck and happiness in the year ahead!
Religions for Peace faith leaders demand an accountability to peace
“Calling for peace and a de-escalation of the militarization of Ukraine’s borders is also a prayer for justice. Peace is a matter of choice and has to be shared by all the forces engaged in this concerning geopolitical context…while conflict may be a normal aspect of coexistence, war and violence are not inevitable.”
Religions for Peace and United Religions Initiative sign a memorandum of understanding
Leading global organizations Religions for Peace International (RfP) and United Religions Initiative (URI) to collaborate on vital peacebuilding action around the world.
Message of Condolences for The Most Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh
The Asian Conference of Religions for Peace has released a message of condolences for the Most Venerable Thich That Hanh, who passed away on January 22, 2022. At the First Assembly of World Conference of Religions for Peace (WCRP) in Kyoto, Japan in 1970, he said: “We are not saved by some new organization or some new doctrine. We are saved by our own humanity. How can we see the restoration of ourselves and our creation? This is the role of religion.”
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India’s successful launch of COVID-19 Vaccination for Adolescents
Dr. Vinu Aram, President of Shanti Ashram writes about her experiences during the first week of Shanti Ashram’s initiative to raise COVID-19 and vaccine awareness.
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Building Together Better
Religions for Peace Secretary General Dr. Azza Karam spoke with Good News Planet about the effects of positive peace and how there needs to be a common understanding between religious leaders so that they are working together to spread the same positive messages to their followers.
Click to Listen
Ending Modern Slavery - the Role of Religious Actors:
From the 20th of October 2020 to the 8th of December 2021, Religions for Peace Honorary Presidents -the Sovereign Order of Malta – with the leadership of the Ambassador of the Order of Malta to monitor and combat trafficking in persons (Ambassador M. Veuthey), in cooperation with Sister Mirjam Beike, RGS, organized 16 webinars on human trafficking. See a detailed report on the remarkable discussions and actions undertaken.
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Youth Engagement with Religion and Faith in the 21st Century
Religions for Peace and partners are proud to present “Youth Engagement with Religion and Faith in the 21st Century”, a collection of papers that seek to highlight youth input on global issues.
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Conference on “Faith and Diplomacy: Strategic reflections”
On December 10, 2021, Religions for Peace along with the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations held a meeting on examining the nexus of faith and diplomacy. The meeting revolved around reflecting on the role of religious leaders and faith-based organisations on working with governmental agencies to work on key issues such as the environment, vaccine distribution, tackling hate speech and misinformation, and gender-based violence.
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The Tone-Deaf Crusade for COVID-19 Boosters
Professor Dr. Azza Karam published a new opinion piece on how the push for COVID-19 boosters is not the solution to ending the pandemic. Religious leaders and governments need to work together to ensure that the whole world is vaccinated first. On December 13, 2021, Dr. Karam was a part of the Virtual Press Conference on WTO TRIPS Waiver with Faith Leaders to discuss how leaders from the global faith community will release a letter signed by 115 organizations, representing five world faith traditions, calling on World Trade Organization member countries to act before year’s end to waive Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights rules.
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Statement of Religions for Peace Women of Faith on Overcoming Violence Against Women
Violence against women is on the rise more than ever, especially during the pandemic. The Religions for Peace International Women’s Coordinating Committee and Global Women of Faith Network have issued the Statement of Religions for Peace Women of Faith on Overcoming (Sexual) Violence Against Women. They proclaim to honor multi-religious collaboration to continue the social and spiritual care of people and seek partnerships among governmental and non-governmental entities to ensure the elimination of gender-based violence around the world.
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Religious Leaders Affirm Commitment at COP26
On November 3, Religions for Peace and partners hosted the “Making Peace with Nature: Heeding the Call of Indigenous People” side event at COP26. The event explored how and why it is necessary to protect indigenous peoples rights and spiritualities to achieve the goals of the Paris climate agreement. The Government of Norway also announced its support for the next phase of the Interfaith Rainforest Initiative (IRI), a unique collaboration between the United Nations and the world’s religions that is mobilizing faith-based movements to protect forests and the rights of Indigenous people globally and in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
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"Political power seeks to weaken and divide religious leaders"
Dr. Azza Karam speaks about the importance of religion, effects of the pandemic, lessons to be learned from Afghanistan and more in her recent interview with Alfa & Omega.
Read the Interview
Women of Faith Network
In October, Ms. Ravinder Kaur Nijjar, Chair of the Religions for Peace UK Women of Faith Network handed the Women of Faith Statement to His Royal Highness Prince Charles at the Kirking of the Scottish Parliament. This moment and the Women of Faith COP26 side event made it in The Herald. The Women of Faith Network is Religions for Peace’s largest and oldest grassroots leadership network.
Read the Statement
Making Peace with Nature Recording
Highlights from the Conference on Faith and Diplomacy
Click to read the event summary of the Conference on Faith and Diplomacy: Generations in Dialogue which highlighted the need for religious actors, the youth, policymakers, and civil society actors to work together.
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Covid-19 and the Role of Religion in the Pandemic
Professor Dr. Azza Karam speaks with Deutsche Welle about how more people are turning to religion because of traumas caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic such as mental health and gender-based violence. She emphasises the need for religious institutions and science to work together and for religious actors to “disseminate scientific knowledge.”
Click to Watch the Interview
Religions for Peace World Council Announces New Pledge of Solidarity
NEW YORK, Oct. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — The Religions for Peace World Council, composed of roughly 60 top leaders from diverse religious institutions and faith communities, released a joint statement this morning expressing interfaith solidarity against violence, climate change, and the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The human family faces numerous crises, from extremists who perversely justify gender-based and political violence on religious grounds; to unsustainable economic practices that threaten the environment and public health; to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic that has exacerbated global inequities,” said Dr. Azza Karam, Secretary-General of Religions for Peace. “Never has there been a more urgent need for interfaith cooperation to serve the common good of humanity. That’s why we’ve released this new statement of solidarity.”
Read the Full Statement
Religions for Peace awarded the European Culture Prize Award
On October 1, 2021, Religions for Peace was awarded the “Pro Humanitate” award for bringing religions together through dialogue during the European Culture Prize Award Ceremony held in Lindau, Germany.
Professor Azza Karam accepted the award and said in her speech that “[W]hat is most important for me to be able to share with you here today is that this recognition that you have graciously bestowed on us is not the recognition of an organisation, it isn’t the recognition of a global movement… it is fundamentally a recognition of the fact that the orchestra of life, the most beautiful of life’s music is performed quintessentially by the Divine and the Divine within each of us who have faith.”
Twenty Years After September 11, 2001: Institutions on Decline, But Religion Rising?
Professor Dr. Azza Karam published a new opinion piece on how institutions are being replaced by religion in a post 9/11 world. This means that religion and religious organization have to be responsible for solving the world’s problems. However, the responsibility needs to fall on both institutions and religion. Both need to work together to help the world.
Read the Op-Ed
U.N. Secretary-General Calls Latest IPCC Climate Report ‘Code Red for Humanity’
The UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the IPCC Working Group’s report was nothing less than “a code red for humanity. The alarm bells are deafening, and the evidence is irrefutable”.
He noted that the internationally-agreed threshold of 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels of global heating was “perilously close. We are at imminent risk of hitting 1.5 degrees in the near term. The only way to prevent exceeding this threshold, is by urgently stepping up our efforts, and persuing the most ambitious path.”
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Religions for Peace is committed to leading effective multi-religious responses to the world’s pressing issues. We believe ambitious goals and complex problems can best be tackled when different faith communities work together.
Mission, Vision, Principles
Conference of the World Council of Religious Leaders on Faith and Diplomacy: Generations in Dialogue
Diplomacy is the oldest means of trying to build peaceful, just, inclusive coexistence in our global community. Religion is the oldest system of language, instruction and institutional existence. Where do the two meet?
Religions for Peace and Ring for Peace with the support of the German Federal Foreign Office, hosted the Conference of the World Council of Religious Leaders on Faith and Diplomacy: Generations in Dialogue, which was held in Lindau, Germany, from 4-7 October 2021.
Click below to read the highlights from the event.
Learn MoreSix Key Priorities
Peaceful, Just, and Inclusive Societies
Our faith traditions inspire us to be changemakers where conflict, mass displacement, poverty, violent extremism and inequality call for common action
Gender Equality
Equality for women and girls is a foundation for securing a more peaceful and inclusive world for all people.
The Environment
Recognising the intimate connection between all forms of life and communities, we are committed to nurturing a sustainable environment.
Freedom of Thought, Conscience, and Religion
Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. We bring faith communities together to champion this right for all.
Interreligious Education
Understanding diverse traditions is vital to increasing trust, respect, and cooperation among all people and faiths.
Global Partnerships
Strong partnerships with governments, civil society, and faith-based organisations ensures that our work is effective and leaves no one behind.