Religions for Peace and Templeton World Charity Foundation Join Forces for “Forgiveness at the Roots of Faiths” Project

Religions for Peace is pleased to announce a new project sponsored by the Templeton World Charity Foundation, Inc., “Forgiveness at the Roots of Faiths – How Understanding the Science of Forgiveness Can Better Heal and Restore Communities of Faith.” At the heart of this project lies a profound question: How can the science of forgiveness and reconciliation be holistically integrated within faith, ethnic, and Indigenous communities, fostering true healing and restoration? 

In regions grappling with historical ethnic communal violence and conflict, forgiveness and reconciliation are the keys to rebuilding trust and fostering peaceful coexistence. This project aims to empower global religious leaders from all faiths with scientifically validated forgiveness tools. Religions for Peace aims to amplify the science of forgiveness within its communities, setting the stage for multi-religious, multi-collaborative peacebuilding efforts, essential for lasting, transformative peace. 

This project also seeks to combat polarisation caused by a lack of forgiveness and reassert that the practice of forgiveness not only defeats dehumanisation but also paves the way for healing, restoration and reconciliation where it is needed most. As a pilot project, Religions for Peace will begin in Liberia and Zimbabwe, by creating and adapting existing toolkits to help train religious leaders in empowering and enabling their faith communities to seek forgiveness.  

Religions for Peace envisions this initiative as a beacon of hope, changing long existing narratives that inhibit the deep work that forgiveness entails. Together, we aim to replicate and scale the success of this project across our network, positing that forgiveness must be an integral part of peacebuilding efforts worldwide. 

Stay tuned for updates as we embark on this transformative journey, for we believe that the aspiration for forgiveness is not limited to communities scarred by violence and trauma but should be an integral part of peacebuilding work wherever Religions for Peace is present.