Violence in the name of religion has become one of the greatest challenges facing humanity. This session will explore how interfaith efforts to confront this challenge are a critical component of the overall effort to counter violent extremism, prevent mass atrocities and genocide, rebuild communities and societies post-conflict, build positive relationships between people of different beliefs and create the conditions that are essential for sustainable peace.

Religion itself is not a cause of the problem, because the basic teaching of all religion is compassion, love, forgiveness.

- Mussie Hailu

Moderator:

 Prof. Dr. Azza Karam

 Secretary-General of Religions for Peace

 Senior Advisor at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

 Chair of the UN Interagency Task Force on Religion

Video Case Presentation

Introduced by:

 Dr. Emmanuel Ande Ivorgba

 URI-West Africa Regional Coordinator

Panelists:

 Samira Fatma Baručija

 Co-Founder of Youth for Peace, Bosnia and Herzegovina, a URI Cooperation Circle

 Mussie Hailu

 URI Director of Global Partnerships and URI-Africa Regional Director

 URI Representative at the UN and the African Union and Former Ambassador

 Mamoun Khreisat

 Regional Coordinator for URI Middle East and North Africa

 James Patton

 President and CEO of the International Center for Religion & Diplomacy (ICRD)

 Musa Sanguila

 Director of Pakigdait Inc., a URI Cooperation Circle

 URI-Philippines Country Coordinator

 Jessica Trubowitch

 Director of Public Policy and Community Building of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of San Francisco

 Janessa Gans Wilder

 Founder and CEO of the Euphrates Institute, a URI Cooperation Circle