The PaRD Annual Forum 2025 will convene in Istanbul under the theme “Faith-Inspired Action for Food Security, Justice, and Well-being”. At a moment marked by geopolitical tensions, climate-induced crises, shrinking civic space, and financial constraints, the Forum offers reflection and solution-oriented discussions on hunger, poverty, inequality, and injustice.
PaRD’s Annual Forum on Religion and Sustainable Development convenes a diverse array of representatives from government entities, multilateral organisations, academic institutions and faith-based and other civil society organisations, providing a platform for knowledge exchange, showcasing good practices, and developing practical recommendations. It aims to amplify the contributions of religious actors to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and enhance their global visibility.
Building on PaRD’s engagement in the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, launched at the G20 Summit in Rio in 2024, the forum will reaffirm the critical contributions of religious actors to advancing SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). Showcasing innovative, locally rooted initiatives, the forum will highlight how values-driven approaches can strengthen resilience and promote inclusive, sustainable solutions.
Istanbul as a Symbolic Meeting Point
Istanbul, long recognized as a bridge between continents, faiths, and cultures, provides a symbolic and strategic setting for this gathering. Its history of convergence mirrors PaRD’s mission: fostering inclusive dialogue, nurturing mutual respect, and enabling collaboration across sectors, regions and worldviews.
Objectives of the gathering
The 2025 Annual Forum builds on PaRD’s unique role as a multistakeholder platform that enables inclusive dialogue and collaboration. Its objectives are:
1. Facilitate the exchange of experiences and good practices from faith-inspired initiatives that build resilience, address injustice, and contribute to transformative change in diverse regional and contexts relevant in global affairs.
2. Foster mutual understanding and trust across sectors and traditions, creating common ground for ethical leadership and values-driven dialogue and member-led cooperation in the face of political, social, and funding-related disruptions.
3. Showcase the unique contributions of multistakeholder partnerships and concrete examples of faith-based contributions to the SDGs and global affairs.
4. Reflect on PaRD’s collective journey ahead of its 10th jubilee in 2026, reassessing the network’s structure, relevance, and way of working – while identifying concrete pathways for deeper engagement and renewed strategic direction.
A Moment of Reckoning and Renewal
As PaRD approaches its tenth anniversary in 2026 this year’s Forum will provide the opportunity not only to highlight PaRD’s achievements, but also to ask fundamental questions: How can PaRD adapt its organisational, thematic, and operational approaches to remain relevant in a rapidly changing development landscape in the decade to come? How can multistakeholder partnerships secure their exisitance despite shrinking civic space and financial constraints? It will reaffirm shared values, address pressing challenges, and chart pathways for PaRD’s next chapter – one that bridges divides and co-creates a more just, resilient, and nourishing world.
