PaRD Becomes Even More Diverse and Welcomes Nine New Members

The International Partnership on Religion and Sustainable Development (PaRD) warmly welcomes nine new members. These new additions – A Common Word Among the Youth (ACWAY), Alliance for Peacebuilding, Break the Divide, Church of England, Cultural Youth Movement Education Foundation, G20 Interfaith Forum Association (IF20), Institute for Faith and Gender Empowerment, Rainbow Faith and Freedom, and Sikhi Council – showcase the diversity of this global alliance. The PaRD Steering Group and members are looking forward to a fruitful and successful collaboration with all new members.

Overview of new members

A Common Word Among the Youth (ACWAY)

A Common Word Among the Youth (ACWAY) is a global youth movement which brings together young people from a multitude of backgrounds to increase understanding of different cultures and faiths, promote peace and coexistence, by delivering local community activities. ACWAY is working on developing an international network of young leaders who contribute to co-existence and inter-faith relations. At the moment, it links 180 fellows in 85 countries. 

Alliance for Peacebuilding

The Alliance for Peacebuilding (AfP) is an award-winning 501(c) 3 not-for-profit, nonpartisan, network of 160+ organisations working in 181 countries to prevent conflict, reduce violence, improve lives, and build sustainable peace. AfP cultivates a network to strengthen and advance the peacebuilding field, enabling peacebuilding organisations to achieve greater impact. AfP has seen tremendous growth since its establishment in 2000. In 2018, AfP was awarded the Luxembourg Peace Prize in the category of Outstanding Peace Support, and in 2019, AfP was named the “number one influencer and change agent” among peacebuilding institutions worldwide. In 2022, AfP received the 14th annual Warren Knight Distinguished Service Award, which recognises the work of extraordinary individuals and organisations in advancing collaborative forms of dispute resolution and peaceful resolution of conflict.

Break The Divide

Break The Divide is an international non-profit organisation that connects youth worldwide through video calls and other forms of media to learn about topics of interest and act on issues facing communities, with specific focus on climate action, mental health and advocacy. Based on principles of environmentalism, sustainability, and reconciliation, Break The Divide focuses on fostering empathy and understanding to inspire action projects in communities. The organisations’s patent framework “apathy to empathy to action” seeks to build ways in which young people can connect and learn from one another in an increasingly polarized world, allowing them to build empathy for realities that they have never faced, and empowering them to transform that empathy into concrete actions that advance the creation of harmonious and abundant futures. Alongside its partners, Break The Divide hosts dialogues and produces reports, highlighting perspectives often unheard and misrepresented. With its commitment, the organisations contributes to the Inner and the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations’ (UN) 2030 Agenda.

Church of England

The Church of England is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion. It has more than 16,000 churches and 45 cathedrals, serving every part of England and across Europe. Members of the Church of England are actively involved in national life through a wide range of public bodies. Twenty-six bishops are members of the House of Lords and are engaged in debates about legislation and national and international affairs.

Cultural Youth Movement Education Foundation 

The Cultural Youth Movement Education Foundation is a non-governmental youth organisation. It aims to identify and address the root causes of the ongoing violent conflicts and ethno-religious crises in Nigeria and around the world. The youth organisation mobilises young people to contribute to peace and security, climate change, human dignity and gender balance, and the prohibition of small arms proliferation in Nigeria. Moreover, Cultural Youth Movement Education Foundation supports youth organisations and young leaders in their efforts to develop strategies to fight hunger, poverty and injustice in Nigeria. 

G20 Interfaith Forum Association (IF20)

The G20 Interfaith Forum (IF20) offers an annual platform where a network of religiously linked institutions and initiatives engage on global agendas (primarily and including the Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs). The annual G20 Summits are a critical time and place where priority global issues are considered. The G20 process has evolved since it was established in 2008, with various platforms (ministerial meetings, engagement groups) that allow different sectors and communities to present ideas and recommendations to global leaders. Its goal is to contribute meaningful insight and recommendations that respond to and help shape the G20 and thus global policy agendas.

Institute for Faith and Gender Empowerment

The Institute for Faith and Gender Empowerment (IFAGE) is registered in Kenya as a non-governmental organisation (NGO) working on gender justice and equality in sub-Saharan Africa through advocacy and empowerment programs targeting women and girls, religious and faith groups, community leadership, and youth organisations. IFAGE’s identity and strategy is to harness the potential of faith groups and religious communities in sub-Saharan Africa in order to address and transform harmful social gender norms that are the root causes of sexual and gender-based violence, injustices, and inequalities deeply entrenched in the socio-cultural, religious, political, and economic institutions that continue to oppress, disempower, and endanger the lives of many women and girls in the society, based on gender.

Rainbow Faith and Freedom

Rainbow Faith and Freedom is a global movement to confront religious-based LGBTI discrimination and improve the human and equality rights of LGBTI people everywhere. Decreasing and lessening the effects of religious-based LGBTI discrimination can, and will, make changing punitive laws easier and improve the lives of LBGTI people so they can be who they are, love who they want, and find safe and accepting places to practice their faith (worship). Rainbow Faith and Freedom is focused on three pillars of activity to address religious-based LGBTI discrimination – faith-based resources, strategic nation-focused programming, and domestic faith-based initiatives.

Sikhi Council

The Sikhi Council is an independent non-profit honorary body. The council shares spiritual wisdom (Gurmat) which was handed down in writing (Gurbani) since the 15th century and is the heart of Sikhi. It promotes respectful exchange among and with Sikhs of the coming generations as well as interfaith dialogue and cooperates with civil society and government bodies. The Council is a contact point for interested people as well as for the media, educational institutions such as nurseries, schools and universities, health and care institutions and public authorities. Based on the equal worthiness of all the people and human rights (especially articles 1,2, 7, 12, 18 and 19), the council advocates peaceful, equal and solidary coexistence as well as freedom of religious and belief (FoRB). Together with its partners, the Sikhi Council conducts workshops, provides educational and awareness material and recommendations which consider current individual and collective challenges humanity facing. With its commitment, the council contributes to the inner and the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations’ (UN) 2030 Agenda. It focuses on mental and physical well-being (SDG3), holistic education (SDG4), environmental and climate protection (SDG 13), peace and justice (SDG 16), and partnerships to achieve the goals (SDG 17).