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Interfaith Dialogue for Combating Extremism among Young People

Explore the role of interfaith education in preventing forms of violent extremism and building resilient communities.

2,853 enrolled on this course

  • Duration

    3 weeks
  • Weekly study

    3 hours

Learn how interfaith dialogue builds resilience to the influences of extremism

On this course, you’ll be introduced to interfaith and learn how to implement interfaith initiatives to encourage understanding between faiths and communities.

You’ll uncover radicalisation and extremism and learn how interfaith can contribute to resilience, which you’ll discover is key when responding to violence and polarisation.

You’ll also explore the practical challenges of conducting interfaith actions and dialogue, and use your experience to develop your own approach to dealing with issues that support the spreading of extremist ideas.

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Skip to 0 minutes and 13 seconds Have you read the news today? Do you see how terrorism, extremism, violence, and the surge of the far right in Europe are threatening our societies? How they fuel fear in our lives. Fear of the other. Of other communities, of other people, of other cultures, of other beliefs. But we can do something about this. We can understand and contrast our fear of the other. We can break down stereotypes, prejudice, and mistrust. We can extend a hand of friendship across borders, religions, and beliefs. We can do this through interfaith, which can take place at all levels. Among religious leaders, experts and politicians, but also, and most importantly, at the community and grassroots level. Among people.

Skip to 1 minute and 6 seconds Projects from those sponsored by international organisations and governments to those organised at the local level. All these interfaith activities and initiatives can contribute to building a more cohesive and peaceful society. Do you want to know more? Than join us in this course. You will learn about the issues facing modern day Europe and the world, including polarisation and violent extremism, as well as the rise of Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, and the far right. You will discover from experts and from people like yourselves interesting and successful examples of interfaith projects and initiatives, and you will learn how to develop your own project to support your local community in being resilient and in combating violent extremism and polarisation. Sign up now.

What topics will you cover?

  1. What is violent extremism and why does it occur?
  2. What is resilience and how does it offer a protection from the influences of extremism? How does interfaith education contribute to resilience?
  3. What are the main principles and approaches to interfaith work? How can religious literacy be helpful to counter bias and create trust among people from different religious backgrounds?
  4. Interfaith in Action: How has the interfaith field evolved over time and what lessons have been learnt?
  5. Draft your own interfaith dialogue project: practical tips and guidelines to build your own project.

When would you like to start?

Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.

  • Available now

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Reflect on what is resilience to violent extremism and how it can be achieved
  • Assess different approaches to interfaith dialogue and interfaith education projects
  • Develop your own interfaith dialogue project
  • Evaluate the impact of different interfaith approaches to preventing and combating polarisation in society

Who is the course for?

This course is designed for anyone interested in radicalisation, but will be of particular interest to civil society activists, religious organisations, formal and non-formal educators, social workers and local authorities.

Who will you learn with?

Anna Triandafyllidou is Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration at Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada.

Richard McNeil-Willson is the Research Associate for the BRaVE Project, based at the European University Institute, Florence, Italy

Director of CEJI-A Jewish Contribution to an Inclusive Europe and architect of the award winning training programme Belieforama: A Panoramic Approach to Issues of Religion or Belief.

Who developed the course?

European University Institute (EUI)

We are the European University Institute (EUI), the leading institute in Europe dedicated to social sciences and humanities. Founded in 1972 by the six original members of the then European Communities, the EUI has earned a reputation as a transnational hub of research and higher learning.

Learning on FutureLearn

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  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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