Dialogue and Outreach

General Introduction to the Department

The Department of Dialogue and Outreach at the OIC General Secretariat is in charge of the dossiers of dialogue with the various faiths and civilizations across the world and Religious Affairs.

Up until April 2016, the Department of Dialogue and Outreach used to be called “The Department of Dawa”. Nonetheless, in order to ease the qualitative transitions witnessed in the world over the past decades, and in response to the new resolutions as well as to elevate the OIC’s discourse and upgrade its management of international development in relation to the OIC files, the General Secretariat decided to change the name of the Department of Dawa to the Department of Dialogue and Outreach.

The vision of the Department of Dialogue and Outreach, as derived from the preambulary paragraphs of the OIC Charter, is to contribute to understanding and dialogue among civilizations, cultures and religions as well as to foster noble Islamic values concerning moderation, tolerance, and respect for diversity. Further, as stipulated in Article 1 of the Charter, the department shall, among others, disseminate, promote and preserve the Islamic teachings and values based on moderation and tolerance as well as protect and defend the true image of Islam, to combat defamation of Islam and encourage dialogue among civilizations and religions.

In short, interfaith, intercultural, and inter-civilizational dialogue has been the priority of the Department of Dialogue and Outreach in developing a culture of peace and moderation among nations and civilizations. Such dialogue is an effective tool for combating extremism and intolerance that impede the development of a culture of peace and understanding. Further, it makes people more connected and raises awareness among them of the dangerous implications of hatred, discrimination, and violence against people based on their faith, culture, and religion.

The Department Files

General position

* The Department of Dialogue and Outreach conducts dialogue intended to bridge the fear and lack of understanding that divide people of different religions, cultures, and civilizations. The continuous growing trend of intolerance and extremism in the world today has sent an urgent message that dialogue must play a bigger role to cope with the constant challenges. This means that interfaith, intercultural, and inter-civilizational dialogue needs to be intensified and expanded in terms of their participation and action.

* At the most fundamental level, the OIC Charter, Ten Year Program of Action, updated with the OIC-2025, and other official documents underscore the Organization’s determination to uphold the importance of dialogue and commitment to combat all forms and manifestations of intolerance, extremism, and radicalism.

Enhancing the roles of religious leaders to promote peace and development

* The Department of Dialogue and Outreach encourages religious and community leaders to work jointly in promoting peace and development; and to address the root causes of intolerance and discrimination based on religion.

* Religious leaders can play the role of arbitrators as they enjoy authority, legitimacy, and support from local communities. More importantly, religious leaders usually have a wide audience among large parts of the population.

* Religious leaders are the potential mediators and facilitators in conflict resolution and peacebuilding, especially since they often have the political power to influence decision-makers and conflicting parties.

Engaging Politicians in the Dialogue Process

* The Department of Dialogue and Outreach keeps engaging with political leaders in dialogue with religious leaders as they are deemed to be very relevant, especially on the understanding that the roles of religious leaders could be played more effectively when they get political support.

* Political leaders, along with religious leaders, are deemed capable to create peace and harmony amongst religions in multicultural societies, as political leaders have control over infrastructures through which an effective role could enjoy public facilities and protection.

* Political leaders could play an even bigger role in this context, since they have the capacity to mobilize resources that are often to be very significant in peacebuilding measures.

The Department’s Activities

* The Department supported the active participation of the OIC leadership at the Seventh Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, in Nur-Sultan City, Kazakhstan, in September 2022. The congress is convened triennially on the initiative by the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, H.E. Mr. Nursultan Nazarbayev.

* The Department organized and took part actively in a joint webinar with the European Union on freedom of religion and belief, intercultural and interfaith dialogue on 24 February 2022. The organization of this webinar came as a follow up to the last Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) between the OIC and the EU held in July 2020, where both parties agreed to boost partnership through the organization of joint programs/workshops on selected topics including interfaith and intercultural dialogue. It was also part of the implementation of the MOU signed between the OIC and the European External Action Services of the EU in 2015 with the aim of strengthening dialogue and cooperation in areas of mutual interest.

* The Department supported the active participation of the OIC Permanent Observer in Brussels at the Conference on Intercultural and Interfaith Dialogue: Building Trust among Future Communities, 11 November 2021, in Prague. The conference was jointly hosted by the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, the Anna Lindh Foundation, and a Prague-based group of ambassadors of OIC Member States.

* The Department organized, in cooperation with King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Center for Interfaith and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID), a workshop under the theme of: “Together for Diversity and Enhanced Interfaith Dialogue”, which was hosted in Jakarta, Indonesia on 18-19 December 2019. The objective of the workshop was to enrich inter-cultural dialogue, boost inter-faith and inter-civilizational dialogue, and prevent or alleviate conflict in South and South Eastern Asia. The workshop brought together participants from policy-makers and religious leaders of both Buddhist and Islamic backgrounds from Indonesia, Myanmar, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.

* In December 2017, the Department together with various concerned parties (governments, international organizations, think tanks, academic institutions, and civil society institutions) observed the execution of a joint initiative with KAICIID, the Inter-Religious Council in Thailand (IRC), the Institute of Human Rights and Peace Studies (IHRP) in Thailand, the University of Mahidol, and the University of Fatoni. This involved the staging of a workshop in Bangkok, a workshop that brought together civil society and religious leaders along with policymakers and government representatives to identify the challenges facing religious communities in South and South – Eastern Asia.

Director of the Department (To be appointed)