Considerations in Designing the Guide

The designers of this guide took a number of considerations into account in its development:

An Interactive and Participatory Training Methodology

We wanted the guide to truly honor local capabilities and indigenous wisdom and to draw the local group’s attention to its own values and resources. The guide therefore uses a participatory, interactive, and learner-centered approach in all of the activities offered. The guide actively involves members of an interfaith group in learning and exploring together. The activities are designed to build on the understandings, knowledge, skills, and experiences that members bring with them and therefore are “elicitive,” meaning that they were designed to draw out participants’ knowledge as the basis for discussions and learning. This approach allows the activities to be adapted to meet the interests, needs, and cultural context of the group.

The guide has been written so that the activities can be undertaken by the group itself, without having to rely on the assistance of an outside facilitator. With an appropriate amount of planning, it should be possible for members with a moderate amount of experience in facilitating group discussion to conduct many of the activities. We want to empower interfaith groups to do their own work and to develop the competence and confidence to also be able to facilitate the more challenging and even risky sessions.

Culturally Appropriate

We have written this guide in the hope that it is suitable for to groups in many different cultural contexts. The stories, readings, and handouts come from all over the world. We nonetheless encourage you to adapt each activity in a way that will work well in your context, while still keeping in mind the original intent. Later in this section we offer guidance on how to do this.

Focus on the Special Role of Interfaith Groups

There are many manuals and books written for peacebuilders. This is a guide for interfaith peacebuilders. It therefore brings a distinctive perspective to peacebuilding and is grounded in the values and the special potentials that communities of faith and especially interfaith bodies have for transforming conflict. A document of the World Conference on Religion and Peace describes those potentials this way:

Many religions possess social and moral characteristics that give them the potential to act as constructive forces for peace and conflict transformation. Dispersed throughout societies and often organized at the national and international levels, religious communities represent significant potential channels for communication and action. Religious traditions establish ethical visions that can summon those that believe in them to powerful forms of committed action.[i]

The potential of religious and spiritual communities for making an impact for peace is multiplied when you consider the principles upon which interfaith groups are founded and the commitment to peace and understanding these groups display merely by virtue of their existence. This commitment is eloquently captured in the principles of the United Religions Initiative (see Resources Section of this guide).

Grounded in a Positive-Change Perspective

Positive approaches to peacebuilding pay particular attention to local resources for change — those strengths, capacities, and best practices and experiences — that are present in every culture and can be more actively mobilized for peacebuilding. They focus on what gives life to the system and work to strengthen those factors, rather than placing a primary focus on analyzing root causes of the conflict for the purpose of reducing them. Many of the activities in this guide are grounded in a positive-change approach. One such methodology, Appreciative Inquiry, connects people to these peace-generating resources and uses them to help create a shared vision of the future and to mobilize for action.

The guide provides an opportunity for peacebuilders to become directly acquainted with Appreciative Inquiry and to view peacebuilding through its lens (see activities 6-6 to 6-9).

How This Guide Is Organized

The guide is divided into six major sections. Each section can “stand alone;” this allows the users to work with whatever section or sections are most timely and of greatest interest. For those users who are considering working with the entire guide, the activities have also been developed to be used sequentially, and indeed, the designers had a certain logic in mind as we put the pieces together.

Foundational Skills

Section Two contains activities to develop the foundational skills that any interfaith group needs to master in order to get the most out of its meetings. This section will be especially useful for groups that are newly forming or for those that would like to refresh these essential skills and become even more competent in using them. While these activities are not the more “glamorous” ones in the guide, without them no interfaith group can expect to learn and grow. The activity on deep listening, for example, helps us realize how complicated listening can be. Each of the activities that follow in subsequent sections assume that groups have achieved some level of competency in these foundational skills, so the activities in this section help a group prepare to work with the rest of the activities in the guide.

Understanding Other Faiths

Section Three has two subsections. The first is built around the premise that knowing oneself is an initial step in interfaith peacebuilding. This subsection helps users clarify their own values and attitudes about their religious or spiritual path, appreciate the commonalities and differences within their tradition, and come to terms with some of the paradoxes, open questions, and challenges of the active practice of faith. It also begins the process of opening doors to communication with people of other traditions. For example, “I thought you would never ask!” (Activity 3-3) invites each participant to prepare two questions about the teachings and practices of one of the other religious or spiritual traditions represented in the group.

The second subsection invites us to deepen our understanding of other faiths with creative activities that include drawing an interfaith map of the local community and using art to explore religions.

Building Interfaith Community

Section Four also has two subsections. The first offers activities that build awareness of how our perceptions influence our thinking and behavior, as well as activities to uncover positive potential in a group or situation. The second subsection invites interfaith groups to deepen their understanding of their own and others’ religious or spiritual path by exploring such topics as how my religion contributes to the inclusion or exclusion of the “other,” and by tackling more difficult issues an interfaith group might face, such as bias and prejudice.

Areas of Work for the Interfaith Peacebuilders

Section Five is especially relevant for those interfaith groups that want to take a next step in learning how they can become an active force for peace within their community. This section builds some entry-level skills in conflict analysis, interfaith dialogue, nonviolent action, and reconciliation.

Taking Action

Having explored the main ways in which interfaith groups take in the previous in Section Five, Section Six helps the interfaith group to consider the unique contribution it could make as in interfaith peacebuilding. Activities include considering the potential opportunities and risks in taking action, surveying the community for potential partners, and creating a vision and an action plan for moving forward.

Basic Principles for Leading Interfaith Activities

Here are some basic principles that the designers of this guide consider to be essential for leading interfaith activities.

Establishing Equality

Religious and spiritual traditions offer different paths in the discovery of truth(s). In interfaith gatherings we assume that all members of the different faith traditions are equal. In interfaith work for peacebuilding, equality is a central core value.

Developing a Culture of Pluralism and Inclusion

A foundational value and principle of interfaith community-building and peacebuilding is pluralism. It recognizes the right of diverse faith traditions to coexist without promoting one view of religious truth. The interfaith group must never be a space for attempts at conversion. On the contrary, interfaith peacebuilding is precisely a forum for promoting inclusion of all faiths and all voices. There are, indeed, still boundaries that distinguish the diverse religious and spiritual identities brought into the interfaith circle. In the interfaith context, however, these boundaries must not be held up or manipulated to exclude another or to establish a sense of religious superiority on the part of some.

Preserving Symmetry

In interfaith peacebuilding, the principle of symmetry is employed to provide group members with an equal opportunity to articulate and express their religious identities and to fulfill their different spiritual needs. It is important, therefore, for leaders to be aware of asymmetries — imbalances — in relationships among members of the group and to safeguard against those dynamics in the group, particularly among parties with current or traditional enmities or a history of economic, social, and power asymmetries.

Creating a “Voluntary Atmosphere”

Leaders should insure that group members are “invited” to participate in activities in a manner that allows them to say “no” without feeling embarrassed or put on the spot. While we assume that for the most part people who join an interfaith group are ready to engage with other members, there are many reasons why a group member may not want to participate in a particular activity. He or she may be feeling vulnerable, angry, or even just bored. As adults, members take responsibility for regulating their participation in ways that help them feel in control of their learning. It is the leader’s job to do everything possible to create a productive and safe learning environment. It is the individual group members’ job to speak up and let others know how they are experiencing a certain activity, especially if it feels too risky to participate.

Interfaith peacebuilding activities are based on respect for individual and group limits and boundaries. There are certain things that for individuals and for religious or cultural traditions are not easy — or permitted — to share, for example, interfaith prayer, entering other houses of worship, certain kinds of information, touching, greeting, etc. Creating an atmosphere that invites sharing and participation, but leaves people free to choose not to, is critical.

Going Beyond the “Comfort Zone”

Leaders must also develop a sensitivity to know when it is appropriate to gently encourage participants to go beyond the types and levels of interaction that have become comfortable for them as a group. This is an important issue in interfaith work. Some groups may never want to take on activities that may cause some discomfort for members of the group. Others may be ready and willing to tolerate the discomfort in order to reach a new level of understanding and to connect at a deeper level. It is clear to the writers of this guide that there is a lot to be gained by going deeper together and that this is the challenging work of interfaith groups. At the same time, individuals or groups must never be made to feel less worthy or unsuccessful if they are not ready for more high-risk activities. Often times if the leaders are willing to move beyond their own comfort zone, their modeling of confidence can help other members join in. If, however, the leaders cannot tolerate the discomfort themselves, they will not be able to help others stretch in new ways.

Building Participation

It is a right of each member of an interfaith group to actively participate and to help shape, guide, and lead the group’s activities. The diverse perspectives and styles that different members bring can help the group discover and learn new ways of communicating and doing things — of being together in community and developing cultures of peace.

Deciding How to Use This Guide

As already noted, we invite and encourage you to adapt this guide and its activities to meet the needs and interests of your group or a given situation. Some groups may want to work with the entire guide in a systematic way. Others may be drawn to a particular section or sections or to specific activities that seem especially relevant and timely. Still others will look through the guide and try out activities in various sections as “the spirit moves them,” not necessarily in any order. Once a group has tried out activities with its own members and is comfortable in leading them, it might want to consider taking the guide or parts of it out into the community and leading these activities in religious congregations, schools, or other types of community groups. Here are some possibilities to consider:

Integrate with Another Event: If you are planning a conference, meeting, or gathering whose goal is to further interfaith understanding or explore the role of interfaith groups in peacebuilding, you may be able to use one or two activities from the guide at an appropriate moment in the event. Many religious groups, for example, have an annual conference or gathering. If peacebuilding is a theme, “My Sources of Inspiration as a Religious or Spiritual Peacebuilder” (Activity 3-4) might be a good kickoff to the conference, to set the stage for what is to come.

A Morning, Afternoon, or Evening Workshop: A set of two or three activities would nicely fill a half-day or an evening workshop. For an event bringing participants from different faiths together for the first time, for example, leaders might choose “Creating a Safe Environment” (Activity 2-2) and then “Telling My Story: Influences on My Spiritual Journey” (Activity 3-1) and “I thought you would never ask!” (Activity 3-3).

A One-Day Workshop: A day-long worship is a good length of time for people to get acquainted and engage in interesting and useful discussions with one another. Interfaith groups interested in creative expression, for example, might use “An Interfaith Map of Our Local Community” (Activity 3-6), “Art As a Tool for Interfaith Understanding” (Activity 3-8), “Exploring Religious Art and Architecture” (Activity 3-9), and “Art that Heals and Art that Hurts” (Activity 3-10).

A Three-Day Workshop: For those groups wanting to move forward in their work more quickly, a three-day workshop offers that possibility. In this case it is particularly important to have skilled leaders to keep things moving in a productive manner and to help the group get the most out of its time together. A three-day workshop requires careful preparation. Leaders should carefully select activities both to serve the needs of the group and also to be sure the sequence of activities flows well from one to the next. If, for example, an interfaith group is ready to explore possible ways of taking in its community, a three-day workshop would allow it to sample a number of possibilities from Section Five, such as doing a conflict analysis of the situation they face, conducting interfaith dialogues, engaging in a nonviolent action, or contributing to healing and reconciliation. Section Six activities might be used to guide then in having a session with potential partners and using Appreciative Inquiry to create a vision and plan of action.

Over Several Months or a Year: For groups that are seeking a focus for their work, the guide can help them structure an “agenda” for a series of meetings over an extended period of time. This was the way in which the guide can be put to the maximum use, as a step-by-step process for building awareness, understanding, and skill in interfaith encounter and action.

The Role of Leader

As we have said, this guide does not presume that a group will engage an outside facilitator to lead the activities. They may be facilitated by group members who know how to create an environment that encourages inquiry and exploration. The leader enters into a process of joint discovery and learning with the other participants, not so much as a trainer or teacher but rather as a facilitator who ensures the integrity of the group process. It is a good idea to rotate leadership among members of the group so that different people have the opportunity to practice facilitation skills. With a reasonable amount of preparation, a commitment to learn and grow, a willingness to learn by doing, and an ability to solicit and learn from feedback, virtually anyone who enjoys interacting with other can lead these activities.

Often it works well to have two members work together as co-leaders. In an interfaith group this models what the group is trying to accomplish on a larger scale — being able to cooperate and collaborate on achieving shared goals. The basic skills of a good facilitator include many of the basic skills of a good peacebuilder!

Adapting Activities to the Needs of the Group

We offer below examples of three main types of adaptation that will be useful for certain types of groups: adaptations for the local culture, for groups based on gender, and for age-based groups. There are certainly other ways in which these activities may be adapted, so if this section triggers your creative energies, we are pleased! Your eye may stop, for example, at a particular question or part of an activity that you want to pull out and try out on its own. You might want to vary the pattern of moving in and out of small and large discussion groups, sometimes choosing to stay in the large group, if time is limited or a feeling of intimacy and depth has been achieved; or, conversely, doing more work in small groups if that will provide a safer environment for the discussion at hand; or, for an even greater degree of safety, having the group break into pairs. We encourage just this type of experimentation, and urge you to use this guide in whatever ways best meet your needs.

Adaptations for Culture

Although we have attempted to design the activities to accommodate diverse cultures, further adaptation may be required. Often such adaptation will come at the stage in which a group “processes” or reflects upon what they have experienced and learned in an activity just completed. Posing discussion questions such as the ones below helps to “customize” the guide to your own special needs.

How have we seen this concept working in our culture?

How are things the same or different here?

What would we need to change in this tool to make it more appropriate to our local situation?

Adaptations for Age

With minor adaptations, a number of these activities can be appropriate for children and young people. Adapting activities for youth usually means simplifying them and having just one clear focus. For example, creating “An Interfaith Map of My Local Community” (Activity 3-7) would be an excellent for older children. Instead of dipping into the many questions given for reflection and discussion, for children one central question is enough: “What are the religious or sacred sites that we know of in our neighborhood or our community?” Then, as children draw their map, the activity itself can generate a discussion naturally.

Adaptations for Gender

Any of the activities in this guide can be adapted for use with groups that are all women or all men. Again, it is the questions for reflection that are most likely to change. If, for example, the group has only women — or some other type of group is specifically focusing on the role of women in religion — the questions might include:

How has my religion treated women? What does it teach about the differences between men and women? In what ways has it excluded or included women?

Who have been women of great faith and compassion?

Which women do I look to as sources of inspiration?

What has been the role of women throughout the ages in religious peacebuilding?

What is the unique role of women today in interfaith peacebuilding?

Agreeing on Guidelines for Interaction

One of the first steps in the life of an interfaith group is to jointly identify and agree on some guidelines for how you want in interact in your times together. These agreements will help create a safe space in which the work can take place. This is an important activity that leaders must facilitate. The guidelines for interaction are best if they emerge from the group itself, though perhaps with the help of resource materials that other groups have developed. Once agreed upon, the guidelines become vitally important. They can be referred to at the beginning of each meeting or each activity undertaken in this guide as a kind of code of behavior that the group can use as a tool. If, for example, the group is experiencing a challenging moment in its process, the guidelines can suggest a way forward. As a group grows in its life together or as it tries some of the more challenging activities in this guide, it may want to revise or add to the list of guidelines established earlier. “Creating A Safe Environment” (Activity 2-2) helps a group establish guidelines for interaction and also provides suggestions for what might be included.