Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
Faith Community: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
Dr. Brian Adams brings more than two decades of global leadership in interfaith and intercultural dialogue to his work. With a PhD in Political Science and master’s degrees in Community Development and Conflict Resolution, he directed the Centre for Interfaith and Cultural Dialogue at Griffith University in Australia, where he convened international dialogue forums and mobilized cross-sector partnerships in Africa, Europe, North America and the Asia-Pacific. He founded the G20 Interfaith Forum to highlight how faith and philosophical traditions contribute to global economic and development agendas, and is fluent in English, French and Swahili — allowing his work to bridge varied cultural and linguistic contexts.
He was founding director of the Centre for Interfaith & Cultural Dialogue in Brisbane, Australia and the architect of the G20 Interfaith Forum, among other dialogue platforms. Dr. Adams is the Chair of the governing board for A Common Word Among the Youth (ACWAY), an international NGO supporting youth leadership in interfaith and intercultural dialogue and works closely with URI-Europe.
In his role on the Senior Advisory Council of URI, Dr. Adams brings deep expertise in dialogue facilitation, conflict mediation and institutional design to support URI’s Executive Director, staff and Global Council. He serves as an ambassador for URI within the global interfaith and multi-stakeholder ecosystem, helping cultivate networks, strategic partnerships and funding opportunities.
His proven ability to convene diverse actors and generate policy-relevant outcomes strengthens URI’s mission of building respectful, inclusive and collaborative interreligious communities worldwide.