iDove – Interfaith Dialogue on Violent Extremism

Training and Training of Trainers Manual including Teaching Material

In February 2017, the African Union Commission’s Directorate of Citizens and Diaspora Organizations (AUC-CIDO) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, commissioned by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), have jointly launched the Interfaith Dialogue on Violent Extremism (iDove) pilot project, using innovative youth-led approaches to highlight the soft power of religion in preventing violent extremism (PVE).
iDove is based on the assumption that violent extremism is a global issue. Whether it has political, ideological, racist or religious roots, youth radicalisation is a problem that affects both African and European societies in the same way. Security interventions to address the problem only have limited effect and come at a high cost, both financially and in human lives. PVE, therefore, requires a comprehensive ‘soft power’ approach that focuses on the root causes rather than on the symptoms of violent extremism. Sports, arts, cultural events and activities offer effective means of dealing with differences within a community. Innovative approaches in these areas foster mutual understanding and support cooperation between different social and religious groups.