South Asia is home to some of the most religiously diverse countries in the world; however, intercommunal tensions have escalated into acts of violence, such as the attacks in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday 2019. KAICIID facilitates exchanges among religious leaders and faith-based organizations in South and South-East Asia, which are designed to help communities find common solutions to shared problems, such as violent extremism, intercommunal conflict, marginalisation and displacement.

KAICIID’s programmatic work engages religious actors in dialogue, builds their capacity to promote inclusive peace and promotes their collaboration with policymakers and civil society leaders to foster social cohesion.

The Centre’s flagship Fellows programme has trained numerous religious leaders and dialogue practitioners from the region, both through the international programme and the South-East Asia regional cohort.

KAICIID has also convened Buddhist and Muslim leaders to engage in dialogues addressing hate speech, protection of holy sites, and inclusive education.

In Myanmar, KAICIID has supported the Paungsie Metta Initiatives (PMI), one of the largest and most influential interreligious dialogue networks in the country, working to protect marginalised groups and religious minorities. The network is multireligious, led by representatives from the Buddhist, Christian, Hindu and Muslim communities, as well as civil society leaders.