Bringing together various faiths based and other institutions in Kibera and beyond, the Interfaith Dialogue Forum is hinged on the belief that all religion is to be understood as a vital and changing divine-human encounter. Thus rather than seeking to convert the other, the forum aims at understanding and action; to raise awareness of diverse view points and build community in the process, to grow comfortable with each other via sharing and working together and ultimately, to deepen the faith of the members and to develop practical solutions to local problems.
The Forum was started in 2004 through the efforts of a number of both lay and religious persons living in Kibera. These efforts were coordinated by Africa Peace Point. Currently, the faiths represented in the forum include Christians, Muslims, Jews and Traditionalists.
Goals
1. To facilitate dialogue between the different faiths and identities.
2. To enhance understanding and tolerance between different faiths.
3. Through this interaction develop practical solutions to local challenges.
To achieve the above goals, the Forum engages in a number of activities. They include workshops and seminal trainings, joint sporting and cultural activities, mobilization of Kibera community residents towards worthwhile projects like environmental clean ups. The forum also regularly hosts dialogue regarding pertinent issues in Kibera like security and upgrading. By hosting these forums, it is envisaged that with time, the Kibera community will learn to resolve their issues by talking with each other rather than through violence.
Africa Peace Point is currently hosting the initiative.