Ethiopia Interfaith Forum for Development, Dialogue, and Action (EIFDDA)

The Ethiopia Interfaith Forum for Development, Dialogue, and Action (EIFDDA) was established to serve as a beacon of hope and collaboration in a nation characterized by rich religious diversity. Recognizing that Ethiopia’s myriad faith communities possess unique strengths and perspectives, EIFDDA was founded with a clear mission: to unite these communities in addressing the pressing social challenges that affect the lives of countless individuals across the country.

Mission: To promote value-based developmental dialogue and action by strengthening the capacity of member Faith-Based Organizations (FBOs) and fostering an environment that is conducive to collaboration and collective impact.

Vision: Engendering the spiritual and material prosperity of the Ethiopian people.

Notable Past Activities and Achievements:

• Capacity-Building of Hundreds of Faith Leaders – Trained Christian and Muslim religious leaders on conflict resolution, gender equality, and advocacy for human rights.
• Successful establishment of local platforms under the Joint Initiative for Strategic Religious Action: Mobilized social change agents (religious leaders, community elders, women of faith and interfaith youths) from Christian and Muslim communities to promote Freedom of Religion and Belief (FoRB) and interfaith peace at grassroots levels.
• Effective Multi-Regional World Interfaith Harmony Week (WIHW) celebrations – Coordinated large-scale events across several Ethiopian cities, enhancing interfaith dialogue, cooperation, and public awareness about peaceful coexistence.
• Storytelling initiatives: EIFDDA’s storytelling initiative to end gender-based violence empowers Christian and Muslim communities to share personal narratives that raise awareness, challenge harmful norms, and promote faith-based solidarity against gender-based violence.

Main Activities and Programs

• Interfaith Dialogue Platforms: Facilitating inclusive and sustained dialogue among Christian, Muslim, and other faith leaders to promote mutual understanding, peaceful coexistence, and joint action.
• Capacity Building for Faith Leaders: Training religious leaders on topics such as conflict transformation, gender justice, human rights, and interreligious cooperation to strengthen their role as peacebuilders.
• Theological Dialogue and Reflection: Creating safe spaces where religious leaders and scholars from Christian and Muslim backgrounds engage in scriptural reasoning, comparative theology, and joint reflection to deepen mutual respect and clarify misconceptions. These dialogues foster spiritual solidarity while preserving religious distinctiveness.
• Joint Initiative for Strategic Religious Action (JISRA): A flagship program focusing on FoRB, youth empowerment, gender inclusion, and peacebuilding through interreligious collaboration at the grassroots level.
• Celebrations of International Harmony Week: Coordinated interfaith events across multiple regions featuring art exhibitions, public dialogues, and storytelling to promote unity, with active Christian and Muslim participation.
• Youth and Women Empowerment Programs: Equipping Christian and Muslim youth and women with dialogue skills, leadership capacity, and creative tools to become ambassadors of peace and interfaith harmony.
• Faith-Based Advocacy for FoRB: Engaging policymakers and the public to promote religious freedom and prevent discrimination through faith-led advocacy and public campaigns.
• Peacebuilding through Art and Storytelling: Utilizing creative expression, including visual arts, theatre, and multimedia storytelling, to humanize “the other” and build emotional and spiritual bridges between communities.
• Community Dialogues on Social Issues: Facilitating faith-based conversations at the community level on critical issues like FGM, child marriage, gender-based violence, and climate justice—bringing Christian and Muslim voices together.

Key Objectives

• Foster multi-religious networking and collective engagements.
• Constituency building and membership development.
• Research and knowledge development.