From 25 to 28 February 2017, over 40 trainees from civil society, religious and academic organizations, as well as social media influencers from Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia, participated in the International Dialogue Centre’s  (KAICIID) training on “Social Media as a Space for Dialogue” in Djerba, Tunisia. 

This training is the fifth in a series that the Centre organized for Arab World dialogue practitioners since 2015, as part of the Centre’s efforts to implement the recommendations from KAICIID’s 2014 global initiative “United against Violence in the Name of Religion”. The ongoing training is implemented in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Tunisia – Project Tamkeen, as part of their strategy to combat violent extremism.

About “Social Media as a Space for Dialogue”

Social Media as a Space for Dialogue is a training programme that was mandated by a high-level meeting of religious leaders and policy makers that KAICIID convened in Vienna in 2014 under the title “United against Violence in the Name of Religion”.

The first training brought together 120 trainees and was held in Amman, Jordan, in 2015. Based on this initial success, the International Dialogue Centre launched its training series under the title “Social Media as a Space for Dialogue” for the Arab World. Trainings were conducted in Amman again in 2016, bringing together 80 participants from Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, and Syria. Also in 2016, a training was held in Cairo, bringing together 60 participants representing the cross-section of the diverse Egyptian society. In Erbil, participants from all Iraqi provinces of Iraq, representing 7 different religions and 6 ethnic groups was held in August 2016. In 2017, the training in Tunisia focused on participants from the Maghreb region, specifically Algeria, Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia and Libya. A capstone training will be held in the Gulf region during this year.

About the Partnership with UNDP

On 19 January 2016, the International Dialogue Centre signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the UNDP to promote social cohesion in the Arab region. UNDP supported the Tunis training as the Centre’s partner. The International Dialogue Centre (KAICIID) cooperates with local partners to more effectively implement the Centre’s projects around the world.