Dr. Mohamed Safiullah Munsoor assumed his new role as Director, Programme Development Department, KAICIID on the 3^rd July 2017. He is responsible for setting the strategic direction and operationalization of the multi-faceted work of KAICIID in the area of Inter-Religious Dialogue, as well as Peace and Reconciliation. He is especially interested in the intersection between peace and development as a pathway to balanced and sustainable development.

Safiullah studied in Sri Lanka, Australia, United Kingdom and Malaysia. He obtained his first PhD from the University of Reading, UK in International Rural Development with focus on Local Organisations. His second PhD focused on developing a Causal Model of Spiritual Leadership and Self-Development (University of Malaya, Malaysia) by exploring the landscape of a Spiritual Order. He is a keen learner and is now working towards Project Management Professional (PMP) exams.

Safiullah worked as the Manager for the Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development (Global Poverty Fund of US$2.5 billion) of the Islamic Development Bank (Multi-lateral Development Bank), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He was responsible for the programme management and out-reach division, while being the overall operational coordinator for the Fund.

Safiullah’s international career in development spans over three decades. He has worked with Save the Children (Norway) and the Canadian International Development Agency and spent nearly 20 years of his career with several United Nations organisations. He has worked in Asia, the Pacific, Africa, the Middle-East and Europe covering more than 20 countries. His professional work primarily focuses on poverty reduction, capacity building, strategic planning, program development and management. He has a high level of international expertise in Community Driven Development (CDD) and championed this within the IDB, as well as implemented several programmes in Asia and Africa. More recently his attention has turned to social co-existence and peace building, while exploring the inter-section between peace and development.

He has a long-standing interest in religion and spirituality and has studied Yoga, Buddhist meditation and Islamic Sufi contemplative practices. He is a meditative practitioner within the Islamic tradition and has pursued it seriously for nearly two decades. He teaches mindfulness meditation to families, friends and colleagues who are interested in it. He has an increasing number of publications in the field of spirituality, self-development and well-being (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-m-safiullah-munsoor-ab715940/edit/birthd…). His personal interests ranges from walking, meditation, music and reading. He is married and has 4 children.