On 10–11 June 2026, the European Buddhist Union took part in an International Capacity-Building Event in Vicenza, Italy, held as part of the project Bridging Beliefs: Advancing Peace, Democracy, and Inclusion through Interfaith Dialogue in Europe. The two-day training brought together 28 participants from eight European countries – Italy, Portugal, Croatia, Austria, Belgium, North Macedonia, Greece, and Bosnia and Herzegovina – to strengthen local capacities for inclusive governance, intercultural dialogue, and community engagement.
The event was coordinated by ALDA – the European Association for Local Democracy – while the King Abdullah International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID) led the training sessions throughout the two days. Project partners played a key role in outreach, ensuring the participation of a diverse group of representatives from civil society, public institutions, and local communities.
Day One: Building the foundations of interfaith dialogue
The first day developed a shared understanding of interfaith dialogue and its role in fostering inclusive governance. Representatives of the Municipality of Vicenza and the Diocese of Vicenza presented the religious landscape of the Veneto region, where several Christian denominations coexist alongside Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, Baha’i, and Buddhist communities. In his keynote, Andrew James Boyd of KAICIID described dialogue as a process grounded in mutual learning, active listening, and respect – rather than debate or persuasion. Participants also learned about the work of the Interreligious Studies Academy (ISA Academy) and took part in a Compassionate Listening exercise, sharing personal experiences of intercultural and interreligious encounters.
Day Two: Turning learning into local action
The second day focused on translating knowledge into concrete local action through a World Café organised around four themes: local governance and citizen participation; schools and youth engagement; social cohesion and the prevention of polarisation; and culture and the arts. In a co-creation workshop, partners and their associated local authorities designed how the methodologies and knowledge gained could be adapted and replicated within their own communities, in preparation for local workshops planned for September.
For the European Buddhist community, the gathering was a welcome reminder of Buddhism’s place within Europe’s rich religious landscape – where Buddhist communities live and cooperate alongside Christian, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, and Baha’i traditions – and of the value of dialogue rooted in listening and compassion. Building on the recommendations developed in Vicenza, the project partners will now organise local replication workshops across the participating countries, further strengthening Europe’s capacity to foster dialogue, inclusion, and democratic participation.
Read the full report on the ALDA website: Bridging Beliefs: Advancing Interfaith Dialogue.