The European Jewish Congress, in partnership with SACC by EJC and Faith Matters, organised the “Resilient Communities: Improving Interfaith Cooperation and Fostering Best Practices” conference in Brussels, Belgium.
The event, funded by the European Union through the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme (CERV) as part of the “BADRI – Bringing Awareness, Dialogue and Resilience Improvement” project, brought together European Commission officials, Members of the European Parliament, diplomats, community leaders, interfaith experts, legal professionals, and representatives from various faith-based organisations.
The conference provided a unique opportunity to address the shared challenges faced by faith-based communities, particularly Jewish and Muslim communities, and to explore collaborative solutions. The focus was on judicial responses to hate crimes, dismantling stereotypes and biases against faith-based communities, and examining the impact of prejudice and discrimination, all while incorporating a gender perspective.
The event featured engaging plenary sessions, panel discussions, and breakout sessions that encouraged participants to build stronger coalitions, exchange knowledge, and develop strategies to promote mutual understanding.
Demonstrating their continued commitment to fostering interfaith cooperation, strengthening legal and policy frameworks to address faith-based discrimination, and promoting inclusive, resilient communities across Europe, the participants signed a series of commitments as the outcome of the conference, reaffirming their dedication to transforming dialogue into tangible action and sustaining long-term collaboration.
EJC Executive Vice-President Raya Kalenova gave the welcoming remarks, highlighting the organisation’s commitment to strengthen interfaith dialogue during these challenging times while thanking the support of the European Commission to make this conference possible.
Opening remarks were delivered by the European Commission Coordinator on Anti-Muslim Hatred, Marion Lalisse; Member of the European Parliament and Vice-Chair of the Working Group Against Antisemitism, Sergey Lagodinsky; and Policy Officer at the Office of the European Commission’s Coordinator on Combating Antisemitism and Fostering Jewish Life, Pascale Falek.
The keynote speech was delivered by Chief Superintendent and Strategic Advisor of Brussels Capital Ixelles Police, Saad Amrani, who provided an overview of the current situation in Belgium and Europe regarding radicalisation, cooperation among faith-based communities, and the main threats and challenges faced today, based on his authorised perspective as a member of a law enforcement agency.
The first plenary session, Current Challenges of Faith-Based Communities: Experiences and Responses, featured Gabrielle Piorka, Co-Chair of the Union of Belgian Jewish Students (UEJB); Jonny Newton, Director of External Relations at the Community Security Trust (CST); and Iman Abou Atta, Director of Faith Matters and Tell MAMA. During the session, the speakers discussed the major challenges facing faith-based communities in their respective countries, including rising levels of hate crime, increasing polarisation, and the need to strengthen community resilience and interfaith cooperation.
The second plenary session, titled Best Practices of Interfaith Cooperation: Strategies for Fostering Solidarity and Combating Discrimination, included City Council Member of Rosny-sous-Bois, responsible for promoting “Laïcité” and combating discrimination, Shannon Seban; EADM President and ISGAP Researcher, Manel Msalmi; and Dialogue Perspectives Expert on Digital Resilience and Online Harms, Benjamin Fischer. Additionally, SACC by EJC Head of Crisis Management and Iman Abou Atta presented Community-Based Security Initiatives and Cooperation with Law Enforcement and the Judiciary: The Example of the SASCE Project.
In this session, the speakers shared best practices and experiences from their organisations and professional work to combat hate and discrimination, foster unity among diverse communities, and explore new avenues for collaboration among a wide range of stakeholders, while incorporating a gender perspective.
Afterwards, participants took part in breakout sessions based on their preferences, engaging in group discussions in small to medium-sized teams with the aim of exploring avenues for collaboration. The results of each team’s discussion were then presented to all participants.
During the first breakout session, Understanding and Dismantling Stereotypes and Biases, EJC Director of European Affairs, Ariella Woitchik, presented the Glad You Asked Jewish educational cartoons to the audience, while Beatrice Kricheli and Jennyfer Scheer presented the LIKRAT Initiative. Both projects form part of the EU-funded BADRI project. At the same time, participants heard from CEJI Training Director, Stephanie Lecesne, and House of One Head of Communications and Spokesperson, Kerstin Krupp.
Throughout the session, participants were able to discover projects that are making a real difference on the ground across Europe to combat discrimination, dismantle prejudices, and tackle the root causes of hate and fear affecting faith-based communities, all from a multidimensional perspective.
In the second breakout session, Focus on Judicial Response: Fighting Radicalisation in Faith-Based Communities, participants heard from Fiyaz Mughal, Founder of Faith Matters/Tell MAMA; Grischa Stanjek, Co-Founder of democ; and Elie Kagan, Head of Crisis Management at SACC by EJC. The discussion explored the sources of radicalisation in our societies, the current state of the judiciary in addressing hate crimes, and how civil society can effectively respond to the growing challenges posed by extremist ideologies.
In the third plenary session, participants reflected on the outcomes of the breakout sessions, highlighting the open dialogue and fruitful discussions among participants, as well as their dedication to ongoing collaboration beyond the conference, symbolised by the signing of the conference commitments. These commitments serve as a concrete pledge to continue building on the progress made during the event and to ensure lasting, impactful change in fostering interfaith understanding and combating discrimination.
The closing remarks were delivered by the European Commission Coordinator for the Dialogue with Churches, Religious, Philosophical and Non-Confessional Organisations, Vincent Depaigne, who highlighted the importance of sustained interfaith dialogue and collaboration in addressing contemporary challenges, and commended the participants for their commitment to fostering inclusive, resilient communities across Europe.
The Resilient Communities conference successfully fostered meaningful dialogue and strengthened networks among stakeholders committed to promoting interfaith understanding and combating intolerance. By bringing together diverse voices from across Europe, the event reinforced the importance of unity and cooperation in addressing the challenges faced by faith-based communities today.
