Zanzibar Interfaith Centre
Aim
Build relationships of peace across religious, political, gender and socio-economic divisions.
History
The Zanzibar Interfaith Centre (ZANZIC) was established in 2009 as a support center of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania with the help of Danmission. It has since then grown and developed and is now offering a Diploma in Intercultural Relations beyond facilitating a number of activities supporting religious leaders, local peace committees, interfaith youth activities, and conducting training programmes for Qur’anic school teachers in peacebuilding.
IRD Activities
- Peacebuilding activities
Centre works with interfaith dialogue on different levels, by training and facilitating meetings and activities for religious leaders, women and youth. Activities of ZANZIC also include a number of outreach programs such as training for Qur’anic schoolteachers in peacebuilding and interfaith relations, and trainings in mediation and conflict transformation for those interested
- Work with religious leaders
Religious leaders have massive influence and power in the Zanzibari society. While they can spread hatred and division, they can also be an important voice for peace and peaceful coexistence. ZANZIC works together with religious leaders from different faiths and different areas of Zanzibar. Centre provides training and facilitates interfaith dialogue between the leaders at conferences, meetings and activities
- Women-related activities
Together with Centre's partners, both Muslim and Christian, organisation addresses the issues of gender equality in a way, where it not only respects the religious perspectives, but also uses religious scriptures such as the Quran and the Bible as ways of talking for gender equality and against the marginalisation of women. To help ZANZIC in organisation's work with women, a Women Interfaith Committee with Muslim and Christian female leaders has been establish. In 2018 ZANZIC established a Women Department with the appointment of Rev. Rebecca Muhosa as Women Coordinator. And with the financial support from Church of Sweden, ZANZIC started implementing concrete activities related to interfaith work and gender equality in October 2018
- Work with youth
Youth Interfaith Forum of Zanzibar (YIFOZA) is a forum of young Muslim and Christian leaders planning and conducting interfaith activities for youth. Since 2009 this forum has done a number of interfaith youth activities including seminars, workshops, arts and sport. YIFOZA has Youth Interfaith Committes on both Unguja and Pemba. Here youth leaders with different faith meet to discuss and plan interventions for peace through interfaith dialogue. Football team was created with a help of YIFOZA and consists of young Muslim and Christian men. They play together in the third division on Zanzibar, and train hard to win matches and show that Muslims and Christians can be together. The Drama Club was established, which produces short videos that sensitize youth to peacebuilding, and that invites youth to take concrete actions for peace. In 2019 ZANZIC started a Girls Club, where Muslim and Christian girls and young women can meet to discuss life as a girl on Zanzibar and get new friends.
Main Focus Countries of Activities
Zanzibar City, Zanzibar, Tanzania - Zanzibar City, Zanzibar, Tanzania - Zanzibar City, Zanzibar, Tanzania - Zanzibar City, Zanzibar, Tanzania