John Paul II Center alum AJ Boyd ‘11 launched two interreligious dialogue projects this fall through his fellowship with the prestigious international KAICIID program.
The first project aims to coordinate efforts between Rome-based higher education teachers of interreligious dialogue and world religions, for the sharing of resources, contacts, and practical skills and experiences.
“This project was directly inspired by my experience as a Russell Berrie Fellow and as Graduate Assistant and Assistant Director of the John Paul II Center. Much of my work in the Center was coordinating IRD events, and finding that though there are many efforts in Rome, there is little communication or coordination between them,” said Boyd, who is now a professor of world religions in Rome.
His second project, “Dialogue for Peace,” trains Boy Scouts and their leaders in the fundamentals of interreligious dialogue, for which the scouts can earn a patch.
Boyd is the third John Paul II Center alum to complete the KAICIID fellows program, following Taras Dzyubanskyy and Elyse Brazel.
The King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Center for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue, known as KAICIID, brings together leaders and educators from Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and other religious backgrounds from around the world for training in dialogue facilitation and intercultural communication.
The program equips fellows with the skills to educate their students and communities about interreligious dialogue so they can become facilitators and leaders in dialogue as well as active peace advocates in their communities.
