Citation :

D. Sivamanikandan, R. Vijaya Kumar, 2025. "Interfaith Dialogue in a Digital World: Opportunities and Challenges for Global Peacebuilding" International Journal of Community Empowerment & Society Administration [IJCESA]  Volume 2, Issue 3: 23-32.

Abstract :

Interfaith dialogue has become an increasingly important means to achieve such grass roots connections in a globalizing and digitally mediated world. Traditional interfaith initiatives often relied primarily on meeting face to face, limiting participation to people who lived within certain social and geographic boundaries. But modern technology has revolutionized interfaith participation, introducing new means of collaboration, communication, and cross-cultural understanding. Now, individuals who belong to different religious affiliations can gather online to share experiences and have meaningful conversations with the entire world through digital communicative platforms such as social media, webinars, virtual conferences and collaborative digital initiatives. In an age of easy global interconnection, how does the internet foster and limit dialogues between faith-based communities that contribute to the furtherance of peacebuilding within various conflict settings? On the one hand, digital interfaith communication serves to elevate once marginalized voices—such as women, youth, and minorities—at previously unheard-of levels of global connectedness, inclusion and access. Inter-cultural competence, empathy and understanding are also enhanced across faith communities through the use of educational resources, online courses or through digital campaigns. Interactive global storytelling campaigns and online discussion platforms provide real world examples of how digital interaction can bring people together from around the world, across cultural divides and lines of religion to foster oneness and group action towards peace.Despite the benefits, we still face many challenges in the digital world. Cash infusions of quick information can only heighten religious divisions and perpetuate biases and misinformation. Anonymity on the internet can, of course, incentivize intolerance and hate speech, as well as unaccountable conduct; but unequal access to digital resources yield participation gaps that risk shutting entire communities out. Not to mention the lack of contextual sensitivity in digital communication which may lead to misinterpretations of religious and cultural nuances that might risk attempts of dialogues. This book investigates how interfaith dialogue takes shape online through official and grass-roots participants, providing examples from around the world as to how different groups are utilizing digital spaces to share their religion with others. The full potential of online interfaith dialogue will be realized when we leverage strategic interventions in the form of digital literacy programs, design-inclusive platforms and accountability systems and train users toward cultural competency. Ultimately, this research underlines that despite the risks and challenges they present, digital technologies have significant potential to facilitate international peacebuilding, mutual respect and understanding in an era of diversity and global interconnectivity.

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Keywords :

Online Involvement, Digital-Based Platforms, Interfaith Dialogue, Worldwide Peacebuilding, Digital Competencies and Skills, Religious Harmony and Understanding, Cross-Cultural Conversations, Misinformation-Sharing Inclusiveness Teamwork.