About the Human Fraternity Dialogues
How can we build solidarity in a divided world? What can young people do to advance the common good across religious, national, racial, and political lines? Taking the Document on Human Fraternity signed by Pope Francis and Grand Imam Ahmed Al-Tayeb in 2019 as a point of departure, the Human Fraternity Dialogues are an opportunity for students at colleges and universities around the world to address these questions in dynamic virtual conversations with their global peers.
The Human Fraternity Dialogues began during the spring 2023 semester and assembled 109 students from around the globe, representing a vibrant spectrum of religious affiliations and cultural backgrounds. Students who participated in at least one dialogue were eligible to apply for the Human Fraternity Fellows Program, which brought 13 young people together for a study tour in the United Arab Emirates in February 2024.
The Human Fraternity Fellows Program will continue once again in the summer 2025. Fellows will engage in biweekly virtual dialogues leading up to a study tour in Jakarta, Indonesia, from August 10 to 16, 2025.
The Human Fraternity Dialogues are jointly sponsored by the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs at Georgetown University, the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity, and the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity, and they build upon the “Building Interreligious Solidarity” global student conference held at Georgetown University in September 2022.
Learn more about the program’s origins and features below.
The Document on Human Fraternity signed by Pope Francis and Grand Imam Al-Tayeb in February 2019—one year before the COVID-19 outbreak—represents a strong foundation for intercultural and interfaith dialogue in the service of justice and peace. Meeting in Abu Dhabi, these two leading representatives of Christianity and Islam expressed far-reaching consensus around global economic, social, political, and environmental challenges facing our world. They proposed dialogue and collaboration across religious, national, and other divides as the best way to advance a more peaceful, just, and sustainable world. The United Nations has officially proclaimed February 4, the day the document was signed, as the International Day of Human Fraternity.
The 2025 Human Fraternity Fellows Program will give a select group of 10 students from different international backgrounds the opportunity to engage with their peers online and through an in-person study tour in Jakarta, Indonesia, from August 10 through 16, 2025.
Throughout the summer of 2025, fellows will engage in virtual sessions focused on developing the skills and practice of dialogue across religious and cultural differences. The program will explore principles of dialogue and their application in concrete contexts, ensuring that fellows not only gain theoretical knowledge but also valuable practical experience.
The fellowship will culminate in a week-long study tour in Jakarta, Indonesia, organized in partnership with the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity. During the study tour, fellows will receive further training in dialogue, with a focus on gaining the skills necessary to become effective facilitators of interreligious and intercultural dialogue. The study tour is also an opportunity to connect with students from diverse backgrounds and faiths, as well as high-level policymakers, religious figures, community leaders, and Zayed Award for Human Fraternity honorees. Upon returning to their campuses, fellows will be prepared to lead dialogue initiatives, helping to foster inclusive communities and bridge divides in their local contexts.
For more information and to apply, please visit the Human Fraternity Fellows webpage.
Dr. Thomas Banchoff, Berkley Center director and vice president for global engagement at Georgetown University, is directing the project with support from Nick Scrimenti, Berkley Center director of student programs, and Jane Fitzpatrick, Berkley Center program associate. Please direct questions and suggestions about the project to bcstudentprograms@georgetown.edu.
Leaders
Director
Department of Government and Walsh School of Foreign Service, Vice President for Global Engagement
