Multi-Religious Council of Leaders
The Multi-Religious Council of Leaders, brought together by UNHCR and Religions for Peace, strengthens collective efforts across regions and faiths to address root causes by supporting global advocacy, conflict prevention, reconciliation, peacebuilding and social cohesion initiatives.
Read the Religious Leaders Statement from the 2023 Global Refugee Forum
The Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) describes faith-based actors and organizations as contributors to good relations and peaceful coexistence between refugees and host communities. It emphasizes their potential role in addressing root causes through supporting conflict prevention, reconciliation, peacebuilding and social cohesion.
The GCR aims to strengthen the international response to large movements of refugees and protracted refugee situations. It recognizes faith leaders and faith-based organizations as contributors to good relations and peaceful coexistence between refugees and host communities.
Members of the Multi-Religious Council of Leaders commit to mobilizing action for refugees, asylum seekers, stateless and internally displaced people addressing root causes of forced displacement, and facilitating the meaningful participation of forcibly displaced women and girls in peacebuilding processes.
“As wars, conflict, and persecution continue to force people to flee their homes, we seek the support of faith leaders and their communities. They are key in not only standing with and supporting refugees during their displacement but in addressing the root causes that gave rise to their flight.” UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi
Religions for Peace is a key UNHCR partner in strengthening commitments from religious leaders, faith representatives and institutions. Religions for Peace is the largest religious leadership coalition representing all the world’s faith traditions through inter-religious platforms at regional and country/national levels.
Members of the Council
The Council comprises 20 religious and spiritual leaders, and their mandate extends until the third Global Refugee Forum in 2027, where they will present progress on pledges made at the 2023 GRF and seek further commitments to action from a broader range of religious actors and institutions.
Members of the Council were identified based on having served as strong advocates for conflict prevention, reconciliation and peacebuilding in humanitarian and forced displacement contexts.
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H.E. Judge Mohamed ABDELSALAM
Secretary-General of the Higher Committee on Human Fraternity; Co-President, Religions for Peace
“Islam calls upon us to support and stand by refugees. Prophet Mohammed helped and stood by those who sought his refuge until their rights and homes were returned. Islam has many provisions for the well-treatment, backing, and hosting of refugees.”
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H.E. Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad ABUBAKAR III
Sultan of Sokoto, Sultanate of Sokoto; Co-President, Religions for Peace
“We pray for peace, stability and progress for the whole world. As one of the co-presidents of Religions Peace, I am committed to tackling forced displacement and promoting peaceful coexistence in Nigeria and in the world.”
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Mr. Azhar AZEEZ
Islamic Society of North America (ISNA)
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Mr. Hussein AL DAOUDI
Advisor to the SG and Member of the Supreme Council of the Muslim World League. He is also a Member of the World Council of Muslim Communities, and the Chairman of the Scandinavian Council for Relations.
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H.E. Cardinal Charles BO
Archbishop of Yangon, Myanmar; President, Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conference; Co-President, Religions for Peace
“In these dark times, we hear the voice of the lord to call on the churches to be an instrument for justice and peace, and reconciliation; to be his hands and feet and provide assistance to the poor and those in fear, to counter hatred with love. (...) We pray for a new world, where truly every human being have an equal status, equal rights and basic freedoms, where ethnic and religious diversity is celebrated and where we enjoy real peace.”
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H.E. Dr. Alhagi Manta DRAMMEH
Head of International Cooperation and External Relations
International Islamic Fiqh Academy
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Rt. Rev. Mark EDINGTON
Bishop in Charge
Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe
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H.E. Metropolitan EMMANUEL
Elder Metropolitan of Chalcedon; Co-Moderator, Religions for Peace
“It is a commitment not to make any difference between those who are Muslim or Christians or Jews or Buddhists or those who live in areas where we need the peaceful coexistence, as we look for living experience to live in peace and to respect the common citizenship. If we have the wisdom and have love for each other, and therefore, we are looking for peace with hope, we can have true common citizenship, in which we look at each other not as different, but as people of this world, men and women of different faiths who can share the peace in earth as it is in heaven.”
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Ms. Emina FRLJAK
Program Coordinator, Youth for Peace; Member, Religions for Peace International Youth Committee
“We, as a community of people from diverse religious traditions committed to ensuring respect for human dignity, can set an example and share a message based on human rights to create a strong platform to connect with people around the globe. We must not forget that spiritual values of some kind drive 80 per cent of people in the world, and here we have a strong group of people who can appeal to those values and generate empathy for people on the move.”
I commit myself to participate in our Council actively and bring youth voices to our work. It’s important that together we appeal to people of faith and encourage them to rethink their approach to people on the move, raise awareness about how migrations affect people, start volunteering within their communities and start speaking out for those who are voiceless. Our Council has the unique multifaith, multinational and multistakeholder advantage that needs to be utilized. The help of UNHCR is crucial in spreading our message and mobilizing communities and governments worldwide.”
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Rabbi Diana S. GERSON
Vice-President and Board Member
New York Board of Rabbis, Interfaith Alliance for Safer Communities and Children, Global Advocacy Hub for Children and Families
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Ms. Nageeba HASSAN TEGULWA
Member, International Women's Coordinating Committee of Religions for Peace; Executive Member of African Women of Faith Network; Board Member, Religions for Peace’s African Council of Religious Leaders.
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Rabbi Rick JACOBS
President, Union for Reform Judaism; Honorary President, Religions for Peace
“We need to say ‘humanity first’, loudly and clearly. We have to raise our religious voices together. The job of religious leaders is to act together and to act globally. We must work collectively to change one heart at a time.”
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Rev. Dr. Taesung KIM
Secretary-General, Korean Conference of Religions for Peace, Korea
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The Venerable Phra MEDHIVAJIRODOM
UNHCR Patron for Peace and Compassion, Founder of Vimuttayalaya Institute
“As a member of the Multi-Religious Council of Leaders, I commit to promote the idea of “We are One, We are World” to create solidarity, loving, kindness, and to prevent polarization and discrimination among refugees, Internally Displaced Persons and stateless people. We belong to the same family, which is a family of humanity.”
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Archbishop Maimbo MNDOLWA
Archbishop of the Anglican Church in Tanzania
Anglican Communion
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Rev. Kosho NIWANO
President-Designate, Rissho Kosei-Kai & Co-Moderator, Religions for Peace
“Buddhism teaches us that our existence is sustained by the existence of others. We are all interconnected. If refugees are suffering, then we Buddhists are suffering too.”
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Imam Muhammad NURAYN ASHAFA
Co-director
Interfaith Mediation Centre of the Muslim-Christian Dialogue
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Grand-Father Dominique RANKIN
Algonquin Hereditary Grand Chief; Co-President, Religions for Peace
“Refugees, similarly to my people, were forced to leave their homes and now hope to find peace again. We should welcome our neighbours, as the only solution to wars and suffering is to live and work together as one.”
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Imam Dr. Sayed RAZAWI
Director-General and Chief Imam, Scottish Ahlul Bayt Society; European Council of Religious Leaders, International Trustee, Religions for Peace
“Our vision together is that women, children and men are protected, find safety and support, have their human rights and dignity respected and achieve their full potential. We seek to co-ordinate and promote action by faith communities in Scotland to support asylum seekers and refugees, and work with Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Interfaith groups.”
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Priestess Beatriz SCHULTHESS
President, Indigenous Peoples Ancestral Spiritual Council
Honorary President, Religions for Peace
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Bhai Sahib Mohinder SINGH AHLUWALIA, OBE KSG
Chairman, Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha; Co-President and Trustee, Religions for Peace
“More resources and opportunities are needed in countries where displacement is occurring. We cannot just tackle the problem of displacement. We must attempt to eradicate the reasons for the displacement in the first place. Global issues require global solutions, not band-aids. We need to:
- encourage world Governments to implement the Sustainable Development Goals;
- educate and make welcoming / hosting refugees a positive initiative;
- create ambassadorial/champion roles in localities;
- change the language from ‘them’, ‘illegal people’, ‘immigrants’, ‘migrants’ – the labelling dehumanises our human family
- support and promote collaboration between faith communities, civil society and academic institutions to encourage collaboration and dialogue/participation with local/national governments.”
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H.H. Shri Shri SUGUNENDRA TEERTHA SWAMIJI
Sri Putige Matha Monastery Chairman, Somaiya Vidyaviha, Co-President of Religions for Peace
“It is said, Guests are like God. God will come as a guest. If we treat them like God then God is going to bless us. In the form of refugees God is coming to us.”
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Prof. Dr. Nayla TABBARA
Co-Founder and President, Adyan Foundation; Co-President, Religions for Peace
“Religious leaders need to contribute, given their social and religious responsibility, to an honest description of the asylum situation in Lebanon and build their narratives on human dignity and other common humanitarian factors.”
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H.E. Archbishop Buti TLHAGALE
UNHCR high-level supporter, Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) Liaison Bishop of Migrants and Refugees; First Metropolitan Archbishop of Johannesburg
“Welcoming people, especially in the context of migrants and refugees means making them feel at home. Welcoming people take different forms. When refugees come to a country for the first time, they usually need food, accommodation, and need practical things. But as time goes on, they need documentation from the home affairs and need their children to be in school. Welcoming people means showing the best values which we have embraced. We welcome people because we too would like to be welcomed if we were in a different situation. Welcoming is a blessing we can always give to others.”
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Rev. Dr. James Movel WUYE
Co-director
Interfaith Mediation Centre of the Muslim-Christian Dialogue
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Prof. Dr. Said Aqil Siradj
Chairman, Nahdlatul Ulama, Co-President, Religions for Peace
“There is no violence in religion (Islam), we do reject any violence, because a call to change requires dignified discussion. The Prophet Muhammad has told us that we must not fight each other regardless of our differences. Religious leaders have a common duty to guide their communities to welcome their neighbours, to build and maintain peace.”