This paper documents lessons and impacts of interfaith interventions which the Communities Richer in Diversity (CRID) implemented in Kenya and Zanzibar respectively. The CRID projects basically intended to leverage the influence of religions, faith leaders, religious actors, and institutions in fostering peaceful coexistence. The main aim was to promote interfaith collaborative activities as a mechanism for peaceful coexistence in the face of radicalisation and violent extremism. The Kenya Muslim Youth Alliance (KMYA) and the Anglican Diocese of Zanzibar (ADZ) implemented the reviewed activities between September 2018 and May 2021. KMYA operated in Likoni and Mvita in Mombasa County and Mtwapa and Rabai in Kilifi County. The organisation focused its interventions in the selected areas because they were experiencing rivalry between religious sects, inter-religious tension, radicalisation, violent extremism, and killings of the elderly by the youth (CRID 2019). KMYA focused on peaceful coexistence: promoting interfaith, intercultural, and intergenerational relations. In Zanzibar, there were rampant cases of religious and cultural intolerance that caused disharmony among the local communities. Accordingly, the Anglican Diocese of Zanzibar (ADZ) worked in Pemba and Unguja, focusing on promoting religious and cultural harmony among the communities by establishing common ground for interfaith dialogues and peacebuilding (CRID 2020).

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Communities Richer in Diversity (CRID)

The four-year Communities Richer in Diversity project (CRID) aims at leveraging the influence of faith leaders and institutions to promote cultural diversity and respect for equal dignity in six African countries, namely, Burundi, Egypt, Kenya, South Sudan, Uganda, and Tanzania. It was initiated by a consortium of faith-based organisations and networks, including Faith to Action Network (F2A), Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa (CAPA), African Council of Religious Leaders-Religion for Peace (ACRL-RfP), and All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) with financial support from the European Union (EU). The project started in April 2018, and by 31 March 2021, six-country partners had reached at least 25,000 young men and women with interfaith and intercultural interventions. Such interventions enhanced the understanding, tolerance, and respect for cultural and religious diversity among the project participants and beneficiaries in the six countries. The activities can be categorised into four broad areas: edutainment and performance arts, peer education and capacity enhancement, community peacebuilding, and shaping of public discourse.