Jewish Muslim Dialogue and Co-operation

PROJECT SUMMARY | Mapping Reports of Jewish Muslim Dialogue | European Conference on Jewish Muslim Dialogue | European Platform for Jewish Muslim Co-operation | Platform Launch | Local Initiatives | Declaration of Support for Jewish Muslim Co-operation | Submit Project Details | News | Press | Links | Contacts

In CEJI's vision, the various cultures that make up Europe today bring to the continent a richness that needs to be cherished. Recognising this enhances the respect people have for each other. Interfaith and intercultural dialogue, which are crucial in fostering this respect, are key aspects of CEJI's work.

The dialogue approach is particularly pertinent to relations between Muslim and Jewish communities, which have been greatly affected by the volatile political situation of recent years. Jewish and Muslim people find themselves not only as perceived enemies but also as possible partners with a common religious and historical base and shared experiences of discrimination. Fostering dialogue and understanding between both communities is therefore essential.

CEJI is facilitating the development of a European Platform to:

• Faciliate co-operation, dialogue and partnership between Jewish and Muslim communities at local, national and trans-national levels within Europe;
• Increase the visibility of and empower existing Jewish Muslim initiatives;
• Initiate and promote new opportunities for dialogue and co-operation between Jewish and Muslim communities.

This initiative aims to enable willing communities to make direct contact with and foster relations between their respective members, creating a local atmosphere of respect and understanding. This is an essential step towards the development of enduring good relations between these two cultures in Europe.

Launched in late 2005, CEJI’s Jewish Muslim Dialogue Initiative is supported by the Ford Foundation and received co-financing from the European Commission for a one-year period beginning in May 2006. Work in 2006 focused on compiling national mapping reports containing information on partnerships, initiatives and best practice in the field of Jewish Muslim dialogue and producing these reports for Belgium, Denmark, France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

The mapping reports were released at a European Conference on Jewish-Muslim Dialogue, which took place in Brussels from 15 - 17 April 2007. This event celebrated the many successful Jewish Muslim dialogue initiatives taking place in local communities and provided an opportunity to share experiences and good practice for Jewish and Muslim participants from five European countries. A major outcome of the Conference was a Declaration of Support for Jewish Muslim Co-operation which agreed to establish a European Platform for Jewish Muslim Co-operation. The offical launch of the Platform took place on 27 November 2007 at the European Parliament in Brussels.

For further details about the Jewish Muslim Dialogue & Co-operation Initiative contact Dialogue Co-ordinator Ruth Friedman:
E-mail: ruth.friedman@ceji.org
Telephone: +32 (0) 2 340 96 27 (direct line) / +32 (0) 2 344 34 44 (switchboard)
Address: CEJI - A Jewish Contribution to an Inclusive Europe, 319 Avenue Brugmann, B-1180 Brussels - Belgium