The Role of Faith-based Leadership in Social Justice Movements: A Reflection
The Aspen Initiative Africa (AIA) is an independent, nonpartisan organization and a part of the community of the Aspen Institute’s international partners. The AIA is dedicated to advancing the Aspen Institute’s mission of driving change in Africa and the world through dialogue, leadership and action to help solve the greatest challenges of our time. In 2023-2025, AIA’s priorities [AIA’s Impact report] are Youth & the Future of Work, Africa’s Voice in Climate, Culture, Identity & Society, Democracy & Governance and Business, Technology & Economy.
The Aspen Institute’s Religion & Society Program [ARSP] ignites change through convening, catalyzing, and researching the challenges and opportunities at the convergence of religion, culture, and justice. Since inception, the Religion & Society Program has focused on understanding and sharing how religion can be leveraged to address social inequities and strengthen social cohesion.
The two partners – AIA and ARSP – are collaborating to host an intimate inter-faith dialogue in Nairobi, Kenya targeting senior leaders from mainstream faith communities. They will hold this day long event on Wednesday October 9 2024.This initial event will focus on recent youth uprisings in Africa, chiefly the 2024 Gen Z protests in Kenya, to spark a process of reflection and refreshment for senior religious leaders, while equipping them with the mindset and tools to collaborate more effectively with reformers across the religious and non-religious spectrum across Africa.
The project will maintain the pluralistic format of the Aspen Institute, bringing together key African cross-sectoral leaders with other diverse stakeholders to explore how inter-faith collaborations can play a more proactive and relevant role alongside young people advocating tolerance and good governance. Utilizing Aspen’s tried and tested formats for expertly moderated, text-based dialogue, the participants will focus on the ongoing Gen Z movement as a ‘live’ case study, to:
Reiterate a joint moral vision of social justice uniting diverse religions
Hear from young people how faith-based leaders are currently perceived
Explore alternative approaches to how faith-based leaders engage in social change
Receive useful tools on adaptive leadership and community organizing
Reflect on lessons learnt working with civil society, media and the private sector to support, guide and resource reformers in times of crisis
Develop fresh perspectives on how the faith community can deepen its impact as an ethical, enlightened and effective voice for social change, collaborating with other change agents within and outside the religious community to meet the aspirations of the people, especially in times of political transition and civil unrest.
Included in the dialogue will be delegates from Pan-African faith communities, including the African Conference of Christian Churches, the African Muslim Network, the Catholic Church, and representatives from civil society and the private sector.