EPDF Call to Action

In an increasingly multi-religious and multicultural Europe[1], the hardships faced by those left behind by economic transitions that generate wealth for a few - without ensuring broad-based socioeconomic inclusion - mirror the Earth’s own strain, as human actions place mounting pressure on its fragile ecosystems. Amid the growing exclusion of fragile and vulnerable groups - including migrants and refugees - and the rapid environmental degradation that disproportionately impacts marginalised communities, the European Policy Dialogue Forum (EPDF) aims to provide a space that brings together people from all walks of life, religious and secular actors and stakeholders to work jointly on issues of common concern, such as social justice, care for the environment and community cohesion.

Why a Call to Action

This Call to Action is conceived as a framework to guide collective reflections at the EPDF, shape KAICIID future initiatives in Europe and set out practical directions for implementation. As such, the Call to Action is a living document: it evolves through reflection and feedback, helping to translate dialogue into concrete commitments.

It is addressed to religious leaders, institutions and actors, policymakers and decision-makers, civil society and faith-based organizations, the private sector, academia, and international and regional bodies. Each plays a vital role in shaping Europe’s future. The Call to Action serves as a shared compass - inviting all to walk side by side along interfaith and intercultural paths towards more inclusive, cohesive and sustainable communities across Europe. 

Our vision: interreligious and intercultural dialogue for cohesive and sustainable communities

Interreligious and intercultural dialogue offers a way to connect diverse perspectives and collectively reimagine our present and future. It goes beyond fostering mutual understanding - helping communities recognise the importance of acting according to shared principles and values of peaceful and respectful coexistence, such as human dignity, equity, fraternity, care for one another, and care for the planet. These principles resonate across human rights commitments and faith and belief traditions. 

This vision rests on our profound interconnection - with each other and with the natural environment - grounded in the understanding that the dignity and rights of the most vulnerable are inseparable from the well-being of those in positions of influence. It calls for dialogue to move beyond formal settings into everyday spaces: the street, the classroom, the shared neighbourhood.

Religious leaders and dialogue-driven actors have a vital role - and a responsibility - in shaping inclusive communities where everyone can flourish and feel a sense of belonging. Their spiritual heritage, combined with engagement with policymakers and civil society, can shift mindsets and spark collaborations that make space for every voice, turning each encounter into an opportunity to unlearn fear and plant seeds of care. The path forward lies in cultivating moral and ethical foundations resonating across religions and faiths that inform civic participation and policymaking, guiding societies towards inclusion, equity and environmental sustainability. Building on this vision, this Call to Action affirms a shared commitment to three interconnected areas - People, Planet, and Prosperity - where interreligious and intercultural dialogue can inspire collective action beyond the Forum.

1. People

Human dignity and equity are the foundation of inclusive, resilient and equitable communities. We are called to revisit how we relate to one another and understand how systems of inclusion or exclusion shape both individual identities and our collective future. This involves fostering paths of inner renewal that challenge our views of the world, of humanity, and of ourselves - recognising that empathy and mutual respect may grow from understanding our own fragility, allowing us to relate to others’ vulnerability and act together with greater humanity.

• Encourage people from all walks of life to stand for the dignity of fragile and vulnerable groups, providing safe, dynamic and participatory spaces of dialogue for mutual understanding and appreciation.
• Help bridge perspectives across power and vulnerability, encouraging communities to reflect together on how unequal access to rights and opportunities affects everyone alike, inspiring equitable, inclusive policies that strengthen social cohesion.
• Nurture active participation of fragile and vulnerable groups to co-create responses to shared challenges in the community, recognizing that knowledge, empathy and collaboration are ever evolving and essential to sustaining societal well-being.

2. Planet 

Caring for the Earth begins with a deeper awareness of our connection to it, and the recognition that mental, spiritual, and physical well-being are intertwined with the health of our planet. In a time of rapid industrial, technological, and scientific development, we are called to recalibrate our priorities and live in proportion with nature, cultivating a sense of reverence for the Earth and for all forms of life. Faith and spiritual traditions remind us that the planet is sacred and entrusted to human care, inspiring decisions rooted in ethical, collective responsibility.

• Renew the sense of the sacred for the Earth by mobilizing communities to act together in care for the planet. This can include joint initiatives such as tree planting, community clean-ups, protecting local ecosystems, and integrating sustainable practices into faith-based and civic institutions. The goal is to translate spiritual and ethical responsibility into tangible, collective action that demonstrates care for creation.
• Inspire sustainable practices in towns and cities by encouraging communities to assess how energy, infrastructure, and environmental choices affect both people and the planet. Faith communities can lead by example — installing solar panels, launching community energy projects, regenerating land through natural farming or community gardens, adopting energy-efficient lighting, and running local clean-up campaigns. These initiatives serve as visible models that mobilize communities and inform regenerative practices and policy decisions.
• Promote collective initiatives of reuse, repair, and recycling, giving new life to clothes, tools, appliances, and other items, and supporting mindful consumption and solidarity as alternatives to consumerism.

3. Prosperity

Economy is not neutral- it can generate exclusion and inequality, or it can foster shared well-being in harmony with the natural environment. In a time of rising inequalities, we are called to rethink prosperity through the lenses of human dignity and environmental sustainability as structural pillars. This means moving beyond the illusion of perpetual growth that benefits only a few, embracing greater sobriety and restoring balance with nature in the ways we live, produce and consume.

• Inspire commitment to the development of human capital, such as fair wages, workers’ rights, and climate-resilient jobs, joining forces across religious and faith communities to foster local forms of cooperation rooted in human dignity and environmental sustainability based on social economy approaches, such as cooperatives and similar initiatives through dialogue-driven partnerships across religious and secular actors.
• Foster innovative and ethical investment, encouraging ethical, values-based institutions and investors to support community initiatives for the common good by leveraging the significant results already achieved by pioneers in this area. 

Way Forward

In 2026, the KAICIID Europe Region Programme (ERP) will launch follow-up initiatives such as local and regional dialogues to mobilise key religious and secular stakeholders as well as grant-making mechanisms for grass-root initiatives to build on the momentum of the 6^th European Policy Dialogue Forum. The Europe Region Programme will renew its efforts towards reinforcing coalitions with religious leaders and actors, local authorities, sub-regional organizations and ethical investors, harnessing both spiritual drive and practical tools to support interfaith paths toward equity and climate justice in line with this Call to Action. One concrete step will be the establishment of an Informal Working Group bringing together city networks. 

Held on a biennial basis, the European Policy Dialogue Forum will continue to provide a space for faith leaders, policymakers, civil society and the private sector to reconnect, exchange insights and advance collective progress in the spirit of a modern agora,  the heart of civic debate and collective problem-solving where participation in public life is both a duty and a path to personal fulfilment in harmony with a sacred, universal order. In such a space, policy is not only technical but deeply human, grounded in mutual responsibility as well as shared spiritual and secular principles.  

Through dialogue, collaboration and care, we will continue to nurture communities where dignity and solidarity thrive – contributing to a Europe in which both people and planet can truly prosper.

[1] KAICIID’s operational scope in Europe covers the geographical regions of the 46 Member States of the Council of Europe