From 14 to 16 December 2025, the University of Mosul hosted the training program “Interreligious Dialogue for Peace and Living Together”, organized by the Peacebuilding and Peaceful Coexistence Center (PPCC) and the Religion & Security Council (RSC) under the Nināwā Forum, with the support of the KAICIID International Dialogue Centre.
The three-day program was attended by over forty undergraduate students from different faculties of the University of Mosul, who took part in a series of modules and workshops conducted by academics, religious leaders, and practitioners, with the aim of exploring the role of Interreligious Dialogue in fostering peaceful coexistence, reconciliation, and social cohesion in the Nineveh region and across Iraq.
The proceedings, inaugurated by the PPCC Director Dr. Fathi Al-Ayani and RSC Chairman Emiliano Stornelli, featured the following sessions:
FIRST DAY
Interreligious Dialogue for Peace and Living Together
Sheikh Abdulghaffar S. Khourshid
Member of the Social Reconciliation Authority, Ministry of Endowment and Religious Affairs,
Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq
KAICIID Fellow
Effective Dialogue Across Religions and Cultures: Principles and Best Practices
Dr. Fr. Faris Yaqoub Mansour Tamas
Judicial Vicar and Member of the Eparchial Council, Syriac Catholic Eparchy of Nineveh
Nineveh’s Dialogue Model: Past Lessons, Future Paths
Dr. Hashim Abdulrazzaq
Professor of Modern History, University of Mosul
KAICIID Fellow
SECOND DAY
The Role of Interreligious Dialogue in Conflict Resolution and Peace-Building
RSC Chairman Emiliano Stornelli
Interreligious Relations in Nineveh: Current Challenges and Future Prospects
Dr. Saeed Khudeida Qulu Al-Sinjari
Head of the Human Rights Department, University of Mosul
Mr. Yohanna Youssef Towaya
Director, Humanitarian Nineveh Relief Organization
Dr. Ahmad Al-Mamar
Professor of Usul al-Fiqh and Maqasid al-Sharia, College of Imam Al-Aʿzam University
THIRD DAY
Building Bridges of Dialogue: The Role of Women in Nineveh
H.E. Pascale Isho Warda
President, Hammurabi Human Rights Organization
Former Minister for Migration and the Displaced, Iraqi Interim Government
RSC Senior Fellow
Ms. Rayhan Diyaa Ali Basheer Al-Nima
Assistant Lecturer at the College of Education for Women, University of Mosul
A special session led by Dr. Raqeeb Al-Hamawi, Director of the UNESCO Chair and Head of the Human Rights Department at the Faculty of Law of the University of Mosul, examined the Declaration for Peace, Dialogue, and Coexistence in Nineveh upheld by the Nināwā Forum, outlining ways and methods to operationalize its principles and guidelines.
As guest of honor from Baghdad, the Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Iraq, H.E. Amb. Klemens Semtner, offered a broad perspective on The Role of the European Union in Fostering Dialogue among Cultures, Religions, and Communities in the country, engaging in a fruitful exchange with the students during discussion period.
Throughout the three days, participants were also involved in Strategic Dialogue Working Groups facilitated by the scholars of the Peacebuilding and Peaceful Coexistence Center (PPCC): Dr. Waad Ibrahim Khaleel, Head of the Peace Capacity-Building Department; Dr. Harith Adeeb Ibrahim, Head of the Peace Studies Department; Dr. Oday Talal Mahmood, Senior Researcher; and Dr. Mahmood Azzo Hamdow, Senior Researcher.
The Strategic Dialogue Working Groups focused on identifying and addressing the main challenges to effective interreligious engagement, and resulted in a series of project proposals developed by the students on how to advance “Interreligious Dialogue for Peace and Living Together”.
The program concluded with a certificate award ceremony, reaffirming the commitment of the Nināwā Forum to peace-building in the Nineveh region and across Iraq.