Description
Promoting respect and fostering social inclusion by creating a transnational network of actors from the wider civil society and different faith traditions.
Global Exchange on Religion in Society (GERIS)
“Global Exchange on Religion in Society” (GERIS) is an EU funded project. Its implementation has been entrusted to a consortium between Particip GmbH (Germany) and Media Diversity Institute (UK).
Overall objective: Connect and empower civil society practitioners working on faith and social inclusion, enhancing cooperation across a broader range of issues with a focus on both “religious” and “non-religious” areas of policy concern.
GERIS – Purposes
- Facilitate the cross-fertilisation of ideas and experiential learning between project participants about their best practices related to promoting respect for diversity and fostering social inclusion.
- Create transnational networks of community-based actors (faith based or not), civil society organisations, practitioners, religious leaders, expert and academics working in the same thematic area (e.g. education, community development, conflict resolution).
- Provide these actors with ideas and skills to help them scale up their activities and reach out to a larger audience.
Each round of project activities is a major milestone towards achieving the project goal of contributing to social inclusion and societal resilience by setting up a global community-based exchange initiative of civil society actors from different faith traditions and none. It also complements existing EU initiatives and ongoing policy efforts, particularly those focusing on diversity and promoting societal pluralism.
With 175 participants, GERIS Network is composed of community-based actors, representatives of civil society organisations, religious actors, experts, and academics as well as journalists and media practitioners, coming from 55 countries. Project participants - GERIS Network members - are at the forefront of this effort. Their engagement in the project is decisive in amplifying voices of the global network of participants and in helping them reach out to larger audiences.
Interactions facilitated via online and in-person activities led to a strong global acceptance of the religion in society approach and support for jointly engaging civil society actors from diverse religious and non-religious backgrounds.
GERIS introductory video
GERIS overview video
Meet the GERIS team
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Dr Marika Djolai is GERIS' Key Expert / Team Leader. Dr Djolai also worked as a Senior Researcher and Head of Conflict and Security Cluster at the European Centre for Minority Issues in Flensburg, Germany. Born in Yugoslavia, Marika studied both natural and social sciences, and holds a double Masters degree and PhD in Development Studies (Conflict and Violence). |
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Rafael Ramesa is GERIS' Project Assistant. Before joining the project, Rafael worked as a journalist for various media outlets and has been as a Blue Booker in the European Commission. Rafael holds a MA in Commuication and Advertising from the University of Trieste. |
GERIS Indonesia Exchange visit video
GERIS Morocco Exchange visit video
GERIS Belgium Exchange visit video
GERIS US Exchange visit video
GERIS Bosnia and Herzegovina Exchange visit video