First established in 2006, the UNITWIN Network on Inter-religious Dialogue and Intercultural Understanding (IDIU) brings together UNESCO Chairs from around the world to promote and support dialogue between religions, cultures, faiths and traditions, in a world where conflicts are often associated with religious and ethnic belonging. It aims to challenge ignorance and prejudice and foster mutual respect through learning and collaboration.
About the UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme
Launched in 1992, the UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme promotes international inter-university cooperation and networking to enhance institutional capacities through knowledge sharing and collaborative work.
The Programme supports the establishment of UNESCO Chairs and UNITWIN Networks in key priority areas related to UNESCO’s fields of competence, including education, the natural and social sciences, culture and communication.
Through this network, higher education and research institutions all over the globe pool their resources, both human and material, to address pressing challenges and contribute to the development of their societies.
Read more about the UNESCO Chairs and UNITWIN Network →
About the IDIU Network
The Network comprises academic and research centres recognised for their expertise in this field across the globe. It brings together professors, researchers and specialists, who are personally committed to the achievement of interreligious dialogue and intercultural understanding.
“UNESCO’s Network of Chairs on intercultural and interreligious dialogue has supported the publication of two ground-breaking research publications exploring the plural contributions of the UN system to peacebuilding and how to render interculturalism a practical policy instrument. The Network had also convened three Academic Fora on Intercultural Dialogue, serving as powerful platforms of exchange, cross-fertilisation of applied knowledge, and north-south-south cooperation.” (UNESCO, 2019)