The Cultural Dialogue Forum of the Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Services (CEOSS) launched the “Religious Leaders for the Twenty-First Century” program to strengthen the role of religious leaders in advancing sustainable development and expand their contributions to addressing challenges in their communities.
The program aims to equip religious leaders to use religious discourse to support development priorities, particularly environmental protection, education, and issues affecting women. It also seeks to strengthen their role in promoting the values of citizenship and social cohesion, helping improve the lives of individuals and communities.
The program’s first session brought together 30 religious leaders from different governorates. Participants discussed the key roles religious leaders play as active partners in serving their communities, as well as the importance of connecting religious values and texts with the needs and challenges people face today.
Representatives from the participating governorates also drafted joint action plans to advance sustainable development in their local communities and turn the ideas discussed during the session into practical steps.
The session was led by Sheikh Dr. Amr El-Wardani, Chair of the Religious Affairs and Endowments Committee in the House of Representatives, and Rev. Dr. Refaat Fathy, General Secretary of the Evangelical Synod of the Nile.
The program is part of the Cultural Dialogue Forum’s ongoing efforts to strengthen the role of religious leaders in community service and support their contributions to development, while promoting cooperation, citizenship, and social cohesion.
