The international organization, KAICIID, is headquartered in Vienna, Austria, focusing on facilitating intercultural and interreligious dialogue. Its mission is to promote peace, tolerance and understanding among people of different faiths and cultures. KAICIID's work includes using dialogue to support peacebuilding and social cohesion efforts in conflict areas. Crucially, KAICIID seeks to promote human rights, justice, peace and reconciliation, as well as curb the abuse of religion as a means to justify oppression, violence and conflict. It promotes the preservation and sacredness of holy sites, as well as respect for religious symbols, and focuses on issues pertaining to the dignity of human life and religious education.
Guiding principles
Recalling that the founding document of KAICIID cites principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, especially, "the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion" - with emphasis on "human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion."
History
On 13 October 2011 the agreement for the establishment of KAICIID in Vienna was signed by the governments of Austria, Spain and Saudi Arabia. The center was inaugurated on 27 November 2012 in Vienna, in a ceremony attended by representatives of the world's major religions. UN Secretary GeneralBan Ki-moon spoke at the inauguration and welcomed the initiative. However, the inauguration-ceremony was protested by the Austrian Green Party, as well as a variety of Austrian NGOs concerned with Saudi Arabia’s poor human-rights record and fears that the KAICIID would in fact be misused by founding member and chief financier Saudi Arabia as a bridge-head for spreading Wahhabism in Europe. The Vatican defended the organization as an international initiative, said that "the variety and pluralism of today’s world call for a multiplication of both chances for and vectors of development of the active and proactive role of the Church", and promised "to bring to light her concerns for the effective respect of the fundamental rights of Christians who live in countries with a Muslim majority, in order to promote authentic and integral religious liberty."
Activities
KAICIID's projects focus on facilitating intercultural and interreligious dialogue.
Conferences
In November 2014, KAICIID hosted a conference in Vienna of Muslim, Christian and Jewish religious leaders from across the Middle East and around the world to join together in respect for tolerance and diversity, denouncing violence in the name of religion.
Fellows Programme
The KAICIID Fellows Programme is a one-year training and capacity building program for religious scholars and teachers. The program trains them in dialogue, mediation and peacebuilding, so they can pass along these skills on to their students.
Peace Map
The KAICIID Peace Map shows the range of interreligious activities by international organisations across the world in a central online location.
Governance
Austria, Saudi Arabia and Spain form the Council of Parties, which oversees the work of the Centre. The Holy See is the Founding Observer. The Board of Directors includes representatives from five world religions: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. The Board members are:
