Workshop was organised by the WCC Interreligious Dialogue and Cooperation programme, demonstrating the significant role churches continue to play in building bridges between East and West, the Middle East and Africa. The session was moderated by Dr Samir Morcos, representing the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and underscoring the significance of the Egyptian Christian presence as a bridge of dialogue, particularly through the church’s longstanding communication with Al-Azhar and its participation in national interfaith encounters. Morcos guided a conversation focused on the contemporary relevance of Nicaea as a symbol of unity and as a point of departure for a renewed ecumenical and interreligious vision. Rev. Refat Fathy, general secretary of the Synod of the Nile of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Egypt, together with Rev. Eid Beshara, highlighted the church’s ongoing efforts to promote peace and social cohesion, emphasizing the sustained communication channels and locally rooted cooperation initiatives developed with Muslim partners in communities across the country. They noted that these initiatives include joint neighbourhood committees, shared educational and social programmes, and regular platforms for civic dialogue, all of which contribute to strengthening trust and fostering a culture of mutual respect within Egyptian society. Representing the Episcopal and Anglican Province of Alexandria, Seleem Wassef, the diocesan interfaith coordinator, presented the province’s ongoing efforts to promote peaceful interreligious cooperation, highlighting its regular dialogue with Muslim leaders, joint community-service projects in mixed neighbourhoods, and participation in national platforms addressing social cohesion and religious literacy. Wassef also referred to the province’s educational and youth-focused programmes, which bring together Christian and Muslim students to cultivate mutual understanding as a foundation for long-term societal harmony. The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa was represented by Fr Dr Evangelos Thiani, serving the African Orthodox Church of Kenya within the Orthodox Archdiocese of Nairobi. He highlighted the pastoral challenges of East African Orthodoxy within Kenya’s culturally diverse context, marked by strong oral tradition, ethnic plurality, and community-based social structures that shape interreligious relations. He noted the church’s involvement in community mediation and various local initiatives where Christians, Muslims, and Indigenous tribes collaborate in addressing shared social needs. His contribution underscored the Patriarchate’s longstanding commitment to dialogue and reconciliation across the African continent. Adding an international dimension, Andrew James Boyd, senior programme manager of the KAICIID Fellows, underscored the global relevance of structured interreligious cooperation and emphasized the importance of building sustainable networks capable of supporting coordinated action. He highlighted the Fellows Programme, which trains religious and community leaders and equips them to foster mutual respect and social-cohesion initiatives in their local contexts. Overall, the workshop highlighted the depth and diversity of the churches of Egypt and Africa, whose presence at a significant geopolitical crossroads offers enduring examples of coexistence and ecumenical vision. Participants reflected on how intra-Christian collaboration can support wider interreligious cooperation and contribute to the prevalence of peace on earth, echoing the Gospel call for “peace on earth and goodwill among all people.”
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