Empowering Faith and Community: Building Pathways to Peace for Children in South Asia

From April 21 to 23, 2026, World Vision South Asia Pacific joined global experts, judges, scholars, policymakers, and religious leaders at Brigham Young University–Hawaii in Lāʻie, Hawai'i, for the Religious Freedom and Human Dignity (RFHD) Conference.

Centred around the theme "Religion and Human Flourishing: Building Pathways to Peaceful Societies in South Asia," the forum explored how law, religion, education, and civil society can actively strengthen peace and human dignity across one of the world's most religiously diverse regions.

Collaborative Faith Action for Development

World Vision South Asia Pacific contributed to the "Shared Visions of Religious Collaborations" panel. Sharing the stage with international peer organisations—including Mcandrew Leadership (UK), the South Asia Forum for Freedom of Religion or Belief (Finland), the Human Friends Organisation (Pakistan), and the Interfaith Coalition for Peace (India)—the session focused on how faith actors, civil society, and development practitioners can work across traditions to champion peace and dignity.

During the discussion, World Vision brought to light the critical intersection of faith partnerships and child well-being, highlighting the layered challenges faced by children across South Asia, including:

• Rising inequality and widespread violence
• Displacement and climate change impacts
• Malnutrition and severe food insecurity

Key Takeaways: Putting Children and Communities at the Center

The conference underscored how local faith communities and development practices can build long-term social cohesion:

• Trusted Partners for Change: Faith communities serve as vital, trusted partners on the ground in addressing social fragmentation and the unique development challenges facing children.
• Interfaith Relationships: Grassroots interfaith collaboration is essential for weaving a stronger fabric of social cohesion within diverse communities.
• Complementing Policy Frameworks: Grassroots, faith-based development initiatives directly complement formal legal and policy frameworks to protect human dignity in practical terms.

Spotlight: Healing Families in Sri Lanka

As a concrete example of faith-anchored development, participants were introduced to impactful reconciliation initiatives in Sri Lanka. Through localised Celebrating Families programming, faith partnerships are actively helping reconcile families and heal fractured relationships.

🎥 Watch the Impact: Learn more about how this programming transforms communities
 

Looking Forward

Participating in the RFHD conference reinforced a deep commitment to engaging with diverse faith voices, amplifying vital community-level insights, and strengthening collaborative pathways toward peaceful, inclusive societies that always put children at the centre.

Article by: Desmond Lim, World Vision South Asia and Pacific Faith and Development Adviser