ABSTRACT
Drawing on research in Central African Republic, the Philippines and Lebanon, this chapter explores how interfaith networks bring together faith leaders for collaboration that promotes tolerance and social cohesion in fragile contexts. Various factors influence faith leaders’ impetus to join or establish such networks, including their proximity to conflict, the felt needs of their congregations and an opportunity to discuss social protection issues that affect their congregants. Child protection, education and livelihoods activities can bring faith leaders together into spaces where they can model collaboration and tolerance to communities that have experienced a breakdown in social cohesion across lines delineated by religious identity. The faith leaders who engage in this type of work are not always the most influential members of their religious communities and thus their reach is limited, though, so their capacity to promote cohesive societies should not be over-stated.
