Al-Azhar Observatory for Combating Extremism (AOCE) is leading the International Intellectual Movement at the British University in Egypt (BUE) to promote integration between religions and human rights. In collaboration with BUE and the Dominican Institute of Oriental Studies (Idéo), AOCE launched a new initiative, entitled the “Young Faith Actors” training program. The five-day program was attended by high-level diplomatic and academic figures, including the Deputy Head of the European Union Delegation to Egypt, the Ambassador of Singapore to Cairo, and the Human Rights Officer at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, in addition to other key figures.
The program targeted a selected group of experts and researchers representing 16 nationalities, and was based on peer-to-peer learning, allowing participants to exchange perspectives on issues of freedom of belief, countering hate speech, clarifying the ethics of artificial intelligence, and women's rights in both religious and legal interpretations. It emphasized the complementarity between human rights and religious ethics, and highlighted the vital role of religious institutions in dismantling extremist discourses that exploit religious texts to justify exclusion or violations of human dignity. The event focused on reviewing several crucial issues, most notably:
* Religious Sources and Freedom of Belief
* The Efforts of Modern Thinkers
* Women's Rights between Justice and Equity
* Solidarity and Social Justice
* Challenges of the Digital Age and Artificial Intelligence
The program concluded with a tour that included a visit to AOCE’s headquarters to learn more about the operational mechanisms of its 13 language units. Participants also visited the Idéo and the Interreligious Complex, aiming to strengthen human connections and a sense of community among the young participants, and empower them to become ambassadors of awareness and pluralism in their respective countries. This reinforced the program's mission to create genuine integration between religious principles and the global human rights system.