In many contexts, religion is not just a matter of belief – it shapes how communities organise, how authority is defined and how social norms are maintained or challenged. For organisations working on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), this makes engagement with religious actors both necessary and complex. Their influence can help advance inclusion and social cohesion, but can also reinforce existing inequalities if not approached carefully. This article brings together key insights from the JISRA programme on how to navigate that complexity in programme design.
What the JISRA programme shows
Experience across JISRA countries highlights a consistent pattern: religious actors are deeply embedded in the social and moral fabric of communities, which gives them the ability to influence norms, relationships and behaviour. At the same time, that influence is shaped by existing power structures, internal hierarchies and contested interpretations of religion.
This means that working with religious actors is never just about engagement. It is about engaging with systems of meaning and power. Programmes that recognise this are better positioned to contribute to inclusive change. Those that do not risk reinforcing the very dynamics they aim to address.
Key insights
- Power determines whether engagement leads to inclusion or exclusion
Working with religious actors means engaging with institutions and communities where authority is already structured, often along gendered, generational and hierarchical lines. These dynamics shape who has influence, whose voices are considered legitimate and which interpretations of religion are prioritised.
As a result, engagement is not neutral. Programmes that do not actively address these dynamics risk reinforcing existing inequalities, even when their intention is to promote inclusion and FoRB. At the same time, religious actors can play a powerful role in challenging these structures and promoting more inclusive norms. Whether engagement leads to inclusion or exclusion therefore depends on how programmes engage with power; not simply on whether religious actors are involved. - Inclusive engagement requires shifting who is heard and recognized
Many programmes engage primarily with senior male leaders, who often occupy formal positions of authority. However, influence within religious communities is more complex. Women, youth, informal leaders and minority voices may play important roles in shaping attitudes and practices, even when they are not formally recognised.
Expanding engagement to include these actors is not only about representation. It is about redistributing whose perspectives are heard, whose experiences are validated and whose interpretations of religion gain space. For FoRB programming, this means that inclusive engagement is a deliberate strategy to shift how authority and legitimacy are distributed within religious contexts.
- Change depends on how religious meaning is negotiated
Religious norms are not fixed. They are continuously interpreted and renegotiated in response to social realities, power relations and lived experiences. Practices that restrict rights or reinforce exclusion are often rooted in specific interpretations of religious teachings, even when alternative interpretations exist. Engaging religious actors therefore involves engaging with these processes of interpretation.
Approaches such as dialogue, contextual theology and faith literacy can create space for reflection and reinterpretation, allowing religious actors to draw on their traditions in ways that support dignity, justice and coexistence. For programme design, this means that change is not only about who participates, but about how religious meaning itself is shaped and reshaped. - Influence expands when religious actors connect across systems
Religious actors often operate across multiple levels. They are embedded in local communities, while also having the potential to influence broader systems such as policy processes, governance structures and public debate. This creates opportunities to connect local realities – including experiences of exclusion or conflict – to wider decision-making processes. However, this potential requires targeted support.
Strengthening capacities such as legal literacy, advocacy skills and digital engagement enables religious actors to move beyond local influence and contribute to systemic change. It also allows them to act as connectors between communities, authorities and policymakers. For FoRB programming, this highlights the importance of supporting religious actors not only as community figures, but as actors who can shape broader systems.
What this means for FoRB and peacebuilding programmes
The JISRA experience highlights a clear conclusion: engaging religious actors can significantly strengthen Freedom of Religion or Belief and social cohesion – but only when programmes actively engage with the power dynamics, interpretations and systems that shape their influence.
Programmes are more likely to contribute to inclusive and sustainable change when they:
- Recognise that engagement with religious actors is inherently shaped by power and legitimacy
- Deliberately include diverse religious voices, beyond formal leadership structures
- Support processes that enable reflection and reinterpretation of religious norms
- Strengthen the capacity of religious actors to engage beyond their immediate communities
- Remain attentive to internal hierarchies and potential risks of exclusion
Taken together, these insights point to a broader lesson: working with religious actors is not simply about partnership. It is about navigating how authority, meaning and influence are produced within societies.
Want to explore these insights in more detail?
The JISRA learning paper on religious actors and Freedom of Religion or Belief brings together reflections and lessons from programme work across multiple countries.
