International Research Council for Religious Affairs -IRCRA

The international research council for ReligiousAffairs (IRCRA) is a non-governmental and non-profit organization dedicated to preventing, mitigating, and transforming inter and intra-religious, ethnic, and social conflicts in Pakistan through education and community engagement mechanisms. IRCRA promotes democratic pluralism, democratic values, tolerance, and peace through capacity-building programs. The organization engages government officials, religious leaders/scholars, media and political leaders, and civil society actors to play a critical role in conflict resolutions and to effectively counter the inappropriate use of religion.  Through its capacity-building and community engagement programs, IRCRA has trained more than 7000 local religious actors, and community leaders including editors of religious magazines, madrasah teachers, mosque imams, and inter &intra-faith leaders. These editors of religious magazines in turn wrote/published more than 150 articles supporting the polio vaccination campaigns across the country. In addition, with IRCRA efforts, more than 100fatwas and video messages were recorded and published by top religious leaders of the country in support of polio campaigns across the country.

IRCRA workshop alumni have initiated numerous interventions within their communities to counter extremist narratives, developed tolerance-building programs, and supported mosques and madrassa enhancement initiatives. IRCRA strategies and implemented programs helped promote social harmony and to invoke society protect our vulnerable communities from extremist violence in some of the conflict-affected areas in Pakistan.