CCRL – A Tool in Conflict Transformation

In this episode of our Kraków interview series, Dr. Abbas Aroua—adjunct professor at the Lausanne Faculty of Medicine and founder of the Cordoba Peace Institute in Geneva—shares how he applies principles of Cross-Cultural Religious Literacy (CCRL) in conflict transformation and peacemaking across Muslim-majority contexts. Drawing from personal experience in Algeria and his decades of peacebuilding work, Dr. Aroua explains how religious dignity, interfaith understanding, and joint community action can help transform trauma into trust. From conflict mediation to collaborative projects among ideologically opposed groups, this interview highlights CCRL’s three core competencies and practical skills in real-world application. This conversation was made possible with the support of the Templeton Religion Trust. https://templetonreligiontrust.org/

Abbas Aroua A medical and health physicist. Abbas Aroua is an adjunct professor at the Lausanne Faculty of Medicine. He is the founder and director of the Cordoba Peace Institute Geneva (CPI), which since 2002 has been working on violence prevention, conflict transformation, and peacemaking in societies with Muslim populations. Abbas Aroua is the author of “Introduction to Conflict Transformation” (CPI, Geneva 2023), “The Quest for Peace in the Islamic Tradition” (Kolofon Press, Oslo 2013), “The Work of Goodness: A Comprehensive Approach to Human Security” (CPI, Geneva 2010), and other research papers available online at “cpi-geneva.org”.

Original post is also viewable on Love Your Neighbor Community (LYNC) YouTube channel: