NON-FORMAL EDUCATION AS A PATHWAY TO INTERFAITH DIALOGUE: EVIDENCE FROM AN INTERNATIONAL YOUTH SEMINAR

Ilias Karachalios, Elisabeth Palugyay

Abstract


Non-formal education is increasingly recognised as a promising space for addressing complex social issues that require dialogue, reflexivity, and relational learning. Among these, interfaith dialogue occupies a particularly significant place in contemporary plural societies. This article investigates the contribution of non-formal education to interfaith dialogue through the evaluation of an international seminar designed for youth professionals. The study draws on evidence from the 3-day "Power of Interfaith Dialogue" seminar, which engaged 26 participants from 17 countries representing diverse professional, cultural, and belief backgrounds. Based on participant evaluation data, the article examines how non-formal education methodologies shaped the learning experience and supported the development of knowledge, attitudes, and competences relevant to interfaith engagement. The findings suggest that participants perceived the seminar as highly valuable for supporting mutual understanding, openness to diverse perspectives, interpersonal dialogue skills, and perceived readiness for future action. Participants emphasised the importance of experiential and dialogical methods, the opportunity for self-reflection, and the exchange of practices across contexts. At the same time, the evaluation revealed a need for more time to process complex issues and for greater exposure to local interfaith initiatives. The article concludes that non-formal education can function as a meaningful pathway to interfaith dialogue by creating conditions for reflective encounter and by equipping youth professionals to promote inclusion, peacebuilding, and religious diversity in their own communities.

Keywords


non-formal education; interfaith dialogue; youth professionals; seminar evaluation; religious diversity; transformative learning

Full Text:

PDF

References


Aneas, A., Carmona, C., Shuali Trachtenberg, T., & Montané, A. (2024). Interreligious Competence (IRC) in Students of Education: An Exploratory Study. Religions, 15(1), 21. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15010021

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2019). Reflecting on reflexive thematic analysis. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 11(4), 589–597. https://doi.org/10.1080/2159676X.2019.1628806

Essomba, M. À., Nadeu, M., & Tarrés Vallespí, A. (2023). Young Educators’ Voices on Interfaith Dialogue and Religious Diversity in Leisure Time Education: Towards an Effective Policy Framework and Training. Religions, 14(11), 1378. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14111378

Formenti, L., & Hoggan‐Kloubert, T. (2023). Transformative learning as societal learning. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 2023(177), 105–118. https://doi.org/10.1002/ace.20482

Halsall, A., & Roebben, B. (2006). Intercultural and Interfaith Dialogue through Education. Religious Education, 101(4), 443–452. https://doi.org/10.1080/00344080600948571

Hopson, R. K. (2009). Reclaiming Knowledge at the Margins: Culturally Responsive Evaluation in the Current Evaluation Moment. In K. Ryan & J. Cousins, The SAGE International Handbook of Educational Evaluation (pp. 429–446). SAGE Publications, Inc. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781452226606.n24

Irvine, A. (2024). First steps in qualitative secondary analysis: Experiences of engaging with the primary research team. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 27(6), 721–733. https://doi.org/10.1080/13645579.2023.2267836

Karachalios, I. (2024). Utilizing Educational Gaming to Foster Sustainability Awareness in Corporate Settings. International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), 13(3), 740–744. https://doi.org/10.21275/SR24308032254

Karachalios, I., & Manesis, N. (2025). Fostering environmental awareness in primary school students: Evaluating the impact of a waste management education program. European Journal of Education Studies, 12(4). https://doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v12i4.5886

Karachalios, I., Plakitsi, K., Hatzinikita, V., Kalavrouziotis, I., Gomatos, L., & Sakellariou, P. (2023). Secondary education teachers’ views on issues related to wastewater and solid waste management. European Journal of Education Studies, 10(9). https://doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v10i9.4963

Karachalios, I., & Tantaroudas, N. (2025). Future Greek Pre-Service Teachers’ Knowledge, Attitudes and Self-Efficacy in Waste Management. British Journal of Education, 13(8), 25–42. https://doi.org/10.37745/bje.2013/vol13n82542

Karachalios, I., Velaoras, K., & Tantaroudas, N. D. (2026). Preservice teachers’ expectations, fears, and perceived contributions at the start of a compulsory environmental education course: An exploratory thematic analysis. European Journal of Education Studies, 13(4), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v13i4.6586

Kong, Y. (2021). The Role of Experiential Learning on Students’ Motivation and Classroom Engagement. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.771272

Larkins, G., & Owen, S. (2025). Why There Is a Place for Dialogue in Religious Education Today. Religions, 16(4), 487. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16040487

Mayhew, M. J., & Rockenbach, A. N. (2021). Interfaith Learning and Development. Journal of College and Character, 22(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/2194587X.2020.1860778

Quirós Domínguez, C., De Ormaechea Otarola, V., & Freixa Niella, M. (2023). Intercultural and Interreligious Competences of Youth: A Case Study in a Secondary School in Barcelona. Religions, 14(11). https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14111380

Sandelowski, M. (2000). Whatever happened to qualitative description? Research in Nursing & Health, 23(4), 334–340. https://doi.org/10.1002/1098-240X(200008)23:4%3C334::AID-NUR9%3E3.0.CO;2-G

Sandelowski, M. (2010). What’s in a name? Qualitative description revisited. Research in Nursing & Health, 33(1), 77–84. https://doi.org/10.1002/nur.20362

Swidler, L. (2014). Dialogue for Interreligious Understanding. Palgrave Macmillan US. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137470690

Tasakou, S., & Karachalios, I. (2025). Gamified, technology-enhanced geometry and symmetry instruction for learners with intellectual disabilities: A design-based study in a greek special school. European Journal of Special Education Research, 11(5). https://doi.org/10.46827/ejse.v11i5.6231

Vella, J. K. (2002). Learning to listen, learning to teach: The power of dialogue in educating adults (Rev. ed). Jossey-Bass. Retrieved from https://archive.org/details/learningtolisten0000vell_r3n6

Vilà, R., Rubio, M. J., & Escofet, A. (2020). Are our Future Socio-Educational Agents Duly Prepared to Foster Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue in their Professional Practice? Religion & Education, 47(3), 300–320. https://doi.org/10.1080/15507394.2020.1768820

Visser, H. J., Liefbroer, A. I., Moyaert, M., & Bertram-Troost, G. D. (2023). Categorising interfaith learning objectives: A scoping review. Journal of Beliefs & Values, 44(1), 63–80. https://doi.org/10.1080/13617672.2021.2013637

Visser, H. J., Liefbroer, A. I., & Schoonmade, L. J. (2024). Evaluating the learning outcomes of interfaith initiatives: A systematic literature review. Journal of Beliefs & Values, 45(4), 689–712. https://doi.org/10.1080/13617672.2023.2196486

Visser, H. J., Moyaert, M., Bertram-Troost, G. D., & Liefbroer, A. I. (2023). Learning Orientations in Interfaith Initiatives: A Case Study of the Interfaith Leadership Program Emoena. Religious Education, 118(4), 369–384. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1080/00344087.2023.2261754

Γομάτος, Λ., Αρμακόλας, Σ., Καραχάλιος, Η., Παλούμπα, Ε., & Καραχασάνη, Α. (2025). Αειφορική διαχείριση νερού: Σχεδιασμός και Δημιουργία ενός Ανοιχτού Εκπαιδευτικού Πόρου-ΑΕΠ. Διεθνές Συνέδριο Για Την Ανοικτή & Εξ Αποστάσεως Εκπαίδευση, 13(3), 128–139. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.12681/icodl.8556




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejsss.v12i4.2248

Copyright (c) 2026 Ilias Karachalios, Elisabeth Palugyay

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

The research works published in this journal are free to be accessed. They can be shared (copied and redistributed in any medium or format) and\or adapted (remixed, transformed, and built upon the material for any purpose, commercially and\or not commercially) under the following terms: attribution (appropriate credit must be given indicating original authors, research work name and publication name mentioning if changes were made) and without adding additional restrictions (without restricting others from doing anything the actual license permits). Authors retain the full copyright of their published research works and cannot revoke these freedoms as long as the license terms are followed.

Copyright © 2016 - 2026. European Journal Of Social Sciences Studies (ISSN 2501-8590) is a registered trademark of Open Access Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

This journal is a serial publication uniquely identified by an International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) serial number certificate issued by Romanian National Library. All the research works are uniquely identified by a CrossRef DOI digital object identifier supplied by indexing and repository platforms. All the research works published on this journal are meeting the Open Access Publishing requirements and standards formulated by Budapest Open Access Initiative (2002), the Bethesda Statement on Open Access Publishing (2003) and  Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities (2003) and can be freely accessed, shared, modified, distributed and used in educational, commercial and non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Copyrights of the published research works are retained by authors.