The Dialogue Institute—with a delegation led by Founder and President Leonard Swidler—will be in Nigeria this May to support the launching of the Centre for Deep Dialogue and Critical Thinking, at the University of Uyo.
Professor Swidler will give a keynote address as part of the official launch festivities, and will also serve as an ongoing consultant to the Centre. In addition, he—along with DI Board member William Cullinan and Olabisi Animashaun, a DI program associate—will conduct several dialogue trainings for members of the University of Uyo community during their visit.
Inspired by Professor Swidler's legacy of scholarship and activism, the University of Uyo initiated the vision for this unique partnership—beginning when Dr. Effiong Joseph Udo, a lecturer in the Department of Religious and Cultural Studies, visited Dialogue Institute (DI) staff in Philadelphia in April 2016. The DI and the University of Uyo are committed to support logistical and management details appropriate to the successful operation of the new center. In line with a mutual interest to expand academic and scholarly programs that promote dialogue, the two institutions will continue to work together toward a shared mission to reduce religious violence and increase understanding and tolerance among religions of the world.
