JISRA endline evaluation

Discover the transformative journey of the Joint Initiative for Strategic Religious Action (JISRA), a groundbreaking 5-year programme dedicated to advancing peaceful and inclusive societies where Freedom of Religion and Belief (FoRB) is protected and celebrated for all. Spanning five years of dedicated, context-driven peacebuilding, the JISRA initiative has bridged divides, challenged harmful narratives, and championed interfaith cooperation across seven diverse implementation countries: Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iraq, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, and Uganda.

The JISRA Endline Report provides an honest, rigorous analysis of the programme's overall impact, coherence, effectiveness, and long-term sustainability, culminating in a strategic roadmap of actionable recommendations and vital lessons learned.

Key Highlights of the Evaluation

• Religious Leaders as Change Agents: JISRA effectively built the capacity of religious leaders, resulting in increased advocacy for FoRB, interfaith tolerance, and peaceful coexistence. For example, in Ethiopia, leaders trained by JISRA became advocates for interfaith collaboration, and in Nigeria, joint Christian-Muslim training manuals were adopted.
• Women and Youth Empowerment: Significant progress was made in empowering women and youth, who gained skills, confidence, and leadership roles. Examples include the re-launch of the Ethiopian Women of Faith Network and the Indonesian Women Ulama Congress (KUPI II).
• Unintended Positive Outcomes: Several countries reported unexpected positive outcomes, such as economic empowerment for women and youth groups, and new interfaith collaborations.

• Continued Use of Skills and Knowledge: Most partners, religious leaders, women, and youth reported intentions to continue using the skills and knowledge gained through JISRA after program closure.

• Societal Change: JISRA contributed to increased interfaith tolerance and peaceful coexistence, especially where religious leaders were engaged as credible agents of change. However, broader social pressures and other actors also played a role.