iDovers working for peace in a COVID-19 world

This policy brief examines the African Union's iDove initiative, a youth-led platform designed to prevent violent extremism (PVE) through intra/interfaith dialogue. It analyzes the initiative's sustainability and adaptability in Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the shift toward virtual engagement and the need for greater integration into continental policy frameworks.

• Since its 2017 launch, the iDove initiative has seen an increase in youth-led organizations adopting intra/interfaith approaches to prevent violent extremism, aiming to foster inclusion in communities vulnerable to religious radicalisation.
• The COVID-19 pandemic forced iDovers to shift from face-to-face interactions to virtual ones, creating a requirement to adapt tools like the AU-iDove Training Manual for digital use.
• Youth participants in PVE efforts contribute through three primary roles: volunteering for the security sector to challenge stereotypes, providing early warning information and policymaking input due to their community knowledge and tech-savviness, and establishing start-ups to address the socio-economic drivers of extremism.
• The iDove initiative's intra/interfaith approach is distinguished by the inclusion of traditional leaders, a feature described as unique to the African approach.
• The pandemic introduced five major challenges for iDovers: the cessation or transformation of projects, increased difficulty reaching stakeholders due to lockdowns, funding shortages as health projects were prioritized, a loss of face-to-face networking, and difficulties in maintaining the momentum of interfaith engagements.
• In October 2020, the AU launched the Africa Cross Border Messaging Program, which implemented seven projects in East and Central Africa (specifically in Kenya, Uganda, Sudan, Tanzania, Mozambique, and the Democratic Republic of Congo) using methods like gaming, visual art, and social media to build social cohesion.
• The 'Cool Imam' approach was utilized by iDovers to modernize the perception of religious leaders, moving away from views of them as 'stern and backward-thinking' by using technological skills and normative language to bridge the intergenerational gap.

APA

Kujeke, M. (2021). iDovers working for peace in a COVID-19 world. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/pb-168-idove.pdf

Chicago

Kujeke, Muneinazvo. iDovers working for peace in a COVID-19 world. Institute for Security Studies, 2021. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/pb-168-idove.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Kujeke |first1=Muneinazvo |title=iDovers working for peace in a COVID-19 world |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=2021 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/pb-168-idove.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{kujeke2021idovers, author = {Kujeke, Muneinazvo}, title = {{iDovers working for peace in a COVID-19 world}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2021}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/pb-168-idove.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }