The Cape Town Interfaith Initiative (CTII), a registered non-profit founded in 2000, celebrates 25 years of promoting understanding and unity across religious and cultural divides. Its Youth Interfaith Intercultural Programme, initiated by educator and Holocaust Centre founder Marlene Silbert in 2011, brings together Grade 10 and 11 learners from schools across Cape Town for an immersive, year-long journey of interfaith learning, dialogue, and personal growth. Through monthly workshops, visits to places of worship, and service learning, learners explore the foundational questions: “Who am I? Who are you? Who are we?” This experience provides a rare opportunity to meet peers from varied socio-economic, cultural, and religious backgrounds, building bridges in a divided city.
The programme has more than doubled in size over the last four years, now serving nearly 50 students annually, and includes an annual camp, guest speakers, and civic engagement workshops. Graduates often go on to lead initiatives in their communities, serve in youth leadership roles, and engage in interfaith action. CTII seeks support for transportation, meals, facilitator stipends, and expansion of its alumni and mentoring components. The initiative proudly partners with organizations like the City of Cape Town, United Religions Initiative, and Charter for Compassion, and welcomes engagement from local supporters such as the Waterfront Rotary Club to help shape a more connected, compassionate future.
Lead Facilitator: Pippa Jones
<Insert Paragraph/Biography Here>
Facilitators
Golden is a graduate of the Youth Programme. He has just matriculated from Rylands High School and is taking a gap year to earn money in order to apply for Law School next year. His family are originally from Zimbabwe. He recently relocated from Delft to Belhar, and is currently working as a waiter in a hotel in the City Centre. He is Christian.
Zahra is also a graduate of the Youth Programme. She has just matriculated from Oude Molen Technical High School and is also taking a gap year to save for a further studies next year. She would like to pursue some form of engineering. She was born and raised in Mitchell’s Plain. Her family recently relocated to Belville, no longer wanting to be living in the heart of ganglands, Zahra is determined to use “education and interfaith” as a way to bettering her life. She is Muslim.
Ana comes to us from the Cape Town Unitarian community where she is an active member. She is in her early 20s and is exploring her life path outside of mainstream varsity education. Her main academic interests are psychology and teaching. She was born and raised in Observatory and now lives with her husband in Belville. She does not identify with any one religion; she has a keen interest in Buddhism and Taoism.
