A Voice from the Field: Yash Dhamija and the impact of the Mind-Heart Dialogue Training

Despite his young age, Yash Dhamija has been practicing interreligious dialogue and peacebuilding longer than most. A Youth Leader in at RfP India, Yash received his Master's in Comparative Religions from Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi, and worked with organisations such as Teach for India and the Global Peace Foundation before finding his way to Religions for Peace and the FPCC initiative. In December 2023, Yash became a certified Mind-Heart Dialogue national trainer after completing a week-long MHD training in Kathmandu.  

Over the past year and a half, Yash has used the knowledge and skills he built during the training in all walks of his life, and is consistently making a difference in his community, helping RfP India to “rejuvenate its resolutions and structure priorities to provide quantifiable markers of change in the lives of children and adolescent girls through its multifarious intervention programs.”  

Yash’s work in India reshapes communities by incorporating MHD principles into educational curricula, empowering faith leaders, and bringing peacebuilding tools to diverse regions. Last March, Yash spearheaded a series of projects across India that drive social change and build a foundation for lasting peace.  

“We trained 25 faith leaders to cascade Mind and Heart Dialogue principles into their communities for inclusion, and acceptance of diversity.” 

In spring and summer 2024, Yash started the initiative at Assam Don Bosco University and created a groundbreaking MHD training program. Over 25 faith leaders from across Assam participated in the sessions, supported by the SBC Alliance to equip themselves with the tools and knowledge for faith-based advocacy.

These leaders are trained to promote dialogue, empathy, and inclusivity within their spheres of influence. By empowering faith leaders to lead with compassion and understanding, this initiative sets the stage for a more cohesive and peaceful Assam, where interfaith relationships are nurtured and communities are united. 

Now, Yash uses his MHD skills in all of his work, and says that “As a Mind-Heart Dialogue Trainer, I am enriched with more pedagogical tools of designing sessions on interfaith dignity and dialogue.” These tools have allowed Yash to expand his work to change minds and lives in his country.