AFORBO School
Training and capacity-building for religious freedom advocates across Africa
The AFORBO School offers online courses that equip faith leaders, community leaders, policymakers, legal professionals and faith-based organizations with the knowledge and tools to promote and defend religious freedom across Africa.
Course catalogue
Take the full Certificate Programme, or choose one, two, three or more modules. Every course is interfaith by design, delivered online with live sessions, and replicable as a physical workshop.
Certificate Programme in Freedom of Religion or Belief (ForB)
8-week interfaith certificate on freedom of religion or belief: concepts, history, law, faith perspectives, monitoring, victim accompaniment and dialogue.
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Module 1 — Foundations: Concepts and Philosophical Foundations of ForB
Establishes a shared vocabulary and conceptual map: freedom of religion, belief, conscience and thought; the individual and communal dimensions of belief; and the philoso…
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Module 2 — Historical Approaches to Freedom of Religion
Traces how religious freedom emerged historically — from ancient arrangements of coexistence and persecution, through the wars of religion and early edicts of toleration,…
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Module 3 — International, Regional and National Legal Frameworks on ForB
A working command of the law of religious freedom: universal instruments, the African regional system, and national constitutions and statutes — taught from a practitione…
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Module 4 — Faith and Belief Perspectives on ForB (I): Judaism & Christian Traditions
Each tradition presents, in its own voice, how it understands religious freedom: scriptural and doctrinal sources, historical development, internal debates and contempora…
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Module 5 — Faith and Belief Perspectives on ForB (II): Islam, Dharmic Traditions, Baháʼí, ATR & Humanism
Extends the same respectful, sources-based approach to Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism, the Baháʼí Faith, African Traditional Religion, and non-religious or humanist worldvi…
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Module 6 — Monitoring, Documentation, Legal Advocacy and the AFORBO Model
The core skills module: recognising, recording, verifying and reporting ForB violations to professional standards; supporting victims toward legal recourse; and AFORBO’s …
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Module 7 — Psychology of Victims: Trauma, Accompaniment, Healing and Reconciliation
Introduces the psychology of victims of religious-based violence and discrimination, equips participants for safe first-line psychosocial accompaniment within the limits …
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Module 8 — Interfaith Dialogue, Peacebuilding, Careers and Capstone
Consolidates learning into practice: designing and facilitating interfaith dialogue and community peacebuilding, exploring career and service pathways, and completing a c…
View course →Certificate Programme in Freedom of Religion or Belief (ForB)
AFORBO’s flagship capacity-building instrument is the Certificate Programme in Freedom of Religion or Belief (ForB) — an interfaith programme for faith leaders, peacebuilders, activists, and policymakers across Africa.
- Format: Online programme, replicable as a physical workshop (5-day residential, half-day community workshops, or a modular series).
- Duration: 8 weeks · 8 modules · approximately 80 notional learning hours.
- Audience: Religious and traditional leaders, lay faith actors, activists and human-rights defenders, peacebuilders, policymakers, journalists, educators, and AFORBO focal persons.
- Certification: Two-tier model — Certificate of Attendance / Completion, and Certificate of Achievement (with examination and capstone), with optional university co-endorsement.
Programme Structure at a Glance
- Foundations: Concepts, definitions, and philosophical foundations of ForB.
- History: Historical approaches to freedom of religion (global and African).
- Law & Frameworks: International, regional, and national legal frameworks on ForB.
- Faith Perspectives: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Bahá’í, African Traditional Religion, and humanist views.
- Monitoring & Advocacy: Documentation, legal advocacy, and the AFORBO operational model.
- Psychology of Victims: Trauma, accompaniment, healing, and reconciliation.
- Dialogue & Practice: Interfaith dialogue, peacebuilding, careers, and capstone.
Graduates join AFORBO’s alumni and focal-person network and pursue roles as ForB focal persons, national and regional observatory officers, monitoring and documentation officers, interfaith dialogue facilitators, community mediators, policy analysts, and educators — building the continental network of knowledgeable, skilled, and ethically grounded ForB ambassadors that AFORBO’s mission requires.