Examining Virtual Reflective Structured Dialogue (RSD) Training as a Tool for Interfaith Dialogue in Omani and Lebanese Contexts

Abstract

This research explores the reception of virtual Reflective Structured Dialogue (RSD) training within the wider historical, political, and cultural contexts of Oman and Lebanon, specifically at the Al Amana Centre in Oman and the Adyan Foundation in Lebanon. Focusing on data collected from three identical sets of surveys collected before and after the virtual training along with participant and expert practitioner interviews six months after the training, this research offers an original contribution to the burgeoning field of RSD, and more broadly that of interfaith dialogue by showcasing the impact of Omani and Lebanese cultural context to peacebuilding initiatives. RSD is not widely discussed in the literature on dialogue initiatives as it is a relatively new dialogic style that was created from family therapy circle processes. I analyse and explore the dimensions of the RSD training by dissecting its elements in its Training of Facilitators (ToF) resources and materials. This thesis also offers extensive insight into the interreligious histories of Oman and Lebanon, given they are both heterogenous countries in terms of faith-identity in the SWANA region. Further, I critique the impact of virtual trainings as a tool for dialogue learning. Given the recent shift to conducting virtual trainings because of COVID-19, there is a growing body of scholarship on virtual training as a learning tool, which this thesis aims to add to. Discovering the efficacy of the virtual RSD training answers the overarching research question, “What are the barriers and challenges to RSD being adopted at centres in the SWANA region?” Contemporary interfaith elements of the host countries and the individual purview of each centre are the central elements being explored in this research since local context is vital to decipher the dynamics of a community in conflict. While there is a growing body of research and reports on RSD dialogue circles and its impact, this thesis is one of a handful of pieces that directly focus on the RSD training itself.

Date of Award	11 Nov 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Winchester
Supervisor	Mark Owen (Supervisor) & Anna King (Supervisor)