WHO WE ARE
WHO WE ARE






Overview of the SOAR programme
The (SOAR) is the ‘Strengthening the security and resilience of at-risk religious sites and communities’ programme. We, Enhancing Faith Institutions (EFI) are the lead partner and we are working alongside our project partners who are based across Europe; Finn Church Aid & Architects Council of Europe.
The programme is looking to advance the protection and safeguarding of places for worship across the 7 pilot countries we are working in across Europe (France, Germany, Belgium, Austria, Hungary, Netherlands and Denmark). The network of the partnership is extensive and includes representatives from all majority and minority faiths practicing within the EU. The project is interfaith focused in our training and reach, supporting to keep all faiths and faith institutions safe and secure across Europe.
Our audiences throughout the project will be directed to a new knowledge base which will provide access to trainings, guides and resources & best practices in protective security. National, regional / metro, and local trainings in seven pilot EU member states will be provided and include a focus on increasing collaboration and cooperation between security offices and leaders of places of worship with their wider communities and public authorities, including the police.
We are working on using innovative communications approaches that increase in the awareness of & capacity of places of worship and religious leaders to respond to, physical and human security threats. This will use the full range of communication channels including the networks of the partnership.
A key component of the programme is to advance the protection of religious sites by implementing ‘security by design’ (SBD) concept. Providing time for experts in our trainings to discuss this concept, its importance and making it a key aspect of the SOAR programme.
Overview of the SOAR programme
The (SOAR) is the ‘Strengthening the security and resilience of at-risk religious sites and communities’ programme. We, Enhancing Faith Institutions (EFI) are the lead partner and we are working alongside our project partners who are on this call, who are based across Europe -> Finn Church Aid, Architects Council of Europe & United Nations Alliance of Civilisations.
The programme is looking to advance the protection and safeguarding of places for worship across the 7 pilot countries we are working in across Europe (France, Germany, Belgium, Austria, Hungary, Italy and Denmark). The network of the partnership is extensive and includes representatives from all majority and minority faiths practicing within the EU… the project is interfaith focused in our training and reach, supporting to keep all faiths and faith institutions safe and secure across Europe.
Our audiences throughout the project will be directed to a new knowledge base which will provide access to trainings, guides and resources & best practices in protective security. National, regional / metro, and local trainings in seven pilot EU member states will be provided and include a focus on increasing collaboration and cooperation between security offices and leaders of places of worship with their wider communities and public authorities, including the police.
We are working on using innovative communications approaches that increase in the awareness of & capacity of places of worship and religious leaders to respond to, physical and human security threats. This will use the full range of communication channels including the networks of the partnership.
A key component of the programme is to advance the protection of religious sites by implementing ‘security by design’ (SBD) concept. Providing time for experts in our trainings to discuss this concept, its importance and making it a key aspect of the SOAR programme.
Our Mission
The Mission of the SOAR programme is to work to advance the protection and safeguarding of places of worship across Europe. We aim to do this by developing innovative communication approaches & training programmes and events that lead to the increase in awareness of, and capacity to respond to, physical security threats to places of worship.
SOAR is funded and supported by the European Commission and will be delivered by Enhancing Faith Institutions (EFI), Finn Church Aid (FCA), and Architects Council of Europe (ACE). The project partnerships will develop extensive networks and be inclusive of representatives from all majority and minority faiths practicing within the EU.
The work of SOAR is to enhance and support the protective security of faith institutions across the 7 pilot countries, if you would like to be involved with the SOAR programme, please do get in touch info@soarproject.eu
Unfortunately, if you are a faith leader or part of a faith institution outside the European Union, you won’t be able to fill out this questionnaire.
Information will be processed in accordance with GDPR guidelines. (EFA website to include GDPR communication. Also to be incorporated in EFA’s email communications)
Yes, you will. You will receive an acknowledgement as soon as the questionnaire is submitted. If you have any questions about the questionnaire and how you can support the SOAR project, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us on info@efiorg.eu.
The questionnaire answers will feed into creation of a knowledge and resource base. The knowledge base will increase the awareness and capacity of our audience to respond to physical and human security threats at places of worship. The awareness (knowledge-transfer) will be realised by training, guidance and information resources.
SOAR is funded and supported by the European Commission and will be delivered by Enhancing Faith Institutions (EFI), Finn Church Aid (FCA), and Architects Council of Europe (ACE). The project partnerships will develop extensive networks and be inclusive of representatives from all majority and minority faiths practicing within the EU.
It is aimed at faith leaders & management of faith institutions across the seven pilot countries the programme will be working in; France, Germany, Belgium, Austria, Denmark, Hungary, and the Netherlands.
The main purpose of the questionnaire is to elicit feedback from our audience and provide them with a unique knowledge base. This will include training, guidance and resources to increase their awareness of, and capacity to respond to physical and human security threats to places of worship.
SOAR stands for ‘Strengthening the security and resilience of at-risk religious sites and communities’. The SOAR project will contribute to advancing the protection and safeguarding of places for worship, with a focus on communities of worship within seven Member States of the European Union (EU).
10.1. Primary research
SOAR will undertake primary research to identify the factors that lead to threats of terrorist attacks on places of worship and on at-risk religious communities.
10.2 Identify and assess
Training needs for potential victims of hate crimes will be identified and assessed. It will include a focus on increasing safety awareness, and on collaboration and cooperation between places of worship leaders and security offices with their wider communities and public authorities, including law enforcement agencies. The insights of those with lived experiences of the threat of or of actual terrorist attacks and hate crimes will be engaged to enhance regional level policy-dialogue with regional, EU and global organisations. These include the European Commission, the United Nations Alliance of Civilisations and EU member states, to further advance the protection of religious sites.
10.3 Develop a Security-By-Design [SBD] ethos
SBD is an integral component of the SOAR programme. It is a security ethos that incorporates security features into the design and fabric of the building. Experts in the fields of SBD, community safety and resilience-building will be providing support and training at a national, regional, and local level to faith institutions in the 7 pilot countries.
10.4 Delivery of training
Training will be delivered across the full spectrum of the project at EU, national and regional and local settings, in seven pilot EU member states.
SOAR is funded and supported by the European Commission and will be delivered by Enhancing Faith Institutions (EFI), Finn Church Aid (FCA), and Architects Council of Europe (ACE).
The SOAR project will create a knowledge base which will contribute to advancing the protection and safeguarding of places for worship, with a focus on communities of worship within the European Union (EU).
The knowledge deliverables will include training, guidance and resources, with the opportunity for virtual engagement and the evolution of virtual networks and communities of practice.
The SOAR project will work to provide security guidance, training and support to faith communities across the 7 member states in Europe
The seven pilot countries we will be working in are France, Germany, Belgium, Austria, Denmark, Hungary, and the Netherlands.
The project partnerships will develop extensive networks and be inclusive of representatives from all majority and minority faiths practicing within the EU.
The project will increase the awareness of, and capacity to respond to physical and human security threats to places of worship.
The SOAR project stands for ‘Strengthening the security and resilience
Of At-Risk Religious sites and communities’ (SOAR).
Our Mission
The Mission of the SOAR programme is to work to advance the protection and safeguarding of places of worship across Europe. We aim to do this by developing innovative communication approaches & training programmes and events that lead to the increase in awareness of, and capacity to respond to, physical security threats to places of worship.
SOAR is funded and supported by the European Commission and will be delivered by Enhancing Faith Institutions (EFI), Finn Church Aid (FCA), and Architects Council of Europe (ACE). The project partnerships will develop extensive networks and be inclusive of representatives from all majority and minority faiths practicing within the EU.
The work of SOAR is to enhance and support the protective security of faith institutions across the 7 pilot countries, if you would like to be involved with the SOAR programme, please do get in touch info@soarproject.eu
Unfortunately, if you are a faith leader or part of a faith institution outside the European Union, you won’t be able to fill out this questionnaire.
Information will be processed in accordance with GDPR guidelines. (EFA website to include GDPR communication. Also to be incorporated in EFA’s email communications)
Yes, you will. You will receive an acknowledgement as soon as the questionnaire is submitted. If you have any questions about the questionnaire and how you can support the SOAR project, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us on info@efiorg.eu.
The questionnaire answers will feed into creation of a knowledge and resource base. The knowledge base will increase the awareness and capacity of our audience to respond to physical and human security threats at places of worship. The awareness (knowledge-transfer) will be realised by training, guidance and information resources.
SOAR is funded and supported by the European Commission and will be delivered by Enhancing Faith Institutions (EFI), Finn Church Aid (FCA), and Architects Council of Europe (ACE). The project partnerships will develop extensive networks and be inclusive of representatives from all majority and minority faiths practicing within the EU.
It is aimed at faith leaders & management of faith institutions across the seven pilot countries the programme will be working in; France, Germany, Belgium, Austria, Denmark, Hungary, and the Netherlands.
The main purpose of the questionnaire is to elicit feedback from our audience and provide them with a unique knowledge base. This will include training, guidance and resources to increase their awareness of, and capacity to respond to physical and human security threats to places of worship.
SOAR stands for ‘Strengthening the security and resilience of at-risk religious sites and communities’. The SOAR project will contribute to advancing the protection and safeguarding of places for worship, with a focus on communities of worship within seven Member States of the European Union (EU).
10.1. Primary research
SOAR will undertake primary research to identify the factors that lead to threats of terrorist attacks on places of worship and on at-risk religious communities.
10.2 Identify and assess
Training needs for potential victims of hate crimes will be identified and assessed. It will include a focus on increasing safety awareness, and on collaboration and cooperation between places of worship leaders and security offices with their wider communities and public authorities, including law enforcement agencies. The insights of those with lived experiences of the threat of or of actual terrorist attacks and hate crimes will be engaged to enhance regional level policy-dialogue with regional, EU and global organisations. These include the European Commission, the United Nations Alliance of Civilisations and EU member states, to further advance the protection of religious sites.
10.3 Develop a Security-By-Design [SBD] ethos
SBD is an integral component of the SOAR programme. It is a security ethos that incorporates security features into the design and fabric of the building. Experts in the fields of SBD, community safety and resilience-building will be providing support and training at a national, regional, and local level to faith institutions in the 7 pilot countries.
10.4 Delivery of training
Training will be delivered across the full spectrum of the project at EU, national and regional and local settings, in seven pilot EU member states.
SOAR is funded and supported by the European Commission and will be delivered by Enhancing Faith Institutions (EFI), Finn Church Aid (FCA), and Architects Council of Europe (ACE).
The SOAR project will create a knowledge base which will contribute to advancing the protection and safeguarding of places for worship, with a focus on communities of worship within the European Union (EU).
The knowledge deliverables will include training, guidance and resources, with the opportunity for virtual engagement and the evolution of virtual networks and communities of practice.
The SOAR project will work to provide security guidance, training and support to faith communities across the 7 member states in Europe
The seven pilot countries we will be working in are France, Germany, Belgium, Austria, Denmark, Hungary, and the Netherlands.
The project partnerships will develop extensive networks and be inclusive of representatives from all majority and minority faiths practicing within the EU.
The project will increase the awareness of, and capacity to respond to physical and human security threats to places of worship.
The SOAR project stands for ‘Strengthening the security and resilience
Of At-Risk Religious sites and communities’ (SOAR).
What we will do & where
The insights of those with lived experiences of the threat of or of actual terrorist attacks and hate crimes will be engaged to enhance regional level policy-dialogue with regional, EU and global organisations. These include the European Commission, the United Nations Alliance of Civilisations and EU member states, to further advance the protection of religious sites and develop a ‘security by design’ (SBD) ethos. SBD is an integral component of the SOAR programme. It is a security ethos that incorporates security features into the design and fabric of the building. Experts in the fields of SBD, community safety and resilience-building will be providing support and training at a national, regional, and local level to faith institutions in the pilot countries:
- France
- Belgium
- Germany
- Denmark
- Austria
- Netherlands
- Hungary
View SOAR Project timeline (2021 – 2023) highlighting the milestones and key activities of the project to take place across Europe.
What we will do & where
The insights of those with lived experiences of the threat of or of actual terrorist attacks and hate crimes will be engaged to enhance regional level policy-dialogue with regional, EU and global organisations. These include the European Commission, the United Nations Alliance of Civilisations and EU member states, to further advance the protection of religious sites and develop a ‘security by design’ (SBD) ethos. SBD is an integral component of the SOAR programme. It is a security ethos that incorporates security features into the design and fabric of the building. Experts in the fields of SBD, community safety and resilience-building will be providing support and training at a national, regional, and local level to faith institutions in the pilot countries:
- France
- Belgium
- Germany
- Denmark
- Austria
- Italy
- Hungary
View SOAR Project timeline (2021 – 2023) highlighting the milestones and key activities of the project to take place across Europe.
Project Partner Organisations
Project Partner Organisations
Security
Safety
Protection
Security
Safety
Protection
Join The SOAR Programme
The SOAR Project is made up of partners from across Europe, funded and supported by the European Union, working together to improve security and safety of Places of Worship through developing a network of best practice, national gatherings, training events and resources.
We want to develop and build the network of faith institutions across Europe, if you are a faith leader or are part of a faith institution in one of the pilot countries, join and be involved in the SOAR Programme today!
Join The SOAR Programme
The SOAR Project is made up of partners from across Europe, funded and supported by the European Union, working together to improve security and safety of Places of Worship through developing a network of best practice, national gatherings, training events and resources.
We want to develop and build the network of faith institutions across Europe, if you are a faith leader or are part of a faith institution in one of the pilot countries, join and be involved in the SOAR Programme today!
Freedom of religion is an integral part of European values and attacks on places of worship are attacks on our societies and our values. Protecting the communities and places of worship in Europe is protecting our way of life.
Freedom of religion is an integral part of European values and attacks on places of worship are attacks on our societies and our values. Protecting the communities and places of worship in Europe is protecting our way of life.