Hyderabad: The Confederation of Voluntary Associations (COVA) is marking 30 years of an inspiring journey dedicated to peacebuilding, communal harmony and conflict transformation. The newly released Video Reflections Part 3 chronicles COVA’s groundbreaking work in leveraging faith, culture and cyberspace as powerful forces for peace from 1995 to 2025.
Founded in Hyderabad in 1995 with the core mission of preventing communal riots and fostering inter-community trust, COVA emerged as one of India’s earliest civil society responses to growing hate and polarization. After effectively addressing recurring violence in Hyderabad, COVA expanded its operations to nine districts across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, later reaching five additional states including Jammu & Kashmir, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, and most recently engaging in peace initiatives in Manipur.
Faith as a Force for Peace
One of COVA’s most notable innovations has been transforming religious spaces from conflict zones into platforms of unity. Two major models highlighted in the video include:
Multi-Faith Celebrations
Encouraging families to invite members of other communities to celebrate festivals collectively, breaking stereotypes and building emotional bonds through lived experiences.
Intra-Faith Deweaponisation Initiatives
Engaging religious thinkers, clergy and scholars from within each faith to address narratives that enable extremism, thereby neutralizing weaponisation of religion at its roots.
These initiatives have been widely recognized as scalable models for regions grappling with communal polarization.
Cultural Diplomacy & Cross-Border Exchanges
Beyond interfaith action, COVA has facilitated cultural collaborations and youth exchange programs with neighbouring nations, supporting mutual understanding and countering xenophobia. Art, theatre, music and academic dialogue have played a major role in shaping perceptual bridges beyond borders.
Cyber Peace: A Revolutionary Approach
COVA was one of the first civil society networks in South Asia to foresee the dangers of misinformation and digital hate. In 2016, the organisation launched a pioneering initiative with partners from eight countries across South Asia and the Far East to prevent the rapid spread of fake news and online hatred, and to leverage cyberspace as a medium of peace education, digital literacy and community resilience.
Voices that Built the Movement
Part 3 includes powerful testimonial reflections from renowned figures who shaped COVA’s legacy, including:
- Swaranjit Sen, Former DGP, Andhra Pradesh
- Ashutosh Gowarikar, Acclaimed Film Director (Lagaan)
- Dr. C. Rangarajan, Chief Priest, Chikkur Balaji Temple
- Swami Raghavendra, Sarva Dharma Samvad
- Sardar Sajjan Singh, Sikh Heritage Foundation
- Bro. Varghese Teckaneth, President, COVA
- Gagan Sethi, Jan Vikas
- P. V. Rajagopal, EKTA Parishad
- Jaleel Sabir, Corporate & Events
- Nabeel Adeni, IT & Cyber Peace Expert
- Sheema Kirmani, Tehreek-e-Niswan, Pakistan
Each testimony reflects on COVA’s evolution from a local initiative to a globally recognised movement that now engages with policy platforms including the United Nations and multilateral institutions.
Looking Ahead
With twelve video chapters reflecting its multidimensional journey, Parts 1 and 2 have already been released, and the remaining nine parts will explore COVA’s interventions ranging from grassroots community empowerment to global peace advocacy.
Contact
Team COVA Peace Network
Email: cova@covanetwork.org
Mob: +91 93945 44244