Partners from the VIRTUOUS consortium gathered in Cyprus for a transnational face-to-face meeting, bringing together religious leaders, law enforcement, security experts, and civil society organisations. This kind of cross-sector dialogue is at the heart of the project. 

During the meeting, partners exchanged perspectives on the work that has been carried out so far, with discussions spanning from vulnerability assessments to training frameworks, and security protocols for places of worship. Having voices from different fields in the same room allowed each to bring a distinct perspective to a shared problem, reinforcing that protecting public spaces of worship is not a challenge any single sector can address alone. 

With this phase of groundwork in place, the consortium’s attention now turns to the project’s next phase: pilots and policy labs. The goal is to exchange knowledge, expertise and perspectives for a deeper understanding of the roles, challenges and needs of each specific stakeholder. Policy Labs aim to promote a common approach that would be able to meet the specific requirements of the different religious communities. These will put the project’s frameworks and protocols into practice in real contexts, providing the evidence that will shape recommendations and actions going forward.