wfn.org | The Work of Faith-Based Women's Groups in Conflict Resolution

["Frank Imhoff" <FRANKI@elca.org>]

Tribute to the Work of Faith-Based Women's Groups in Conflict 
Resolution
Revisit Attitude towards Women and Their Contribution to
Governance, Inter-Faith Peace Summit Urged

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 29 October 2002 (LWI) - "We are
mothers, our duty is to nurture, love and preserve peace," Sister
Yaa Ashante Waa Cunningham from the Karaites Institute of
Afrikology told participants in a unique summit of African
religious leaders in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Men cannot assume this role, said Cunningham who was one of the
speakers on a panel discussion on African women against conflict,
during the October 14-19 Inter-Faith Peace Summit in Africa. The
gathering of representatives of faith communities from 21 African
countries was organized by the Lutheran World Federation and
hosted by the National Religious Forum of South Africa.

"We do not believe in warlike acts," stated Cunningham, an
experienced teacher in children's studies and spiritual healing.
She was critical of the fact that little esteem is shown toward 
women in Africa. Her call to the more than 100 delegates
representing seven faith communities at the summit: "Unless the
exploitation of women stops, there will be no future for the
African continent."

Other speakers on the panel spoke about violence against women in
situations of armed conflicts as well as in peace times, and
called for an African feminism, advocating equity and recognition
for women's contribution in society. Struggling for the
recognition of women can be an uphill task recalled Canon Joyce
Nima, representing the Uganda Joint Christian Council, and a
member of the (Anglican) Church of the Province of Uganda. It was
after a five-year process that the church's provincial assembly
accepted women's participation in decision making processes, said
Nima, an educationist and strong advocate of education for girls.

Ms. Thelma Ekiyor of the Accra, Ghana-based West Africa Network
for Peace Building spoke of her organization's experience in ten
West African countries, working with women from the grassroots to
the state level. She pointed out that the understanding and
expression of violence is unique in each setting. The way women
experience violence in Liberia for example, may be very different
from what their counterparts in Sierra Leone have undergone, she
said. In the same way, she stressed, these women may experience
peace differently.

Violence "occurs where we are not supposed to find violence," said
Ekiyor, citing the home and places of worship. She pointed out
that religion has been used to suppress women and referred to the
interpretation of holy scriptures to accentuate society's
perception of the woman's place. But, she underlined, the problem
is not "our different scriptures, but their interpretation."
Religion should be used to empower and unite women, not to
marginalize them.

Ekiyor appealed for support toward bridging the different barriers
that hinder women from participating fully and meaningfully in
peacemaking processes in their countries. She cited lack of
education and stereotyping as major impediments to women's
involvement in effectively nurturing peace in their communities.

Nigerian lawyer Kemi Ogunsanyo, representing the African Center
for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD),
Johannesburg, called for increased participation of women in
conflict resolution. This, she noted, could only be achieved by
equipping women with the necessary skills and education to be part
of this important process. Children and women are subjected to
abuse nd all forms of suffering during conflict, she said. But she
pointed to some progress - in the ongoing crisis in the Democratic
Republic of Congo, women were called as advisory members to the
peace process. She hoped that they will now fully participate in
the peace negotiations in that country.

The panel moderator, Ms. Jessica Nkuuhe from the Kampala,
Uganda-based ISIS - Women's International Cross Culture Exchange,
called for the recognition of the potential of women in peace
building. Faith-based women's groups have done tremendous work in
the area of conflict resolution, and peace building in various
African countries. Their activities need to be mainstreamed in the
general planning of the different religions.

Nkuuhe urged the religious communities represented in the
Inter-Faith Peace Summit to "revisit their attitude towards women
and their contribution towards governance." Their full
participation in decision making as well as peace processes is
obligatory. "Its denial is a violation of their human rights," she
added.

(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the
Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund (Sweden), the LWF now
has 136 member churches in 76 countries representing over 61.7
million of the 65.4 mllion Lutherans worldwide. The LWF acts on
behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such as
ecumenical relations, theology, humanitarian assistance, human
rights, communication, and the various aspects of mission and
development work. Its secretariat is located in Geneva,
Switzerland.)

[Lutheran World Information (LWI) is the information service of
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