wfn.org | African Inter-Faith Conference Opens with Call for Genuine

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

Regional Inter-Faith Conference Opens with Call for Genuine
Dialogue between Government and Religious Leaders
LWF General Secretary Noko Calls for a Pro-Active Approach to
Peace Efforts

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa/GENEVA 1 October 2003 (LWI) - The
first regional conference of an African inter-faith initiative
for peace started September 30 in Johannesburg, South Africa,
with a call for genuine dialogue between religious leaders and
their governments in order to safeguard peace and meaningfully
contribute to nation building. 

In his opening address to the two-day conference, the Lutheran
World Federation (LWF) General Secretary, Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko,
emphasized that governments and religious communities have an
obligation to work together to ensure national and regional
stability.

The conference, hosted by the National Religious Leaders'
Forum of South Africa, is a follow-up to the 2002 Inter-Faith
Peace Summit in Africa organized by the LWF in collaboration with
other faith-based organizations, and with financial support from
the Finnish government. The summit produced the "Johannesburg
Inter-Faith Declaration - Embracing the Gift of Peace," a joint
affirmation to uphold peace on the continent. 

Noko urged religious leaders to move away from merely gathering
and reacting in the context of specific events, and instead be
pro-active through sustained dialogue. "Our practical inter-faith
co-operation, which at present is intermittent and dictated
mostly by external events, could be so much deepened and enhanced
through dialogue," he told the over 60 delegates from eleven
Southern African countries. 

Religious leaders should also refrain from supporting party
politics, Noko cautioned. "There has been a strong tradition of
siding with political parties during the liberation struggles,"
he explained. "But today, for a religious leader to align himself
or herself and their institution with one political party among
many, compromises one's possible role as a mediator in a
conflict situation." He called for the establishment of an
official instrument or structure through which contact could be
maintained between religious communities and national governments
in the Southern African region. 

The current meeting focuses on the concrete implementation of
the visions of the "Johannesburg Inter-Faith Declaration" in the
different countries in the region. To this end, Noko underlined
the need for serious commitment to dialogue and cooperation "in
order to break down the enemy images and prejudices that are all
too often the foundation on which conflict arises."

Noko underscored the need to have more young people taking
leadership in inter-faith dialogue and in "efforts to bring about
peaceful change in our societies." Change, he noted, would only
"take place through idealism and enthusiasm, and idealists are
usually young people who are prepared to take risks and push
beyond boundaries. The idealism and enthusiasm of young people
can provide energy and quality to the process." 

He urged the conference participants to recognize the important
role of media in advocating inter-faith dialogue and giving
public witness of successful examples of inter-faith cooperation.
But he also cautioned against "making peace for the sake of
publicity." The best peacemakers, he stressed, "have a passion
for anonymity." He expressed hope that the regional conference
would ensure that communication would be a core element in the
plan of action envisaged from the gathering. 

Participants in the September 30-October 1 conference at Kempton
Park Conference Center include religious leaders from African
Traditional Religion, Baha'i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu,
Jewish and Muslim faiths. The theme of the conference is
"Promoting Peace and Harmony." 

(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 million Lutherans worldwide. The LWF acts on
behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such as
ecumenical and interfaith 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 LWF' information service.
Unless specifically noted, material presented does not represent
positions or opinions of the LWF or of its various units. Where
the dateline of a article contains the notation (LWI), the
material may be freely reproduced with acknowledgment.]

*     *      *

LWI online at: http://www.lutheranworld.org/News/Welcome.EN.html 

LUTHERAN WORLD INFORMATION
PO Box 2100, CH-1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland
Tel: (41.22) 791.63.54
Fax: (41.22) 791.66.30 
Editor's e-mail: pmu@lutheranworld.org