wfn.org | LWF General Secretary Noko Leads Inter-Faith Delegation to

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

LWF General Secretary Noko Leads Inter-Faith Delegation to Liberia
Religious Representatives to Meet with Interim Government
Chairperson Bryant, Civil Society Networks and Armed Groups'
Leaders  

GENEVA, 19 October 2003 (LWI) - An inter-faith delegation led by
the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) General Secretary Rev. Dr
Ishmael Noko, begins a five-day visit to Liberia tomorrow,
October 20.

The visit comes only a matter of days after the inauguration of
the National Transition Government on 14 October 2003, and as
Liberians embark on a new effort to build a sustainable peace in
their war-ravaged country.

The six-person delegation comprises religious leaders from Ghana,
Guinea, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone. The visit to Liberia
is part of the follow-up to the October 2002 LWF-facilitated
Inter-Faith Peace Summit in Africa. Over 100 faith community
representatives from across the continent's religious and
geographical spectrum participated in the summit in Johannesburg,
South Africa. They adopted a Plan of Action, which calls for,
among other things, inter-faith delegation visits to
conflict-affected parts of the continent.

Noko, who also acted as the summit convenor, called the Liberia
visit "a practical expression of the call issued by the summit to
'embrace the gift of peace'." He pointed out that it also
"follows the LWF's Tenth Assembly in Winnipeg on July 21-31 this
year, in which we heard very painful testimonies about the
situation in Liberia."

The Assembly adopted a detailed resolution on 'Conflict in
Liberia,' in which profound concern was expressed for "the
suffering people of Liberia, and especially for the most
vulnerable and unprotected." The resolution called on the LWF
member churches, General Secretary and international community,
to take a range of relevant actions.

According to Noko, "the recent history of Liberia cannot be
expressed in words, only in tears. "Its peoples," he said,
"deserve peace, and the fulfillment of their hopes for a better
future. We [have] come to Liberia to listen to the experiences of
its people, express our solidarity and support for all efforts to
bring peace and reconciliation to this country, and be part of
those efforts."

"Religious leaders have a role and responsibility to work
together for peace and against conflict," said Mr Saliou Mbacki
of the Murid Community in Senegal, currently serving as
coordinator of the Johannesburg summit follow-up. He noted that
the Inter-Religious Council of Liberia has provided "a model of
inter-faith action for peace." According to Mbacki, the
delegation's visit is intended to "support and encourage the role
of religious leaders in the search for peace, in Liberia and
elsewhere in the continent."

During the October 20-24 visit, the delegation will meet with
Liberian religious leaders, women's groups and civil society
networks, international community representatives, and leaders of
political parties and armed groups. They will conclude with an
audience with the chairperson of the National Transitional
Government, Mr C. Gyude Bryant.

The delegation's members are:
+ Sheikh Abu Bakarr Conteh (Muslim, Inter-Religious
Council of Sierra Leone);
+ Rev. Dr David Kpobi (Christian, Council of Churches of
Ghana);
+ Ustasz Sani Ibn S. Aliyu (Muslim, Christian - Muslim
Mutual Relations Committee of Nigeria);
+ Hadja Mariama Sowe (Muslim, Islamic Council of Guinea,
and board member, Inter-Religious Council of Guinea);
+ Mr Saliou Mbacki (Muslim, Murid Community in Senegal,
and coordinator of follow-up to Inter-Faith Peace Summit in
Africa); and
+ Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko (LWF General Secretary). (556
words) 

(The LWF is a g
lobal 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 inter-faith 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
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