wfn.org | Religious Leaders to Meet in Johannesburg for Second

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

Religious Leaders to Meet in Johannesburg for Second Inter-Faith Action
for Peace Summit 
LWF General Secretary Noko Stresses Forum's Role in Addressing
Conflict  

GENEVA, 1 April 2005 (LWI) * Over 200 representatives of different
faith traditions in Africa will gather April 18-25 in Benoni near
Johannesburg, South Africa, to review their plan of action for religious
leaders' active engagement in conflict resolution and peace building
initiatives on the continent. 

The Second Inter-Faith Action for Peace in Africa (IFAPA) Summit is
being coordinated by the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and hosted by
the National Religious Leaders Forum in South Africa (NRLFSA).
Delegates, around 40 percent of whom are women, are drawn from more than
30 countries, and represent major religions including African
Traditional Religion, the Baha'i faith, Buddhism, Christianity,
Hinduism, Islam and Judaism. The theme of the summit is "Working
Together for Peace in Africa." 

"Mothers and Daughters of Africa" Pre-Summit to Focus on Women's
Role in Peacemaking

The overarching goal of the Second Summit, the first three days of
which will be devoted to a "Consultation of Mothers and Daughters of
Africa," will be to broaden and strengthen interfaith collaboration
and action for peace in Africa. Delegates will also evaluate the
Johannesburg Declaration and Plan of Action adopted at the first summit
in October 2002, under the theme "Embracing the Gift of Peace." 

While encouraging trends and signs of peace are emerging in some parts
of the continent, the prevailing potential for war and conflict in many
areas, is still a matter of concern, says IFAPA convenor, LWF General
Secretary Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko. Flash points include Burundi, the
Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Liberia,
Nigeria, Northern Uganda, Sierra Leone and Sudan. 

Use and Abuse of Holy Scriptures 

Against this backdrop, discussion topics will include the use and abuse
of holy scriptures with respect to conflict; racism, religion and
dialogue; the impact of conflict on children in Africa; and the threats
of international terrorism and the need to focus on its root causes.
Highlights from the women's pre-summit, which will be attended by some
of Africa's First Ladies, will be presented in an official launch of
"A Mother's Cry for Reconciliation." 

The media will also play an important role not only in spreading the
message and vision of the second summit, but also in active
participation. A group of international and local journalists will take
part in a panel discussion on the role of media in the context of
interfaith action for peace. "We seek ways of working together with
the media to advance the cause of peace in this continent," Noko
says.

It is further expected that this second summit shall strengthen the
interfaith forum as a viable pan-African instrument in addressing the
state of war and conflict in Africa, and forge appropriate mechanisms to
support existing sub-regional and national interfaith structures.

In terms of both geographical and inter-religious scope, "IFAPA is a
contribution to the African renaissance that we all hope and pray
for," Noko adds. (500 words)

(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran
tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund, Sweden, the LWF currently has 138
member churches in 77 countries all over the world, with a membership of
nearly 66 million Christians. 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.)

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