wfn.org | African Religious Leaders Engaging Politicians in Conflict Resolution

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

African Religious Leaders Firm on Engaging Politicians in Conflict
Resolution Initiatives
LWF General Secretary Noko Announces "The Johannesburg Inter-Faith
Declaration"

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa/GENEVA, 18 October 2002 (LWI) * A
unique conference of leaders from religious communities across
Africa today unveiled an inter-faith peace declaration, affirming
a joint commitment to bring about peace and prevent violent
conflict through genuine inter-faith dialogue and intervention in
different parts of the continent.

"There can be no future for Africa unless faith communities work
together to promote co-existence," the Rev. Dr. Ishmael Noko,
General Secretary of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) said,
when he launched "The Johannesburg Inter-Faith Declaration *
Embracing the Gift of Peace," during a press conference co-chaired
by Ms Lucretia Warren from Botswana, representing the Baha'i
Faith.

Noko described the summit and its declaration as unique and a
landmark in that this is the first time that representatives of
different religions on the African continent had jointly stated
their resolve to actively engage in promoting peace in a region
rife with conflict and violence. "[For the first time], we
witnessed different religious communities sit in one place and
pray together. We did not go to individual places for our
respective prayers, we jointly participated in the prayer offered
by a different group each day," Nko said of the October 14-19
Inter-Faith Peace Summit in Africa taking place at the Kopanong
Hotel and Conference Center in Benoni near Johannesburg.

The over 100 delegates drawn from 21 African countries adopted the
declaration by consensus on October 17. The representatives from
the African Traditional Religion, Baha'i Faith, Buddhism,
Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism committed themselves to
embrace the vision of an "African renaissance," expressed in a new
spirit for unity and development.

The summit provided an opportunity for people of different faith
traditions to listen to each other, share their different
understandings on common issues and "expose their failures without
being defensive," Noko said. They would work for inter-religious
understanding through a continuous process of genuine inter-faith
encounter, discussion, and consultation, with the aim to promote
respect for each other's religious traditions and refrain from
denigrating them. An action plan based on the declaration will be
worked out. The follow-up process will be translated in the
respective contexts.

Warren stressed that religion is the most important force for
transformation. Answering a question about the expected reactions
to the summit's declaration she responded, "Who does not desire
peace?" Noko noted that even those who sell small arms want peace.

Based on the inter-faith summit commitments, Noko said he was
optimistic that Africa's religious leaders can use their authority
to press the continent's politicians to take the path of peace
rather than that of war. In the declaration, faith communities
said they will hold politicians accountable for their promises and
actions by actively engaging them in dialogue with regard to
positive initiatives towards conflict resolution, the promotion of
peace and justice, and sustaining democratic institutions such as
those envisioned in the creation of the African Union.

Summit participants witnessed testimonies from victims of violence
including their painful expriences and willingness to forgive and
be part of the peace building process. They acknowledged the great
risks taken by inter-faith groups working for reconciliation in
such areas. "The obstacles they have encountered and success they
have achieved cannot go unrecognized. We pray that others may
join," so that together we can move Africa on the path of peace
and development."

But participants also acknowledged that religious leaders and
communities have at times failed to promote peace. They noted they
have sometimes been intolerant of each other's beliefs and
"allowed ourselves and our religious traditions to be manipulated
for purposes that do not reflect our true beliefs."

"We have sometimes been arrogant in our behavior towards each
other, * failed to speak and act against division, injustice,
degradation of human dignity, corruption, poverty, disregard for
rule of law, and dictatorial leadership which are causes of
violence and untold suffering in our continent." They said they
would equip themselves with the practical mediation skills
necessary to resolve conflicts within and between their
communities, and seek to instill a spirituality that is needed for
economic and social transformation and emancipation.

Peace is possible in Africa, participants in the first continental
inter-faith peace summit affirmed in the commitments inspired by
their respective traditions and by the United Nations
International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for
the Children of the World (2001-2010).

The summit has been organized by the LWF and hosted by the
National Religious Leaders' Forum of South Africa.

(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, commnication, 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
the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). Unless specifically noted,
material presented does not represent positions or opinions of the
LWF or of its various units. Where the dateline of an article
contains the notation (LWI), the material may be freely reproduced
with acknowledgment.]

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