wfn.org | All Africa Conference of Churches Urges Church Peace Work

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

AACC CHALLENGES THE CHURCH TO PROMOTE LASTING PEACE

NAIROBI - November 11, 2004  -	Sierra Leone has suffered war for almost a 
decade, from 1991.  The inhabitants knew nothing save serious unrelenting 
humanitarian crisis caused by war and terror leaving the country in 
ruins.	Over 70,000 were killed and thousands mutilated.  Almost half of 
its population was displaced.  However, in 1999, with the signing of the 
Lomi Peace Agreement on 7 July 1999 calm returned to Sierra Leone.  Today 
they are busy rebuilding their very beautiful country.	The General 
Secretary of the All Africa Conference of Churches, on behalf of the 
churches in Africa, visited the country to among other things, express 
solidarity with the people of Sierra Leone and also to encourage the 
process of rebuilding the country.

By Polycarp Omolo Ochilo, AACC Executive Secretary for International Affairs

The church must be in the forefront in the promotion of a lasting peace in 
Africa.  The All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) General Secretary, 
Rev. Dr. Mvume Dandala has said.  The church, he said, must speak out and 
stand side by side with the flock, God s children, adding that God desires 
nothing less than a lasting peace for his people everywhere in the world.

Rev. Dr. Dandala was addressing various church leaders, civil society 
leaders and women leaders during a public forum in Freetown, Sierra 
Leone.	The forum was organized by the Christian Council of Sierra Leone 
(CCSL).  The forum s theme was Political, Economic and Ecclesiological 
Challenges facing the church in Africa .  Rev. Dr. Dandala was leading the 
AACC delegation for a pastoral visit to Sierra Leone and Liberia last 
month.	The delegation included the AACC Vice President for West Africa, 
Bishop Andrew Okenwa, the Methodist Bishop from Nigeria, the AACC Executive 
Secretary for Ecumenical Relations Rev. Arnold Temple and the Executive 
Secretary for International Affairs, Mr. Polycarp Omolo Ochilo.

Dr. Dandala told the Forum that the AACC delegation had come to Sierra 
Leone and Liberia to be in solidarity with the churches in these two 
countries, and to listen to them, so that the AACC advocacy could be 
informed and affirmed by their expressions.

He said, the challenges of civil wars and their consequences in the two 
countries of loss of human lives of men, women and children were 
unacceptable.  He went on to add, that the almost total destruction of the 
history and civilization of these countries through senseless destruction 
of properties including sacred places are a test to our faith and our 
humanity.  The church , he said, more than any other body is best placed to 
deal with these challenges.  The suffering and struggles of the people of 
Rwanda, Burundi, Liberia, Sierra Leone, DRC and others in troubled 
countries of Africa and elsewhere, borne out of negative experiences of 
history and from our own oppression with the tools of war , he said, should 
make us learn and never to surrender to the forces of tyranny that subject 
our people to inhuman treatment with impunity .  Instead, he said, we have 
moral and ethical obligations as church to strive to embrace those things 
which brings us together and not those which separate us so that we can 
celebrate our differences with dignity and confidence .  The church, he 
went on, is therefore, called upon to be in the forefront in using her 
prophetic voice in the restoration of the African dignity and pains of wars 
and conflicts.	He added that, the church must also take lead in building 
the weaker democratic structures in Africa, social and economic 
foundations, and put in force measures against discrimination of women.  He 
said that those vices were so much responsible for numerous causes of 
instabilities in Africa.

The AACC delegation and Heads of churches in Sierra Leone also met with the 
Commissioner of Anti-corruption Commission, Valentine J. Collier.  Briefing 
the delegation, Mr. Collier said corruption is one of the greatest 
challenges facing many African governments.  If you look around in any 
country and you see children looking for food from dustbins, he said, then 
not only is something wrong in that country, but you are also seeing 
effects of corruption at first sight.  Mr. Collier challenged the church to 
understand their deep roles in society.  The church he said, is the 
foundational source of societal values, and conscience of the state.  Yet, 
all we see from the church is fear, silence and sadly at times, 
accommodation of societal ills!

In his response, Dr. Dandala said that the AACC was offering the churches 
in Africa to all the anti-corruption governing structures in Africa to take 
a serious stand against corruption.  He said, that the 8th Assembly of the 
AACC in Cameroon took a critical analysis of corruption.  This he said, led 
to the adoption of the binding covenants on corruption collectively by the 
churches in Africa.

At the end of the visit in Sierra Leone, a number of key issues critical to 
the churches, the people of Sierra Leone and Africa emerged.  These are 
challenges relating to Advocacy and other specific forms of intervention 
such as:

i    the need for continuing the capacity building for the church, the 
public sector, the civil society and the private sector as well.  While the 
evidence exists on the excellent job done so far by these groups towards 
the re-building of Sierra Leone, much more needs to be done wholistically 
in the whole country.

ii   The continuation of the healing, reconciliation and conflict 
resolution as a process of ensuring a lasting peace and peaceful 
co-existence of the people of Sierra Leone, and

iii  The church and state relations:  It is evident that the churches in 
Sierra Leone have, and continue collectively to play key roles such as 
services in education, health, food, reconciliation, healing etc.  The 
church s presence is visible as part and parcel of the Sierra Leone 
Society.  Similarly, the government as the political embodiment of Sierra 
Leone, is constitutionally legitimated by the people of Sierra Leone to 
rule the country.  It is therefore, imperative for both the church and the 
government of the day to understand more profoundly that the communality of 
their obligation to work for the good of people can only be sustained and 
in a useful manner if they put God s children, the people, first.

Earlier, the General Secretary of the CCSL, Alimamy Koroma who was the host 
briefed the delegation on various challenges facing the Council.  He said 
the pains, scars and effects of the war are still visible in Sierra 
Leone.	However, the Council, he said, has successfully been ministering to 
the Sierra Leone people.  We have and continue , he said, to provide 
services such as health, relief food, education, peace and conflict 
interventions as well as taking part in a number of rehabilitation and 
integration programmes for our people.	Mr. Koroma appealed for continued 
assistance and partnership with the people Sierra Leone.

For further information, please contact:

Akinyi Lucy Ogot

Communication and Advocacy

AACC,

P. O. Box 14205,

NAIROBI.

Email: infodesk@aacc-ceta.org

Tel: (254 20) 444 1338/444 1339/444 1483

Fax: (253 20) 444 3241/444 5835