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The Lutheran World Federation
Lutheran World Information |
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| 26.04.2005 |
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| Africa’s Religious Leaders Affirm Inter-Faith Action Can Prevent, Reduce Conflict |
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Second IFAPA Summit Adopts Kopanong Manifesto
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa/GENEVA, 26 April 2005 (LWI) – Representatives of Africa’s main faith communities have re-iterated the importance of continuing inter-faith engagement in seeking to resolve Africa’s problems.
In a unanimous show of solidarity and mutual acceptance at the end of the Second Inter-Faith Action for Peace in Africa (IFAPA) Summit held April 21-25, near Johannesburg, the leaders adopted the “Kopanong Manifesto” in which they recommended “a truly spiritual approach” in addressing Africa’s problems including conflict. Religion, they noted, could not be separated from African society. Delegates to the meeting represented the African Traditional Religion, the Baha’i, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Rastafari faiths.
During presentations and open hearings at the summit and its “Mothers and Daughters” pre-summit, April 18-20, the religious leaders focused on a number of conflict situations and peace building mechanisms in the West African region, Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Affirming IFAPA’s guiding principles namely political independence, transparency, and neutrality toward religious dogmas and systems, the summit participants expressed their commitment to influence the gradual process of realizing lasting peace within the diverse African societies and nations.
The religious representatives drawn from over 30 countries across Africa said they could significantly contribute to a durable peace by relying on enlightened religious teachings as a unifying force in society; and encouraging their respective governments to adopt “all-inclusive peace initiatives.” They also vowed to continuously highlight the need to narrow the economic gap between “the extremely rich and abjectly poor,” and to uphold the “paramount importance” of gender equality and women’s empowerment in peace building. Equally important, they said, was their recognition of the great influence of education for “peace and harmony, and equipping our children with moral values in addition to book-learning.”
Summit convenor, LWF General Secretary, Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko described the gathering of religious leaders as a great success, noting that confidence and trust had emerged between the representatives of diverse faiths since this inter-faith initiative was begun. “We know each other very well now,” he said.
The IFAPA process was launched in October 2002 with the convening of a first summit that brought together over 100 delegates. The Johannesburg Inter-Faith Peace Declaration and Plan of Action adopted then, and the follow-up work “have been an important contribution to the realization of our shared vision of peace in Africa. It has given us a framework for mutual encounter and cooperation in our inter-faith efforts for peace in Africa - across national as well as religious boundaries,” the over 240 delegates at this year’s summit stated in the “Kopanong Manisfesto.”
In the statement adopted at the Kopanong Hotel and Conference Center where they met, the religious leaders mandated IFAPA to continue inter-faith visits to conflict, post-conflict and potential conflict areas, and to engage with and support grassroots inter-faith peace initiatives in those areas. Of particular mention were such visits to Liberia, the DRC, Mauritania and Southern Sudan, and an exchange visit between land mine survivors from Uganda, Sudan and Ethiopia.
A highlight of the weeklong meeting was a reception in Pretoria hosted by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of South Africa (UNISA), Prof Barney N. Pityana, who invited IFAPA to consider possible partnerships with UNISA, one of the continent’s leading institutions of higher learning. In the manifesto, summit delegates stressed IFAPA’s need to develop such linkages in order to enhance capacity for research and analysis regarding conflict resolution and peace building.
IFAPA, they stated in the manifesto, should also seek to promote networks and collaboration between national and regional inter-faith initiatives, international inter-faith organizations as well as governments and inter-governmental agencies that promote peace in the region.
The religious leaders acknowledged that the continental initiative had earned credibility and trust as a network of religious communities and leaders. They agreed to reconvene in three years’ time to evaluate progress and consider IFAPA’s future path.
In a press conference following the adoption of the manifesto, Noko further appealed to Africa’s political leaders to encourage dialogue, saying religious leaders were ready to play a complementary role with governments. He emphasized the summit participants’ concern that continuing cycles of violence “were making Africa a continent with many unhealed memories.”
The LWF coordinated the summit that was hosted by the National Religious Leaders Forum of South Africa. (725 words)
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