South African Deputy President Tell Faiths To Adopt Pro-Active Peace Methods
November 15th, 2003 by sfuqua
The first regional conference of an African inter-faith initiative for peace started September 30 in Johannesburg, South Africa, with a call for genuine dialogue between religious leaders and their governments in order to safeguard peace and meaningfully contribute to nation building.
JOHANNESBURG (AANA) October 6 - South African Deputy President, Jacob
Zuma, has appealed to African religious communities to help governments
in the quest for permanent peace.
He was speaking at the official opening of the Southern African
Inter-Faith Conference last Tuesday (September 30).
The conference, which drew more than 60 delegates representing seven
major religions from 11 southern African countries, is the first regional
follow-up meeting to last year's Inter-Faith Peace Summit in Africa,
jointly organised by the Geneva-based Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and
other faith-based organisations.
Zuma emphasised that governments could not be expected to work alone
towards establishing peace and stability. “This is a multi-sectoral task,
requiring every stakeholder within African society”.
The religious community, he said, has an even bigger role to play, given
the fact that they reach millions of people each week.
“You are in a position to spread the message of peace and harmony. Give
the victims of violence hope and guide belligerents to realise that it is
possible to stop war and begin to reconstruct their own lives and their
countries,” said the deputy president.
He made a special appeal to religious leaders to assist in reaching out
to the leader of Burundi's Party for the Liberation of the Hutu
People-National Liberation Force (Palipehutu-FNL), Agathon Rwasa, whose
party has not joined the cease-fire process.
Zuma, facilitator for the talks between Burundi's transitional government
and Palipehutu-FNL, noted that the days of war in Africa were over.
“People are learning that they can solve all problems through dialogue,”
he pointed out.
He further appealed to delegates to try and stop political leaders and
warlords from recruiting children into armed groups.
“You should use your moral and religious influence to stop the pressuring
of children to take up arms,” charged Zuma.
Earlier, LWF General Secretary, Rev Dr Ishmael Noko, who chaired the
conference, also urged faith groups to seek ways of forging relationships
with their respective governments to resolve conflicts, make peace and
contribute to nation building.
He told religious leaders to move away from merely gathering and reacting
in the context of specific events, and become pro-active through
sustained dialogue.
“Our practical inter-faith co-operation, which at present is intermittent
and dictated mostly by external events, could be so much deepened and
enhanced through dialogue,” he stressed.
But, he cautioned, religious leaders should refrain from supporting party
politics. “There has been a strong tradition of siding with political
parties during liberation struggles,” he said.
“But today, for a religious leader to align himself or herself and their
institution with one political party among many, compromises one's
possible role as a mediator in a conflict situation,” he continued.
Noko called for the establishment of an official instrument or structure
through which contact could be maintained between religious communities
and national governments in the Southern African region.
He underscored the need to have more young people taking leadership in
inter-faith relations and in “efforts to bring about peaceful change in
our societies”.
Change, he noted, would only “take place through idealism and enthusiasm,
and idealists are usually young people who are prepared to take risks and
push beyond boundaries”.
“The idealism and enthusiasm of young people can provide energy and
quality to the process,” he added.
He urged the conference participants to recognise the important role of
media in advocating inter-faith dialogue and giving public witness of
successful examples of inter-faith co-operation.
But he also cautioned against “making peace for the sake of publicity”.
The best peacemakers, he stressed, “have a passion for anonymity”.
He expressed hope that the regional conference would ensure that
communication would be a core element in the plan of action envisaged
from the gathering.
Participants in the September 30-October 1 conference at Kempton Park
Conference Centre included religious leaders from African Traditional
Religions, Baha'i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish and Muslim faiths.
The theme of the conference was Promoting Peace and Harmony. It focused
on the implementation of the visions of last year's Johannesburg
Inter-Faith Declaration - Embracing the Gift of Peace.
Southern African countries that attended the conference include Angola,
Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland,
Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. There are also representatives from
Senegal and Kenya.
Reported by Pauline Mumia
Lutheran World Federation, via Worldwide Faith News.
