August 28, 2007

TRIPOLI, Libya/GENEVA – The Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko, convenor of the Inter-Faith Action for Peace in Africa (IFAPA) and general secretary of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), has called on Africa's various faith traditions to see the continent in its multi-religious context. A perspective that fails to take this reality into account, he cautioned, could only lead to tension.

"There is a tendency on the part of each faith tradition to see the continent only and exclusively from the perspective of that faith, rather than from the perspective of Africa's multi-religious reality. Failure to see Africa from this true perspective can only lead to tensions and instability," Noko told religious leaders at the opening of the Second IFAPA Commission meeting in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, on 27 August.

The IFAPA Commission members, including representatives of the continent's seven faith groups – African Traditional Religion, Baha'i, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism – are convening in the north African country from 27-30 August to receive reports from the secretariat of the pan-African interfaith network. Participants will also be reflecting on IFAPA's achievements and its future goals. They will also be receiving a report from the new IFAPA women's desk.

The Union of Muslim Councils for Eastern, Central and Southern Africa is hosting the Tripoli meeting with support from the World Islamic Call Society. It is the second gathering of the Commission, inaugurated in June 2006 to promote IFAPA's objective of actively engaging religious leaders in interfaith peace-building initiatives on the continent. Noko leads the IFAPA initiative, which was launched in October 2002 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The LWF leader, in the presence of diplomats and representatives of the Libyan government, said the Commission recognized the need for a peaceful Africa, in which there was mutual respect for each other's traditions as well as commitment to co-existence.

"We have realized we have often allowed ourselves to be traditionally used in fighting," said the IFAPA convenor, himself a Lutheran pastor from Zimbabwe. "If there is something that Africa will never and can never import it is peace."

Significant achievements of IFAPA as highlighted by Noko include a delegation visit to Sudan early 2007, during which the delegation was able to discuss sensitive issues of the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement with representatives of the Khartoum and South Sudan governments. He also stressed the taking up of the cross-border issue of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) of northern Uganda, and affirmed the traditional conflict resolution methods used by the Acholi people who have been most affected by the conflict.

"For every root cause of conflict there needs to be a root solution – a solution that will bring peace for all those who are affected," said Noko. "From my brief contact with senior representatives of the LRA, it is clear that they are open to engaging with religious leaders in the search for such a root solution to the conflict in northern Uganda."

Sheikh Saleh Habimana, the Mufti of Rwanda and chairperson of the Union of Muslim Councils for Eastern, Central and Southern Africa, said dialogue was indispensable in safeguarding the future of everyone. "Where there is ignorance, there is mistrust, and sometimes hatred. Understanding one another is a great healer," he asserted while delivering the welcome address.

Habimana said the misunderstanding and separation due to the legacies of colonialism, slavery, racism and exploitation challenged Africa to discover through dialogue ways and means of contributing to the continent's development.

Lutheran World Information
Reported for LWI by Kenyan journalist Fredrick Nzwili, attending the IFAPA Commission meeting in Tripoli.