Statement of the Steering Committee of the AU Interfaith Dialogue Forum (AU-IFDF) on the occasion of its fourth meeting in Maputo, Mozambique on 28^th- 29^th August 2019.

 

The world is currently facing many challenges: political instability and violent extremism, conflict, poverty, disease, corruption, and environmental degradation. Such challenges cannot be overcome with conventional mindsets and approaches alone. More than ever, they require the active engagement and collaboration of different sectors and stakeholders- including religious, interfaith and faith-based actors- to deal with them effectively.

The Steering Committee of the African Union Interfaith Dialogue Forum was created to address precisely this need for a cross-sector approach, to bring the interests and moral imperative of the faiths of Africa to bear on policy making, and to encourage the support the implementation of relevant government decisions.

On the occasion of the fourth meeting of the Steering Committee, and in the context of powerful interfaith activity across the world manifested in the Religions for Peace World Assembly (20-23 August), one of the largest interfaith gatherings worldwide, where many of our members represented their denominations and we welcomed the election of Dr. Azza Karam, as the first woman to become Secretary General of Religions for Peace;

In anticipation of the upcoming visit of His Holiness Pope Francis to Mozambique, Madagascar and Mauritius in September 2019 to encourage peace, hope and reconciliation in the region by appealing to the power of faith among many peoples and particularly youth;

In solidarity with the people of Mozambique who have suffered in the aftermath of cyclones Kenneth and Idai in 2019 and are courageously rebuilding their communities and infrastructure;

Recalling the positive impact which diverse religious leaders with the involvement the Council of Religions in Mozambique (COREM) made in bringing Mozambique out of conflict, resulting most recently in the signing of the Peace Agreement on 6^th August which we trust and pray will bring lasting social cohesion and stability;

In gratitude to our partners and hosts: the African Union Citizens and Diaspora Directorate and KAICIID Dialogue Centre, as well as the Mozambique’s Government, Council of Religions and people for their warm welcome and hospitality;

We, the elected representatives of the religious communities of Africa’s five regions

1. Commend the work done by religious leaders, interfaith organizations and people of faith across the continent to bring peace, understanding and social cohesion to their countries;
2. Call upon different faith communities to reach out to one another in trust, mutual respect and friendship to achieve goals which serve all humanity and Mother Earth;
3. Recommend to policy makers to take note of the rich resource faith represents in Africa, and to include and seek the means to engage with faith-based and interfaith organizations and religious leaders as they design policies, respond to regional challenges and implement Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals.

We particularly raise our concerns for:

Migration: too many of our brothers and sisters are displaced, by war, famine and the determination to make a better life for themselves. Let us commit together to making better homes of their countries, so that no one is uprooted, ostracized or forced to risk death to support their families. We commend the African Union’s focus upon this issue in the “Year of Refugees, Returnees and Internally-Displaced Peoples: Towards Durable Solutions to Forced Displacement in Africa” and appreciate the work of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and International Organization for Migration on these issues.

Peacebuilding: Some countries in Africa still suffer internal conflicts and the misuse of religion to divide and sow hate. Education, sermons and public campaigns can remind people of the loving message of religion and call for respect for human dignity, peaceful coexistence and harmony. Whether in emerging states, in which minorities need to feel protected and included, or during elections when tensions are high, religious leaders and policy makers must work together to call for calm, restraint and reconciliation. We take this opportunity to recognize the crucial interventions of interfaith and religious organizations in peacebuilding and conflict resolution in different African countries and commend the initiative “Silencing the Guns by 2020” and pray for its success.

Environment: the Amazon rainforest, the lungs of the Earth, are burning. In Africa, drastic deforestation is also taking place and the poorest communities are the first to feel the devastating effects of climate change. All faiths teach appreciation for the works of the Creator. With all other institutions, let us advocate for better treatment of the earth’s resources and not conflicts and smaller interests to put at stake the future of our grandchildren and the planet. We commend and support the initiative of the United Nations Environment Programme “Faith for Earth Initiative”, designed to gather and empower religious leaders to work with policy makers to advocate and partner to protect the environment.

In gratitude for all that has been achieved so far, we call upon Member States of the African Union and all other stakeholders to maintain their valuable support of our endeavor; which is to nurture partnerships and platforms for engagement between the AU, policy-making organs and religious communities, mainstream interfaith and intercultural dialogue in the work of AU organs, promote Agenda 2063 among faith communities; so that we can achieve a united, peaceful, prosperous and sustainable Africa.

Done, 29^th August 2019, Maputo, Mozambique

May Peace Prevail on Earth