Together We Stand

[ 47 ] individuals resorting to the use of violence in the name of religion. In areas afflicted by violent conflict, humanitarian relief efforts are not limited to the region itself. Relief efforts extend to aiding internally displaced peoples and refugees, many of whom have fled war and poverty leaving everything behind. Those who manage to survive now face the challenge of integrating into new societies. Within the Middle East region, Iraqi Christian and Muslim leaders such as Father Amir Jaji and Sheikh Sami Abil-Mona, as well as members of the Iraqi Interfaith Council, work to protect minorities, and work with refugees and displaced people in the region. Within Europe, several faith-based organizations are currently working with refugees to offer immediate humanitarian relief. KAICIID works with many of these NGOs to develop interreligious dialogue programmes to address tensions brought about from the scars of war. Religious leaders, their communities and traditions, as well as interreligious dialogue play an important role in humanitarian relief and sustainable development work. In particular, inclusive interreligious dialogue platforms can be a welcome safe space and vehicle to facilitate relief and development in conflict areas, since the divisions in communities are often a source of obstruction for development and relief. This has been the case in both CAR and in Nigeria. In the case of CAR, the end to the civil war is not the end of the challenges facing the people. Although the root causes lay in political and other reasons, the conflict erupted along religious lines and the distrust of the different groups will continue to act as a hindrance to sustainable peace if it remains. Working with representatives from the Catholic, Evangelical and Islamic communities in CAR, KAICIID has been able to serve as a neutral facilitator in bringing these groups to the table to discuss paths towards a sustainable peace. Another example is Nigeria. Known simply as the Pastor and the Imam, Pastor Wuye and Imam Ashafa were on opposing sides during the conflict. Both individuals suffered losses inflicted by the other: the Imam lost his uncle and the Pastor his own arm. Interreligious dialogue allowed the two to reconcile and undertake a long-lasting partnership to promote interreligious dialogue for conflict prevention and coexistence in Kaduna. The Interreligious Mediation Centre they established jointly brings together Christians and Muslims in Kaduna to work towards a long- term sustainable solution. Religious leaders often have a greater reach into communities, especially those in developing countries, where international aid workers might be seen with suspicion. Religious leaders often command a great deal of respect and can more effectively implement developmental changes. For example, the Nigerian Inter-faith Action Association launched an interfaith effort in 2013 in which Christians and Muslims worked together toward eradicating malaria in Nigeria. As a local organization established by religious leaders, the effort was able to reach far within the country through the two religious communities and thus have a greater impact. Another example, at a different scale, is the recently launched International Partnership on Religion and Sustainable Development (PaRD), under the leadership of the German Ministry for Development. This is an excellent example of multilateral collaboration, a joint endeavour by several donors and international organizations such as Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States, the United Nations and the World Bank. The aim of PaRD is to increase cooperation between the international development community and religious actors, develop common ideas on how to improve cooperation with religious communities, promote interfaith dialogue, address stereotypes and prejudice through education and the media, strengthen religious freedom and religious diversity, and promote human rights. Beyond promoting diversity, the voices of religious leaders and members of religious communities that foster interreligious dialogue can be raised to establish the foundation for implementing cooperative programmes, by calling for and advocating their own initiatives and efforts. There are innumerable examples of such efforts, but those that take place in areas of sectarian tensions and violence can serve humanitarian relief by reducing the chances that violent conflict resurfaces. Many of these programmes are in education or social media, where the multiplier effect can have a great impact. There are several such examples. Abed Elfatah Elsammen is a Syrian Imam from Jordan who along with KAICIID is training religious leaders in the use of social media to develop and disseminate a message of diversity. As women and children are too often the principle victims of the violence, KAICIID Fellow, Sister Agatha Ogochukwu Chikelue, a Nigerian Catholic Nun, has also implemented social media training for women to counter violence. Another KAICIID Fellow, Dr Mohammed Issa Ibrahim AlSheraifin, conducted training to promote dialogue and diversity through Islamic texts Haji Katende Abdul-Fattah, a KAICIID Fellow, leads an interreligious dialogue workshop for religious studies scholars in Uganda, August 2015 Image: Davies Rwabu T ogether W e S tand