Together We Stand

[ 91 ] Republic (CAR), to passing a declaration protecting the rights of religious groups in Marrakesh, the global outreach work of the forum is truly diverse in nature, level and impact. Providing a safe place to promote partnerships, dignity and safety in the Central African Republic The CAR has seen some of the most horrifying civil war atroci- ties, with violence persisting in the republic to the current day — despite a peace agreement having been passed in 2007. The targeting and killing of civilians and the widespread looting and burning of houses and public property are just some of the human rights violations that occur on a daily basis in the war-torn republic. In an effort to diffuse tensions and address this persis- tent violence, the Forum for Peace partnered with the King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue, the Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to provide members of the CAR with a tailored platform for progress: the Central African Republic Intra- Muslim Dialogue and Capacity-Building Conference. Convened in February 2016, the conference provided reli- gious, political and community leadership from the CAR with a ‘safe space’ to foster healthy dialogue. Delegates were encour- aged to develop and nurture actionable ideas to promote conditions for maintaining sustainable peace and reducing the violent conflict and instability to which the country has unwittingly become accustomed. Of the themes woven through the fabric of this book, build- ing and leveraging partnerships to promote and restore peace in the world is one that resonates strongly with the work and mission of the Forum for Peace. As a mediator and facilitator of these tailored workshops that drew together religious and political leadership, as well as community members and teach- ers, the spirit of the conference was very much rooted in the notion that ‘unity is equal to peace’. Both Christian and Muslim religious communities were encouraged and guided through an analysis of their decisions, creating action plans and finding solutions together to help support the people of the CAR. It is understood that in order to accomplish any goal, one must first begin with the end in mind. In the case of the CAR, this conference created a necessary space to articulate a much needed vision of peace. One delegate commented that “the conference and the support of the Forum for Peace helps greatly in educating the religious leadership of the CAR.” In addition to unanimously agreeing to end the intra- Muslim conflict that is destroying the republic, delegates initially worked in smaller groups, finally convening as a whole and sharing their ideas for sustainable peace on the final day. They developed action points to aid peace efforts by agreeing to provide sustained, consistent training to religious leadership with the support of the Forum for Peace. To help support and raise the levels of comfort and coexistence in the CAR, special action points were focused on women and youth, including committing to providing both of these groups with specific, vocational training in leadership and citizenship. As a result of the conference, an office is being opened in the CAR to serve as a point of support for humanitarian relief and issues, in addition to increasing financial and logistical aid for the CAR communities. The journey to peace in the CAR is ongoing, and the steps taken by convening this platform for dialogue have provided the community with the first oppor- tunity to meet partners who can support them and to consider alternative ways to restore peace. Given the ongoing, persistent violence around them, most of the local delegates from the CAR had never experienced an opportunity to convene in such a dignified way to discuss and develop a plan of action for peace; indeed, due to the violence, they had perhaps never been able to create a space safe enough for facilitating such dialogue in the CAR itself. The conference built up the capacity of the CAR’s religious leadership to confront and diffuse violence by motivating and empowering them to take concerted, tangible steps to rebuild- ing and restoring safety to their communities. Providing legalistic safety and restoring dignity to persecuted religious groups: the Marrakech Declaration In an age where radical and extremist misinterpretations of sacred texts have dominated the media’s portrayal of Islam in the world, the rise of persecution against communities for their religious beliefs has become a horrifying trend in recent years, particularly in the Middle East. The world is certainly not new to religious persecution: more than 1,400 years ago, such discrimination was rife in the Middle East, particularly in Medina, Saudi Arabia. At that time, the peaceful response to this came in the form of the historic, unprecedented Charter of Medina, established by the Prophet Muhammed, may peace and blessings be upon Him, in the year 621. As the first treaty of its kind to successfully establish peace among the diverse religious communities of Medina, it granted the citizens of the multicultural, multireligious city their due rights and enabled them to coexist safely and peacefully. More than 1,400 years have passed since then, and religious persecution has resurfaced to horrific effect in vulnerable, conflict-stricken countries. In a bold move to create a unified call to action against such darkness, religious leaders, clergy Image: The Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies Sheikh Abdallah drew together religious leaders, clergy and interfaith activists in Marrakech to create a unified call to action against religious persecution T ogether W e S tand