National Peace Council, TUDEC hold conference on Religion and Peaceful Coexistence

TUDEC Development Centre, a not-for-profit organization committed to the promotion of peace and stability in the country on Wednesday, November 8, 2023, collaborated with the National Peace Council to hold a forum that seeks to advance the need for peaceful coexistence and inter-religious tolerance in the country.

The conference on Religion and Peaceful Coexistence brought together some highly respected and prominent religious and traditional leaders to deliberate on ways of entrenching the role of religious groups as instruments of peace in the country.

Delivering a speech on behalf of the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Armiyawo Shaibu, the spokesperson of the National Chief Imam urged religious leaders in the country to take a position against the politicization of religious issues.

He noted that with the election of 2024 on the horizon, the possibility that some politicians would seek to score points by playing the religious card is high and that the responsibility lies on the religious leaders to expeditiously douse such flames before they get out of hand.

Sheikh Armiyawo observed that Ghana’s position on the global ranking for most peaceful countries on the continent has dropped in recent years and that it is imperative that religious leaders apply themselves to the wheel and play their roles in getting Ghana back to where it once was.

He appealed to the religious leaders and institutions in the country to be aware of the significant power and value they hold in keeping the country together and therefore must conduct themselves in ways that will not jeopardize the stability and harmony being enjoyed in the country.

“Disallowing politicization of inter-religious disagreements is also one of the things we should be cautious about. Our country has become so polarized politically and even matters of religion are slipped into politics and that can push our country into some trouble. We must be mindful of some of the manipulations of some politicians.

“I want to call on faith leaders to close our ranks, understand our values, respect our differences and understand common values and work towards making them the foundation of the tolerance we hope to achieve in our country.

“Ghana has been ranked as one of the most peaceful countries in the world but we have lost certain positions on the global peace index and that is a worry for us. Let us strive to regain our position on the global index as one of the most peaceful countries in the world.

Dr. Ernest Adu-Gyamfi, Chairman of the National Peace Council emphasized the need for faith-based leaders and institutions to continue to dialogue on ways of promoting inter-faith tolerance and forestalling religious-driven actions that could derail the country’s success.

He also preached against terrorism, ethnicity and other activities that have the potential to create instability in the country and charged the government to continuously work with relevant organizations to deal with the situation.

One way which experts have proposed, and which has worked in resolving some of these conflicts is interfaith dialogue. Continuous dialogue as a key strategy for resolving religious conflicts is the foundation for this conference. Interfaith dialogue is a process by which members of different faith traditions come together to discuss their beliefs, practices, and differences to better understand each other.

This dialogue is based on mutual respect and understanding and is aimed at building bridges between people of different faiths. Through dialogue, adherents of different faiths can learn to appreciate and respect one another’s beliefs and traditions. Interfaith dialogue can also help to reduce tensions between religious groups and it can be a powerful tool for peace and reconciliation. It is based on these and in consonance with the mandate of the National Peace Council, that we draw inspiration from the theme of this conference “Faithful Discourse: Building A Peaceful World Together”.

Nana Kobina Nketsia, the paramount chief of Essikado Traditional Area emphasized the need for deep introspection about the governance architecture of the country.

He mentioned that for the country to enjoy lasting peace, other elements such as justice and peace must fall in place.

Among the distinguished personalities who graced the occasion are the National Chief Imam, Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu, the president of the Ghana Journalists Association, Nana Kobina Nketsia and others.