In line with the conference objectives, what follows is the Concept Paper for the Kaduna Conference detailing the skeletal outline guiding the conference deliberation.
CHRISTIAN AND MUSLIM LEADERS CONFERENCE ON CHRISTIAN AND MUSLIM COOPERATION FOR CONFLICT PREVENTION/MANAGEMENT, PEACE BUILDING AND RECONCILIATION
KADUNA, NIGERIA; 05-09,OCTOBER 2010
Conference Background
The Programme for Christian-Muslim Relations in Africa (PROCMURA) has for many years been concerned about violent conflicts in Africa and how such conflicts militate against the continent’s spiritual and physical development. The Central Office in consultation with its Area (Country) Committees, developed a continental plan aimed at bringing together Christian and Muslim leaders together to consciously work alongside one another to prevent/manage violent conflicts and foster peace and reconciliation within the wider society and peaceful co-existence between Christians and Muslims. The plan, which was exhaustively discussed and adopted by the PROCMURA governing council, was informed by the reality that even though Africa prides itself as being a religious continent with Islam and Christianity claiming to be wielding the largest following, the continent has had no sustainable peace.
PROCMURA in its 50 years of existence has always believed that if Christians and Muslims cooperate and collaborate to work towards the prevention of violent conflicts in the continent, they will be able to make a great contribution towards peace.
In line with this assumption, PROCMURA in the past few years embarked on a series of Christian and Muslims leaders’ conferences in and around the continent aimed at promoting Christian and Muslim collaboration for peace and peaceful co-existence. One of these conferences for West Africa brought together over sixty (60) Christian and Muslim leaders from Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo, to Accra, Ghana, from 20 to 24 July 2009 to look at the issues stated above. Also present at the conference were members of the civil society and politicians. The outcome of the conference was a resolution by the 10 countries that participated, to replicate the aims and principles of the conference in their respective countries.
It is in light of this, that PROCMURA Nigeria North Area Committee in conjunction with the Central Office in Nairobi, Kenya, deemed it most appropriate to organise this conference in Kaduna, Nigeria.
Rationale PROCMURA has always held the view that Africa is a religious continent and its people, therefore, a religious people. This religious continent we have always contended, can have peace if adherents of the two main religions (Christianity and Islam) which have the largest following in the continent are able to translate the good precepts of their respective religions into practice. These ideals appear to fall apart as inter-communal violence, erupt from time to time thus making many wonder whether Christians and Muslims are incapable of working together to prevent violent conflicts and manage or mitigate conflicts where they arise, as well as embark on peacebuilding and reconciliation. We recognise that the two religions cannot promote peace within the wider society unless and until there is peaceful coexistence between them.
For many years now, the northern and middle belt states of the Federal Republic of Nigeria have seen sporadic violence between Christians and Muslims. The causes of the violence are multiple. They range from economic, social, ethnic, land issues, political machinations and last but not least religion. These multiple causes of the conflicts are often portrayed in the media as religious conflicts simply because those who are involved in the conflicts are more often than not people who adhere to the Christian and Muslim faiths.
As the north and middle belt states are many, five (5) states which experience perennial conflicts have been selected to participate in the conference as a pilot project. This will help us to ascertain the effectiveness in dealing with these conflicts with the hope that other states would be covered later. The states selected are Plateau, Kaduna, Bauchi, Kano and Koji.
The most recent conflict that sent shock waves in Nigeria and within the international community is that of the conflicts in Jos in November 2009 and February 2010, where scores of people were killed and several properties destroyed.
PROCMURA hopes that the conference will serve as a rallying point towards which the journey to conflict prevention, peace and peaceful coexistence, and reconciliation will be accelerated.
Objectives
The objectives of the conference are threefold:
i.) The creation of a forum whereby Muslim and Christian leaders can openly deliberate on peace, peaceful coexistence, mitigation of conflicts as well as work towards reconciliation of broken societies.
ii.) To replicate the above principal objectives in the different states represented at the conference.
iii.) To draw lessons from this conference so as to organise similar conferences or workshops in other states.
Assumptions The need for this conference is based on the following assumptions:
- That Nigeria is a religious country and its people a religious people and therefore sustainable peace in the country can be achieved through the active participation of religious leaders especially Christians and Muslims.
- That from time immemorial, Africans listened to their religious leaders and looked up to them for guidance to bring about peace in conflict situations, and that such remains the same today, and therefore religious leaders are an asset to peace in Nigeria.
- That the Christian and Muslim faiths have peace as one of their central focuses and if harnessed properly, can be an asset to peace.
- That religion is an emotive issue that touches the heart and soul of the human being, and should not be denigrated by another since history has shown that when people’s faith/religion is denigrated they will do everything to defend it – even die for it.
- That religious extremism is on the ascendancy and something must be done to curb it.
- That Christians and Muslims for a long time talked negatively about each other and it is high time they talked positively with each other on issues of mutual concern.
- That Christian and Muslim leaders can play intermediary and mediating roles in conflict situations to manage and eventually eradicate violent conflicts and bring about peace and reconciliation.
- That Churches and Mosques can work towards peace in society and peaceful coexistence between Christians and Muslims since generally speaking, people engaged in conflict can and do profess to belong to one religious group or the other.
Participants
As a pilot program, participants shall be drawn from five states five states, namely Kaduna, Koji, Kano, Bauchi and Plateau.
Expected Outcome of Conference
It is expected that after the conference the Christian and Muslim leaders will accelerate their quest for peace in states from which they come. PROCMURA shall on the success of this conference ensure that it expands same activities in the other states that are not represented in the conference.
