For a summary version, please go here.
URI CC leaders from Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique and South Africa met from 14th to 17th April 2016 at Koinonia in Johannesburg for a Zonal Conference.
"You Are I"— was a phrase coined during the conference well suited to a URI that is disseminating interfaith understanding worldwide. The phrase fits well with the concept of the “Golden Rule”- “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”- You Are I.
It was a great experience attending the URI Conference as one of the URI CCs leaders in Southern Africa last April where I met many intelligent and sharp international colleagues with different special gifts beneficial to the URI family. Personally I think this conference was very well organized and very successful. However time was so short that some of the issues like presentations from each leader which appeared on the program were skipped. I fully enjoyed the four-day event with so many interesting discussions on various experiences of the CCs that each one of us came from. The speeches delivered by Ambassador Mussie, Rev. Wesley Mabuza, and the Turquoise Harmony Institute representative were very informative and insightful on the objectives of URI.
I would like to take this chance to reflect upon my enriching experiences in Johannesburg and summarize in what ways this URI conference helps me to make progress with the visions of outreaching mercy mission and interfaith understanding in Mozambique as well as adopt an international perspective on how to benefit from exchange of ideas, sharing of the CCs experiences, socializing with international counterparts etc. I will also examine its relevance to the work MIMAMO has started in Mozambique.
On the first day of arrival at Koinonia where we all lodged, 13th April, there was a special session of introduction which was led by the coordinator of the conference Karen. I enjoyed the moment of sharing travel experiences. The second day was a joyous moment for all the participants at the Radisson Hotel before the official launch event started. It was a wonderful moment for knowing one another and exchanging addresses and important information. At the hotel, the event was opened with a word of prayer by F. John Ng’oma who recited the Golden Rule according to each religion in the world. This was a very interesting revelation to many who attended the celebration. This was followed by an official welcome and introduction session which was led by Karen. Karen introduced all the participants. First to come up with a speech was Rev. Wesley M. Mabuza and next was Ambassador Dr. Mussie from Ethiopia to deliver his speech, who was followed by Ayhan from the Turquoise Harmony Institute.
The speeches were an eye opener to me. The prayer Mussie cited in his speech from Saint Francis has got a very strong message to all on our earth about the importance of interfaith work promoting peaceful co-existence amongst all religions.
The prayer is soul-soothing. “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.”
The emphasis on the need for working in partnership among faith-based organizations, religious leaders, United Nations and the African Union Commission to address the issue of peace and security collectively as a common issue is a welcome development which needs to be disseminated deeply to all. Indeed the engagement of URI in creating a world where the values and teachings of the great wisdom traditions guide peoples’ service, where people respect one another’s beliefs, and where the resourcefulness and passion of people working together bring peace, security, reconciliation, healing, social development and a more hopeful future to the earth’s community to me is very vital. As the speeches on that special day came to an end, it was clear that Peace in Africa is possible when we start to make peace within ourselves, our families and in our respective communities, there is indeed need to walk this talk. We who participated in this event are the proper vessels to carry the message to those who are unable to access it. Problems erupt because of lack of walking the talk of the Golden Rule by all religions, traditions and cultures. So walking the talk is indeed the key to addressing critical issues such as peace, security, democracy, human rights, respect for each other, gender equity, social development, interfaith harmony, constructive dialogue among nations, conflict prevention and building right human relationship.
My representing Missáo de Misericórdia Abrangente em Moçambique-MIMAMO(Outreaching Mercy Mission in Mozambique) at the conference in South Africa brought me back home with additional ideas to the vision of the Academy of Light now in the cocoon. New co-operations are to be born and many of the remotest areas are to be reached. There is need that URI networking gets to these remotest places. Violence erupting from these remote areas with people without education and interfaith understanding becomes very volatile and difficult to cease and this can be the right time to look into this.
The sharing of the challenges each leader encounters in his/her country was also very educational during this conference through the analyzing of cooperation circles’ Assets and Challenges. The matching of our resources between one CC and another indicated that those cooperation circles in crisis would benefit from others and vice versa. Participants made promises to exchange visits to each other’s countries during the conference. If fulfilled, this will really see URI objectives being achieved in the countries where these CCs exist.
At the conference I had a chance for a very pleasant conversation with Ambassador Mussie. We soon found that there might be some chances to be connected with other co-operation circles existing in Mozambique which were not represented at this conference so that we can start working together, as well as other connections from Cape Town. This shows how important the conference has been to me.
When I shared the knowledge I gained from the conference with my wife, this encouraged her to come with a vibrant women’s group within our cooperation circle which has various visions to unveil. Currently they have started working on the project of a culture food kitchen at an area which has been without activities at all ever since. With support from the village headman, men and the concept of making use of the resources available, women welcomed the idea and are now busy molding bricks for the project. The village headman in appreciation has offered land for this project as well as vast land where the Academy of Light is to be constructed.
In contrast with other developing countries, Mozambique faces very tough challenges to get support for sufficient specific enabling programs which can bring light to poor people. Mozambique suffered a long period of war which has contributed to high rates of illiteracy. The language barrier is another factor that puts the country in isolation and the vision of establishing the Academy of Light with English learning starting from grade one would be the start towards breaking the language barrier in future. Trial and error is more often than not the norm rather than exception, which is very problematic, giving rise to various professional risks and liability issues when there is a language barrier.
What the participants shared during the conference intrigued me and I want to learn more about their experiences in this regard. I hope my future interactions with my colleagues of URI in other countries will shed even more light on many of the seemingly baffling problems needing solutions. I will make an effort to disseminate related helpful and effective contributions where possible.
Participation in the variety show organized on the last night at Koinonia with activities like drama, dances, poems and warm up exercises e.g. Zip Zap Zoom which cannot be forgotten was inspiring and really portrayed the United Religions Initiative togetherness. There was a flow of human spirit unity, equality and each one gave himself wholeheartedly making the room shining with a sign of happiness and love. This all symbolized the coming into fruition of the planned Southern Africa Zonal Assembly in 2016. See video clip here.
In conclusion, I would like to express my heart-felt thanks to people who had made this URI conference possible and those who shared their experiences during those four exciting days in Johannesburg, and not forgetting the one who facilitated our educational visit to Witwatersrand University. I have benefited very much from this fantastic event. The conference was an eye opener and educational for everyone. Karen, Toni, and the Ambassador Mussie promised to pay me a visit in Mozambique within this year or early next year and see the challenges I am going through to have my visions realized in Mozambique. It was a wonderful time for exchange of experiences.
My very brief recommendation is to try as much as possible to involve chiefs and village headmen with their communities when forming our co-operations circles. They also need to participate in these conferences. They are the best vehicles for the message of interfaith understanding who can contribute more in bringing peace and love once they understand fully the PPPs of URI. These are the ones who harbour communities of different religions, cultures and traditions and with the inclusion of them in the URI family Peace shall indeed prevail on Earth.
Finally, I would like to extend my sincerest thanks and appreciation to MRS PAULINE MARY CROSBIE, Founder and C.E.O. of Bumblebee Foundation, Global Renewal Projects Cottage Industries as SENIOR CONSULTANT and BROKER, for her continuous guidance as a consultant to both MIMAMO and its Women’s Group to ensure a better success of its visions.
Shadreck Francis Chithila Kwagwanji; Lichinga, Mozambique
