The ACTION Support Centre, in partnership with the Inter-Religious Council of Ethiopia, held a successful Peace and Human Security Festival in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The one-day event, which also formed part of the African Solidarity Caravan, brought together individuals and organisations to reflect on and discuss opportunities and challenges faced by Africans across the continent.
The first part of the day consisted of panel presentations by various experts on key topics, open interactive discussions, and developing ideas for the Declaration of Solidarity to be handed to the African Union.
Panel presentations and discussions were guided by the following topics:
- The Role of Religion in Advancing Transformation and the Renaissance of Africa: Reflections on Peace building and Conflict Transformation.
- Building and sustaining a “Pan-African culture of people-to-people Solidarity”: Report backs from Caravan Initiatives around the Continent.
- Building and Sustaining Infrastructures for Peace in Africa: Local Peace Committees and the African Insider Mediators Platform.
- The Africa Union (AU) and the Renaissance of Africa: Assessing the role of civil society and African people in deepening and supporting the AU’s Agenda 2063.
Outcomes of this meeting will include the consolidation of the Declaration of Solidarity, which will be handed to the AU through the AU Chair Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, and an Inter-Religious Leaders Solidarity Statement in support of efforts to combat religious based conflicts across the African continent.
The day was concluded with a cultural evening featuring various Ethiopian traditional dances and cultural foods.
