Training of Trainers in Human Rights and Interfaith Peace

On the 24th and 25th of October the Kenya Chapter of IARF held a training event concerning human rights and interfaith peace. Here you can read the full report (PDF,  1MB).

Human Rights Day in Malakapuram, India

Below is a short report written by Narava Paska Rao, chairman of the BV Foundation for Peace and Harmony, from its 2015 Human Rights Day celebration.

The BV Foundation for Peace and Harmony, a member group of IARF India, organised a meeting to observe the Human Rights Day at St. Ann’s College for Women in Malakapuram on Thursday 10 December at 10.15 a.m.

The speakers included Prof. K. Ravi, former director of the AU Academic Staff College, Prof. G. Peddaiah, former member of the AP Public Service Commission, Sister Prema, principal of the College, Miss E.P.S. Bhagyalakshmi, NSS  national award winner and Narava Praska Rao, chairman of the Foundation.

A debate competition was also conducted among the students on the occasion.

Prof. K. Ravi said that the youth should be aware of various issues, be alert and behave responsibly to safeguards the rights.

Prof. G. Peddaiah said that today youth is not useless but uses less of their potential; if their potential was used properly and if they were properly motivated, they could contribute a lot for achieving a just society.

The other speakers said that  people who observe duties alone  have the  right to demand rights, rights and duties are very important

EME Region Conference 2016: First Announcement

The next IARF Europe and Middle East Region Conference will be held on 22 – 25 August 2016 in Skopje and Tetovo, Macedonia, in collaboration with our local member group, the Bektashi Order (here you can read about IARF’s delegation recent visit to the region which included, among other things, preparations for the Conference).

The Theme will be Religion and Conflict Prevention.

Details of the conference, including venues, a detailed daily programme and list of speakers, will be shared with you as soon as possible. Our members will receive regular e-mail updates and all important information will be made available on the website as news updates and on this page.

Here you can read about our previous conference held in 2012 in Mennorode, the Netherlands, and see photographs and a video report from the event.

Pakistan Chapter’s Peace Day Celebration

Briefly about IARF Pakistan:
IARF Pakistan strives to promote peace and harmony among Islam and minority religions, including many Christians, Bahai, Sikh and others. Bahai and Sikh have proper relations and coexist well with Muslims, but there are tensions between the Muslim and Christian communities. We organize peace meetings with representatives of all faiths to discuss and promote tolerance and peace.
Please direct your inqueries to Dr. Jefferson Tasleem Ghauri at iarfpakistan[at]yahoo.com.

Celebrating the UN-established International Peace Day on 21 September, IARF’s Pakistan Chapter held a meeting with several speakers  representing the countries diverse religious and spiritual traditions to share peace-building experiences and reflect together on how religions and denominations can contribute to creating and maintaining peaceful coexistence in a spirit of tolerance and dialogue, so much needed in that part of the world and many others.

The guests included:

• Fr. Amir Shehzad Lakshman (Orthodox Church)
• Rev. Victor Khayrat  (Roman Catholic Church)
• Rana Muhammad Awais (Islam)
• Qari Mehtab Alam  (Islam)
• Edwin Gul  (Secular)

Visit to the Bektashi Order (Macedonia, Kosovo, Albania)

On 2 – 7 September 2015 IARF delegation paid an official visit to the Bektashi Order in Macedonia, an IARF Member Group, as well as its sister communities in Albania and Kosovo. The delegation consisted of Wytske Dijkstra, IARF President and Derek McAuley, the chairman of our Europe and the Middle East region. Arben Sulejmani, chair of the Macedonian Bektashi Community, acted as the host on behalf of the Order.

The main purpose of the visit was to highlight the situation of the Bektashi in Macedonia and Kosovo, where the community suffers various disadvantages compared to other religious groups, and to attend the opening ceremony of the Odeon at the Kryegjyshata Botërore Bektashiane, the Order’s new assembly hall in Tirana, Albania, which brought together representatives from the region’s whole Bektashi community as well as religious leaders from all over the world.

To advocate the Bektashi cause and bring it to the attention of international bodies, the delegates met with several important figures, including ambassadors, other diplomats and representatives of international organizations in the region. Additionally, they investigated possible venues for the 2016 Europe and Middle East Conference to be held in Skopje, Macedonia, and made other preparations for the event in collaboration with persons who will be in charge of hosting it on behalf of the Bektashi. A more detailed account of the activities and meetings follows below.

On 2 September the delegates met with Dr. Skender Asani, director of the Institute of Spiritual and Cultural Heritage of the Albanians in Skopje. They discussed the IARF and its mission, the activities of the Heritage Institute and its position in Macedonian society.

Among other visits, the delegation met with Mr. Tibor Váradi, political officer at the EU office in Skopje. Their account of the situation regarding registration of the Bektashi by Macedonian authorities and the situation of the Harabati Tekke resulted in Mr. Váradi offering to look into the matter and bring the issue to the attention of colleagues in Brussels who are preparing the next progress report. He advised to contact DG Near of the European Commission about raising the Bektashi issues in EU-Macedonian dialogue.

To raise awareness of the plight of the Bektashis, IARF has also established a working group in The Netherlands and will continue to promote the cause through publishing on its website.

Finally, the delegation attended the opening event of the ODEON building at the Kryegjyshata Botërore Bektasiane. It had an audience with His Holiness Dedebaba Edmond Brahimaj, who promised to attend the IARF EME conference in Macedonia on 23 August 2016. As the EME regional conference 2016 will be hosted by the Bektashis, it is hoped that yet more attention will be drawn to their predicaments.

Photographs from the visit:

Independence Day Event in Pakistan

Briefly about IARF Pakistan:
IARF Pakistan strives to promote peace and harmony among Islam and minority religions, including many Christians, Bahai, Sikh and others. Bahai and Sikh have proper relations and coexist well with Muslims, but there are tensions between the Muslim and Christian communities. We organize peace meetings with representatives of all faiths to discuss and promote tolerance and peace.
Please direct your inqueries to Dr. Jefferson Tasleem Ghauri at iarfpakistan[at]yahoo.com.

On August 14 2015, Pakistan Independence Day, the Pakistan Chapter of the IARF held an all-day programme for women and children. IARF Pakistan staff members, Robson Ayub and Hanook Yasir, delivered several presentations and moderated a discussion with the participants. The topics taken up included issues of vital importance for the people of Pakistan, such as religious coexistence, tolerance and mutual respect among various faith communities and groups in society, matters of key significance to the mission of IARF. The event met with much interest and was well attended. Below you can see several photographs taken at the meeting.

Introductory Inter-Faith Meeting in Mombasa, Kenya

Date: 25th July, 2015

Host: Hamis Juma Kitenje

Presiding IARF Kenya Chapter Officials:
Rev. Lawrence Adera, Secretary;
Bishop Martin Mwambu, Treasurer

In attendance were:

1. Hamad S. Mwakilesho – Kikoneni in Kwale county coast Region
2. Tsuma E. Jembe – Chibana Kaloleni in Kilifi County coast Region
3. Janet N. Mwaburi – Kilifi county
4. Timson Maneno – Tana River county
5. Anderson Chai – Malindi -Mombasa Technical University
6. Athmani Mwanzeje Ali – Mariakani Region
7. Nicanori Kiriga – TaitaTaveta county
8. Hamis Juma Kitenje – Mombasa County (Host)

Agenda:

• Prayers from religious groups
• Introduction:- IARF Kenya Chapter officials, Host and Interfaith Delegates
• Presentation from IARF Kenya Chapter officials
• Views from the interfaith delegates
• Way forward (full participation of region)

The meeting started at 11:45 AM with a word of prayer from Hamad, a Muslim, and Bishop Mwambu representing Christians, and Niconari of traditional belief. We received and accepted an apology from Sigh, Rahma, Saida (Muslim women and Bohra community representatives) and Baha’i brothers.

Rev.Lawrance, Secretary IARF Kenya chapter, introduced and gave a brief but complete history of IARF internationally and locally, its objectives and main focus. He told the representatives from all the counties of Coast region of the need to embrace IARF objectives and join hands in fulfilling IARF mandate in the region and beyond.
He noted that, Mombasa being a very volatile region and notorious for inter-religious conflicts, IARF Kenya Chapter activism in the area is an ideal venture, hence a need for firm IARF representation.

Bishop Martin Mwambu highlighted on the history of Kenya chapter formation and the force that drove us to be where we are as a chapter in Kenya. He briefed the participants on the achievements of the Kenya chapter so far and the already ongoing TOT programs. He also touched on the activities that we do, and the positive feedback.

Views / Opinion From Participants

• All participants were happy and appreciated IARF presence in Kenya and in particular our visit which they described as long overdue. They desired such introductory meetings to be held across all the counties of Coast region in the shortest time possible.

• Government organs and civil society should be informed and also be involved or send representation in all IARF activities. e.g Office of the County commissioners, Governors, Senators, Muslim caucus and inter-religious society leaders, civil society and  other interested organizations with similar vision and objectives.

• There was also a need for the involvement of youths /students of universities, colleges, and Secondary Schools because they are the most affected, easily influenced, and easy targets of agents of doom.

• A youth delegate, Mr Hamad, requested for a close working relationship with IARF Kenya chapter because of the organization’s good repute. He believes IARF Kenya chapter will bring about the required change and transform youths into responsible, educated and cautious citizens on human rights issues, and earn everlasting peace..

They agreed to work hand in hand with IARF Kenya chapter to realize the much desired peace and co-existence of all humanity regardless of race, tribe, religion, or colour, and therefore to organize or participate in all human rights education and peace forums.

• There was much need for women representation for such activities, as they are also potential instruments of peace and quick avenues in reaching the affected women in the region.
• We noted that there was urgent need for peace sensitization meetings and training on human rights in the following areas:

1. Tana River
2. Garissa
3. Lamu
4. Likoni

(These are hot spots of inter-religious conflict)

Summary

1. There is an urgent need for sensitization on peace programs in the region mostly in the identified inter-religious conflict hot spots.
2. There is need for full government agencies’ involvement in all IARF Kenya chapter activities in the region.
3. Security has been very elusive due to rampant religious youth radicalization and countless warlike groupings making security a major challenge for the government.

Hence proper IARF Kenya chapter introduction and objectives should be very clear to the government, security organs and all relevant departments. A call for a closer IARF Kenya chapter and government working relationship.

4. Much efforts and energies should be directed towards this region of Mombasa to enhance a quicker co-existence between Muslims who are the majority and other minority religions to avoid future conflicts which can easily degenerate into fully fledged war, like what Kenya almost experienced in 1997 where over 100,000 people were displaced in Mombasa alone, who even to date have not been fully resettled.
5. It was in this region that a student was suspended from school for not attending Christian mass, and there is a case to that effect in court of law. Churches have been burnt down and mosques have also been attacked in retaliation. There is a lot to be done in this region.
6. There was evident passion in the participants and in them we saw strong, energized people who exhibited seriousness and zeal in helping IARF Kenya chapter realize its goal and objectives in our advocacy for peace and human rights education, and elimination of inter-faith disharmony. Because of that we are happy IARF officials now.
7. Finally we also resolved that a courtesy call to the county commissioner, Governor and senator should be done as soon as possible and IARF activities kicked off without further delay.
8. In the corridors of justice it is said justice delayed is justice denied and in IARF Kenya chapter corridors we say Peace, sensitization and human rights education delayed in Mombasa is peace denied in Mombasa.
9. The meeting, which was punctuated with applause, drinks and lunch, was very vibrant and ended on a positive note after about 4 hours 45 minutes.

The participants enjoyed a group photo at the end.

At exactly 3.00 pm afternoon the meeting was closed with a prayer from Timson Maneno from Tana River County.

This report was compiled & prepared by:

Rev. Lawrence Adera

IARK Kenya chapter Secretary

And with the approval of the treasurer as the actual and factual true representation of what transpired.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki Commemoration Events

The B. V. Foundation for the Promotion of Peace and Harmony, a member group of the South Asia IARF region operating in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India, will hold a series of commemoration events of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as it has done for several years already. The meetings will be held on 6-9 August at:

• St. Josephs College for Women, Gynapuram (6 August)
• AS Raja Jr. College MVP. Colney (7th August)
• Dr. VSK Govt Degree College  (8 August)
• NT school Akkyyaplaem (9 August).

The meetings will be followed by an exhibition of photographs of Hiroshima and Nagasaki explosions and screening of a documentary film.

For details please contact Prof. Prakash Rao, Chairman, at 9032477463 or narava_prakasarao[at]yahoo.co.in.

Iftar Dinner at Mothi Baba Dargah, Chennai

On 14 July 2015 Adv. Varadarajalu Rengapashyam, IARF Council member for India, held an Iftar Dinner (traditional meal eaten by followers of Islam on sunset during Ramadan, the month of fasting, which is often an occasion for inter-religious encounter) at Mothi Baba Dargah Interfaith Centre (you can read more about it here) attended by about 400 persons of different faiths.

Kenya Chapter – Training of Trainers for Human Rights Education

Jerusalem Centre, Kitale, KENYA
10-12 April 2015

Host: Kenya Chapter President Bishop Michael Wafula

Facilitator- Mrs. Joyce N. Wamalwa

Co. Trainers- Sister Irene

                       Rev. Lawrence Adera

                       Bishop Martin Mwambu

                       Duncan Magero

There was a warm welcome from the participants. For few hours we were given sermons by the Chapter President, Bishop Michael, who introduced his team to the congregation.

There were about 33 people who were interested.

They were divided into two categories. This was done according how they have been participating on chapter event training for HRE that has been held all over the country.
The senior class had 15 students and the junior class had 18 students.

The first class was trained in Mt. Zion hall by the chapter lead trainer Mrs. Joyce. The materials she used in the training were from The Human Rights Education Handbook (Effective practices for learning, action and change)

The second class had 18 students. The majority has idea about HRE but had not gone a thorough training like the first class. They were trained at Jerusalem hall. They got their training in support of the book called Many Faiths, One Humanity.

The class was mentored by the other trainers under the supervision of the President and the secretary.

The training ended well with a ceremony awarding the first class with a participation certificate.

The training took two days. There were a few suggestions before it ended. The second class requested to have their final training on June this year, which shall be communicated later and shall depends on the availability of the funds.

The participants enjoyed a group photo at the end.

Rev. Lawrence Adera, IARK Kenya chapter Secretary

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