Vienna-based peace group, KAICIID Dialogue Centre, has ended a 10-day training for its African Region Fellows Programme in Abuja.
Its Programme Manager, Fellows, Mike Waltner, said the programme, which had 21 participants from African countries, was to bring religious teachers and scholars for “training in dialogue, mediation and promoting social cohesion.”
He also added that the Fellows programme was basically designed to equip religious teachers and scholars with skills necessary to educate students on interreligious and inter-cultural dialogue.
Chairman of Central African Republic Youth Faith, Ougba Ben Nafi Ahmadou, in his remarks, said: “I commend the creation of KAICIID Fellow Network on how we can replicate the learning we have received here.
In Central African Republic, we have people who have differences, but they do not want to accept these differences.
“With the tools I have learnt here, I have no doubt that if replicated, our communities can come together and accept our differences.” Also speaking, the Director of Administration of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Malam Isa Okonkwo, said the training had broadened his knowledge, adding that he was exposed to issues that could help bring peace in Nigeria. “There is always a meeting point between Muslims and Christians.
I have learned on stereotypes, assumptions and perceptions,” he said. Rev. Sister Rose Kyali Gonza, who is of the Daughters of Mary (BannaBikira) from Uganda, said: “The interaction with other Fellows has been wonderful.
I am happy to be a member of the 2018 African Region Fellows Programme of KAICIID and I look forward to deploying all I have learnt from this 10-day training.” Besides Nigeria, Uganda and Central African Republic that had participants, the Fellows were drawn from Chad, Ghana, Ethiopia, Niger and Ethiopia, among others.
