DOV AFRICA Focus 2010 : Work and Pray in Hope for Peace DOV AFRICA Focus 2010 Theme: Work and Pray in Hope for Peace Churches seeking reconciliation and peace in Africa today Spotlight: The All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC )

DOV AFRICA Focus 2010 : Work and Pray in Hope for Peace General information Africa is the 2010 Annual Focus of the World Council of Churches Decade to Overcome Violence (DOV). The purpose of this presentation is to highlight the role and impact of the work of our major focal point in the continent: the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC).

DOV AFRICA Focus 2010 : Work and Pray in Hope for Peace Overview of AACC’s Peace-Related Priorities for 2010 Madagascar and Zimbabwe - Facilitate healing and reconciliation retreats for Church Leaders and Pastors to aid the healing of the church in these two countries. High level peace advocacy missions - - Uganda – support to resolve regionalised conflict in Northern Uganda - Eminent Persons follow up on Midterm review on the Kenyan situation. Transitional democracy - Accompaniment of the Councils in Rwanda, Burundi and Churches in Ethiopia in the electoral process - Facilitation of capacity building and training for peace mediators for the Sudan Council of Churches.

DOV AFRICA Focus 2010 : Work and Pray in Hope for Peace Areas of Work As we will see in the coming slides, the All Africa Conference of Churches is active in several parts of the continent and on various themes: Horn of Africa Regional Darfur Initiative: Chad, Central African Republic (CAR), Sudan Great Lakes Region. The Great Lakes Ecumenical Forum (GLEF) Eminent Persons Ecumenical Peace Program for Africa (EPEPPA) Transitional Democracy

DOV AFRICA Focus 2010 : Work and Pray in Hope for Peace Horn of Africa 1. SUDAN Two track-processes in Sudan. a) a High Level Advocacy/Peace Missions whose objectives are to show solidarity with the people and Church in Sudan and to recommit the engagement of the ecumenical movement in Africa for peace and justice in Sudan; to call for full implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA); to call for the end to the violence in Southern Sudan and reinforce International support for the peace process; b) an Ecumenical Support for the Election Facilitation of several preparatory meetings by a team of trainers who are engaged in Capacity Building with the Sudan Council of Churches.

DOV AFRICA Focus 2010 : Work and Pray in Hope for Peace Horn of Africa - Con’t II. SOMALIA Facilitation of two brain-storming meetings in Objectives : to receive an informed situation analysis from socio-political, religious and ecumenical perspective and arrive at a clear overview of possible strategic directions; to outline concrete recommendations for ecumenical action and engagement. III. INTER-RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE Engaged in inter-religious dialogue in the Horn of Africa Region. Objectives: building confidence among religious leaders of the region to seek ways of collaboration and to contribute to the ongoing peace processes in the region, agreeing on a common agenda to advance peace in the region

DOV AFRICA Focus 2010 : Work and Pray in Hope for Peace Regional Darfur Initiative: Chad, Central African Republic (CAR), Sudan Consultation on the Regional Darfur Initiative. Objectives: to help the group to take stock of what has been done since the November 2008 consultation, and to plan activities for 2010, to update on the situation on the ground in Sudan, Chad and CAR and the position of the AU and the International Community.

DOV AFRICA Focus 2010 : Work and Pray in Hope for Peace The Great Lakes Ecumenical Forum (GLEF) The Great Lakes Ecumenical Forum Summit took place in May 2009, with the theme: “Sustaining the vision of peace in the Great Lakes region”. The issues on the agenda were : Peace and Security issues in the Great Lakes region, Ecumenical interventions undertaken in the region since the first summit, Politics of identity and exclusion and its devastating effects in the region, Mechanisms to prevent, curb and eradicate the illegal exploitation of natural resources in the region and also the nexus between illegal exploitation of natural resources and sexual gender based violence

DOV AFRICA Focus 2010 : Work and Pray in Hope for Peace Eminent Persons Ecumenical Peace Program for Africa (EPEPPA) Two major activities organised under the broad framework of the EPPEPA Eminent Persons Ecumenical Peace Program for Africa: I- a solidarity and fact finding missions to Zimbabwe and Madagascar. Objectives: receive an update and stand in solidarity with the people and the Church in the two countries, hear the position of the Churches in the new political dispensation in each country, and their expectations from the African and Global ecumenical family. II- a consultative conference on Climate Change, Human Rights, Peace and Security (June 2009, in Monrovia, Liberia).

DOV AFRICA Focus 2010 : Work and Pray in Hope for Peace Transitional Democracy Accompaniment of the following National Councils in the electoral processes of their countries: South Africa Council of Churches - April 2009 Christian Council of Mozambique - October 2009 Côte D’Ivoire - July 2009.

DOV AFRICA Focus 2010 : Work and Pray in Hope for Peace For more information about the AACC, please visit their website: