CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
The Institutionalization of Interfaith Mediation: A Workshop with Imam Muhammad Ashafa & Pastor James Wuye
In the 1990s, Imam Muhammad Ashafa and Pastor James Wuye led opposing religious militias in Northern Nigeria. “My hate for the Muslims then had no limits.” says Pastor Wuye, whose militia killed Imam Ashafa’s spiritual leader and two cousins. Ashafa spent three years planning revenge, until one day, a sermon on forgiveness changed his life. The two men later met, reconciled, and are now working together to address contemporary issues around religious and ethnic motivated conflicts that negatively affect co-existence, development and good governance, not only in Africa but also around the world. In the documentary The Imam and The Pastor, Imam Ashafa explains, “even though we differ in some theological issues, we will make the world a safer place.”
For nearly twenty years, the Interfaith Mediation Center (IMC), the organization they established in Nigeria, has been engaged in peace building, conflict resolution, and promoting inclusive governance. Using a faith-based approach for interventions, IMC is now a significant local and global player in the field of human rights and conflict resolution.
To honor their visit to Indonesia, a workshop on “The Institutionalization of Interfaith Mediation” will be held in Yogyakarta on August 28-30, 2017, organized by Center for the Study of Religion and Democracy (Pusat Studi Agama dan Demokrasi, PUSAD Paramadina), Maluku Interfaith Institute (Lembaga Antar-Iman Maluku, LAIM), MA Program in Religious and Cross-Cultural Studies (CRCS) and MA Program in Peace and Conflict Resolution (Magister Perdamaian dan Resolusi Konflik, MPRK), both at Gadjah Mada University, and supported by the Tannenbaum Foundation and Tifa Foundation.
The workshop will consist of:
- Participant group mapping of interfaith issues in Indonesia.
- Exploratory discussions with Imam Ashafa and Pastor James on the institutionalization of interfaith mediation.
- Designing peacebuilding roadmaps that are expected to be implemented by the participants in their communities.
The workshop will be held entirely in English. All workshop participants’ transportation and accommodation in Yogyakarta will be covered.
We encourage and welcome all applications from peacebuilding practitioners and academics across Indonesia who have worked for at least two years in the field. Around 25-30 applicants will be selected to participate in the workshop.
Interested participants are required to:
- Fill in the application form, which can be obtained from http://www.paramadina-pusad.or.id/event/workshop-pma
- Write a one-page essay on the suggested theme (as listed on the application form),
- Provide two letters of recommendations; one from the applicant’s institution and another from a community leader who has worked with or supervised the applicant,
- Submit the application via email to register@paramadina-pusad.or.id with a clear subject line.
Important dates and address:
- The deadline of application is July 15, 2017.
- Selected participants will be notified by July 31, 2017.
- Applicants may be invited for an interview in the selection procedure.
- For more information send your inquiries to info@paramadina-pusad.or.id
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