AN annual festival bringing together faith-based organisations from all religions in Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar has started here, aiming to bolster peace, justice and economic growth.
Under support of the Norwegian Church
Aid (NCA), the festival that was joined by Kilimanjaro Regional
Commissioner (RC), Mr Saidi Meck Sadiki and high ranking members of
Muslim, Catholic and Lutheran societies, started with a procession from
Umoja Hostel at the town centre to Uhuru Hotel at Shanty Town, where the
meeting proceeds for five days.
The Coordinator of the event, Rev.
Andrew Munisi, said the meeting brings together 370 members from
faith-based organisations under the umbrella of Inter Religious Council
for Peace Tanzania (IRCPT) and includes exhibitions of different
products by entrepreneurial groups from around the country.
Chairman of the meeting, retired
Secretary General of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania –
Northern Diocese (ELCT-ND), Mr Julius Mosi, said the meeting which in
past years used to take place in Dar es Salaam will deliberate on the
way forward in fostering religious tolerance, togetherness and plan on
common engagement in economic activities to eradicate poverty.
RC Sadiki, in his opening speech, hailed
the spirit of togetherness among people of different religions and
denominations, saying it was the basis of peace, tranquility and
development of the country. He urged religious leaders all over the
country to nurture it.
He said the leaders were much powerful
than political leaders, as the faithful listen to their voices more. He
gave an example of how when he was the Dar es Salaam RC a Quran was torn
and churches torched and the situation was getting out of hand, but he
summoned religious leaders, 20 Christians and 20 Moslems, who sat down
and solved the problem amicably.
“You have been so helpful to the people
in all districts of this country. Any war emanating from religious
difference takes time to end, if it does at all. You have helped the
people in that, but also economically.
I see such good products that are the
work of your hands from different regions such as Iringa and Njombe,
keep it up and bring the people from low to middle financial statuses,”
said RC Sadiki.
He expressed his contentment that the
Inter-Faith Committees have worked well and brought along 6,000 Village
Community Banks (VICOBA). He asked that through the same groups, they
engage in environmental conservation by planting trees to mitigate
climate change effects
. He rued cutting of trees that has
reduced some areas in Mwanza and Shinyanga to semi-desert forcing
herders to move with their flock to other areas. NCA Country
Representative, Ms Tale Birkeland Hungnes, pledged more support to the
groups in Tanzania, saying that the reason of working together was to
achieve peace, justice and economic stability, ensuring everyone has
good life and nobody is left behind.
“This is a festival to celebrate what we
have achieved and propose the way forward. We want economic justice,
and to eradicate poverty it includes eliminating oppressive systems too,
that is why we track how money is collected and used. We want tax
justice and we have to speak out whenever we find tax evasion or misuse
of taxes,” she said
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