Embed peace in school curriculum, clerics tell African leaders

KAMPALA - African religious leaders have called for the inclusion of teaching of peace in schools to enable youth to learn about the concepts while they are still young as a way of conflict prevention.

The clerics from all over Africa under the African Council of Religious Leaders made the call on Wednesday during a two-day meeting held at Silver Springs Hotel in Kampala.

The Kampala meeting was convened to prepare for the 10^th Religions for Peace World Assembly to be held in Germany in August.

 
"The youth being the future leaders, they should be taught the values of peace when they are still young so that by the time they grow, it has become part of them," the religious leaders said.

Joseph Serwadda, the presiding apostle of the Born again Christians in Uganda said that as religious leaders, they play a role of promoting peace through positive messaging, tolerance and constructive dialogue.

"Like the national dialogues we normally hold in Uganda, leaders from other countries should know that with dialogue, wars can be ended without necessarily having to shed blood," he said.

Prof. Cornelius Omonokhua, executive secretary Nigeria inter-religious council said there is a need to strongly speak against gender-based violence (GBV) and address aspects of culture that promote GBV.