Christian-Muslim Partnership: World Vision and Islamic Leaders Join Forces for Peaceful Elections in Ghana

World Vision has partnered with Islamic leaders to promote peace ahead of Ghana’s 2024 national elections. A Peace-Building Workshop was held, drawing representatives from the Federation of Muslim Councils, the Ghana Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission, and the Chief Imam’s office.

The workshop, led by Rev. Benjamin Sarbah, the Faith and Development Manager at World Vision Ghana, addressed the urgency of fostering peace and preventing violence in the election season. 

Rev. Benjamin Sarbah integrated the Empowered World View (EWV) framework, which emphasises community empowerment through shared values, relationships, and collective action.

Rev. Sarbah’s opening remarks set the tone, commending participants for their dedication to peacebuilding. The discussions that followed explored the essence of peace as harmony, justice, and cooperation, highlighting its importance in mitigating election-related tensions.

Practical conflict resolution tools, including active listening and mediation, were introduced, and participants engaged in role-playing scenarios to practice neutral mediation. Islamic clerics also incorporated Quranic teachings on justice and forgiveness, reinforcing the shared responsibility of faith leaders to promote peace and integrity.

The workshop also featured success stories inspired by the EWV framework. These included rescuing a young girl from early marriage and leveraging digital platforms to bridge educational gaps. Such examples underscored the transformative impact of addressing structural issues like poverty and inequality in peacebuilding efforts.

As the event concluded, participants pledged to promote peace through their pulpits, interfaith dialogues, and community advocacy. 

They committed to teaching principles of tolerance, justice, and unity, regardless of political affiliations, to prevent violence and ensure peaceful elections.

This initiative marks the beginning of a collaborative journey to build sustainable peace in Ghana. 

With religious leaders at the forefront, the workshop has laid a solid foundation for fostering unity, justice, and harmony in the lead-up to the 2024 elections.