Media CenterCRS Congratulates Central African Republic Interfaith Peace Platform for Winning Peace Award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Michael Hill
Catholic Relief Services
443-955-7110
[email protected]

BALTIMORE, MD, August 19, 2015 – Catholic Relief Services (CRS) congratulates the Interfaith Peace Platform in Central African Republic for being awarded the Sergio Vieira de Mello award, a prestigious international peace award, for its work of promoting reconciliation and peace between the warring groups in the country’s current conflict.

The three religious leaders of the Platform, Archbishop Dieudonne Nzapalainga, Imam Omar Kobine Layama and Reverend Nicolas Guerekoyame Gbangou, will receive the award on World Humanitarian Day, Aug. 19, at the Palais des Nations, Geneva. The award is named after a United Nations official, Sergio Vieira de Mello, who was killed along with 21 other aid workers when the UN headquarters in Baghdad was bombed on Aug. 19, 2003.

“Our collaboration with the Interfaith Peace Platform since the beginning of the conflict has been an inspiration and source of strength throughout this terrible conflict,” said LeAnn Hager, CRS country representative in Central African Republic. “Their work is the best example of how people from different faiths can come together, find a common ground, and work for lasting peace. We’ve seen the success of their work, now mirrored in this award, and hope to continue to be by their side until the violence stops and true reconciliation can begin.”

CRS has worked with the three religious leaders to promote peace on a grassroots level since the onset of the conflict, hosting workshops modeled after their initiative for nearly 300,000 community leaders of all faiths, including young people, women and members of civic institutions. They receive training in peace-building tools that help them address the trauma they have experienced and manage difficult discussions about reconciliation.

The conflict in Central African Republic has caused the displacement of more than 425,000 people internally, another 460,000 outside of the country, and thousands have been killed. Unarmed civilians have been caught in the crossfire of horrific violence since March 2013 when the mostly Muslim rebel alliance Seleka staged a violent coup. In response, the civil militia anti-balaka, a group of mostly Christian fighters, banded together to defend their communities and avenge killings by the Seleka.

“The violence in C.A.R. is not due to a religious war, but is rooted in political and economic grievances that have unfortunately split communities along religious lines,” Hager said. “One of the Platform’s main messages has always been that faith is not at the root of the conflict, but can actually be the basis for reconciliation.”

In addition to its peace and reconciliation work, CRS and its Caritas partners have carried out an emergency response, providing emergency relief that includes shelter, food, living supplies, and agricultural recovery on a foundation of social cohesion and conflict resolution.

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Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. The agency alleviates suffering and provides assistance to people in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. CRS’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peacebuilding. For more information, please visit crs.org or crsespanol.org and follow CRS on social media: Facebook, @CatholicRelief, @CRSnews, YouTube, Instagram and Pinterest.