A song of solidarityReligions for Peace hosted an experts’ meeting, “African Faith Based Communities Advancing Justice and Reconciliation in Relation to the International Criminal Court.” The 2005 gathering was convened by the Steering Committee of the Faith and Ethics Network of the International Criminal Court (FENICC), a coalition of religious, ethics and interfaith organizations working to promote awareness of the International Criminal Court among their communities. Religions for Peace, an international steering committee member of FENICC, has taken on a key role in this endeavor.

The gathering also deepened their commitment toward education, outreach, and action around the ICC and strengthened their capacity to achieve these goals by establishing the African Faith-Based Network for the ICC, to serve as a conduit for the exchange of pertinent information, experiences and initiatives.

As an outcome of the meeting, FENICC created an outreach campaign in Africa to engage religious communities in justice and reconciliation processes. To this end, FENICC created the African Faith-Based Communities Advancing Justice and Reconciliation in Relation to the International Criminal Court training manual.

The manual, which will also be translated in French, explains the ICC mandate and mission within the broader context of justice and reconciliation to ensure that religious practitioners decide to support the complementary role of the ICC.  This also promotes effective relationship development between religious leaders, faith-based organizations and the ICC that is characterized by critical dialogue.  In this way the ICC will help to deliver justice and hope for the future.