Southern African bishops propose new peace-building institute

Published: 2003-12-08

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (CNS) -- A proposed church-run peace-building institute in South Africa could help other African countries emerge from decades of war, a South African bishop said. Bishop Kevin Dowling of Rustenburg, vice chairman of the justice and peace department of the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference, told Catholic News Service that the bishops have "found strong support" both at home and abroad for the development in South Africa of an international peace-building institute. Plans for the institute were discussed during a Dec. 2 meeting at the Southern African bishops' headquarters in Pretoria, according to a statement released by the bishops' conference. In the statement, Bishop Dowling said the proposed institute will help other countries learn peace-building from the South African experience. "No doubt there will be more churches in situations of conflict who will seek to learn from the experiences of South Africa, and who will request that the (bishops' conference) play a more active role in advocacy," he said.

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