Sudan Inter-religous Council

SIRC believes that protection of religous freedoms and tolerance of all faiths is essential for peace. They organise trainings and awareness-raising for religous leaders and the public in order to spread a message of peaceful co-existence.

Overview

SIRC in an independent non-profit-making NGO, which came into being as a result of co-operation among the Council of the International People's Friendship, Sudan Council of Churches, the Society for Religious Dialogue and the International Centre for Religion and Diplomacy (Washington). It was registered with HAC on 12th November 2002.

SIRC established the Committee for the Protection of the Religions, as stipulated in Article (18) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as this is a necessity for peaceful co-existence of multi-religious and multi-cultural Sudanese Society. We solve conflicts which appear between religious groups. Objectives and aims of the Council are:

• To strengthen the values of tolerance, co-existence and co-operation among the various religious communities.
• To protect religious freedom, places of worship and sacred traditions.
• To undertake dialogue and extend ties among religious leaders in order to emphasize common spiritual values, consolidate peace and national unity, and to co-operate in solving the country’s problems.
• To solve conflicts which may arise between religious groups and bridge the gap among their points of view concerning practical issues.
• To recommend policies and legislation which lead to the protection of religious freedom and peaceful co-existence among peoples of faith.

Achievements:

The secretary general attended the religious Summit organized by Inter-Faith Action for Peace in Africa (IFAPA), which was held in Johannesburg in April 2005, and was selected as a member of the new Executive Commission. The Executive Commission was formally launched in Kigali, the Rwandan Capital, in July 2006. A delegation of IFPA visited Khartoum in January 2007 to follow the progress of the peace process in Sudan. Sudanese religious leaders need to know more about other experiences and this give them chances to know more about their friends in Africa and to elaborate their knowledge about conflict resolution and peace building.

SIRC conducted a training workshop on the protection of religious freedom, in which a number of youth from different religions and sects participated. Some of them were enthusiastic enough to start forming a youth association for religious co-existence.

SIRC believes that Sudanese society has great respect for their religion - whether Islam or Christian - so if it could raise awareness of people in north to respect the minority Christians, and people in the south to respect the minority Muslims, we could live in co-existence and tolerance.

What Services Are Provided?

Training for religious leaders (who are held in extremely high regard in Sudan) in peacebuilding; awareness raising of religion & law; and tolerance teaching.

Geographical Area of Operation

Khartoum; Darfur; Kardofan; Juba

Funding Resources

Some of the international NGOs, Foreign embassies, governmental offices, some the local businessmen and civil society NGOs.

What Further Information Would You Like?

Information about major funders.

What New Contacts Would You Like To Make?

Other national and international inter-religous organisations.

Associated Organisations

Religious leaders, Civil society NGOs, government-connected offices and international organizations.