Participants at Interfaith Dialogue in Kenya Urged to Cultivate Christian-Muslim Friendship

In brief

Participants at an interfaith dialogue workshop in Nairobi are being encouraged to move past formal discussions toward practical structures that build peace and unity in African communities. The workshop, held from September 6 to 10, brings together members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit and representatives of the Islamic faith to prepare current and future dialogue coordinators for Spiritan provinces and groups across Africa and the islands.

During a presentation on September 8, André Pieter, a delegate from the Belgium-based association EFESIA, said that a culture of encounter requires believers to know one another, use each other's names, and work together while respecting religious differences. Pieter noted that this approach creates friendship, closeness, and spiritual affinity. He explained that true unity does not mean everyone becomes the same or that one group absorbs another, but rather involves building harmony and friendship among different people.

The Spiritan Province of Kenya is hosting the event at the Rosa Mystica Guest House of the Franciscan Sisters of St. Ann. The workshop is organized in partnership with EFESIA, which manages the Christian-Muslim initiative Together with Mary.