Once they were enemies: For years Imam Dr Muhammad Ashafa and Pastor Dr James Wuye had been leaders of militant Christian and Muslim militias respectively, that were fighting each other fiercely in the region around the provincial capital of Kaduna in the north of Nigeria.
But they accomplished to break the cycle of violence and suffering: The two religious leaders became peace-builders and friends. They founded the "Interfaith Mediation Centre" where mediators are trained, they have developed a school curriculum and with the "Kaduna Peace Declaration of Religious Leaders" which was signed by Muslim and Christian congregations they have set an example for religious peace. For their tireless efforts for interreligious dialogue, acceptance and building trust they were awarded the Hessian Peace Prize of the Albert Osswald Foundation.
In HSFK-Standpunkt 9/2013 "Versöhner und Brückenbauer" the award ceremony on 30th October 2013 in the music hall of the Hessian State Parliament is documented.
Read the laudatory speach given by Professor Dirk Messner, Director of the German Development Institute, the welcoming speeches by Jörg-Uwe Hahn, the former Hessian Minister of Justice, Integration and European Affairs, and Norbert Kartmann, President of the Hessian State Parliament, as well as the acceptance speeches of the two awardees.
This HSFK-Standpunkt is available as a free PDF download (in German).