An Anglophone West Africa Regional Training of Trainers Workshop on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) has opened in Accra, Ghana.

The two-day hybrid workshop, which is being held virtually and by contact, is happening concurrently in Liberia, Sierra Leone, The Gambia and Nigeria.

Organized by the Programme for Christian-Muslim Relations in Africa (PROCMURA), the workshop is to address the challenges that people face when they choose, change or seek to practice their religions.

Chairperson, PROCMURA Area Committee and PROCMURA Executive Committee Member (Ghana), Rt. Rev. Dr. Nathan I. Samwini, in his overview, said restrictions and violations of individual rights to freedom of religion constituted a challenge for PROCMURA.

He said, the overall objective of the Organisation was to see an African continent, where freedom of religion and all that it entailed became the norm and not the exception.

Area Advisor, Ghana Area Committee, Dr. Makafui Tayviah, indicated that Rev. Dr. Adrake Komi, the General Advisor –PROCMURA, would give the opening remarks.

The participants will then discuss; Knowledge of FoRB, Introduction to FoRB, Christian Faith Perspective of FoRB, Muslim Faith Perspective, Breakaway Sessions, Statement Committee Meeting (Group), and FoRB as a Human Right (Legal Perspective).

On the second day, Dr. Tayviah said, there would be training in skills in promoting FoRB, Constructive Christian-Muslim Relations; A Substantive mechanism for the promotion of FoRB, Towards Increased FoRB for Women, Group Studies, Country Action Plans and Evaluation as well as Government as an Indispensable institution in promoting FoRB for all.

Ghana’s participants include the Rev. Dr. Johnson Mbillah, the PROCMURA Consultant, Representatives from the Christian and Muslim Communities, academia and the media.