Islamist violence is gaining more ground in Africa. “The rise of religious fundamentalism affects cohesion and stability in communities,” says Bishop Traore, Bishop of Segou.
In the fear of retaliation for not converting and embracing the Muslim religion, the danger is the tendency to retreat or to respond with violence to the terror of the fundamentalists. For this reason, the Catholic Church encourages and supports interreligious dialogue and the training of agents who deepen their knowledge and build bridges to achieve mutual understanding and brotherhood between people of different faiths.
This is the mission of the Institute of Islamic-Christian Formation (IFIC) in Bamako. The center serves all consecrated French-speaking Africans who seek to deepen their knowledge and build bridges, especially with Muslims.
During the first twelve years of its existence, the institute has trained 134 students of different nationalities and religious denominations, including 34 Catholic priests and 8 consecrated persons. The building that houses the IFIC is in poor condition and they need to expand their facilities to accommodate a greater number of students and trainers.
Back in 2013, the benefactors of ACN made possible the construction of a pastoral center for children and young people, in the diocese of Segou, in Mali. The second phase of this project involves the construction of a leisure park, for children to learn through play and build brotherhood beyond the ethnic and religious boundaries.
ACN wants, with your help, to support these projects.
