On 17-19 September 2025, ACCORD, in partnership with Kairos-DRC, hosted a high-level workshop for faith-based leaders from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in Kinshasa. The workshop convened under the theme ‘to consolidate the relationship amongst religious leaders in the DRC in matters of advocacy, conflict and mediation’.
This workshop was a continuation of the event held in partnership with Kairos-DRC in June 2025 in Kinshasa, DRC. It brought leaders from various Christian denominations, including the National Episcopal Conference of Congo, the Church of Christ in Congo, as well as a representative from the Islamic community in the DRC. The workshop sought to build on the momentum created from the first session by consolidating the relationships built amongst the various religious leaders. Additionally, participants were provided with skills and techniques in advocacy and mediation.
The workshop looked at contemporary examples of conflicts that might exist in African societies, the importance of perspective and the value of trust. In order for mediations and negotiations to be successful, trust must be built between the mediators and the parties to the conflict. The participants engaged in trust-building exercises in order to demonstrate the importance of trust and how it can be difficult to build the requisite levels of trust. The participants also engaged in a mediation simulation in order to better understand the perspectives of parties to a mediation, as well as the role of the mediator.
ACCORD will continue to engage with religious leaders in the DRC, through its programme of engaging capacities for peace in complex conflicts.
