By Benjamin Mensah
Accra, July 13, GNA – Sultan Nii Nortey Caesar, President for the Ga-Dangme Muslims Association, has launched in Accra, the AcrossFaith Foundation (Afo), with a charge to the religious community and the citizenry to ensure that Ghana would emerge as winner in the 2024 general elections.
The foundation, headquartered in Accra, has members from different religious faiths, with focus on propagating national peace and unity.
The AFo is a not-for-profit organisation with a mission to promote humanity through diversity and inclusion, aiming for development and universal human coexistence
Launching the foundation, Sultan Caeser appealed to Ghanaians to use the platform of religion to promote peace and unity and to brainstorm for the progress of the nation.
“Ghana must win these elections, we must,” the Sultan declared, in an apparent reference to keep the peace and unity of the nation before, during and after the December presidential and parliamentary polls.
Sultan Caesar said he was grateful the foundation had been established to bring humanity together and urged Ghanaians to uphold the spirit of religious tolerance.
He noted that the formation and launching of the AcrossFaith Foundation was very timely as the country prepared to go to polls in December.
Sultan Caesar entreated the board, executives and members of the foundation to create a safer space within their office and give room for broader conversations and brainstorming of ideas that would ensure peaceful coexistence beyond the 2024 elections.
Her urged the board and executives of the AFo to help the foundation to achieve its core mandate and rise to the occasion to tell the truth to the face of people who want to perpetuate violence using the next general elections as a bait
The religious cleric Caesar noted that religious differences and intolerance led to divisions and national intolerance that derailed smooth running of the nation and its development.
“We need to work to avoid this,” he stressed.
Reverend Benjamin Kusi, the Founder, applauded the religious tolerance among Ghanaians, expressing that, it was to wake up every morning and experience the long-standing bond between Christians, Muslims and Traditionalists in the country.
The peace among the religions in Ghana, he noted formed some of the reasons why Ghana remained the travel destination for many foreigners because it was rare to experience such things even in the neighbouring countries.
Rev. Kusi said the AcrossFaiths Foundation was committed to bridging the gaps, breaking down barriers and forging a global community where everyone was valued for his or her unique belief and practice.
The Rt Rev Emmanuel Bortey Borlabi, the President of AcrossFaiths Foundation, said: “We believe we should live in tolerance with everybody.”
He pointed out that religion was often endowed at birth, with a few changing their religions later in adulthood, stressing that just as people lived one another despite tribal origins, they should live peaceably with people of other beliefs and faiths.
“We should live with people of all other faiths, we should live in peace with all others,” he said.
The executive members of the foundation included Rev. Ben Kusi as Founder, Bishop Emmanuel Borlabi Bortey as President, Chief Alhaji Yussif as Vice President, and Mr. Franklin Asare-Donkoh as Communications Director.
Others included representatives from the Christian Council, Traditional Councils, the Office of the National Chief Imam, and the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Culture.
GNA