FAMILY AS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE IN INTER-RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE IN WEST AFRICA

Abstract

Inter-religious dialogue in Africa has done a lot in the areas of conflict resolution, education,
health, social justice and development. In this paper, we looked into an aspect of inter-religious
dialogue that has not been much worked on especially in the West African region where religious
conflicts have been endemic. It concerns the family. In treating the problematic, we proceeded by doing
a general exposition of the position of the Catholic Church on inter-religious dialogue and analysing the
African concept of the family. Next, we tried to point out the modern challenges to the African family
today and then we proposed the inter-religious dialogue as a way of surmounting the challenges. If the
different religions that cohabit the African soil could come together in dialogue to have a common
vision on the family, such an association would have a lasting moral impact on the social environment,
on the general development of the society and on the political orientations of the nations concerned
especially on what touches the family. Dialogue should lead to modifying our manner of perceiving the
other. For this to work out, each group should be ready to surrender to the truth, especially the truth
about our common nature as human beings, created by the one and only God. It is only in this way that
we should be able to have a common front in defending the African family values through
inter-religious dialogue while at the same time remaining true to our faith.