Mauritius —The Religions of Peace conference held in Mauritius on 23–24 June provided a rare opportunity for religious figures and interfaith leaders from around the world to meet and network between each other.
During the conference, Rev. Botrus Mansour, the Secretary General of the World Evangelical Alliance held important meetings with most of the key participants. He met with His Excellency, Dharambeer Gokhool, the President of Mauritius, and engaged with prominent regional and global faith leaders, including Rev. Prof. Dr. Jerry Pillay, Secretary General of the World Council of Churches; Bishop Dr. Munib Younan, Bishop Emeritus of the Lutheran Church; and Dr. Francis Kuria Kagema, Secretary General of Religions of Peace International.
Mansour also met with Rev. Dr. Maria Leppäkari, Director of the Finnish Mission in Israel, and Pastor José Piñero of GO Movement, Venezuela. Other meetings included Rev. Dr. Mario Li–Hing, an ex-International Council member and Bishop of the Protestant Evangelical Church, who attended the opening session.
Church Engagement
In addition, Rev. Mansour held discussions with leaders of the Mauritius Evangelical Alliance.
Rev. Mansour, Secretary General of the World Evangelical Alliance delivered a presentation on Biblical Christianity’s approach to relating to others, emphasizing Jesus’ example and teachings.
The Arab Evangelical Secretary General, born in Nazareth, Israel, concluded with a clear invitation to dialogue grounded in conviction rather than compromise. “As Evangelical Christians, we come to this dialogue not by setting aside our convictions, but because of them,” he said, reaffirming that every human being possesses God-given dignity and that lasting peace is built not by power alone, but by trust, justice, love, and mutual service.“These are the values to which our faith calls us,” he said, adding that despite differences, they enable communities to walk together toward a future marked by greater peace, humanity, and hope.
The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) is a global network of churches in over 160 nations uniting more than 650 million evangelical Christians to collaborate on missions, advocate for religious freedom, and represent their voice around the world, including at the United Nations in New York and Geneva.
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