The third in the series of the summits on peace in Africa organised by the Inter Faith Action for Peace in Africa IFAPA was held at the Crest Lodge in Gaborone, Botswana, November 16 -21 2009.

The Inter-Faith Action for Peace in Africa (IFAPA), is a process facilitated by the Lutheran World Federation with the aim of bringing religious communities across the continent of Africa to cooperate and work together to promote peace in the continent. It involves the seven distinguishable faith traditions in Africa: Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, the Bahai Faith and the African Traditional Religion. The theme of the third summit was "Envisioning a Peaceful Africa - Water for all".

IFAPA sent an invitation for the summit to the Nigeria Inter Religious Council NIREC led by the Co Chairmen and leaders of the Muslim and Christian communities in Nigeria, His Eminence the Sultan of Sokoto and President General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs NSCIA, Alhaji Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar and His Grace, the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja and President of the Christian Association of Nigeria CAN, John Onaiyekan.

I was nominated to attend the summit to ensure continuity being the only member of the NIREC that had attended other IFAPA events. Previous IFAPA summits were held in Johannesburg, South Africa, 2002 and in Uganda which included a Youth forum in June, 2009 and East Africa in 2008. The Summit participants were representatives of the faith based organisations from different African countries, government officials and the private sector executives, mainly experts in water research and management issues across the continent.

According to the IFAPA President, Dr. Reverend Ishmael Noko, the Third Summit was an attempt to forge and promote as much as possible a partnership between IFAPA on the one hand and governments and the business community on the other. During the previous Summits and Commission meetings, government and private sector representatives were invited as guests.

Their role in our deliberations was accordingly somewhat limited and circumscribed by this status. The Summit was therefore designed as a unique forum of encounter between these important stakeholders. Together all three stakeholders discussed and debated on a possible peaceful Africa and its development.

Each day, the summit started with an interfaith prayer session where the various religious leaders offered prayers. The summit opening ceremony began with a welcome address from the Chairperson of the Botswana Chapter of IFAPA, Esther Moncho who welcomed all participants to the summit and acknowledged the team work from the faith communities in Botswana that made the hosting of the summit possible. In his speech, the President of IFAPA Dr. Reverend Ishmael Noko underscored the importance of the theme of the summit.

He said the theme was decided during the Planning Committee meeting in Gaborone, 11-12 August 2009 where 'there was a general consensus by all who participated that at this point and time in the history of African communities, water is a paramount issue. Conflict and peace both hang on this issue. None of the stakeholders convened in this Summit - religious communities, governments and the private sector - can undertake their responsibilities without this essential commodity.'

The Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Hon. Peter L Siele who declared the Summit open said the theme of the Summit was apt and declared that for the people of Botswana which is world's largest producer of diamonds, "water is more important than diamonds'. He commended the IFAPA initiative and pledged the government's support for promoting peace in Africa.

The opening ceremony was followed by series of technical presentations. All the papers presented by experts expressed concern on the decline in water supply to the basins that nourish Africa due to the climate change. The first paper titled Water Situation in Botswana was presented by Dr. M. Moepeng of the Botswana Institute for Development and Policy Analysis.

He provided an overview of the water sources in Botswana which is a desert country and how the government has designed a comprehensive plan for water supply and conservation. This has made it possible for the country to provide portable water to 80 percent of its population.

Other presentations were the Nile River Initiative: Shareholder Partnership which was presented by Hon. Agnes Egunyu, a Member of Parliament in Uganda. The paper discussed the significance of the Nile River to the nine countries that established the Nile Basin Initiative to promote peace and prevent conflicts that are likely to arise from joint ownership and utilisation of the water by these countries.

After the lunch break, a paper titled 'Creating Shared Values" was presented by Christian Frutiger, the Public Affairs Manager of Nestle South Africa. His presentation provided an overview of the community work Nestle is doing to fulfil its corporate social responsibility. The company is working with farmers and communities to enhance supplier standards.

It invests in environment, manufacturing and developing people and promoting responsible marketing. Nestle has projects in all its host communities and beyond. Among these are eco school programmes to support health and nutrition, water supply to communities and environmental awareness and greening. Other presentations were on the Zambezi Water Authority by Engineer Munodawafa, Water, Women and Health by Professor Sheila Tlou.

I chaired a session on the global strategy on Water and Sustainable Development in which Reverend M.O. Xundu of South Africa, Hon Quedusizi Ndalovu a parliamentarian from Swaziland and Christian Frutiger made presentations.

The summit went into sub- plenary sessions and participants were then divided into three groups. I chaired the group that deliberated on Water, Industry and Sustainable Development. We were asked to respond to the following question; What in your understanding of the subject matter are the measures which ought to be taken by all stakeholders in order to reduce by half those living without sustainable water and sanitation facilities by 2010 ( Millennium Development Goal MDG Goal 7).

My group responded to a specific question: What are the rules and regulations that should be put in place to control water use in industry to avoid polluting fresh water. In addition, all the groups were also asked to; outline the specific role and value added of inter -religious cooperation on water issues.

Groups were also asked to collate personal contributions to be made by members by responding to this question: At a personal level and involving others from your own surrounding, what concrete steps are you able to take to contribute to the provision of water for all in your location?

After the group work, participants reconvened in a plenary session where the three groups made their presentations.

For me, the highlight of the Summit was the launch of A Mother's Cry Campaign for a Healthy Africa which was launched at continental level in 2005 and in Eastern Africa region in 2008.