This language is currently in review and will be available soon!
On Friday 17 June, project dldl/ድልድል and partner EOTC DICAC held an interfaith meeting on domestic violence in Debre Birhan, Amhara region, involving clergy, pastors and religious teachers from Ethiopia’s diverse religious groups. Participants included a Muslim Sufi Sheikh, priests from the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, and pastors from the Kalehiwot Church, the Mekane Yesus Church and other religious institutions. Officials representing the local government bodies that supported the project were also present.
Dr Romina Istratii and Memher Kesis Aklil of EOTC DICAC presented to the participants a pilot programme that was jointly completed by project dldl/ድልድል and partner EOTC DICAC to build the preparedness of Ethiopian Orthodox priests on domestic violence and to invite the participants’ reflections on how the pilot could be made relevant and be extended to other religious communities in Ethiopia. The meeting was exceedingly positive and well-received, with the participants offering comments, directions and ideas to expand the relevance of the project to other religious communities and expressing a desire to work together and to build unity with each other.
Dr Romina Istratii and Memher Aklil Damtew were afterwards invited to the EOTC Church office to meet Abuna Klementinos (Clement) and to the North Shoa Media Office to discuss the use of social media, modern technologies and creative industries in communicating with the faithful, raising awareness and responding to social and domestic issues and problems in the community.
Photos are reproduced below as they were taken and communicated by the media team. Workshop participants gave their consent to use the photos for the purposes of awareness-raising in the public.
