Community leaders gathered for the conference

Civic Education Donor: Swiss Cooperation Cost:$40,000

      The last decade has seen enormous changes in the country of Mozambique. The long and destructive civil war concluded, leaving the country to deal with the repercussion. Mozambique itself has fundamentally changed, as well, turning from a socialist state with close relations to Eastern Block countries such as the U.S.S.R. and East Germany, to a capitalist democracy.
     These changes require the people of Mozambique to develop new skills, in order to enjoy their new rights and responsibilities. In order to help equip people with these skills, the Presbyterian Church of Mozambique held a seminar on “Decentralization and Non-Government Elections”. This seminar on civic responsibilities was facilitated by the Projects Department and funded by the Swiss Cooperation. 55 participants from the community, including ministers, elders and teachers, discussed development, decentralization and the creation of non-governmental institutions. Basically, they talked about and debated the creation of a civil society.
      Another subject of discussion was the role of the church and church members in politics, and in the promotion of human rights. Historically church theology in Mozambique advocated a separation between the church and politics. Church members were not encouraged to be active in politics. In the new political situation, this is changing. While the church will maintain a neutral position politically, church members should feel free to be politically active. The seminar also discussed the need for the church to intercede for human rights.
      Among the lectures presented at the seminar were "Faith and Politics: A Theological Reflection", "Human Rights: From Text to Practice", "Pluralist Democracy", "The Christian and Political Participation: Past, Present, and the Future of the Presbyterian in Mozambique", and "The Process of Decentralization and the Creation of Municipalities".