My tears and screams were too much for me to bear. I remember even wishing to die rather than to stay in this condition… That morning I had woken up early, prepared my son to go to school and given my loving wife a big hug. I had told her as usual that I would take her for a special treat as I had done before, not knowing what was awaiting me.

At the recent launch of Initiatives of Change-Ethiopia, keynote speaker Ambassador Mohamed Sahnoun of Algeria, former President of Initiatives of Change-International, held out the hope that ‘we Africans can help build a free, just and prosperous Africa and make our contribution to building a free, just and prosperous world’.

Imam Muhammad Ashafa and Pastor James Wuye have won the Fondation Chirac Prize for Conflict Prevention. They have accepted the Prize, which goes to support their work, and will attend to the ceremony on 6 November in Paris, at la Sorbonne. Former President of France Jacques Chirac, Kofi Annan and members of the jury of the Prize will attend.

37 participants recently took part in a peace circle in Kwa Thema, 90 kilometres from Johannesburg.

A series of significant screenings and debates took place in Egypt, 27 May – 5 June, to mark the launch in the country of the Arabic version of the award-winning documentary film The Imam and the Pastor. The launch coincided with President Barack Obama’s visit to Egypt and his historic keynote speech at Cairo University on the relationship between the United States and the Muslim World. Imad Karam, who works with Initiatives of Change's FLTfilms in the UK, and his wife Amira, report.

The Arabic version of the award winning documentary film The Imam and the Pastor was launched in Lebanon on 27th March under the slogan ‘Together in service of sustainable Reconciliation’.

Imam Ashafa and Pastor James from Nigeria, subjects of the film The Imam and the Pastor, visited Scotland 27 November to 4 December at the invitation of the Scottish Episcopal Church. They took part in a four-day conference bringing together Christians and Muslims from UK and Scandinavia. The aim was to foster better understanding among those of different faiths, and to discuss the challenges faced by faith groups in different countries.

Following a series of four women's Peace Circles in Kenya (October 2007 and May 2008) a group of 23 women took part in the first Peace Circles re-union at the St Mary's Pastoral Centre in Nakuru on 17th August. Peace Circles are part of the Creators of Peace programme of Initiatives of Change. They involve small local groups working through material specially designed to deepen friendships and understanding of each other and of their peace-building capabilities. The reunion brought together graduates from the workshops to talk about the impact of Peace Circles upon their lives and to discuss new ideas.

‘Peace circles’ where quiet conversations influence, educate and inform women’s judgment as they mother the next generation and the birth a new nation.

As the Clean Elections Campaign takes root in different parts of Kenya, the election date is knocking hard and it is clearer that the message of elections free of violence and tribalism is critically needed by all. People are signing the printed pledge forms and many asking for more to take to their friends.