Prayer Breakfast leads Interfaith Harmony Week 2018

In a bid to foster and enhance the growth of religious diversity in the Guyanese nation, the Inter Religious Organization (IRO) of Guyana has announced that its annual Prayer Breakfast will be hosted at the National Cultural Centre (NCC) on February 1, and would be the event to usher in the United Nations’ Interfaith Harmony Week for 2018.
This announcement was made by the IRO on Thursday, when it was also announced that there is collaboration with the Social Protection Ministry (MSP) to ensure the event is a success.
Some of the key speakers for this year’s Prayer Breakfast are Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Guyana, and representatives of parliamentary political parties.
The IRO has outlined that the breakfast would be followed by an Interfaith Symposium which would see involvement of the Ministry of Education and secondary school students from regions Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) and Four (Demerara-Mahaica).
The IRO has also announced that this year’s activities would include a cultural concert to be held at the National Library on February 3 from 17:00 hrs, and a panel discussion slated to be hosted at the University of Guyana’s Turkeyen Campus on February 5.
Held in the first week of February each year, the Interfaith Harmony Week observances seek to promote dialogue among all religions, faiths and beliefs, and all UN member states are encouraged to support and spread “the message of interfaith harmony and goodwill in the world’s churches, mosques, synagogues, temples, and other places of worship”.
Interfaith Harmony Week was adopted by the UN Gen Assembly in October 2010, and this year’s theme is titled “Love of God and Love of one’s Neighbour”. At last year’s event, President David Granger described Guyana as “a model for interfaith harmony” in the midst of hostile relationships and religious conflicts across the world.