ACEPA, with support from its partners – the International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief (IPPFoRB), the Freedom of Religion or Belief Leadership Network (FoRBLN), and African Parliamentarians Network for Human Rights (AfriPAHR) has been working in The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Malawi and Ghana to promote and address issues of Freedom of Religion or Belief and setting up of parliamentary FoRB caucuses in these countries.
In line with the implementation of the 2023 work plan and the need to establish a network in Zambia, ACEPA embarked on a scoping visit from 27th to 29th June. The visit allowed the ACEPA team to identify and engage with stakeholders on issues relating to FoRB in Zambia and work towards eventually establishing a Parliamentary Caucus on FoRB. A two (2) member team – Rasheed Draman and Ibrahim Inusah, undertook the visit to Zambia.
The team met the MPs individually because they were busy attending different committee meetings at various locations. In all, there were three (5) males and two (2) females. They were briefed on the purpose and objectives of the visit and the various roles played by IPPFoRB, FoRBLN, AfriPAHR, and ACEPA. We emphasized the importance and benefits of establishing a Parliamentary Caucus and also to become members of AfriPAHR. A total of Five (5) males and One (1) female registered as members of AfriPAHR.
Key Take Aways:
Members of Parliament were happy to be part of the IPPFoRB and AfriPAHR initiative and pledged their support for the project. They pledged to lead the effort to recruit more parliamentarians for the project and expressed their willingness and commitment to push for the creation of a caucus.
