Make space for everyone regardless of faith — Barker-Vormawor on religious tolerance

Social activist and leader of the Democracy Hub pressure group, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, has praised an approach to religious tolerance he observed during a meeting in Sierra Leone.

Barker-Vormawor is currently in Sierra Leone as Team Leader of an international consortium providing consulting services to the government and supporting the development of legislation.

According to him, he noticed that “Prayer” was listed on the agenda of a meeting at one of the key ministries he visited.

He said, unlike situations where a particular person is selected to lead a prayer that everyone in the room is expected to participate in or sit through, participants were given space to pray silently according to their respective beliefs.

He described the practice as a simple but profound demonstration of tolerance and the importance of making room for people with different beliefs.

Barker-Vormawor compared his observation in Sierra Leone with recent debates in Ghana involving Christian and Muslim groups over religious practices in missionary schools.

He said the exchanges between the groups should prompt a broader reflection on the meaning of religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence.

“Tolerance is a virtue that can be simplified. Sometimes it is simply the grace to make space for everyone. Each according to her creed," said the activist.

The legal practitioner emphasised that the experience in Sierra Leone has demonstrated that accommodating religious differences did not necessarily require complicated measures, but could begin with creating space for everyone.