By Wilfred Golden:

As the countdown to the September 16 General Elections continues, the fear of an escalation in political violence is also growing among Malawians living in districts of Karonga, Mangochi and Lilongwe.

This fear is not without basis, as not long ago, panga-wielding youths, suspected to have been sponsored by politicians, disrupted peaceful demonstrations in Lilongwe.

Democracy and governance commentators, such as Michael Kaiyatsa, argue that this casts a troubling shadow over the country’s democracy, as some influential politicians could be using the youth to trigger violence in order to protect their grip on power and traditional strongholds.

In its pursuit of more tolerance and peaceful co-existence among diverse ethno-religious and political groups in Malawi, the Centre for Social Concern (CfSC) is working with faith-based organisations, youth-led clubs and organisations and traditional and community leaders to sensitise communities about the need to create and promote co-existence in society.

CfSC Executive Director Father James Ngahy says faith leaders have a particular role to play in peace-building by leveraging their moral authority, established community networks and spiritual teachings to promote reconciliation, dialogue and mediation between conflicting parties.

“As a faith-based organisation, the nexus between mission and justice and peace, mission and dialogue, mission and the integrity of creation, mission and critical thinking, is the kernel of its functionality.

“The concern and compassion for the poor and empowering them is at the heart of our prophetic mission. This is why we are working tirelessly to promote reconciliation, dialogue and mediation between conflicting parties,” he said.

On January 30, 2025, CfSC convened a National Peace Conference in Lilongwe, where faith, traditional and youth leaders converged to discuss mechanisms for preventing violence before, during and after the general elections.

The conference was a component of the ‘Promoting Tolerance and Peaceful Co-existence among Ethno-Religious and Political Groups’ project, which CfSC is implementing in selected districts of Chiradzulu, Salima, Zomba, Nkhata Bay and Lilongwe.

Commissioner of the National Peace and Unity Commission, Mary Nkosi, presided over the conference, which drew participants from different areas who shared experiences on peace-building.

And based on their local context, each interfaith committee, also known as Local Advisory Committee – Lac, presented their own successes and challenges in peace-building.

Ngahy disclosed that, through the same project, CfSC has also been providing support to communities that have previously been affected by religious disagreements through advocacy and grassroots peace-building initiatives, e