ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA (ANS) -- United Religions Initiative (URI), an organization committed to creating inter-faith dialogue announced the launch of a National Interfaith Peace Council in Ethiopia on Tuesday.

A press release issued by URI noted: “Religions and faith based organizations have a major role to play in promoting a culture of peace, healing and reconciliation. A culture of peace and co-existence can be significantly enhanced by inter-religious cooperation.”

URI went on to report that The Peace Council was comprised of representatives from the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Ethiopian Islamic Supreme Council, Ethiopian Catholic Church, Ethiopian Evangelical Mekane Yesus Church, the Baha'i Faith and Interfaith Peace-building Initiative.

On July 24th, 2008 a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by all parties. It is also agreed by all parties that Interfaith Peace-building Initiative will serve as the coordinator of the newly established Peace council, a URI press release noted.

According to the CIA World Fact book, Ethiopia is a country of many faiths and based on 1994 census data: Christian 60.8% (Orthodox 50.6%, Protestant 10.2%), Muslim 32.8%, traditional 4.6%, other 1.8%

Interfaith Peace-building Initiative is a registered non-governmental agency in Ethiopia with the aim of promoting interfaith cooperation, ending religiously motivated violence, and creating a culture of peace, justice and healing for the Earth and all living beings. It is also a member of United Religions Initiative an international peace organization with non-governmental agency consultative status at the United Nations.

Barbara Hartford, a representative for United Religions Initiative asserted the goal of the organization is to create a culture of reconciliation worldwide.

“Our mission is interfaith building and we are stepping out into conflict areas on the ground to effect mediation,” she said.

Jackie O'Neal is a freelance writer and regular contributor to The Press of Atlantic City and she also wrote for The New York Amsterdam News among others. She holds an M.F.A. in Poetry and Fiction from Sarah Lawrence College. O'Neal teaches Developmental Writing as a Senior adjunct professor at Atlantic Cape Community College where she was nominated for an Excellence in Teaching Award 2007. Originally from New York, O'Neal taught at York College, C.U.N.Y. for several years. Currently, she is an ordained priest and the only woman in 126 years to be nominated at her former parish, The Church of the Ascension in Atlantic City, N.J. She recently expanded her business and opened O'Neal Media Group to offer non-profits and small business affordable public relations services. She is engaged in several pro-bono projects via Nabuur.com. To learn more, search Google for ONealMediaGroup.info