Hosted this year by the Protestant Church in Germany (ELM), the Roundtable focused on learning from the experiences, needs, and challenges of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Central African Republic (CAR).
The meeting was held in Hannover last June 20th and brought together faith-based organisations, donors, and civil society representatives from Germany and the CAR to strengthen international partnerships and discuss pathways towards peace and resilience.
Participants sought to reaffirm and revitalise its commitment to international cooperation and solidarity.
Among the key participants was Rev. Joseph Ngoé, President of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the CAR, accompanied by the Church’s Administrator and the Head of the Health Department.
Their presence offered first-hand insights into the realities that communities face in CAR and the role churches continue to play in humanitarian assistance, social cohesion, and peacebuilding.
The Roundtable also featured contributions from the director of the Agency for Project Consultancy, Training and Evaluation (APTE), and the vice-chair of Church and Peace within the European ecumenical network for nonviolence and member of the Justitia et Pax Commission of the French Bishops’ Conference.
Community Radios as “Islands of Peace”
A central highlight of the event was the presentation of new academic research examining the role of community radio stations in conflict settings. The study, titled “Proximity Radios as Islands of Peace in the Midst of Violent Conflict,” was conducted by Dr. Viviane Schönbächler, CAMECO’s desk officer for Francophone Africa and Dr. Lassané Yaméogo of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique et Technologique (CNRST) in Burkina Faso.
The research was carried out during an academic residency at the Merian Institute for Advanced Studies in Africa (MIASA) at the University of Ghana between September and December 2025. It explore the experiences of six community radio stations operating in conflict-affected regions of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso.
The findings underscored the continued relevance of proximity radio stations in fragile environments. Far beyond broadcasting programmes, the researchers described community radios as networks of relationships connecting local structures, technology, organisations, and people.
A key conclusion of the study was that radio stations that survived violent conflict are those deeply anchored within the communities they serve. Researchers referred to this dynamic as “co-resilience”: resilient communities strengthen local radio stations, while resilient radio stations reinforce community resilience in return.
The study highlighted the multiple roles radio stations can play in peacebuilding and conflict transformation. These include providing verified and practical information, serving as early warning systems, facilitating dialogue, mediating tensions, rebuilding social cohesion, amplifying marginalized voices, mobilising community action, and restoring trust.
In contexts marked by instability and violence, the research demonstrated that community radios remain essential instruments for connection, information-sharing, and peacebuilding — true “islands of peace” amid conflict.
The 2026 Roundtable concluded with renewed calls for international solidarity, strengthened partnerships, and continued support for local initiatives that foster dialogue, resilience, and peace across the CAR and the wider Sahel region.
Previous meeting and the Plateforme de Confessions Religieuses
This event builds on the previous gathering held on October 2023, convened by the Catholic Archdiocese of Cologne. Since its inception, this format has served as a regular forum for exchanging updates from the CAR, addressing ongoing challenges, and fostering collaborative responses.
This time it was promoted by ELM, the joint mission and development organisation of the Evangelical Lutheran regional churches in Germany, working with 20 Protestant churches across a dozen countries. The organisation promotes intercultural and interreligious dialogue while supporting advocacy initiatives and development projects worldwide.
The Lutheran Church in the CAR is based in the western town of Bouar (450 km from the capital Bangui). The Lutheran community is concentrated in the province of Nana-Mambere closer to the border with Cameroon.
As part of an inter-religious effort, the Lutherans conform the Alliance of Evangelical Churches in CAR a key player at the Plateforme des Confessions Religieuses de Centrafrique (PCRC).
As an interreligious peacebuilding coalition in the country, the PCRC was launched at the height of the 2013 civil conflict gathering prominent Catholic, Evangelical, and Muslim leaders. It has worked since then to facilitate mediation, to promote reconciliation and social cohesion.
