By Atma Tattva Das
As the African Union (AU) assumes a permanent seat at the G20 table, faith leaders are stepping into a more prominent role in shaping global policy, and the 2025 G20 Interfaith Harmony Week, held this week in Addis Ababa, reflected that shift. Held just months before South Africa hosts the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, the 2025 gathering brought together more than 350 religious leaders, diplomats, and policy experts. Among the standout voices was Salika Das of ISKCON Jos, whose decades of interfaith service across Nigeria spotlighted how spiritual communities can offer not just moral guidance but tangible strategies for education, empowerment, advocacy, and interfaith solidarity.
The G20 Interfaith Harmony Week has evolved significantly since its inception, aligning global faith-based dialogue with the broader economic and political priorities of the G20. Originally conceived as part of the United Nations’ World Interfaith Harmony Week in 2010, the initiative gained new prominence when the African Union (AU) was admitted as a permanent G20 member in 2024. This inclusion granted Africa a direct voice at one of the world’s most influential economic forums, one that represents roughly 85 percent of global GDP and two-thirds of the global population. As South Africa prepares to host the G20 Summit in Johannesburg in November 2025, Addis Ababa was selected to host the 2025 Interfaith Harmony Week conference from May 13 to 14, underscoring the city’s role as the AU’s political and diplomatic hub.
Held under the banner “Africa’s Faith Communities: Advancing the Sustainable Development Goals, the African Union Agenda 2063, and South Africa’s 2025 G20 Process,” this year’s gathising drew over 350 participants, including religious and traditional leaders, diplomats, policy experts, and representatives of faith-based and interfaith organizations, from across Africa and beyond. The conference was convened by the Inter-Religious Council of Ethiopia, the United Religions Initiative–Africa, the G20 Interfaith Forum, and the AU’s Citizens and Diaspora Directorate (CIDO) in partnership with ECOSOCC. Distinguihed figures such as Ambassador Taye Atsikesillassie (President of the Federal Government of Ethiopia), Mahmoud Ali Youssouf (Chairperson of the African Union Commission), and Abune Tesfasillasie (Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Addis Ababa) offered opening remarks emphasizing the spirit of “ubuntu” and the Golden Rule, “treat others as you would like to be treated,” as foundational to interfaith cooperation and sustainable development.
Among the esteemed participants was Salika Das, a disciple of Bhakti Tirtha Swami and Temple President at ISKCON Jos for the past 25 years. As an experienced interfaith practitioner, Salika has spearheaded intellectual preaching and community outreach across northern Africa, engaging both local and continental platforms, such as the African Union (AU). When asked to represent ISKCON on the panel “How Can Interreligious and Religious Actors Lead and Contribute to the Goal of Leaving No One Behind?”, he drew upon decades of grassroots and institutional interfaith work to illustrate the transformative power of faith-based collaboration. “Stepping onto the panel, I felt both excitement and responsibility, knowing that my contribution could influence perspectives and inspire collective action,” he wrote in his report, underscoring how his life’s mission has always been to bridge theological divides for social upliftment.
Read more: https://iskconnews.org/iskcon-champions-unity-at-g20-interfaith-harmony-week/
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