On Friday, May 29, 2026, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Religious Affairs held the closing ceremony of the National Conference of Religious Leaders for Peace, Stability, and Civic Engagement (https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-47633-opening-of-the-national-conference-of-religious-leaders-in-haiti.html). Following the workshops, the religious leaders adopted a Declaration reaffirming their collective commitment to peace, social cohesion, civic education, support for vulnerable populations, and the effective integration of young people.

Commitments of the Joint Declaration of Religious Leaders :

1 - We commit to promoting, within our religious communities, concrete initiatives for violence prevention, civic education, and support for vulnerable populations, and to working to raise awareness among our Haitian brothers and sisters of the values ​​of peace, tolerance, civic responsibility, and living together, particularly through community activities, mediation efforts, awareness campaigns, and youth programs;

We also commit to strengthening, within our communities, mechanisms for violence prevention, spaces for dialogue, listening, and community mediation, as well as initiatives that promote the mentoring, training, and reintegration of vulnerable youth;

2 - We call for a national mobilization around peace, civic responsibility, and the effective integration and/or reintegration of young people, particularly those from vulnerable communities and those affected by violence;

3 - We call upon the State, religious leaders, those of ancestral traditions, as well as spiritual and philosophical guides, the private sector, and civil society to unite their efforts to strengthen social cohesion, promote civic education, and build a culture of peace, stability, and civic responsibility;

4 - We reaffirm our commitment to supporting victims of violence and assisting young people through training, mentoring, psychosocial, cultural, and spiritual support initiatives, as well as the development of concrete alternatives to violence and crime;

5 - We recommend that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Religious Affairs promote the protection of places of worship and support religious leaders, those of ancestral traditions, as well as spiritual and philosophical guides in initiatives that foster interreligious dialogue, social cohesion, and the promotion of civic responsibility for peace, stability, and the strengthening of the Haitian social fabric;

• We urge the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Religious Affairs to establish a National Council for Interreligious Consultation (CNCI) to foster ongoing dialogue among all religious sectors, ancestral traditions, and spiritual and philosophical leaders to promote peace, security, and social cohesion in Haiti;

• We also urge the Government to declare May 28th "National Day of Religious Leaders, Ancestral Traditions, and Spiritual and Philosophical Leaders" to ensure the sustainability of this initiative, which involves groups from this sector in matters of national interest;

• We reaffirm our commitment to promoting responsible religious discourse that fosters hope, unity, fraternity, solidarity, and reconciliation in the best interests of the Haitian nation;

• Finally, we reaffirm our commitment to working alongside the Haitian State, particularly the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship, and civil society, to implement strategic plans to give concrete form to this Declaration.

IH/ iciHaiti