WASHINGTON - U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Director of the Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives J. Mark Brinkmoeller will travel to Abuja, Nigeria on October 18-20, 2016.

Brinkmoeller will attend Faith Works Africa: Partnerships for Peace, Good Governance & Development, a meeting co-organized by USAID, Religions for Peace, The Global Women of Faith Network (GWFN), the Council of African Religious Leaders, and the GHR Foundation. The event will bring inter-religious and non-traditional community partner and leaders together to discuss building local and national resilience to enhance sustainable development and address issues that impact the ability of communities to prosper and develop. 

In particular, Faith Works Africa will address the role of religious leaders, women, and youth in addressing governance, corruption, and religious extremism. Across the continent, inter-religious communities are making progress in addressing pan-African challenges such as good governance, religious extremism that incites violence, instability, and vulnerability to humanitarian disasters and climatic shocks. Faith Works Africa will provide actionable recommendations to create avenues of cooperation with their governments and donors as well as foster partnerships within and among communities to strengthen resilience.