Archbishop Jaime Gonçalves

An African Peacemaker

February 6, 2008

After a long struggle for independence from Portugal, the people of Mozambique slipped into a bloody civil war that lasted 16 years, killing more than a million people and sending another 4.5 million fleeing for refuge. With the two sides at a stalemate, Archbishop Jaime Gonçalves took on the responsibility of peacefully resolving the conflict. With the assistance of the Community of Sant'Egidio, an international Catholic lay movement that played the role of mediator, he successfully brokered peace, an African peace that has been enduring now for more than 15 years. 

The archbishop spoke personally about the Mozambican peace process and the common call for all Christians to be peacemakers. 

David Little, Professor of the Practice in Religion, Ethnicity, and International Conflict at Harvard Divinity School and Faculty Associate at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, introduced the archbishop and moderated the discussion.

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Archbishop Jaime Gonçalves lecturing. HDS photo/Susan Lloyd McGarry.