Religious bodies are advocates in their own right promoting social cohesion and building on peace, says Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Professor Biman Prasad.
He told the consultations on the National Development Plans with religious bodies and faith-based groups in Suva this week there were areas in which they had great influence, and for any government to ignore that influence in a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country would be foolhardy.
“Any national development plan without social cohesion and without peace-building would not produce the results,” Professor Prasad said.
“The second most important contribution that our religious bodies and organisations have made in this country is education and literacy.”
He said their contributions and views on education and literacy had been vital to development through the years.
