On 10 April 2014, the UN Security Council unanimously decided that a peacekeeping mission would be sent to the Central African Republic in September 2014. This is a remarkable step, one which until recently was considered implausible. What is even more extraordinary is the role played by the National Interfaith Peace Platform, from efforts to restore the social fabric of the country to persuading the Security Council to take action. Efforts by religious leaders to salvage national governance are ongoing. Of late it was also announced that the Peace Platform’s commitment to reconciliation has paved the way for a permanent centre for peace initiatives.

This document is an account of the journey from the initiative to the decision. Its intention is to explain the nature of the Peace Platform’s activities, so that the proposed model of a viable society may be used to contribute to national reconciliation outside the confines of the Central African Republic (CAR).