The 2018 ACLARS Conference Focuses on Human Flourishing

The Sixth Annual Conference of the African Consortium for Law and Religion Studies(ACLARS), was held 20-22 May 2018 at the Baze University, Abuja, Nigeria. It featured over 100 participants from different countries in Africa, Europe and the United States representing diverse religious and legal interests who explored the 2018 theme; 'Law, Religion and Human Flourishing'.

The symposium debates and presentations from the Law academia and religious leaders from more than 25 countries were well-researched and impactful.

Jan Figel, one of the keynote session speakers said; “Africa is the continent of the Future, but future starts now... today and not tomorrow."

"ACLARS, Academics and responsible leaders should put dignity of everyone, everywhere and for everyone and everywhere a subject of all endeavors and so this Abuja conference may significantly contribute to this noble objective”.

Human flourishing brings to mind the idea of a process, of both a personal project and a goal for humanity. Human flourishing includes respect for different religions, traditions, languages, cultures and ways of understanding the meaning of a good life and a good society-a situation achieved through virtue, knowledge and excellence. Religion and Law seem to be very good platforms from which human activities can be viewed in order to progress towards and achieve human flourishing. The concept of Human Flourishing can not be ruled out in developing Africa in order to combat conflicts and mismanagement of resources.

The general assembly of ACLARS also resolved tentatively to hold the next ACLARS annual conference in collaboration with the Department of Theology and Religious Studies & the Department of Law at the University of Botswana and the International Centre for Law and Religion Studies of the Brigham Young University Law School, USA between 19-22 May 2019.