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On October 23, 2000 at 7:00 p.m. at Citadel Hill, Halifax and a number of other locations across Canada, people across Canada will join in Prayer to help to guide the way to sharing natural resources between First Nations and non-native people.

The "Let Us All Pray Together" project began after Human rights activist Willi Nolan and United Church minister Wade Reppert agreed to put a proposal before their various spiritual leaders to engage in public prayer to ask the Creator-God to help First Nations and Canadian people to find the best ways to harvest natural resources. Both have been working to assist in constructive dialogue between Aboriginal and non-native fishers in the area surrounding Burnt Church.

The joint proposal states "The air, the water and the land must be respected by all people, because they were given to the people so that we can live. Our people, Aboriginal and non native, French and English, Christian and Traditionalist, government and citizen, have been fighting about natural resources for too long. "

About the prayers, Wade and Nolan's proposal states, "In Prayer, we will honour and celebrate the rights of the First Nations and non-native fishers to protect and defend their and their children's future well-being. Without judgment or condemnation, we will pray that they can set aside their anger and come together on good terms." Armed with the approval of members of the Mi'kmaq Nation and the Maritime Conference of the United Church, Nolan and Reppert know that the higher power called at Prayer Gatherings will bring a just and peaceful resolution to the conflict that has been tearing families and communities apart.

The Inter-Faith Council of Halifax extended an invitation to assist Nolan and Reppert with Prayer Gatherings in their local communities. Noel Knockwood, Native Spiritual leader and Keptin of the Mi'kmaq Grand Council, will attend in prayer at Citadel Hill in Halifax on the 23rd, along with other members of the Inter-Faith Council.

Faith groups are encouraged to pursue the theme from the Prayer Gatherings during their regular ecumenical gatherings, and to participate in awareness and training sessions available through the Christian Peacemakers Team and the United Church's Maritime Conference.