A joint action plan has been set up in a bid to heal divisions caused by the unrest among Bahrain's Sunni and Shi'ite communities.

More than 300 people from both sects agreed to the drive during a unity conference at Beit Al Quran in Manama on Saturday.

It will include an awareness campaign on the importance of respecting neighbours, defusing sectarianism and ending the boycott of traders.

The one-day event was spearheaded by the Jamri Foundation, which aims to build links between Sunnis and Shi'ites.

Several well-known figures from both communities spoke at the conference and agreed failure to act now would be disastrous.

'This is the worst period in Bahrain considering that in history, members of both sects fought for this country to develop,' said Shi'ite community leader Dr Ali Al Oraibi, whose comments were backed by respected Sunni figures.

'We need something major that all agree on for people to unite, hopefully all those concerned will come with it,' he added.-TradeArabia News Service