Religions for peace committed to the common good
The 10th World Assembly of Religions for Peace met in Lindau, Germany, with some 900 participants from 125 countries. “Our different experiences of the sacred make clear that we are, at root, relational”. What is more, “The cultivation of virtue tackles the ignorance, individual egoism, and group egoism that mutilate authentic community."
Lindau (AsiaNews) – Some 900 people representing various religions met in Lindau, Germany, from 20 to 23 August for the 10th World Assembly of Religions for Peace, an international inter-faith organisation.
“Advancing shared well-being is concrete,” reads the gathering’s declaration. “We commit to advancing shared well-being by preventing and transforming violent conflicts, promoting just and harmonious societies, nurturing sustainable and integral human development, and protecting the earth.”
Mgr Felix Machado, archbishop of Vasai (Maharashtra) and a member of the association since its inception in the 1970s, told AsiaNews that it was a “Fantastic experience since many (participants) know me and I have worked with many.”
The event brought together religious leaders, activists and politicians from 125 countries around the world. In the end, all the representatives voted in favour of a joint declaration.
Participants acknowledge that they have not met the challenges that threaten peace and well-being. "Our hearts grieve over the misuse of our faiths, especially the ways they have been twisted to fuel violence and hate."
“Our alliance,” the declaration says, “honours our religious differences”. Meanwhile, “We gather in hope, convinced that the sacred calls all humanity into shared responsibility for our common good, care for one another, the earth, and its entire web of life.”
Participants noted that the world today faces several burdens. First of all, there is war, which “kills, maims, and destroys the lives of the innocent.” There is “extreme poverty,” and “more than 65 million of us [who] no longer find shelter in the sanctuary of their homes [. . .] refugees, internally displaced, and persons forced to be on the move.” There is also a “new arms race,” as well as a “cataclysmic heating of the earth, decimation of the rainforests, poisoning of the seas”. In addition, “human rights, the rule of law” are under threat, whilst “a meagre handful of the richest persons have more wealth than the bottom four billion” whilst “fake news” distorts reality, hides “inconvenient truths and [pushes] convenient fabrications.”
“Our different experiences of the sacred make clear that we are, at root, relational”. Hence, we are “both responsible for and dependent upon each other and the earth that sustains us.” Against this background, freedom is crucial to reject “the narcissism of mindless consumerism, and expresses itself as radical care for all.”
"To our commitment to the importance of human rights, we add our foundational concern for the cultivation of virtues, those habitual orientations to value that sculpt our human potentials. These include our potentials for the most elevated states of mercy, compassion, and love.”
“For us, the labour to become virtuous is not a solitary act; rather, it is an act of ‘solidarity’; one that can only be achieved by generosity and mutual love. The cultivation of virtue tackles the ignorance, individual egoism, and group egoism that mutilate authentic community."
In actual terms, preventing violent conflicts means promoting peace education, from early childhood, “focusing on shared values, religious literacy, and narratives of peace.”
Promoting just and harmonious societies means welcoming others, commitment to “respect, reciprocity and solidarity”, the protection of “vulnerable communities and [. . .] human rights against grave injustices,” not to mention opposition to “corruption and [support for] good governance."
The declaration goes on to back “integral human development by promoting justice, inclusive citizenship, and equal opportunities”, championing “sustainable consumption, the dignity of labour, and equitable distribution of wealth”, honouring “the insights of science and steward[ing] progress in digital technology toward the good of all”, advancing “universal access to education”, and promoting “the role of women and youth in society and their leadership”.
The signatories "commit to urgent action against the climate crisis. We will mobilise religious communities to protect the earth” and “fight against environmental degradation, [as] our Indigenous brothers and sisters remind us”.
Finally, "Guided by the principles of our own religious traditions, and respectful of religious differences,” the declaration commits its signatories to foster “positive peace as shared well-being. We will be partners with sincere believers of other religions and all women and men of good will." (N.C.)
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