1. As Believers in the one God, we all believe that to continue our conflicts is violation of God’s moral code and its imperative of justice. Violent actions as humans do not promote the cause of God and have negative repercussions for all.

2. We all believe that the concepts of “holy war” or crusades are neither compatible with the will of God nor with the true spirit of our religions.

3. We all believe that Just Peacemaking is the best option to resolve human conflicts and actively work toward the elimination of the conditions that lead to violence. We define violence as the illegitimate use of force.

4. We all believe that we have the responsibility within our respective communities to correct scriptural misinterpretations used to justify violence, through education of our own religious communities about the true message of our faiths, and also through engagement in intrafaith dialogue.

5. We all believe that we need to look both inward to our traditions as we do this work, and look outward to share results and receive feedback.

6. We all believe that psychological issues, social issues, and historical narratives must be taken into account as critical components of the process of conflict transformation.

7. We all believe that there is no religious justification for “terrorism” that targets innocents/noncombatants.

8. We recognize that we have continuing tensions, unresolved issues, and tasks, such
as:

a) to take account, soon, of the extraordinary crisis and risk to human survival
in current global affairs. We cannot wait, however, to solve all the “issues” before we act;

b) to understand in what sense each tradition must promote its own claims for “truth” without engaging in triumphalism. Can an “invitational” religion not imply some form of superiority over others?

c) to determine if our diverse historical experiences remain merely side by side, or must we work to write a common account of our histories? Are histories reconcilable? Can we internalize the “other’s” history?

9. We propose to explore a world day of celebration of shared human dignity.

10. We all agree that we should explore the necessary procedures and steps to implement this document.

11. We all agree to mine our own religious traditions to further develop the Just Peacemaking practices.

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The basic tennets of Just Peacemaking, as cited in the document are:

1.  Support nonviolent direct action.
2.  Take independent initiatives to reduce threat.
3.  Use cooperative conflict resolution.
4.  Acknowledge responsibility for conflict and injustice and seek repentance and forgiveness.
5.  Advance democracy, human rights, and religious liberty.
6.  Foster just and sustainable economic development.
7.  Work with emerging cooperative forces.
8.  Strengthen the United Nations and international efforts for cooperation and human rights.
9.  Reduce offensive weapons and weapons trade.
10. Encourage grassroots peacemaking groups and voluntary associations.

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Sure, I hear you thinking, this is all mum-and-apple-pie stuff.  But it’s very real and very achievable, but only if we each take personal responsibility for making it happen.  This goes way beyond “have you hugged a Jew / Christian / Muslim today” to asking yourself, “what can I do myself, with my family, within my own community, in my own country, and in the world to make peace a viable alternative to war?“

Related posts:

1. Islamic Peacemaking since 9/11
2. Abrahamic alternatives to war
3. World Council of Churches debate on "The Promised Land"

Dialogue Australiasia is an organisation comprising mainly Christian schools in Australia and New Zealand. Their purpose is to “help young people become more fully human by nuturing and promoting the development of a broad-based academic approach to the teaching of Values, Philosophy & Religious Studies”, and their vision is to “be a vibrant organisation that brings together educators who have a shared sense of the importance of our purpose, and a willingess to work together to achieve its objectives.”

According to the conference blurb, “Relations between Christians, Jews and Muslims are among the most divisive, challenging and important issues in the world today. Despite their often violent differences, each share a common heritage as the Children of Abraham and the worship of one God. In a time when understanding these three religions has taken on a new and critical urgency, this important conference will equip educators with practical strategies and resources to enable students to explore the similarities, differences and relationships between the Abrahamic faith traditions.”

For more information, see the Conference Information page.

Dave

Related posts:

1. Abraham Conference on reconciliation at Australian Catholic University
2. Interfaith dialogue: Is it all a waste of time?
3. Michael Lerner on the Saudi interfaith dialogue