Coinciding with the World Day of Peace on January 1, we are publishing this Manifesto for Peace, which emerged from the spiritual, educational, and broad-based meeting held in Madrid with members of the Focolare Movement from across the Mediterranean.
In December, a spiritual retreat was held in Madrid with 240 members of the Focolare Movement from different regions of the Mediterranean and several European countries.
These days, lived in communion, have allowed us to experience firsthand the devastating effects that the war is having in the Middle East.
At the conclusion of these sessions, the participants considered it their moral duty to sign the following manifesto, expressing their commitment to peace.
Manifesto for Peace in the Middle East
Us, 240 representatives of the Focolare Movement gathered in MadridWe, inhabitants of the Mediterranean region, along with some leaders in Western Europe and around the world, express our sorrow and concern at the persistence of armed conflicts ravaging the Middle East and other regions of the world. The voices of those suffering from barbarism and destruction reflect a history of violence that seems destined to continue; these are people with the right to live and develop free from geopolitical and military interests.
Human history teaches us that Without empathy, forgiveness and justice, it is not possible to achieve lasting peace.. Therefore, we publish the following manifesto:
Strive for peace
- We reaffirm Our personal and collective commitment to unity and universal brotherhood as a guarantee of peace. We believe that harmony is urgent and requires mutual recognition, respect, justice, sincere dialogue, and cooperation among individuals, groups, and peoples.
- Everyday experience of acceptance of cultural diversity and ways of life and personal stories carried forward beyond the wounds, push us to shoutenough to the war!
- We condemn Any form of violence, injustice and oppression that violates the dignity of individuals and peoples, perpetuating the suffering of innocent beings.
Multiplying microactions for peace
In the field of diplomacy, the need for a microfoundation of international relations is becoming increasingly evident, since a country's foreign policy must be based on the decisions, actions and interactions that ordinary citizens make every day.
The policy of peace requires a change and demands that peace be at the center of all economic, social, educational, health, etc., because only in this way can it become a global and incisive task.
Therefore, aware that macro is built on the micro, and responsible for not leaving governments alone, which seem incapable of mitigating the suffering of entire peoples, we commit to:
- Implement alliances and collaborations between Mediterranean peoples.
- Intensify solidarity networks to support, first and foremost, the victims of war.
- Promote educational programs to reduce the intercultural and intergenerational gap and instill in the new generations a culture of peace, inclusion and non-violence.
- Promote local and global initiatives that promote interreligious and intercultural dialogue.
An appeal to the international community
It is urgent to move from an intergovernmental policy to a planetary policy that respects human beings and the environment, and that acts with responsibility towards future generations. We therefore call on policy makers and international organizations to:
- Redouble diplomatic efforts for the immediate cessation of hostilities.
- Reduce urgently halt arms production and trade to stop the escalation of conflicts.
- Provide effective humanitarian aid to affected populations.
- Establish fair mechanisms for peace and reconstruction in devastated regions.
United for a better future
Aware of the immense challenge, we know that our daily gestures, although disproportionate, contain seeds of hope to generate and spread a culture of brotherhood, trusting that together with other people, groups and institutions, it will be possible to alleviate suffering and open new paths to reconciliation.
If we live in the time of the world war in pieces, we want to dream a world peace built piece by piece.
240 representatives of the Focolare Movement from the peoples of the Mediterranean region
December 2024
