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INTENTION : |
We pray for the spread of peace and non violence, by decreasing the use of weapons by States and citizens.
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NON-VIOLENCE AND JUST PEACE
To seek solutions to the unique and terrible 'world war in instalments which, directly or indirectly, a large part of humankind is presently undergoing, it helps us to think back in time. Let us rediscover the reasons that led the sons and daughters of a still predominantly Christian civilisation in the last century to create the Pax Christi Movement and the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.
From their example, we learn that to bring about true peace, it is necessary to bring people together: concretely to reconcile peoples and groups with opposing ideological positions. It is also necessary to work together for what persons, families, peoples and nations feel is their right, namely, to participate on a social, political and economic level in the goods of the modern world.
Further, the "unceasing effort on the part of that higher creative imagination which we call diplomacy" must be continuously nourished; and justice in a globalised world, which is "order in freedom and conscious duty", must constantly be promoted. In a word, humanity needs to refurbish all the best available tools to help the men and women of today to fulfil their aspirations for justice and peace.
Accordingly, your thoughts on revitalising the tools of non-violence, and of active non-violence in particular, will eded and positive contribution. This is what participants in the Rome Conference propose to do. In this message, I would like to remind you of some further points which are especially of concern to me.
The basic premise is that the ultimate and most deeply worthy goal of human beings and the human community is the abolition of war. In this vein, we recall that the only explicit condemnation issued by the Second Vatican Council was against war. However, the Council recognised that, since war has not been eradicated from the human condition, "governments cannot be denied the right to legitimate defence once every means of peaceful settlement has been exhausted."
Another cornerstone is to recognise that "conflict cannot be ignored or concealed. It has to be faced." Of course, the purpose is not to remain trapped within a framework of conflict, thus losing our overall perspective and sense of the profound unity of reality. Instead, we must accept and tackle conflict to resolve it and transform it into a link in that new process that "peacemakers" initiate.
As Christians, we also know that we will overcome wars and conflicts only by considering our peers as brothers and sisters. The Church tirelessly repeats that this is true, not merely at an individual level, but also at the level of peoples and nations, for it genuinely regards the International Community as the "Family of Nations". That is why, I, Pope Francis, made an appeal to States' leaders to renew "their relations with other peoples and to enable their real participation and inclusion in the life of the international community, to ensure fraternity within the family of nations as well."
Furthermore, we know as Christians that, to make this happen, the greatest obstacle to be removed is the wall of indifference. Recent history justifies using the word 'wall' not in a figurative sense alone, for unhappily, it is an all too tangible reality. This phenomenon of indifference touches not only our fellow human beings but also the natural environment, with often disastrous consequences regarding security and social peace.
Nevertheless, we can overcome indifference - but only if we can show mercy in imitation of the Father. Such mercy is, so to speak, 'political because it expresses solidarity, which is the moral and social attitude that responds best to the awareness of the scourges of our time. The interdependence of life at different levels is the connections between individual life, the family, and the local and global community.
In our complex and violent world, it is truly a formidable undertaking to work for peace by practising non-violence! Equally daunting is the aim of achieving full disarmament "by reaching people's very souls", building bridges, fighting fear and pursuing open and sincere dialogue. The practice of dialogue is, in fact, complex.
We must not assume that others are wrong. Instead of accepting our differences and remaining true to our positions, we must seek the good of all; and after having finally found agreement, we must firmly maintain it.
We can joyfully anticipate significant cultural differences and varied life experiences among the participants in the Rome Conference. These will only enhance the exchanges and contribute to the renewal of the active witness of non-violence as a "weapon" to achieve peace.
Finally, I would like to invite all those present to support two requests I addressed to governmental authorities during the Jubilee Year: to abolish the death penalty where it is still in force, and to consider the possibility of an amnesty. (In Malaysia, we are working towards abolishing the death penalty in the country).
Towards a planet-wide Culture of Non-Violence
From times immemorial, humankind, in its brief history on planet Earth, has caused and experienced for itself unimaginable horrors and carnage. Violence is commonly used to settle disputes or gain an advantage. This is amply documented and evident even today as I write.
Not only have we humans annihilated the lives of hundreds of millions of other humans, but we have eradicated precious creations such as art, architecture, sculptures and monuments representing the finest products of human civilisation, remnants of which adorn museums around the world.
During this brief history, humans have also demonstrated unsurpassable acts of love, kindness, mercy, empathy, compassion, forgiveness, sacrifice and benevolence towards others, and such deeds are evident even today. Hence, we confront a dilemma. We have evidence of the best and the worst behaviour that humanity is capable of.
Some will argue that this is impossible because violence is so deeply embedded in the human psyche that it is unchangeable. I disagree because history has proved the opposite.
I believe human progress is undeniable and unstoppable in practically all spheres of life. Clearly, in this long evolutionary journey, there are, and will always be episodes, eras and epochs of unconscionably large-scale violence, such as that currently seen in Afghanistan,
Myanmar, Syria and the Middle East, and other parts of the world. Still, the direction is always towards reaching the higher plane and the betterment of humankind. This may seem counter intuitive because negative aspects of human behaviour saturate today's news media, and we tend to obsess over the here and now. We must evaluate human progress from an evolutionary and historical perspective.
Let us stop for a moment and take a look at the Charter of the United Nations-a monumental achievement among disparate nations and cultures on Earth. It is remarkable that 193 nations have signed on to this extraordinary treaty throughout its brief existence. These 193 Member States, comprising almost all nation States on the planet, have voluntarily ceded a segment of their sovereignty to the United Nations. To my knowledge, no Member State has voluntarily withdrawn its membership from the Organisation; why? Even those Member States repeatedly castigated by one or another instrument of the United Nations have not dared to withdraw. This represents human progress and the need for cooperation among nations where necessary and possible.
It should be noted, however, that the Charter does not entirely prohibit the use of force by Member States. Indeed, it explicitly recognises the right of self-defence (Articles 39 through 51) under clearly delineated circumstances and conditions. However, the basic principle of the Charter remains the non-use of force and the peaceful settlement of international disputes.
Russy D. Sumariwalla
Russy D. Sumariwalla is the former president and CEO of United Way International (now part of United Way Worldwide) - United Nations Chronicle.
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