Round Tables of Reconciliation

presented at the UNESCO Seminar on the Contributions of Religions to a Culture of Peace
Barcelona, Spain, April 13 - 18, 1993

Introduction - How Much Longer Can We Wait?

For thousands of years, virtually all of the world's religions have been teaching the necessity of peace. Yet every day, in every corner of the globe, wars continue to be fought in the name of religion. We fight each other over ethnicity, over nationality, over belief and denomination. We are quite familiar with the term "holy war." But how often do we hear talk of a "holy peace?"

One of the most challenging dilemmas of the 21st century will surely be ethnic and religious conflicts. We have inter-ethnic, inter-religious, and inter-national wars primarily because minorities are denied basic human rights and freedom of religious expression. Whenever the weak or the few are dominated by the strong or the many, we see violence. Think of virtually any country, and the potential for ethnic and religious conflict is terrifying.

We no longer have time for lengthy deliberations. We must prepare now - to resolve the conflicts that are currently flaring, and to prevent the conflicts that threaten us in the future.

We propose a two-part initiative:

1. The first part involves creating Round Tables of Reconciliation, comprised primarily of religious leaders, and also including secular representatives when appropriate. Round Tables would be convened at regional, national and international levels, and on both ad hoc and permanent bases. As a prerequisite, we need global education in nonviolence, mediation and conflict resolution techniques.
2. The second part is the establishment of local, national and international Zones of Peace - sacred places respected by major religious traditions, as well as areas of cultural and environmental importance, set aside as permanent sanctuaries from conflict and bloodshed.