Peace is at once the destination and the path. Hatred is never ended by hatred but only by mutual understanding and regard. These convictions come from the deepest beliefs of the world’s religious and spiritual communities.

We, members of the Board of Trustees of the Council for a Parliament of World Religions, grieve at the continuing violence and the loss of life and civilian infrastructure and damage to the earth in Lebanon, Israel and Palestine. We mourn the many deaths that have occurred and pray that the violence may end soon. All human lives are sacred and must be respected. In an increasingly interdependent world, the well-being of all peoples is interconnected. In such a world, the smallest unit of survival is indeed the whole human family.

We are convinced that real security cannot be achieved by war and violence, but only by a respect for human rights and by a spirit of cooperation and tolerance. The recent conflict in the Middle East demonstrates yet again that violence only begets further violence in a never-ending spiral that has no victors but only victims. Towards a Global Ethic: An Initial Declaration presented to the 1993 Parliament affirms a strong commitment to a culture of non-violence and mutual respect.

We commit ourselves to the nonviolent resolution of antagonisms through dialogue and negotiation, diplomacy and compromise. We, therefore, welcome the UN Security Council Resolution 1701 that calls for the immediate cessation of hostilities and the deployment of an international peacekeeping force to monitor the truce. Once a ceasefire is fully in place, we propose a series of short- and -long-term steps that might help the region move toward a more lasting peace:

Immediate humanitarian relief for the civilian populations of the countries affected together with the rebuilding of civilian infrastructure.

A negotiated return of prisoners now being held by the rival sides.

An encouragement by the Parliament to the religious leaders of the region to come together to invoke their common heritage, to denounce religiously-motivated violence, and to take the lead in attempting to resolve outstanding disputes.

An invitation to spiritual communities world-wide to address the fissures in the inter-religious movement that have developed as a result of this conflict

The situation in the Middle East is very serious; it threatens the peace and security not just of that region but of the whole world. It is our hope that the steps we have outlined might help to defuse tensions and provide a calmer environment within which the peoples concerned can work out their differences peacefully and constructively. To this effort the Parliament commits its full support.