Witnesses of Mercy for Peace and Reconciliation

83 v Never despair and never lose faith in humanity v Remember that the good exists, and that we need to spread it through stories of solidarity, especially in the media v Always keep in mind that human life and values are a priority, especially in times of conflict v Believe that social cohesion, not division, exists as a base and that it needs to be nurtured to face challenges of division in times of conflict v Always be conscious of the existence of the Other, and include the Other in our narrative, our reflection, and our plans for the future, even the one on the other side v Refuse to dehumanise the Other, even if he has dehumanised himself or others v Remember, especially in times of conflict, that no one holds one hundred percent of the truth, and that everyone holds only part of it v Keep in mind that blaming others does not serve. Instead, we need to share responsibility v Keep in mind that people sometimes shelter themselves behind a dominant identity, exclusivist views and refusal of the Other, but that they are capable of opening up to otherness when touched by humanity v Always remember that even a small action that we perform for mercy, peacebuilding and social cohesion is important v Constantly work on building links between communities, especially in times of conflict v Work on promoting critical thinking toward political and religious leaders that manipulate minds, religion and politics v Aim for building the future based on equal participation of all faiths, on solidarity and on the principle of partnership in citizenship, inclusive of diversity v There is no fear for our religion when we encounter others from other religions. Sometimes people fear that they would be less faithful if they encounter or hear about other religions, but experience shows that when we encounter people of other religions and learn about them, we learn more about ourselves, our own religion and we subsequently deepen our faith v We should not be afraid of showing or expressing our religious identity, yet at the same time we should keep on refusing to be reduced and to reduce others to a religious identity only, as each human has many component to her identity v It is important to have the Other present in our lives as well as in our children’s lives to avoid fear of the Other, exclusion and demonisation of the Other, and future wars. These points were underlined by Lebanese participants who spoke about rebuilding ties between families from different religious backgrounds in post-war societies v Work on removing virtual boundaries that separate us from other cultures, religions and sects v Search for truth about each other rather than be satisfied with stereotypes and generalisations v Hold on to authenticity and respect in interreligious encounters v Achieve active solidarity with those from different religions or ethnic groups, defending each other’s rights and dignity v Work on shared values for post-conflict society building v God/the Absolute gave mercy to heal an imperfect world. If we are to be instruments of God in spreading mercy we need to accept dealing with imperfections. WITNESSING MERCY FOR PEACE AND RECONCILIAT ION