Sustainable Peace

The picture above is a view of Jerusalem, taken from the relatively peaceful vantage point of Dominus Flevit on the Mount of Olives, a city that often represents tension and conflict conflated by differing religious and political angles. endesek considers the situation of people in lands of conflict; those who find themselves often caught up in the violence of war, or the aftermath of conflict. The big question always seems to be, what can stop or change these situations and bring an end to the suffering of millions?

endesek promotes the relgio-political angle as a powerful option when looking to build sustainable peace. Through using religious authorities and communities endesek believes that faith brings a huge amount to both Tier 1 and Tier 2 peace building initiatives. Sadly, at Tier 1 this is often overlooked yet religious leaders are often perfectly placed to mediate between their communities and the political realm.

In that, mediation too has to be rooted in what works for each culture. See the comments under Mediation above that relate to balancing Western methods with local norms. This same consideration needs to be given to the concept of ‘justice’. Justice needs to be felt by those impacted who need it most and as such it needs to mean something to them. Whilst the rule of law holds much value sometimes a legalistic approach may not always be the obvious choice in a given context. Different cultures have different peaceful ways to achieve justice for individuals and communities. That is why the implementation of schemes of truth and reconciliation, restorative circles and restorative justice have been used around the world to very good effect.

contact endesek if we can be of help in hands-on action or education in this field.