Interfaith leaders pledge for peace on UN Peace Day

On the occasion of the UN International Day of Peace (Sept. 21), the Commission on Justice, Peace and Creation of the National Council of Churches in India (NCCI), organized a meeting in Nagpur that saw interfaith leaders pledge for peace and capture a vision of unity in which war and violence would be irrelevant.

The Leaders yearned for a modern society which can hold peace in tension with un-peace, and which will be manifested in the realization of religious and societal values where want will be but a memory – only to be remembered to keep want at bay.

The Speakers gave a call to address Peace through making it an attitude, imbibing it as a culture, and - as a norm - mainstreaming it in every activity of one's realm. The call for peace was set against a backdrop of challenge to co-existence and dynamic inter-mingling of human persons, depravation and dispossession leading to violence for want, a culture of domination and consequent of subjugation of all, and discrimination and untouchability practiced against the indigenous peoples of this country - the dalits and the Tribals.

The participants decided to work toward peace by actively involving themselves and others in existing peace movements like the India-Pakistan People's Forum for Peace and Democracy, and the All India Peace and Solidarity Organization.

The joint initiative of the India Peace Centre and National Council of Churches in India to review existing curricula on Peace and to bring out a more contemporaneous curriculum for use in Schools and Colleges was mentioned.

The National Council of Churches in India undertook to prepare an Ecumenical Sunday School Syllabus for children consisting of stories from all religious, and extra-scriptural, texts. It was also proposed to prepare a liturgy with prayers from all religious traditions which can be adapted for use in all places of worships.

Dr. Mrinalini Fadnavis, Prof. Yugal Rayalu, Adv. Jamil, Rev. Fr. George Pulikkottil, Dr. H.S. Hanspal, and Shri. Vilas Sukhadeve spoke on the occasion. Dr. John Chelladurai presided over the meeting. Mr. Christopher Rajkumar, Secretary, NCCI-CJPC who organized the program proposed a vote of thanks. At the end all the participants have pledged to be the Peace Promoters.