Educating for peace: a commitment and a choice

“Today’s young people aspire to become global citizens and we aspire to a united world,” concluded Arooj Javed, a young student in International Relations, a statement which sums up the objectives of New Humanity.

This celebration of the 20^th anniversary of the awarding of the Peace Education Prize to Chiara Lubich was not a nostalgic revisiting of the event. The recent US elections, the tragedy of refugees, climatic change, rising inequality, the greed-dominated markets – all these dramatic happenings, evoked by the various speakers, fully justified the title chosen for the symposium: “Reinventing Peace”. It was to discover – beginning with the Focolare communitarian spirituality – “new solutions” to the “agonizing face of new situations of war”, as expressed by Jesús Morán, the co-President of the Movement.

Several catchphrases shed light on these reflections: intercultural laboratories, universal brotherhood, interreligious solidarity, the efforts of co-habitation and, above all, education in dialogue and peace.

“We need to dialogue as if in an orchestra, where each instrument is played in harmony with the others, thus creating a symphony,” Msgr Francesco Follo, permanent observer of the Holy See to UNESCO, said poetically. And Enrico Letta, President of the Jacques Delors Institute and former Prime Minister of Italy, commented: “In order to dialogue we must be aware that we are all minority groups on this earth. (…) If we make our own the fresh outlook and openness of young people, we can better understand that education for dialogue needs to be our fundamental mission.” One of the proposals outlined in the final declaration was a very practical one: “To offer Member States training courses for teachers in the art of global living”.

Pope Francis – who sent a message – recently spoke of a “piecemeal World War III”. This war “calls forth a response which is also ‘piecemeal’, made up of small steps and concrete actions. Each person has a role to play, something they’re responsible for (…). Peace is not a promise; it is a commitment and a choice. (…)The invitation to all of us here and to those following this event all over the world, is to be armed with peace …”,  declared Maria Voce, President of the Focolare Movement in her message, which was read by Catherine Belzung, since she was absent for health reasons. During the symposium, several videos illustrated these small actions for peace which instill hope.

Video presentations highlighted that “peace is not only a theory, or a dream, but a model”: Christian and Muslim women of the Koz Kazak Association in Cairo (Egypt) who have built a beautiful “sisterly” relationship with one another; the 40 Economy of Communion businesses in Africa; the presence From a Focolare community in Aleppo (Syria) which provides a space for sharing for this martyred population; the Santa Maria school in Recife (Brazil) where it’s been possible to build strong relationships embracing the school community and families. These are all small stones in the mosaic dedicated to the promotion of a peace culture, which is the objective of UNESCO.

Chantal Joly (Paris)

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