Speech of Indunil J. K. Kodithuwakku

Our world is again on fire: wars and conflicts are devastating the globe. Our planet is on fire: we experience more and more the ill-effects of global warming. Violence against fellow human beings is related to violence against the earth. The dehumanisation of the other results in the inability to see the other as a brother and a sister or when the other is unwelcome into my world. This hostile ideology of "otherness" incites enmity and polarization and the subsequent wounds, can continue for decades and can be inherited and transmitted from generation to generation leading to a decay of moral perspective of the “other”. The act of killing thus, becomes an act to eradicate the enemy perceived in the other. There is no grief about the loss of human life and in some situations, there is even delight in the suffering or death of others or even worse to consider “they got what they deserve”. This reveals a profound moral crisis because humanity has lost empathy. Besides, we are sometimes responsible for the “violence of silence”. Interference with local conflicts by those with power for geopolitical interests and proxy wars provoke further violence and war. Rising nationalism and populism as well as radicalism and extremism also threaten world peace. Today, un regulated Artificial Intelligence is also capable of destabilising the world.  

 

We all imagine of a world without wars and violence. Indeed, most of our religious founders and teachers have long envisioned a world without wars, where peace and love are the guiding principles of human existence. Jesus Christ, our master and guide, exemplified this profound teaching through both His life and His sacrifice. As a victim of violence, He experienced first-hand the brutality and injustice that so often plague our world. Yet, in the face of this suffering, Jesus chose a path of peace and forgiveness, even extending love to those who persecuted Him. His teachings, “Love your enemies” (Mt 5:44) and “Blessed are the peacemakers, (Mt. 5:9) resonate as powerful calls to transcend our differences and to seek reconciliation and understanding. Jesus’ life demonstrates that peace is not passive; it requires active engagement, the courage to stand against injustice, and the will to cultivate love even in the most difficult circumstances.  

 

This message of peace and love is echoed in the teachings of other religious leaders and traditions. The challenge we face today is to take these timeless teachings and apply them in a world that is still often torn apart by conflict. One of the tragic ironies of our time is that, while all major religious traditions advocate for peace, compassion, and the dignity of human life, some misuse religious teachings to justify violence. 

Yet, despite these challenges posed by religious violence, it is essential to recognize and celebrate the ongoing efforts of religious leaders and communities who are deeply committed to peace-building through healing, reconciliation and justice.  We are witnesses to the transformative work of faith-based initiatives that seek to mend the wounds of conflicts and build bridges between divided communities, countries and the world at large.  We need to continue to dream with head, heart and hands to build a culture of peace.  At this precise moment in history, we need to rise against all types of tribalism and design a new project for living as follows:  

1. Identify the causes: We all are affected by the spirit and customs of our time and place.  Nevertheless, we need to reject harmful prevailing currents and to swim against the tide. We need tools to grasp unbiasedly the root causes of local and global conflicts – socio-economic, cultural, religious, regional and local and geopolitical factors. Peace flourishes under conditions of truth, justice, love, and freedom and for this, structural and systemic changes are required.

 

2. Acknowledge and repent: We may have been biased, prejudiced, indifferent and even violent in our words and actions. We may be victims, perpetrators or tacit supporters of violence. We need to heal our blindness and that of others to alter how we perceive, think and conceive of the other as well as the planet.  Because, we belong to one human family and therefore, everyone has equal dignity and respect.

 

 

3. Repair the injured fraternity:  Reconciliation requires: overcoming the fears of dominion by one group over others; economic justice; memory healing; power sharing, avoiding any instigation by external forces. Such repair ought to involve not just religious leaders but also the active participation of victims, offenders, and members of the community. The search for peace includes the dimensions of prevention, protection, and mediation.

 

4. Convert enmity to amity: We need to reduce the distance between different groups in society. This can be achieved by: exploiting the transformative power of religions; making use of education to convert the image of the enemy by the curriculum programmes aimed at breaking the vicious circles of fear, stereotyping and violence. Women, youth and children as peacemakers must be promoted. 

 

5. Dialogue for peacebuilding: Dialogue is the anti-dote to war and conflicts because it can: find non-violent ways of resolving conflicts; build bridges; counter conspiracy theories and baseless rumours; foster mutual trust and friendship; mobilize different groups to work and walk together. We are interconnected and interdependent, therefore, dialogue must be extended to: civil society, followers of other religious traditions, media personnel, national, regional and international organizations, academic and scientific communities, and all other interested parties to promote peace. Diplomacy and multilateralism should be employed more to international affairs.  

 

6. Storytelling for new humanism: War is terrible. It is necessary to give voice to the tales of war survivors (Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Nazi concentration camps, and other ongoing wars) to reawaken our world to oppose the cruelty of war. People must be encouraged to visit war museums, peace parks, war cemeteries because knowing of war history and its gruesome violence could urge people to avoid past mistakes. This demands narrating the stories of non-violent peacemakers to motivate others to commit to nonviolence. Cultural and artistic initiatives, sports, the internet and social media can be employed to cultivate peace.  

 

7. Recognize great good: We need to appreciate praiseworthy initiatives of individuals, communities, governments, different organizations that aim at reducing poverty, assisting migrants, providing humanitarian aid, promoting dialogue etc.  

 

8. Religious practices and purification: Prayer can: transform a ‘heart of stone’ to a ‘heart of flesh’; reawaken conscience; expel violent thoughts; generating loving-kindness, mercy and forgiveness; eradicate social evils. It can make us peacemakers. 

 

In conclusion, the teachings of Jesus and other religious leaders remind us that a world without war is not only possible but is also the fulfilment of our highest calling. By living out these teachings, we contribute to the realization of this divine dream, moving humanity ever closer to the peace that our hearts yearn for and that our faiths have long proclaimed. Let us heed to the warning of Pope John Paul II pronounced in Assisi in 1986: “Either we learn to walk together in peace and harmony, or we drift apart and ruin ourselves and others” (Basilica of St Mary of the Angels, 27 October 1986, n. 5).   Let us carry this vision forward, confident in the belief that, together, we can create the world, we dream of—a world where universal fraternity is not just a hope, but a reality.