The Supporting Peacemaking Project
Churches’ Center for Theology and Public Policy, Church World Service
United States Institute of Peace
The task of peacemaking is not a peripheral one for the religions of the world. It is a calling or requirement that is at the heart of communities of faith. Indeed sacred texts of the world’s religions have much to teach about the need for peacemaking. They also provide wisdom and insights about the nature of peace and the task of peacemaking.
So it is not surprising that people of faith around the world respond to conflicts and brokenness and injustice. These projects are often creative, courageous and faithful efforts to bring peace and wholeness out of brokenness.
U.S. religious bodies and other institutions of faith in other countries continue to learn about the important peacemaking work in particular countries across the globe and ask themselves “How can we help?”. They have consequently developed efforts to support the peacemaking that is done by religious people in specific countries.
It is also significant that the religious bodies in the U.S. engaged in supporting peacemaking in particular countries are not just national ones. National religious bodies are engaging in supporting peacemaking since they often have the relationships with the religious bodies overseas. Yet, regional and local religious bodies in the U.S. are also supportive of peacemaking either through national bodies or directly with organizations overseas.
On June 16, 2004 the United States Institute of Peace and the Churches’ Center for Theology and Public Policy co-sponsored a consultation on the role of regional and local religious bodies in supporting peacemaking in particular countries. Sixty five people of faith participated including those from the Jewish community, the Muslim community, and Protestant, Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christians. Dr. Kathleen Hurty prepared a paper for the consultation describing the efforts by local and regional religious bodies in supporting peacemaking.
Participants at the consultation discussed Dr. Hurty’s paper and offered suggestions and additions. Rev. Doug Baker from Northern Ireland, for instance, described ways that U.S. religious bodies have been helpful and not so helpful to those engaged in peacemaking in his country.
After the consultation the Churches’ Center for Theology and Public Policy, the U.S. Institute of Peace and Church World Service embarked on the second phase of this project. That phase has produced three print resources:
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